Lake Lanier Fishing Reports

The stripers continue to school on top most days on the south end of the lake. They have changed to feeding on threadfin shad so they are a little harder to convince to bite. If the water is choppy the redfin has continued to be the best bait. If the water is calm, go with the smaller baits like the Ice Fly. The umbrella rig is not a bad option if you just want to get fish in the boat. We are pulling the heavy 3 ounce umbrella 100 feet behind the boat. If the fish are too deep for the umbrella rig, go back o the old faithful downline. Be sure to take some trout along as well. Throughout the winter, trout are many times better than herring.
Still some fish being caught on the far north end as well with gizzard shad on free lines and planer boards. Personally, I have not been on the north end. The south end has been too good to leave the area. Still some fish being caught on the bomber as well if you want to go out at night. Just be careful of the signs that are about under water with the high lake levels. Overall, the lake looks incredible. Who would ever have thought we would see full pool this winter.

Stripers: So far this October the striper fishing has been up and down with the weather. As you most likely already know, the lake level has went through the roof. Last year at this time, most of the ramps were closed and now all of the ramps are open. At the beginning of the month the stripers were still on the down line and with all the cloud cover and rain the fish are finally beginning to school on topwater. Be sure to keep a Cotton Cordell 7 inch redfin (chrome and blue) tied on at all times. Other topwater baits like Houston Bleeding Shad Super Spooks will also be great choices. Most of the topwater fishing will be casting to visible schools that are feeding on the surface. Furthermore, most of this activity will be on the south end of the lake.  Just cruise the channel and look for the fish.
Bass: The bass fishing is improving daily. This time of year is sometimes considered junk fishing due to the many patterns that may work on a giving day. Tie on all different types of moving baits on and see what happens. If it is windy, go with spinnerbaits out on the main lake points. Rat-L-traps are also not a bad choice especially the tried and true chrome and blue. This is one of the bezt times of the year to catch a big spotted bass.

So far this August, the fishing has been as good as it gets. More big fish than normal are showing up all over the south end of the lake. Be sure to check out some of the recent pictures on the Up on Lanier Fishing Forum. Half of our big fish are coming on downlines 60 to 80 feet deep. The hard part has been getting them out of the rod holder The other half are coming on jigs “power reeling.” Power reeling is simply dropping a heavy jig tipped with a live herring or plastic shad body below a school of stripers and steadily reeling it up through the school. Many times you can actually see the stripers chasing the jig on the graph. If you have never been striper fishing now is the time to go. This patern will normally stay strong until the first few cold fronts arrive in October.

Water Temperature:  83 degrees

Lake Level: Approx. 1066.03

Stripers: The striper fishing has been great the last few weeks. Furthermore, the next two months should be the best fishing of the year for numbers of fish. The fish are in large schools from Browns Bridge south. Currently, the fish are still in the creeks and working their way further out each passing week. Look for the fish to be 30 to 60 feet deep over 60 feet of water. With each passing week look for the fish to be over a deeper bottom. Time of day makes no difference this time of year. We are catching fish just as good midday as we are early in the morning. Around the full moons, look for the fishing to be better midday. We are using downlines  with herring to catch these fish. This pattern works real well for kids being the kids do not have to cast.

Bass:   The spotted bass have moved to the deeper brush and a drop shot rig with spottail minnows is now the dominate pattern. Catch the spottail minnows on a sandy beach with a 3/16 mesh cast net and you are ready to go catch some fish. Drop the minnows around the edges of the deeper brush and hold on to the rod.  This is a great pattern to take the kids. The action is fast and furious.

Water Temperature:  69 degrees

Lake Level: Approx. 1065.49 and rising

Stripers:  The lake looks great and the striper fishing has really turned on the last few weeks. The topwater bite has been strong and the average size of the fish has been excellent. Look for the topwater bite to disappear once the water temperature hits seventy-four degrees for the stripers. With the increase in water temperature, the stripers will head deep and set up on the points that have access to deep water. Look for the stripers to be twenty to thirty feet deep on these deep-water points. The north end will be the most consistent fishing. A downline will be the primary technique to catch these fish deep on the points. A downline is basically a Carolina rig with a live bait hook on the end instead of a worm hook. Blueback herring will be the primary baitfish on the downline. Use a one and a half ounce sinker for the weight and use a four foot twelve pound P-line fluorocarbon leader. Be sure to match the size of the bait hook to the bait not the size of the fish you want to catch. A 1/0 Mustad Octopus hook is usually sufficient for herring. If you pull into a point and you do not get bit in the first ten minutes head to the next point.

Bass:  June is a great month for the spotted bass on Lake Lanier. The topwater bite has been strong and will continue to be a good pattern until late in the month. As the water temperature rises, look for topwater baits that will “pull up” the fish from the deeper water. Baits with a loud rattle like the Heddon Super Spook and Reaction Innovation Vixen will be the better baits. Once these fish move to the deeper brush, the spottail minnow on a dropshot rig or small Carolina rig will be very effective. Catch the spottail minnows on a sandy beach with a 3/16 mesh cast net and you are ready to go catch some fish. Drop the minnows around the edges of the deeper brush and hold on to the rod.  This is a great pattern to take the kids. The action is fast and furious.

April 2009
Water Temperature: 60 degrees
Lake Level: Approx. 1062.93

Stripers: The striper fishing on Lake Lanier has been slower than normal. The biggest reason has been the colder than normal water temperature. However, with the recent sunshine the water temperature is warming fast and the bite should get back to normal. Look for some of the fish to be up the rivers performing the spawning run. The fish do not reproduce in Lanier but they do go through the act. This occurs when the water temperature reaches 65 degrees. Freelines using big gizzard shad will be the ticket for this area of the lake. Using planer boards like the Water Bugzs are also a great tool for getting your baits up close to shore. This way you can fish with four to eight lines. If you find yourself fishing on the south end of the lake be sure to take some redfins. A redfin is a large 7-inch surface plug that v-wakes across the surface. It is some of the most exciting fishing of the year.
Bass: Looks like May is going to be the key month for the spawn on Lanier this year. Most of the bass will spawn around the full moon in May this year. If you just want to catch some fish, pull freelines using herring across main lake points up and down the lakeand you will catch a mixed bag of spotted bass and stripers. If you would like to learn to use artificials to catch the spotted bass be sure to call Lanier Spots Guide Service.
770-356-4136.
Crappie: The crappie fishing has been better than normal this year. The better fishing has been on the north end of the lake due to the stained water. The number of crappie per acre of water is higher on the north end as well. Every year Thompson Creek, Wahoo Creek, and Yellow Creek do very well. The best jig this year has been a 1/24oz. Yellow/Yellow/White Hal-Fly. A close second has been the 1/32oz. White/Chartreuse popeye jig. The fish have been under the shade of the docks but now that the water temperature is getting into the low 60s, be sure to check any shallow brush. Once you find one there will be more. This is easy fishing and a great way to start the kids out how to learn to fish.

Stripers: The big fish bite for the stripers is here. As always for this time of year, we are not catching as many fish as later in the spring but we are making up for it in size. Early spring is by far the best time to catch a trophy striper on Lanier. The big females are getting ready for the spring spawn and they need to consume lots of calories. It is not uncommon to pull 14-inch gizzard shad this time of year for bait. Large rainbow trout work good this time of year as well. If the bait is very large it is not uncommon to run a treble hook in the back of the bait as a stinger. Pull these baits up shallow in the back of the creeks. The back of the creeks will be full of bait. Just remember when you are pulling these big baits you are only going to average a few bites a trip. The bucktail bite still has not taken off so it could happen any day. We just need several days of good sunshine to warm the water. We have already had some warms days but the problem has been the cloud cover. The fishing will change quickly with sunny days that are calm.
Bass: Like everything else on the lake, once the water temperature finally warms into the mid-fifties the bass fishing will begin to change significantly. Late in the evenings, be sure to keep a crankbait like a Bomber 6A Baby Bass or a shad colored SR7 Rapala Shad Rap ready to cast to shallow areas. This technique is usually better later in the day when the shallow water has time to warm from the sun. Stained water is a plus. Jerk baits will begin to be effective as well. Be sure to rip the bait and let it pause and the fish will bite on the pause. The expensive Lucky Craft and MegaBass jerk baits are well worth the money when it comes to jerk baits. Some of these baits are as high as thirty dollars. If its cloudy, try the shell white Lucky Craft Flash Minnow. If it is sunny, try the Clown color or Aurora Black. If the sun is bright, do not hesitate to fish the docks with a 3/16oz. Spotsticker jighead with a finesse worm. On Lanier, green pumpkin is the primary worm color.
Crappie: The crappie are already concentrated under the deep-water docks and moving shallower as the water temperature increases. . The better fishing for the most part will be on the north end of the lake due to the stained water. The number of crappie per acre of water is higher on the north end as well. Every year Thompson Creek, Wahoo Creek, and Yellow Creek do very well. The stained water is very important to the crappie fishing on Lanier. The crappie are too spooky in the clear water. Not that they can’t be caught in clear water. You just have to catch a few and leave for thirty minutes and then come back and start again. The lure of choice is any 1/32 ounce chartreuse and white jig. You really need the very lightweight jig for the slow fall. If the water is very stained go to a red and chartreuse jig. The fish will almost always be in the shade of the docks. The best docks will be the ones that hold brush. Look for rod holders and minnow buckets on the docks to help narrow your search and save you time. If March is warmer than normal, look for the crappie to go ahead and pull shallow on the brush to spawn. Anchor near the brush and cast crappie minnows as close to the brush as possible. Use a size 6 or 4 light wire hook with an extra long shank. To be exact, use a 202ELR hook by Eagle Claw. If you are close enough to the brush use a weightless float. If you have kids with you, be sure to use the weighted floats. Most of the weighted floats will be orange or chartreuse with a small ring of lead on the bottom. One last thing, be sure to use 4 pound test line and a limber rod for the crappie. The crappie are very line sensitive and have very delicate mouths. Good luck out on the lake.

Finally, the news about the lake is encouraging. The lake has risen several feet over the last month and we are now five feet ahead of last year at the same date. The lake is still not where we would like but at least it is an improvement. Several more boat ramps are now open and a few ramps were extended. After a brutal January, it looks like the fishing is on the upswing. The cold nights in January really dropped the water temperature and hurt the fishing in early January. Some of the backs of the creeks were even covered in a thin sheet of ice.

Stripers: If we continue to get mostly sunny weather in February, look for the water temperature to quickly rise. With the bright sunshine, any stained water will warm faster than the surrounding clear water and the fish will seek the warmer water. The stained water will be up in the creeks. One of the most consistent patterns is casting bucktails in February. Be sure to cast the bucktails right up on the bank. Some of the fish will be cruising tight to the bank line. If the water is stained, go with a 1/4oz. chartreuse bucktail tipped with a chartreuse grub or fluke. If the water is more on the clear side, go with a 1/4oz. white bucktail tipped with an albino fluke or shad body. Remember the water is still cold so keep the retrieve on the slow side. Concerning live bait, free lines tipped with threadfin shad and medium shiners will do the trick. However late in the month, do not be afraid to use a large bait like a 12-inch gizzard shad. The big female stripers will be preparing for the spawning run and looking for a big meal.

Bass: Same as the stripers, the spotted bass will be up in the creeks with the bait. Early in the mornings, some of the big spots will be cruising looking for food right with the stripers. Cast 1/4oz. or 3/8oz. jigheads tipped with smoking shad fluke jrs. or white pearl fluke jrs made by Zoom. The locally made Fish Head Spin is also a good choice as a jighead for the flukes. Another dominant pattern for early season spotted bass is jerkbaits worked real slowly around docks. Work the jerkbaits with a jerk-pause-jerk retrieve. Make sure the pause is long. It is not uncommon in cold water for the pause to be ten to thirty seconds.

Crappie: The crappie fishing is already starting to take off this year. The crappie are already beginning to load up under some of the deep-water docks. Look for older docks that offer plenty of shade. With each passing sunny day, the crappie will move into shallower and shallower water. Small 1/32oz. jigs will be the lure of choice. Some days it is not a bad choice to tip the jigs with a crappie minnow. Be sure to “shoot” the jigs into the darkest corners of the dock and let the jig slowly fall into the darkness. Stained water is a big plus when it comes to crappie fishing. In clear water, the crappie will be very spooky and shut down after just a few bites. If you find yourself fishing in clearer water and the crappie shut down after a few bites, leave the area for thirty minutes and come back and try it again.