Jerkbait Fishing on Lake Nottely
Lake Nottely · Georgia · Southeast
Lake Nottely is a pristine, deep reservoir situated in the Chattahoochee National Forest, characterized by exceptionally clear water and a primarily rocky, mountainous shoreline. While known for its abundant spotted bass, the lake also supports a healthy population of largemouth bass, with fish often relating to deep structure and standing timber. The deep-water clarity and mountainous terrain mean bass fishing here demands a precise, often vertical, approach.
A slender, minnow-shaped hard bait that suspends in the water column and darts erratically on a jerk-jerk-pause retrieve. The pause — where the bait sits motionless and quivering — triggers strikes from cold, lethargic fish. Water temperature is the key variable: the colder the water, the longer the pause.
Jerkbait Setup for Lake Nottely
| Rod | 6'10"–7'2" medium casting rod, moderate-fast action |
| Reel | 6.4:1–7.1:1 baitcaster |
| Line | 10–12 lb fluorocarbon (neutral buoyancy critical — heavy line sinks, light line rises) |
| Weight | 3–5 inches, 1/4–1/2 oz (Megabass Vision 110, Lucky Craft Pointer, Rapala Shadow Rap) |
Seasonal Tactics on Lake Nottely
Lake: Bass transition from deep winter haunts to shallower creek arms and protected coves for spawning, making jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs effective as water temperatures rise.
Jerkbait: The pre-spawn jerkbait bite is legendary — fish moving up to spawn stack on points and react to jerkbaits voraciously.
Lake: A strong thermocline pushes fish deeper to main lake points, humps, and standing timber, where drop shots, football jigs, and deep crankbaits are highly productive, often in 20-50 feet of water.
Jerkbait: Less effective in warm water — switch to deeper presentations unless targeting suspended fish on main lake.
Lake: As water temperatures cool, shad migrations draw bass into creek arms and to the surface, offering opportunities for topwater lures, swimbaits, and reaction baits.
Jerkbait: Strong late-fall bite as water cools below 60°F. Shad colors mimic dying baitfish.
Lake: Bass move into the deepest sections of the lake, often suspending over the old river channel or holding tight to bottom structure, requiring slow presentations with A-rigs, spoons, and deep jerkbaits.
Jerkbait: Prime season. 5–10 second pause between twitches. Let it sit — the fish will come to it.
Best Conditions
Cold water (45–60°F), clear to slightly stained water, post-cold-front, early spring and late fall, suspended fish
Tune your jerkbait to suspend perfectly — in 60°F water with the correct line weight, the bait should slowly rise or hover motionless. Adjust with suspend dots if needed.
More Techniques for Lake Nottely
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