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

Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The incredible early spring weather we have been experiencing has definitely caused the surface temperatures to rocket up. The temperatures in the backs of some creeks are even warmer than the main body with temperatures in these areas approaching the mid to upper 60'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. Several standard spring patterns are emerging, and they are welcomed! It had been tough to pattern the fish of late with the very quick warm up we had experienced, but the spotted bass are now starting their spring migrations to the shallower water. They have definitely become more predictable. 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, as well as rocky points and humps, both in creeks and on the main lake. The main lake bite will be a little slow at first, but it will soon come on strong. The creeks are a little more consistent for this bite right now. 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. Out on the points, a Spro Little John is a good bet. Cell Mate is my favorite color for the morning bite. When the moving bait bite slows down, switch to a worm and a Chattahoochee jig in these same places. Toss these around points at the mouths of spawning pockets and on secondary points as well. The dock bite has really improved this week as well. Skip a worm or a creepy crawler on a jig head, or a weightless Senko, around and under docks in 10 20 feet of water when the sun is up. Docks represent a classic staging area for the fish on Lanier. We have already seen several fish up shallow cruising and hanging around the docks. Shallower, long running flat points are starting to hold fish as well. Often these fish can be found in the 10 15 foot depth ranges on top of these points. Work a Chattahoochee Jig or shaky head worm slowly on these areas. A Spro 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. Again, other than early morning, wind is important for this bite. The largemouth are up shallow all around the lake. Look in the backs of creeks and pockets to find these critters. Docks in these areas are a good bet for these fish. A number of lures can work depending on the conditions, but all the normal fare are good choices. Here is what I have remaining open for March: 18 (AM), 21, 22 (PM), 25 (PM), 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.bigfishonguide.com

Striper fishing has been fair. What happened to spring! In the past week the lake temperature has risen 10 to 15 degrees which has scattered the bait and the fish. The fronts and following high pressure systems has also added to the inconsistent fishing. Not a lot has changed in terms of technique. Blueback Herring, Gizzard Shad and Trout are all working on unweighted 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 1.0 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 50 to 70 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, Six Mile Creek, Four Mile Creek, and Little River are all good places to start. The lake temperature is in the mid 60’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

Water temperature is 63 plus degrees and rising. THE SPAWN HAS BEGUN and fishing is good! Not all fish spawn at the same time, so anticipate the spawn to continue the next two to three weeks. Higher water temperatures will speed up the spawn. The approach of the full moon will also speed up the spawn. You may need to think outside the box. We’ve been used to fishing the deeper docks and submerged brush piles in various depths. The overwhelming majority of the crappie have abandoned these areas in anticipation of the spawn. If you are having difficulty locating fish, pay attention to the backs of pockets and the backs of the creeks, watching for those fishing on the banks. They may clue you in on how and where to catch the crappie right now. They are in shallow water and the majority of the bank fishermen are catching them on a crappie minnow under a cork. Hair jigs and soft body grubs with a straight tail are also working well. You may want to try using a weighted cork with a Bobby Garland jig 2 feet below the cork using the popping method (gently pop the cork and retrieve slowly to keep the jig vertical). You can also target the blow downs. A blow down is a fallen tree partially on the bank, partially in the water. But not all blow downs are equal. There are an unusual amount in the lake from the past winter storms. The older blow downs with algae buildup will produce better than the new. To determine the size of the tree, look at the trunk of the tree and compare it to a standing tree. That will give you an idea of the height of the tree, and therefore the length submerged. Make sure you fish all the angles, including the middle of the tree. Crappie relate to structure, and they’ve found their living room Cast it into the blow down and pop it slowly as you retrieve. If you are a dock shooter you will still find fish on the shallower docks close to the spawning ground. The females have either laid their eggs and headed back to docks, or are hanging out at the nearer docks waiting to spawn. If you want to harvest fish, be mindful that the females holding eggs are our future fish, so consider keeping only the darker colored fish (almost purplish black) and releasing the females. This is the time of the year that you can put your limit in the boat with no problem. The more spots you fish, the more fish you will put in the boat. Always, when you start catching the smaller fish, leave that spot and go to the next pocket, or the next dock. The fish are aggressive now, and are not picky on jig colors. Our favorite line is Mr. Crappie four pound test, high visibility line. We find that wearing polarized sunglasses is very helpful in enabling you to see your line movement. Get out and fish! It is the best time of the year! 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