LAKE LANIER IS FULL, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & MID 60’S


Bass fishing is good. We have experienced radical change on the lake this past week with all the rain we have had over the past week. The lake has rocketed up over 3 feet in a short time. Many of the creeks are stained to even muddy in some cases, with the mouths of creeks and lower main lake still pretty clear. This sudden rise in the water level, along with the normal fall cooling, has really scattered the fish. The structure fish seem to have disbanded for the most part, and the main lake brush bite is weak right now. We have been starting most mornings this past week in creek arms, at the mouths of creeks, and at times in the backs of creeks. The spinnerbait bite at daylight is still there, but most fish are still coming on the Chattahoochee Jig and Crossball Jighead/Trick Worm combo. The fish often are VERY shallow in the mornings on clay and rock banks, usually 8 feet or less. We have been running this pattern until around 10 AM. After that, we are focusing on secondary rock points and steeper banks. We are working these steeper rock areas with the jig and worm the last couple of days, as the wind has not been significant. I look for a good jerkbait bite to kick in as the cold front hits this weekend. I also look for the ditches that had bait to really start holding fish well soon. When that happens, make sure you have your SuperSpin handy and go to work! I still have Monday, Nov 16 available. I am also still taking reservations over Thanksgiving week, but have some travel mixed in, so please call for availability. Give me a call ASAP to book your trip! Thanks to all and tight lines!

This bass fishing report is provided exclusively by Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com

This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of www.bigfishon.com

Striper fishing is hit or miss. We have had a lot of rain this month. The lake has risen 4 feet so far this month and is at full pool. The rain combined with east winds has resulted in a hit or miss pattern. One day fishing will be off the charts and the next can be a challenge. The good news is we saw the sun a couple of days this week and this coming week should be great with some weather stability. Schools of surfacing fish continue to show up. Keep your eyes on the water looking for surfacing fish. You may only see one or two fish busting bait on the surface. Do not ignore this action as we have seen a single fish give up the location of a large school. The sea gulls, which are a great tool in locating feeding Stripers, should start to arrive this week. The key this week is to fish the bait. We have been seeing bait at 50 feet over the creek and river channel. Drop down rods on any fish you see close to the bait even if you only see a single fish. It is not unusual to see a school show up when you deploy your down rods. Spend 5 or 10 minutes and then move if you do not get any action. Do not spend a lot of time in any one location. Do not forget your free lines and planner boards. The shallow water bite is picking up as the bait starts to move shallow especially in the mornings. A 5/8 ounce buck tail jig with a fluke continues to work well. Always keep someone on the deck casting a buck tail jig when you are pulling baits. We have been using Blueback Herring but have had some reports of small trout working. The south end of the lake seems to be fishing shallower than the north end. Both Spotted Bass and Stripers can be found on points on the South end of the lake with the deeper water pattern the ticket on the North end. The water is heavily stained in the creeks and lightly stained main lake. The water temperature has been ranging from 64 degrees and the lake is at full pool. To book your guide trip call us at 404to 561to 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. See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com

Water temperature is about 63 degrees and lake levels are up significantly. If you are using the docks as reference points for brush piles that you normally fish, pay attention to the location of the dock as it relates to the lake level, as homeowners will be pulling their docks in to adjust for the higher lake levels. That means that the brush pile may be further from the dock than you are used to seeing it. That can work to your advantage, because at this time of the year the fish are showing a preference for stand alone brush piles. The fish will be changing their pattern in the next few weeks, moving inside the dock. So if shooting docks is a challenge for you, take advantage of this window of opportunity while they are still on stand alone brush piles out in the open. If you’re interested in seeing Lowrance downscan screen shots of the fish on stand alone brush piles, you can visit our website listed above and take a look. Certain creeks are more stained than others. If your comfort zone is fishing less stained water, the best option for you is fishing stand alone brush piles in the main river channels. If you’re an advanced fisherman and understand how to make the necessary adjustments, stained water need not be a factor. For those wanting to explore fishing stained water, the fish tend to be a little deeper. There is an abundant amount of bait everywhere, and the fish are feeding aggressively on small threadfins. The last two weeks we experienced a tremendous amount of rain, and it felt like we lived in Seattle rather than the Southeast. Thankfully, the projected weather for the coming week is partly sunny. So if you can, make up for lost time during the rainy period and enjoy fishing in the beautiful, crisp fall weather. The quality of the fish is definitely improving as well as the numbers. We’ve been experimenting with different jig colors, and the fish are so aggressive that as long as the jig is within striking, they seem to be biting anything, with no color preference. If you prefer live bait, substitute your jig with a minnow, preferably with a slip cork a split shot. Personally, I feel that a jig out fishes a live minnow any time of the year, but not everyone agrees, so experiment and see what works for you. Stay safe on the water and wear your life jacket!

The 2016 Atlanta Boat Show hits the Georgia World Congress Center January 14 to 17, 2016. Meet Ken Sturdivant, Al Bassett, Captain Ken West, Captain Mark Smith, Matt Driver, and Jimbo Mathley, Renee Hess, Chris Scalley.

Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Professional Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE! Sonar Seminar at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Lawrenceville Georgia on Saturday December 26, 2015 at 2pm. Seminar is subject to change without notice.

Our On the Water Schools are Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass, SONAR and we have a Striper school. 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.fo

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

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 Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040. 770 889 2654