LAKE LANIER IS 2.6 FEET OVER FULL, THE MAIN LAKE IS MOSTLY CLEAR AND THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED & 77 DEGREES

Spotted bass are very scattered and they have been tough to pattern this week right after the weather and the full moon passing last week. Humps hold summer bass anywhere on the lake and the Navionics chip will show anglers these gold mines. Use all lures and live baits very slowly. Marina docks are good areas for the spots and doodling worms as well as the drop shot rigs are all fair. Many spots school up on these humps. Many of the humps may be only 25 feet deep now with the lake down over 7 feet. Green finesse worms on a brass and glass weight and glass bead makes lots of noise under water. A small 1/8 ounce Bitsey Bug in greens with a matching trailer will get a few bits but not many fish are feeding. Add some Mega Strike scent on the lures and work the baits dead slow. Live night crawlers in a 1/8 ounce plain head jig are catching a few fish. The spoon is a good alternative to soft plastics and this can be especially deadly with the fish so sluggish. Your bait can be placed right at the correct depths and can tempt any bass worked slowly. Spoons in sizes form ½ ounce to a full ounce still work all year and road beds and creek bends with trees close by can be a gold mine. Not many fish are on spinner baits right now. Look in the backs of creeks around the deep docks as well as marina slips for any active fish later each day. 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.

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

Striper fishing is fair. Rain, rain, and more rain coupled with wind and cooler air temperatures has dropped the lake surface temperature to the high 70's. We do remember the lake ever being this full and this cold in August. Other than the weather not a lot has changed this week. The trolling bite with lead core and umbrella rigs is not working and the fish are not very aggressive. Live Herring on down rods continues to be your best technique. Most of the fish are being caught over a 80 to 120 ft bottom at 50 to 90 feet down. If you mark a few fish stop and fish there. Set your down rods at various depths both above and below the fish you marked. If you have a "clean" bottom do not hesitate to drop your bait to the bottom and crank it up a couple of turns. I am using 8 to 10 foot 12 pound test Seagar fluorocarbon line as a leader and a 1 or 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook depending on the size of the Herring. Pick up some extra bait and change your bait often. The Herring are not living long and the Stripers will not eat a dead or half dead bait. Shoal Creek, Bald Ridge Creek, Big Creek and Six Mile Creek are your best bets.