Lanier is full as it can get right now. Good news is it is clearing up very well and the water temperature is climbing into the mid sixties.
Topwater time is here and the fish are looking to eat. Spool up a seven foot medium heavy Abu Garcia Veritas spinning rod, paired with a Penn 3000 Clash with twelve pound Trilene Big Game line and you are ready for action. The Penn Battle is also a great choice. If you want a longer cast spool up with ten pound line. Several baits will be needed for casting to the stripers. You will need a wake bait like the Berkley Surge Shad and a walking bait like the Berkley CaneWalker. Look for the bone color and the chrome color and you have the two primary colors in the CaneWalker and Surge Shad. If the fish are wanting a subsurface lure, the Berkley Magic Swimmer is the bait. They anAre hard to find right now so plan ahead. Another choice is the Berkley Jerk Shad. Cast these baits to points and humps across the lake and be prepared for some explosive action. If you need a more subtle presentation, rig up a 3/8 Berkley Fusion swimbait head tipped with a white paddle tail. Every day is different in the Spring. Just because it worked yesterday does not mean it will work the next day.
Live herring on a freeline across these same points and humps will also be a great tactic. This is the old reliable technique. Spool up a Penn Fathom II Linecounter 15 series reel with 15 pound Trilene Big Game and a Shakespeare Striper Series rod and you are ready for live bait fishing. Be sure to pick up some Gamakatsu size 1/0 Octopus hooks, some Trilene 100% Flourocarbon, and some Spro Power Swivels for your leaders and you are all set. Pull these freelines across these areas at about 1 mph. As the water temperature increases do not be afraid to add a little weight to the freeline to get down a little deeper. As the water temperature increases, look for the fish to go deeper. May should be great weather and great fishing. It is a great month to be on the water before the Summer heat. We are already catching some good fish on the Berkley CaneWalker so always have one ready to cast. Stay safe, 2024
