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

Bass fishing is good and will continue to improve as the fish have been continued 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 jerk bait, include pauses of 1 2 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. There are fish gathering in the backs of pockets and creek arms to chase the blue backs which have been swarming in the backs of the creek arms and pockets. Unbelievable numbers of bait fish are present in some pockets. Look for wolf packs of bass in numbers of 10 20 in the backs of the pockets chasing the baits around. A spinnerbait, a jerk bait, and a fluke have been working well on these fish. Look for the Largemouth to go on the beds strong in the next few days in conjunction with the full moon. The spots should not be far behind. In the mornings, we have also 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 only have a few dates left in April, please let me know ASAP if you would like to book a trip! April: 21, 22, 23, 29, 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. The Stripers are over open water mid lake and have started to move into the backs of the creeks as the bait has moved up shallow. Live bait continues to be your best bet. Blueback Herring continues to be the bait of choice when fished on un weighted free lines 100 feet behind the boat. However, we always start with a combination un weighted and weighted one or two split shots lines and adjust accordingly. Fish your planner boards lines 35 to 50 feet behind the board. Keep your trolling motor speed between .6 and 1.2 miles per hour. We caught a couple of small fish on a Red Fin this week at first light. It is always a good idea to keep someone on the front deck casting a Red Fin or a Captain Mack's buck tail jig while you are pulling bait. You may also want to pick up a couple of big Gizzard shad and put one on a float behind the boat for that 40 pound fish. We are not catching any fish on down lines and have not used Umbrella rigs. The live bait bite is just too good. There are a lot of spotted bass in the same areas both over deep water and shallow points and flats. Buy a few extra baits and change your baits often as the spotted bass will attack your herring without you noticing and you will end up fishing with dead or injured bait. The water temperature is in the low 60 degrees during the day 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. 404 425 4059. See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com

Crappie fishing is great and the spawn is on. Not all fish spawn at the same time, so anticipate the spawn to continue the next two to three weeks. Higher water temperatures will speed up the spawn. Target the blow downs. A blow down is a fallen tree partially on the bank, partially in the water. But not all blow downs are equal. There are an unusual amount in the lake from last month’s winter. The older blow downs with algae buildup will produce better than the new. To determine the size of the tree, look at the trunk of the tree and compare it to a standing tree. That will give you an idea of the height of the tree, and therefore the length submerged. Make sure you fish all the angles, including the middle of the tree. Crappie relate to structure, and they’ve found their living room. Target pockets in the middle to the backs of creeks. You can use crappie minnows as well as hair jigs. You may want to try using a weighted cork. Cast it into the blow down and pop it slowly as you retrieve. If you are a dock shooter you will still find fish on the shallower docks close to the spawning ground. The females have either laid their eggs and headed back to docks, or are hanging out at the nearer docks waiting to head in to spawn. If you want to harvest fish, be mindful that the females holding eggs are our future fish, so consider keeping only the darker colored fish almost purplish black and releasing the females. This is the time of the year that you can put your limit in the boat with no problem. The more spots you fish, the more fish you will put in the boat. Always, when you start catching the smaller fish, leave that spot and go to the next pocket, or the next dock. The fish are aggressive now, and are not picky on jig colors. Our favorite line is Mr. Crappie four pound test, high visibility line. We find that wearing polarized sunglasses is very helpful in enabling you to see your line movement. Get out and fish! It is the best time of the year! Wear your life jacket; it can save your life.

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.