LAKE LANIER IS AT FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR AND CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED & MID 80’S DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair. There is a good top water bite particularly in the mornings. A wake bait has been the best bait for us and the fish are really responding to it. Other baits are working well also and it just depends on the conditions at the time. Experiment with different baits to determine what the fish are in the mood for on the day you are out. For numbers and size use a 3/16 ounce Davis shaky head and worm combo as well as a fluke continue to work well. We are still targeting humps and reef poles in creeks and on the main lake also. Most of our bites have been coming from 15 feet of water or less. When you cannot get the fish to come up, go down to them with a Fish Head Spin or weighted fluke.

This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com 770 642 7764


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

Striper fishing remains very good. The fish are moving to their summer pattern. You can put away your planner boards and free lines and rig your down rods with 6 to 8 foot leaders. We use 20 pound Seaguar fluorocarbon main line with a two ounce slip egg weight a bead and swivel with 15 pound test Seaguar fluorocarbon leader. Don't forget to ice your herring and try to maintain a water temperature under 70 degrees. Lively bait is critical when fishing summer time down rods. Your Lowrance fish finding sonar and GPS electronics are critical tools for summer time fishing and in my opinion Structure Scan is a must for finding fish in the trees. We are focusing on deep water points but there are fish in bays over a 50 to 80 foot bottom from the Chestatee to the dam. There is also an umbrella rig bite with a 3 ounce, 4 arm jig with 9, one 1 ounce buck tail jigs with white worm trailers. Set these rigs 80 to 100 ft back and pull between 2.7 to 3.5 MPH. The lake is full, stained up the rivers clear over most of the lake. Water temperature is 83 to 87.

This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, President of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. 404 425 4059

Crappie fishing is good and the water temperatures are in the low eighties. For the avid crappie fishermen who don’t mind dodging the traffic on the lake the crappie fishing remains good to excellent. Target deeper docks with structure below the surface, especially if you can find a dock with a sizeable brush pile just outside it, which is an added bonus. The docks that are producing have twenty to thirty foot depths, and are closer to the main creek channels. With this condition, these fish have the best of both worlds, the cover of the brush pile, then the shade of the dock during the middle of the day. If you can find a dock with an active beaver, that is even better. Look for limbs and branches sticking out of a dock. Also target submerged brush piles in at least twenty to thirty feet of water. Fish the brush pile from all angles. This time of year, the fish are holding tight on the brush. Soft body and hair jigs are producing fish. Because the fish are deep, the sensitivity of the bite seems less, so watching your line is VERY important. If you see or sense any unusual movement, set the hook! For the night owls, bridge fishing is picking up. The sign of a good bridge is if you see dangling ropes from a bridge. That typically means it is being fished by regular night fishermen. You will need a fishing light, and it can easily take an hour or two for the light to draw the bait and the bait to draw the crappie. Stay safe on the water, wear your life jacket! Dan Saknini is an avid fisherman and President of the Lanier Crappie Anglers Club.
See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com

Anglers have a new Bait Shop on Buford Dam Road at the Buford Dam Quick Stop at 2595 Buford Dam Road. Open daily from 6 to 6 they have Herring and other baits like shiners ready to go to the lake. Please call him at 706 867 5102 and say hello.

Call 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