The Summer heat has arrived full force here on Lake Lanier. The water temperature is in the mid eighties, and the water is clear. More importantly, the average size of fish has made a huge leap from last year.
The best fishing has been on the south end of the lake due to deeper colder water. The South end will continue to be best into August. Look in the creek channels near patches of timber. As mentioned , the primary pattern is the downline. The primary setup for the downline is a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II 15 Linecounter reel spooled with 15 pound Trilene Big Game line, the Captain Mack 2 oz swivel sinker, a 6 foot section of Trilene 100 percent Flourocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Add a live herring to the hook and you are good to go. Take plenty of herring as they will not live long on the hook.
The trolling bite is also picking up. Talk to your local tackle store like Hammonds or Oakwood Bait and Tackle for the specific rod and reel needed. Look for a Penn Fathom 30 reel paired with a Shakespeare Tiger rod. Once you are setup, tie up one rod with a Ben Parker spoon, one with a Georgia Blade Spoon, and one with a 1 to 2 ounce white Berkley Fusion buck tail and troll at 2.8 mph. Tip the Berkley Fusion bucktail with a 6 inch Capt. Mack chartreuse trailer. Let the first couple bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. So far this Summer, the 1 oz Fusion bucktail has been hot. Typically as we roll into August, the 2 oz Fusion bucktail will become the best bait.
Be sure to release fish fast as possible. Every second out of the water in the hot Summer months increases mortality. If you are taking pictures, have everything ready for a quick release. See you on the water,
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