The Fall bite is here on Lake Lanier. The lake looks good despite the rain from the hurricane. The water is also more clear than you would expect with the rising lake level. and the stripers have been schooling on top at random times. Look for these schools to be very large in size. You may see them from several hundred yards away.
All types of topwater baits will work but each day a different one will be the key choice. Two key baits are the Berkley Magic Swimmer and the Berkley Driftwalker. So far this Fall, the Magic Swimmer has been on fire. We have been catching them on the new colors in the Magic Swimmer for several weeks now. Two great new colors are perfect ghost and olive bone. The 110 and 125 size are the two key sizes. Spool up a Penn Battle IV 3000 spinning reel with 12 pound Trilene Big Game line on a 7 foot medium heavy Fenwick spinning rod and you are good to go. If the water is calm, pick up the Berkley Driftwalker. This bait will zig zag across the surface. If any wi d, throw the Magic Swimmer. The south end of the lake will most likely continue to be the key area but the stripes may quickly be found further north on the lake. No surprise, some are already being caught on the north end.
If you want to use live bait, pull some freelines which are simply baits with no weight a 100 feet behind the boat tipped with a blueback herring. All you need is a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II Linecounter reel spoiled with 15 pound Trilene Big Game line, and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. The herring will do the rest. Lastly, pull the herring across humps and points and you will catch stripers and spotted bass. See you on the water
