Limestone
GOOD. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 1.53 feet below pool. All species of fish are heading into the creeks following the shad. Largemouth bass, crappie and white bass are starting to transition to spawning beds. Bass can be caught with Texas rigs and chatterbaits 5 feet or less. Crappie can be caught with minnows in 5 feet or less. White bass can be caught out to 12 feet of water with silver jigging spoons and road runners. Catfish are in 10 feet of water or less. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.
Richland Chambers
FAIR. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.05 feet above pool. A week of extreme cold temperatures and brisk winds kept most anglers off the lake. The clarity is clear on the main lake and stained in the major creeks. The forecast warmer weather should improve the bite. White bass and hybrid striper are fair with very few reports due to weather conditions. White bass and small hybrids are scattered, but can sometimes be located in 35-40 feet of water on the main lake points with slabs. Eater size blue and channel catfish have slowed, but are still fair on punch bait in 30 feet of water on the Richland Creek arm of the lake as well as scattered timber in coves on the south shoreline of the main lake. Chum with range cubes and fermented grain for best results. Drift fishing with cut bait or shad along creek channels and flats is producing trophy blue catfish. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Service.
Athens
SLOW. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 0.44 feet above pool. Bass are slow in 5-15 feet of water in grass with Texas rigged worms, wacky rigged senkos and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are slow on small jigs over deep brush 25 feet. Report by Reagan Nelson, Lake Athens Bass Guide.
Cedar Creek
GOOD. stained; 52 degrees; 0.12 feet above pool. The pattern is consistent. The hybrid and white bass winter deadsticking bite is on fire! Use half ounce to 1-1/2 ounce jigs with 4-5 inch plastic flukes depending on what the winds are and drift long lengths of the lake in the deepest water 35-55 feet. Drift at speeds of .2-.6 mph using your drift mode on your trolling motor or using drift socks. If the winds are not too bad you can just drift with the wind. Thumping on the bottom of your boat will attract fish and group them up underneath as you drift. Utilizing a splasher also works well with thumping. You will find the fish suspended between 22-28 feet when deadstricking. Look for Birds and Loons early mornings on shallow flats as the fish will come up to follow the bait and feed early especially on cloudier and colder days. The crappie bite has been tough with reports of fish being scattered. Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 7-15 feet under bridge pylons, hidden brush piles throughout the lake or under docks. Crappie fisherman have been moving spot to spot finding limits. Lots of crappies in the 7-9 inch range. Limits of crappie will happen but you may catch a lot of small ones getting to your limit. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s
