LAKE LANIER IS FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE AND CREEKS ARE STAINED & MID 40’S

Bass fishing is fair. There have still been fish shallow as well as in mid depth and deep ranges. In the early mornings, start shallower in 15 feet or less in pockets or the back of productive creek ditches with a Spro McStick or a 1/4 ounce SuperSpin. Docks in the 15 to 20 foot range are starting to hold fish as well. If the jerk bait and SuperSpin do not produce, switch to a shaky head and present plastics such as a creepy crawler. The ditches with standing timber in 45 feet 60 feet can still be productive as well. They are not everywhere so stay flexible in your search. Check for bait in these likely areas. If there is no bit, move to the next ditch. A spoon, a Chattahoochee Jig, a Shaky Head worm, and a drop shot are all good potentials out deep and have remained consistent producers for us. Focus on timber edges and work your baits SLOWLY! This is still a great time to learn how to fish the deep timber on Lanier, and is also a great time to learn the art of fishing the winter to spring transition on Lanier. My March is filling up quickly. Please give me a call ASAP if you are looking to shake off the stench of winter! Here is what I have left open in March right now: 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31 Give me a call and let's go get 'em

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

This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com 770 542 7764

The DVD's from my January 17th Seminar are now available. They are $39 each. Give me a call if you are interested in purchasing one: 770 542 7764.

Striper fishing is good. The weather has once again kept me off the lake. As a matter of fact we are writing this while listening to a winter storm warning on the TV. The good news is it looks like we will get a break in the weather for this weekend and spring is right around the corner. We can’t wait to get on the water without ice in the bottom of the boat. There is a shallow water early morning bite using herring, threadfin and gizzard shad on free lines and planner boards. Once the sun gets up, weight your lines with several split shots, deploy your down rods in addition to your free lines and move to deeper water. The bait has been moving to a depth of 25 to 40 feet over 40 to 80 foot bottom. If you are not marking bait; move until you do and fish there. This pattern should hold as long as the water temperature stays in the mid 40 degree range. If the water temperatures dips into the low 40's we will start to see a threadfin shad die off and the stripers will get "locked in" on these small bait fish. This will require you to fish with smaller baits in an attempt to match the small Threadfins. You may also want to reduce your trolling speed to .3 to .5 miles per hour. There are fish in every creek with high concentrations of bait. However, Flat Creek, Balus Creek and Four Mile Creek are hard to beat this time of year. The lake temperature mid 40's and the water is lightly stained on the main lake with heavy stain in the backs of the creeks. The lake is less than one foot below full pool.

This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, Member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com

Crappie fishing is good. Water temperature in the backs of the creeks is about thirty eight degrees. If you pull out to the middle of the creek in deeper water, you may find temperatures at about forty two degrees. That is significant because sustained temperatures in that range will trigger bait kill. Before the bait dies, it becomes lethargic, becoming easy targets, and the crappie will be on a feeding frenzy. It is good that they are getting fatter, but with an abundant food source, they will be harder to catch. The fish we are catching now are not the big fish we normally catch toward the end of February. You will see a major change as the water temperature begins to rise within the next week or so. When it does rise and the spawn nears, look for a strong bite. At that point, you will reap the benefit of the bait kill. We are currently catching fish on docks in about twenty feet of water, with the fish suspended from six to ten feet below the surface. The desired docks are definitely the ones with structure underneath. Your side scan electronics are very important this time of year. Expect fish to start to move quickly to more shallow water as temperatures rise. When that occurs, the color of the fish will begin to darken, especially the males. This will indicate that the spawn is near. Mr. Crappie and Bobby Garland soft body straight tails are still our favorite jigs, with either one twenty fourth ounce or one sixteenth ounce jig heads. Be safe on the water and wear your life jacket, it can save your life.

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