LAKE LANIER IS 1.89 FEET OVER FULL, THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR AND CREEKS ARE STAINED & 51 DEGREES

Bass fishing is good. The lake came up drastically again with the recent rains and the lake is back over full pool. There are now plenty of fish in the creek arm ditches and the backs of creeks as well. They tend to be in the 10 to 15 foot range in the early mornings and out deeper as the day progresses, all the way out to the timber line or wherever the best concentration of bait is based on the day and conditions. Our bigger fish have still been coming off of rock or rock and clay mix and have been shallow. Our best offerings on the rock has been a jig, a shaky head, and a Spro Little John DD crank bait and a Fish Head Spin. In the ditches, it has been a Fish Head Spin, a jerk bait, and a Davis Shaky Head worm soaked in Clear JJ's Magic. Lowrance sonar machines will help anglers find these fish. As always, it is important to stay flexible, as the fish on Lanier change daily. Keep an open mind about where and how to fish. This is a great time to come out and learn the Fish Head Spin bite in the ditches as well as deep timber fishing. If you don't know these techniques, they are certainly valuable tools to add to your winter fishing arsenal! The other great thing about taking a trip this time of year is learning and understanding how to make productive decisions in the face of changing conditions and fish attitude. I have the following dates open next week: January 1, 2, 3, and 4. Give me a call and reserve your date NOW for fishing over the holidays. We look forward to hearing from you to schedule your trip for visiting friends and family.

This Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On Service 404 561 2564. www.bigfishon.com

Striper fishing is good. The pattern continues to be an early bite with the birds giving up the fish. Find the birds and fish there continues to be your best bet. A 3/8 to 1/2 ounce buck tail jig with a small fluke trailer has been working well for early morning fish. If you can see the fish cast to them with your buck tail jig. You can also rig a super fluke on a hook and cast it to feeding fish. If there are birds searching an area put out a "spread" of bait and search the area with the birds. Vary the distance from your boards and free lines from 25 to 125 feet behind the board/boat. Hang a couple of down rods over the side just above the bait. Put someone on the front deck casting a buck tail jig the entire time. The early bite will last until 9:00 am and then the birds will sit down. Now is the time to focus on the creeks with the largest concentration of bait. Weight your lines with two to three split shots and adjust your down rod depth to the bait. We have not had a chance to pull any umbrella rigs this week, but there is no reason they will not work as long as the bait is shallow. The back of Bald Ridge Creek, Flat Creek, Latham Creek, Johnson Creek and the river channel from the mouth of the Chestatee to Thompson Bridge are good places to start. Ken Sturdivant about the ON THE WATER SCHOOLS for Sonar or the Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass or a full day STRIPERS School. Call 770 889 2654 for details. Send an e mail to ken@southernfishing.com