LAKE LANIER IS FULL, MOSTLY CLEAR, SOME POLLEN & MID 70’S

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

Spotted bass fishing on Lanier is very good. There are many options out there right now. There are still plenty of spots on bed now and still more to come. A 1/8 ounce Davis Shaky head with a 4 inch worm fished on a G Loomis NRX 822 Shaky Head Rod with Seaguar 8 pounds test fluorocarbon 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 locate 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. Top water, like a Zara Spook, is starting to work as well. Rocky points near deep water have been best overall. Here is what I have left open for May: 12, 20, 21, and 26(PM), 27, 28(PM), 30(AM). Give me a call and let's go get 'em!

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

Striper fishing is good. The shallow water bite in the creeks on points, flats and reef markers continues to get stronger. Un weighted free lines set 50 to 70 feet behind the boat with Herring is your best bet early. As the sun gets high, weight your lines and move to deeper water. Also set out a couple of down rods while you are pulling free lines. Keep your eye on your Lowrance HDS and set your down lines based on water depth. The top water bite is starting and a few fish have been caught casting the Red Fin and the buck tail jig shallow while pulling baits. It is always a good idea to keep someone on the front deck casting a Red Fin, Chug Bug, Spook or a Captain Mack's buck tail jig while you are pulling bait. The umbrella rig bite is working when pulled at 70 to 80 feet behind the boat and speed at 3.0 MPH. Target a 30 to 40 foot bottom when pulling the Umbrella rig early and move to deeper water as the sun get high in the sky. The down rod bite has been slow but will improve as the water continues to warm. 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. There are fish in the creeks and the river channel lake wide. I have had some reports of fish being caught on the South end of the lake which will only get better as summer approaches. The water temperature is in the low to mid 70’s during the day and the water is stained on the main lake with heavy stain in the backs of the creeks. The lake is at full pool. To book your Striper fishing trip on Lake Lanier call Big Fish On Guide Service at 404 561 2564 or contact us on our web site. www.bigfishonguide.com

This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. For more information, see the club’s website at laniercrappieanglers.net

Crappie fishing is good to excellent. The crappie we are targeting are still on docks with structure at about twenty to twenty five feet deep. Brush piles at the same depth are also good targets. Submerged brush close to a creek channel and toward the backs of creeks seem to be producing well. The fish are willing to bite, and are doing so aggressively. If you don’t get a bite in the first few casts, move to a new area. If you have Lowrance down scan and side scan, this will make it easier by locating the fish on the screen. Initially your bite is a little deeper, but once you get the school chasing your bait, you will notice them moving more shallow, and sometimes this will create a feeding frenzy. The key to putting a lot of fish in the boat is to be willing to move from one dock and brush pile on to the next. We usually pre plan our trip ahead of time so that we have an idea of which docks and brush piles to hit first. Some tend to do better earlier in the day, and some do better later in the day. If you notice bait around your fishing spots, that is a big advantage. Always use four pound test line. Our favorite continues to be the high visibility line because it allows you to see the line jump when a fish hits. Jig colors still do not matter much this time of year as the fish are feeding well. May is one of our favorite months of the year for fishing. We have witnessed the end of the spawn of the crappie, followed by the spotted bass spawn, and last week with the full moon, the bluegills are on bed. Hopefully you’ve been able to do some bluegill fishing around the full moon cycle. All you need is light tackle, a tube of crickets, a cork, a small split shot and a number six long shank hook. Bluegills should be on fire. I can really see their beds around my dock. This trend will continue a few days and through the full moon phase for the next couple of months. On a calm day, with good polarized sunglasses, you can actually see the fish on the bank and place your bait right on top of them. Enjoy fishing, and be safe on the water! Wear your life jacket; it can save your life!

Our “On the Water” Schools are Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass, SONAR and we have a Striper schools. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Call 770 889 2654 or see the details on our web site for more info and dates.

For a free set up sheet for your sonar, send me an e mail to 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.

SONAR SCHOOL: STOP SONAR, This will STOP the pings and freeze the current screen for review.

Anglers have these books for sale BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE, BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL, BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE, and BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL. These books have lots of bass fishing and covers every week of the year. Each book $39.00. If you would like a sample of any book, send us an e mail to ken@southernfishing.com.

We offer these waypoints for sale. You get the coordinates and you load them into your GPS unit
Lake Allatoona for $99.00, Lake Lanier for $99.00, Lake Oconee for $99.00, Lake Weiss for $99.00, Lake Hartwell for $99.00 WAYPOINTS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE!

Our mailing address is Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory