LAKE LANIER IS FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE AND CREEKS ARE STAINED & MID 50’S

Bass fishing is good. The bass fishing has continued to improve as the fish have been moving up and are ready to eat! The dock bite has again been our focus over the last week. Both largemouth and spots can be taken around docks in 10 to 15 feet and shallower. A Spro McStick jerk bait and a fluke have been working well. The fluke bite is always a blast and is just getting started. Work the fluke slowly around docks and give the bait plenty of time to fall on a slack line. Watch your fluke and your line for indications of a bite. With the jerkbaits, include pauses of 2 3 seconds between twitches. Wind is always a plus for these presentations. When the moving baits are not working around the docks, switch to a 3/16 ounce Davis Shaky Head with a finesse worm or creepy crawler or you can opt for a weightless or whacky rigged Senko and skip these baits around docks. Look for the docks with the black floats and metal poles, as these will hold heat the best, and therefore attract the bait and fish more readily. In the mornings, we have had some success focusing on steeper, rocky secondary points with a jerk bait and a shaky head. The fish are typically shallow, but deep water needs to be nearby. I am fully booked for March, here is what I have open in April: 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, and 30 Give me a call and let's go get 'em!

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.


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 is good but has slowed on the south end of the lake. The threadfin shad die off seems to be more severe on the south end of the lake. This makes for easy pickings for the fish. With a lot of bait on the bottom, there is no need for the fish to chase live bait, and the fishing tends to slow. However, this situation should play itself out this week, and the fishing will improve. It is springtime, and the fish are getting frisky. The stripers will start moving to shallow water. Live bait continues to be your best bet. Blueback herring is the bait of choice when fished on free lines 100 feet behind the boat. Keep your trolling motor speed between 0.6-1.2 mph. Keep your bigger baits closer to the boat with some split shot on them. We have not used umbrella rigs this past week as the live bait bite has just been too good. Fishing the mid lake creeks between Browns Bridge to Hwy 136 and Clarks Bridges are your probably your best bets. Striper fishing in April is one of the best months of the year. As the water continues to warm, the fish are going to continue to move shallow. The big females are going to be hitting the big baits getting ready for the spawn when temps get in the low to mid 60’s. These stripers are aggressive and will attack all sizes of baits, trout, herring and gizzard shad. This is the time of the year when other stripers follow hooked fish to the boat. Have someone casting a buck tail in the vicinity of the fish you’re reeling in. Points, flats and shallow water clay banks are the key areas to focus on. Pulling baits on free lines and planer boards is the primary technique during the month. When you are pulling baits, always keep someone on the front deck casting a buck tail jig or Red Fin. Top water normally starts sometime in April, so be on the lookout for that. Red Fins, Spooks, Sebile Magic Swims and a fluke tipped buck tail all work. The best approach is to focus these baits on cut through’s, points and flats with a live bait on a free line out the back of the boat. Don’t forget about pitching herring to points with a focus on the deep water side of the points. This is a great approach for just catching fish.

This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, Member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. 404 425 4059. See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com

Crappie fishing is good to excellent this time of the year. Water temperature is very critical. If you can find water temperatures above the mid fifties, it will work to your advantage. The trolling bite is good using double rigged curly tails in a variety of colors. Try tipping some with minnows. This technique will result in bagging bigger fish. For dock shooters, the bite has been consistent all day long, targeting shallower docks, fifteen foot depths or less. As you start at a dock, you will notice you are catching the bigger fish. As they tend to get smaller, move on to another dock. As we mentioned in the past, you are competing with a large number of fishermen this time of year, so it is very important to keep moving if you are not getting bites. The secret to putting a lot of fish in the boat is to simply cover a lot of water. Keep moving! We’ve been asked the last several weeks, “What happened to the fish on submerged brush piles?” They have abandoned their brush and moved into shallow water, preparing for the spawn. Four pound high visibility line is very important. Your jig color should vary depending on the water color. The more stain, the darker the jig. Stay away from heavier jig heads. 1/24 ounce remains our number one choice. As we mentioned in the past, keep asking your friendly bait store to carry that type jig head. They tend to be difficult to find. We’ve been painfully avoiding the words “blow down”. Normally at this time of year, we target blow downs, but the water temperatures are not yet supporting that. Water temperatures need to be around 60 degrees for a few days in a row, which we’ve not consistently reached. Watch for it though, it’s coming, and that will be the first sign of the spawn. Best blowdowns are the ones that have been submerged a year or longer, in the backs of pockets. They’ve had a chance to build algae, which attracts the plankton, which attracts the bait…..you get the picture! Stay safe on the water, always wear a life jacket!

PRODUCT FEATURED THIS MONTH: Take a look at these new stickers for tackle boxes: www.highwaterscreations.com

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 Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events.