LAKE LANIER IS FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE AND CREEKS ARE STAINED & LOW 60’S

Bass fishing is good. The largemouth are on bed all over the lake, and there are some BIG ones on right now. If you like to bed fish, now is your time for sure. There are some spots on bed too, but I look for more of them to go on with the upcoming New Moon. A 1/8 ounce Davis Shaky head with a 4 inch worm fished on a G Loomis NRX 822 Shaky Head rod is a great way to catch these fish. Work the Shaky Head slowly and look for the bites to be light, which makes a rod like the 822 so important. A fluke is great tool to spot these fish. A spot on the bed will almost always rise up to at least look at a fluke if not eat it. Work the fluke slowly and give the bait plenty of time to fall on a slack line. Watch your fluke and your line for indications of a bite. If they don't eat the fluke and only swing at it, follow with the worm for a sure bite. A Senko is a good bet on these fish as well. Look for spot beds on hard clay banks and points with sandy areas being strong as well. Look for the prespawn females to be on steeper rocky points near these spawning areas. The same baits will work, but others will catch the pre spawners as well. A jerk bait, a spinnerbait and a swim bait have all been good when the wind is up on the rocky points and shallow humps. I only have one day left in April, and May is also filling up quickly. Please let me know ASAP if you would like to book a trip! For April I have the 23rd available. Buzz me about May. 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. Fishing this week as been up and down and very wet! The Stripers are still being caught over open water mid lake and have started to move into the backs of the creeks. Live bait continues to be your best bet. Blueback herring is the bait of choice when fished on both un weighted free lines 100 feet behind the boat and with a one or two split shots 50 to 80 feet back. Fish your planner board lines 50 to 60 feet behind the board. There are also fish being caught on points half way back in the creeks. This bite will only get stronger over the next couple of weeks. Keep your trolling motor speed between .6 and 1.2 miles per hour. You can catch a couple of small stripers and large spotted bass casting a Red Fin at first light. It is always a good idea to keep someone on the front deck casting a Red Fin or a 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. The down rod bite continues to be slow. We hope to get out with some Umbrella rigs and hit some creek points this week. 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 the herring without you noticing and you will end up fishing with dead or injured bait. The water temperature is in the mid 60 degrees during the day and the water is 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 very good. The water temperature is about sixty five degrees. Pretty much everything is working. Whether using crappie minnows or a jig under a cork, cast your bait or jig through the weed lines and retrieve slowly. Some blow downs are still holding fish in pockets and backs of creeks. Shooting docks remains the best method of catching the bigger fish. You should be ten feet or so away from the dock, with a five-to six foot medium action rod, and four pound high visibility test line. Release a length of line about two-thirds the length of your rod, and leave the bail in the open position while you are holding the line with one finger. Grab the curve of the hook (below the barb) and bring it toward your body. Keep the base of the rod parallel to the water while pulling the line toward you to sharply bow the tip of the rod. Release the jig and the line at the same time, while aiming toward your target. A good way to practice this method at home is in your driveway, standing about 20 feet from your garage door, with the door cracked open about a foot. Follow the steps above, aiming for the garage door opening. To avoid accidents while you practice, clip the barb of the hook (especially if you have a cat!) By far, all year round, this is the best way to consistently catch crappie on Lake Lanier. Always remember that crappie relate to structure. Put your Lowrance to good use, especially if you have side scan. You can scan docks and mark any structure under the dock. Target docks in eight to twenty feet of water that have some type structure below. Your electronics can be very helpful in locating structure. We’ve been catching fish on docks and brush piles near docks pretty much all day long. Blow downs and weed lines are doing better in the mornings and late in the day. Jiffy jigs or Bobby Garland soft body grubs with 1/24 ounce or 1/32 ounce jig heads remain our number one choice. For those who prefer live bait, a slip cork and a trusty crappie minnow should put a few fish in the boat. We feel that the majority of the females will be completing their spawn within the next few days, so get out there and fish while fishing is good and before the lake gets busier in the summer. Wear your life jacket, it can save your life.

SONAR SCHOOL: Set your sonar in the AUTO SENSITIVITY range and the current machines will automatically set the sensitivity based on the depth of the water. Shallow water the power will go down and then out in deep water the sensitivity will go back up. Send an e mail to ken@southernfishing.com and request a full sonar set up sheet.

Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com

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

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