LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 10.4 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 50’s

Bass fishing is good. The ditch bite is continuing to get stronger and we are catching them using the traditional ditch fishing methods like the Super Spin, jerk bait, crank bait, jig and Shaky Head. The bait has moved back shallow in these ditches early and then migrating out deeper in the ditches as the day progresses. We are starting in these ditches first thing and riding out the bite through the day. Some days we adjust to much deeper water and others, we are finding the fish are staying shallow in and around those ditches as well as up around docks. We are starting with a SuperSpin tipped with a boot-tail type trailer right in the ditch. Also, a Spro McStick or McRip has been a good choice as far as jerk baits go. A Spro crankbait is never a bad choice either, both in the ditches and around rocky points as well. A finesse worm on a Picasso Shaky Football Head or a Chattahoochee Jig has been a good alternative if the fish are not as aggressive. When the ditch bite does start to slow, we have been shifting to steeper rocky points and finding success with a jig and worm as well. Keep that in mind if you start to struggle. We have also started to spoon up some fish out of the timber, or near the timber, in creek arms and ditches in 30 to 40 feet. Check for bait and fish out deeper in the ditches as the day progresses. If you see fish out deeper, a spoon, jig, or shaky head can be a great way to catch them, depending on how they are positioned. We have a great early winter experience in store folks. I am now guiding in a Brand New Xpress Bass Boat 21’3″ powered by a 250 Yamaha SHO and equipped with the latest Lowrance HDS Gen III units featuring 3D Structure Scan technology. Come take a ride in this beauty! The ditch bite is here! If you are looking to learn this valuable technique, make sure to schedule a day with me this month.

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 404 561 2564. Contact us on our web site. www.bigfishonguide.com

Striper fishing is fair. Last week we saw an early morning (1st hour) bite half way back in the creeks. After that the bait has been descending into the 30 to 40 foot range and the bite becomes a little more challenging. This pattern dictates a shallow water technique using both weighted and unweighted free lines fished behind planner boards and directly behind the boat during the first hour. Once the bait descends in the water column it is time to switch to down rods. The challenge is keeping your bait just over the top of the bait fish without getting hung up in the trees. When the bait is at 30 feet and the lake water level is 10 feet below full pool and the trees have been topped at 30 feet below full pool you are effectively fishing 10 feet below the top of the trees. One tip is to use the “jack rabbit” feature on you trolling motor to jump your baits over the trees. The sea gulls will lead you to the fish during the first hour in the morning. Your Lowrance Sonar will be the key tool after the first hour. There are fish in all of the creeks and the best advice we can give you is to keep your eyes on the water looking for working Gulls and check the creeks for the highest concentration of bait and fish where you find the bait. Bald Ridge Creek, Shoal Creek, Six Mile Creek, Flat Creek and Gainesville Creek are all good places to start. The water level is 10.3 feet below full pool and is stained in the back of the creeks and clear on the main lake. The water temperature is in the low 50’s.

This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. See our club’s website, wwwep.laniercrappieanglers.net

This time of year as temperatures drop, water temperatures can vary by several degrees in various parts of the lake. If you are fishing Four Mile Creek or Six Mile Creek, current water temp is 52 degrees. If you are fishing the northern part of the lake in the Chestatee or Chattahoochee, you will notice a drop in water temps of 3 to 4 degrees. Crappie are cold-natured fish and these water temps suit them well. Since crappie relate to structure, put your electronics to good use to locate submerged brush piles at 20 to 30 foot depths or brush under docks at the same depths. That’s where the fish will be. You will notice that the crappie still have their deep color. Once water temps drop below 50 degrees, their color will lighten. Baits that are working for us right now if the water has no stain, are the Bobby Garland 2” Baby Shad in Pearl White, Albino Shad and Pearl Chartreuse. If the water has slight discoloration, try Bobby Garland’s Twilight or Key Lime Pie. Use 1/24 once or 1/16 ounce jig heads. If you prefer live bait under a slip cork, that is a good alternate as well. If you are on the water in cold weather, it is even more important to wear your life jacket, as a fall can be serious with the threat of hypothermia. Be safe on the water and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Over and Out for 2016!

SONAR TIPS: NETWORK: INFO for use with wireless, DEVICE NAME you name it, WiFi must have wireless module, AUTO CONFIGURE will look for all devices on the network, DATA SOURCES, GPS picks the antenna source, VESSEL: for radar use.

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 recommend Transducer Shield and Savers. Protect your investment.

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, March 18, 2017 2pm at Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, learn BASICS OF ELECTRONICS BY LOWRANCE PRO STAFF, KEN STURDIVANT

The Atlanta Boat Show is coming to the Georgia World Congress center January 12 thru 15, 2017. Meet Lowrance Pro Staffers, Tom Branch Jr, Captain Mark Smith, Al Bassett and Ken Sturdivant.

SPECIAL THANKS: Kathy and R. C. Barker of ProBass Networks (800 510 3139) our web masters for a great year. They have been on hand anytime we need counsel, service and advice. Ken and Karen Sturdivant