LAKE LANIER IS FULL, THE CREEKS ARE STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & LOW 50’S

Bass fishing on Lake Lanier remains fair. Although it is very close to busting wide open with all the warm weather we are enjoying of late. The backs of many of the major creeks are still stained. The water overall has cleared up with the recent sunshine, but some stain definitely still exists. The temperatures in the backs of some of those creeks are warmer than the main body with temperatures approaching the upper 50's in the afternoons of bright sunny days. Remember, the shallower, stained water will warm faster than the clear water either in the backs of creeks or on the main lake. The ditches and pockets off the main river and creek channels should remain productive in the areas where the water has warmed or stayed warm. Keep a close eye on your Lowrance electronics for water temperature readings and note the areas that are trending warmer and focus on those. The warmer water will attract bait and therefore fish to these areas. It is tough to pattern the fish right now. You can basically junk fish at any depth right now and be successful. Any lure is apt to work at anytime, anywhere. A jerkbait and a crankbait are my first choices in the mornings. The focus with these baits should be fairly shallow in pockets and in the backs of creeks. The main lake jerkbait bite will fire up soon as well out on main lake rock points, so look for that to happen any day. For the crankbait, a square bill would be my choice for the shallow pockets something with a tight wobble that dives to 4 feet or so. I like the Z Man ChatterBaits trailed with some type of minnow imitation. When the moving bait bite slows down, switch to a worm and a Chattahoochee jig to cover the bases and ensure you don't miss key bites. Toss these around points at the mouths of spawning pockets on secondary points. Also, if the sun is out, look for the docks to start consistently holding fish. These are a popular staging area for the fish on Lanier. We have already seen several fish up shallow cruising and hanging around the docks. Skipping a Senko or Jig around these docks can be a very productive pattern. Shallower, long running flat points are starting to hold fish as well. Often these fish can be found in the 10 to 15 foot depth ranges on top of these points. Work a Chattahoochee Jig slowly on these areas with plenty of pauses. Use a larger trailer, like a Zoom Fat Albert Twin Tail, to help slow the movement of the bait. Also, a Chattahoochee Cross Ball and Swamp Crawler combo has been effective in these areas. Green pumpkin is always a good choice of color. A small crankbait has also been working on these same areas and can be productive if there is some wind. A jerkbait has been productive on these shallower rocky points as well, especially for some bigger fish. Close proximity to deep water is still key in this scenario. Here is what I have open for March currently: 12, 15, 21, 22, 25, 28, 29, and 30. With the warming trend we have going, fishing should really be good in the second half of the month! Give me a call and let's go fishing! Thanks to all and May God Bless!

This report brought to you by Jimbo On Lanier 770 542 7764 www.jimboonlanier.com

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

Striper fishing has been great one day and a struggle the next. The rapid rise in water temperature has scattered the bait and the fish. The fronts and following high pressure systems has also added to the inconsistent fishing. The good news is the free line bite has gotten stronger. Blueback herring is the bait of choice when fished on un weighted free lines 80 to 100 feet behind the boat. Fish your planner boards with un weighted lines 35 to 50 feet behind the board. Keep your trolling motor speed between .6 and 1.2 miles per hour. As the Sun gets up add split shots to your lines to vary your baits depth in the water column. If we can get some stability in the weather conditions the free line bite will only get stronger. We were also able to pick up some fish with the umbrella rig. Set your umbrella rigs at 70 to 90 feet behind the boat and pull at 2.6 to 3.3 MPH anywhere you see bait at 0 to 30 feet deep. The umbrella rig is a great search tool and you can pick up a fish which is out of your sonar range. Flat Creek, Balus Creek, Six Mile Creek, Four Mile Creek, Wahoo Creek and Little River are all good places to start. The lake temperature is in the low to mid 50’s and the water is clear on the main lake and stained in the backs of the creeks. The lake is at full pool. To book your guide trip call us 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. See our club s website www.laniercrappieanglers.net

As to be expected, fishing is good to excellent this time of the year. Water temperature is very critical in the pre spawn. If you can find water temperatures above the mid fifties it will work to your advantage. With the full moon about two weeks away, combined with warmer weather, the stage is being set for the spawn. These conditions will stabilize the water temperature at around sixty degrees, which will be perfect for the spawn. 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, Target 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 has 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 should be. 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 word “blowdown”. Normally at this time of year, we target blowdowns, 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. Another sign of fish moving to blowdowns is seeing turtles sunning on the exposed portions of blowdowns. Once the water temperatures rise, the turtles will come out of hibernation. 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!

We have the LOWRANCE Gen 3 Touch and 3D NEW Lowrance Technology on our boat. Bring any HDS machine only to Lake Lanier and learn it ALL in one day. Call Ken for details.

Ken Sturdivant Lowrance Professional Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE Sonar Seminar at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Lawrenceville Georgia on Saturday March 26 2016 at 2pm. Seminar is subject to change without notice. Be sure to see the NEW Lowrance machines coming on www.lowrance.com

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

Insight Genesis announces the Varsity Rewards program for high school fishing teams. See this address www.varsityrewards.com for all the details.

Our mailing address is Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge Cumming Georgia 30040. 770 889 2654