LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 7.8 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 70’S

SPECIAL NOTICE: Browns Bridge over Lake Lanier will be closed on the following dates and times for work on the bridge: October 21 to 24 and October 28 to 31, 2016 from 9pm Fridays until 5 am the following Monday. The road will be resurfaced.

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

Bass fishing is very good. The water temperatures and level continue to drop as the nights are getting a cooler, and the U S Army Corp of engineers continues to pull water. The topwater and swimbait bite is ON FIRE! We are starting to see some schooling activity early each morning. This is always fun and you should expect this to get stronger. When the schooling bite is slow, we have been heading out to main lake humps early in the morning and working a jig and shaky head for some solid fish. Depths 8 to 12 feet seems to be the magic depth this past week. As the day progresses and the sun starts to get up, we have been working humps and long running points with brush. The fish have been relating to brush in 12 to 18 feet of water on most sunny days. The topwater and swimbait bite over the brush has really been awesome this week. A bone colored Vixen, a Chug Bug and a Whopper Plopper have been our best topwater baits. For swimbaits, a white Sebile and a Bite Sized Herring have been hard to beat. If you get no response on top, switch to a SuperSpin and Spro Jerkbait around and over the brush. Also, a Picasso Swim Jig slow reeled over the brush has been a good option. The fish are really getting active. I am now guiding in a Brand New Xpress Bass Boat 21’3″ powered by a 250 Yamaha SHO. Come take a ride in this beauty the ride is incredible and the fish ability is unbeatable. My October dates are filling up fast make sure to reserve your October date TODAY! Here is what I have left open in October: 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31.

SONAR TIPS: The Lowrance FLASHER mode along with the full LCR Screen, is the old style Flasher. Many anglers still use this function as well as the AMPLITUDE SCOPE. This function allows anglers to watch their bait in the water column.

This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West 404 561 2564. Contact us on our web site. www.bigfishonguide.com

Striper fishing is fair. Unfortunately nothing has changed this week. The problem with warm temperatures, the high pressure, bright sun, a blue bird sky and a full moon has turned the Striper fishing off during the day. The Stripers are feeding in the early morning and the fishing gets very tough after 9:00am. Keep your eyes on the water to identify surface feeding activity. The typical top water baits will work for surface feeding Stripers. Red Fins, Chug Bugs, Spooks and a ½ ounce buck tail jigs are all good choices. It is time to get out your planner boards and free lines as the deep water bite is giving way to a shallow water bite at creek mouths from the dam to Clarks Bridge. Reef markers and long sloping points are good target areas. Lead core is basically over and the Umbrella rig is only working intermittently when pulled shallow over points and reef markers. If you have a specific question concerning Stripe Bass fishing on Lake Lanier send us an email and if possible we will address it in a future fishing report. The fish are in every creek and with the fish moving it is hard to pick one creek over another. We have been fishing the South end of the Lake but will check out the mid. Lake area this week. The water temperature is in the mid 70’s. The water is lightly stained in the creeks and clear on the main lake. The lake is 7.75 feet below 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 in the low seventies. With the cool nights and hot days, we are seeing a greater variation in water temps as the day progresses. Fishing remains excellent. Your main targets should be stand alone brush piles. This is a great time to put your Lowrance side scan and down scan to good use. Find brush piles located in the mid sections of creeks. Zero in on 15 to 25 foot depths. Spending time locating these brush piles will pay off, especially if your electronics mark fish on them. Throw your marker over the brush pile; give the fish a few minutes to settle back in, then start fishing. You can go to our website to view photos of down scan screen shots with fish on, taken in the last few days. Crappie in these areas can be caught using a variety of techniques. My all time favorite is using a hair jiffy jig or a Bobby Garland soft body jig on a 1/24 ounce jig head. The jigs should be tied directly to a four pound test line without additional weights or swivels. Watch for ANY movement in the line, and then set the hook. If you like to use crappie minnows, a #6 Eagle Claw long shank hook with a slip cork is working well. Your bite should start ten feet below the surface early in the morning, and will be deeper as the day progresses. If you are into trolling, tight lining is a good option right now, using a 3/8 ounce double swivel egg sinker with a 2 foot leader. Once you locate the brush pile, move over it SLOWLY to allow your line to drift in an almost vertical position over and around the brush. If your line flattens out, you are moving too fast. Take advantage of Indian summer and enjoy the fall colors on the lake while they last and the fishing is great. Be safe on the water! Wear your life jacket, it can save your life!

The Atlanta Boat Show is coming to the Georgia World Congress center January 12 thru 15, 2017. Meet Bass guide Phil Johnson, www.PJsFishing.com.

Ask for a free sonar set up sheet by sending me an email to ken@southernfishing.com. Please tell me what model machine you have.

We recommend Overboard Designs for 2956 Waterworks Road Buford, Georgia 30518 Phone: 678.714.7122.

Advantage Boat Center in Cumming Georgia offer sales, service and storage close to Lake Lanier. 678 771 8745. Ask for Myra.

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

Ask for a free sonar set up sheet by sending me an email to ken@southernfishing.com Please tell us what machines you are using.

Anglers we have these books for sale BASS FISHIN LAKE LANIER, BASS FISHING 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 for
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

Saturday, December 17, 2016 2pm at Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, learn BASICS OF ELECTRONICS BY LOWRANCE PRO STAFF, KEN STURDIVANT

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