LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 2.9 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR THE RIVERS ARE MUCH COLDER AND HEAVILY STAINED. 50’S DOWN LAKE AND 40’S UP LAKE.


Well the conditions on the lake are changing! The rain we have been receiving has jumped the lake up nearly a foot and a half over the past week or so. The backs of the major creeks are heavy stained to muddy, and the main lake below Brown's Bridge is still clear. The waters above Brown's Bridge seem to be carrying more of a stain. The water temps are still pretty cold, but it looks we have some more seasonal, stable temperatures heading our way with no major cold spells on tap. This should help get the fish moving in their pre spawn patterns in the next few weeks. I was out on vacation last week, but back on the water this week. The fish still seem to be mostly in a winter pattern. Our fish this week have been coming deep. The timber edges in and around 30 to 40 feet have been productive with a Picasso Shake Down Head and worm combo We have been dropping directly on the fish we are seeing on the Lowrance electronics. Casting in these areas can also be effective, but the drop down has been best, targeting specific fish we see on the graph. A drop shot is also working on these deeper fish. I have been favoring minnow imitations lately, like a fluke. The spoon bite is still there on some days as well, so make sure to keep that in your arsenal and ready for action. It just depends on the day, so be flexible in your choices. The steeper rock points and banks on the main lake and in the creeks have been productive at times also. The Picasso Shake Down head/green pumpkin worm combo along with a Chattahoochee Jig have done well in these areas. We have been presenting these baits very slowly in these steep rock areas. Look for the fish to be shallower in these areas on sunny days, and deeper on cloudy days. When the wind is up, try your SPRO Little John DD on the rocks as well for some fish. Don't expect a lot of bites, but some good ones. Don't miss the opportunity to throw a SuperSpin in the same places as well. Also of interest, in the afternoons of sunny days, we have found some biting fish in smaller, shorter pockets close to deep water. These fish have been in 15 to 25 feet and often around docks. Look for the areas that are protected from a north wind and get lots of sun. This pattern is just like an early spring pattern, so think in those terms as you pursue it. Sun and warming water is the key. It's still a great time to learn the deep winter bite and really learn the keys to catching fish when the bite is tougher. While the catch rates for trips this time of year is not as good as others, I believe the learning opportunities are at their best right now. And don't forget, that fun pre spawn bite is just around the corner, so reserve your date now! Following is a list of my upcoming open February: 12, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, and 28. Give me a call and let's get out and learn these deep winter fish as well as the early pre spawn bite!

This report brought to you by: Jimbo Mathley Jimbo on Lanier

Based on the Fish and Gamer Forecaster, the middle morning to one pm is the best period this weekend. After lunch, fishing will be slow.

This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Big Fish on Service. To book your trip call Captain Ken at 404 561 2564 or contact us on our web site. www.bigfishon .com

Striper fishing remains slow. Your best bet is to fish the bait. You may have to check several creeks as we had a thread fin die off during the cold temperatures. When you find the bait deploy your free lines and planner boards for shallow at less than 20 feet, bait and down rods for the deeper bait. Downsize size you bait to medium shiners and blueback herring and set your trolling motor speed between .3 to 1.0 mile per hour. Vary the distance of your baits behind the boat and boards and the weight on your free lines to cover a variety of water depths. We use split shots to weight some of our free lines. When you find the best distance, weight and speed replicate those settings to the rest of your lines. We have had a couple of reports of a few fish being caught on humps and creek points with umbrella rigs. As always, the winter time “go to creeks” are Flat Creek, Four Mile Creek and Balus Creek. However, the creeks with high concentration of bait will hold fish. The water is clear on the main Lake and stained in the creeks. 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 Club. See our club’s website, www.laniercrappie.net

Currently, the water temperature is 44 degrees, and a couple degrees lower in backs of creeks. The last several weeks, we have not had anything positive to report. To the diehard fishermen that braved the conditions, fished during this time and boated 10 to 15 respectable sized crappie, you should pat yourself on the back and high five your fishing partner! We looked at previous years’ fishing reports to compare. There is a reason why we nickname our catches this time of year “cold water crappie”. Our average water temps in past years at this time have been 47 to 48 degrees, which is significantly higher than our current water temps of 42 to 44 degrees. Unlike previous years where the fish are suspended at 15 to 30 foot depths, this year the fish were well below thirty foot depths. This pattern was out of our comfort zone. However, I am making a bold statement, and hopefully won’t have to eat my words next week. But I believe crappie fishing is going to return to normal quickly, starting in the next few days. How can we make a statement like that? We look at water temperature and overnight lows. Over the next week, our nightly low temperatures will be close to and well above 50 degrees. The rain on warmer days will cause the stain to creep from the backs of creeks. As it spreads, it will cause the water to be moderately stained into the middle and toward the mouths of the creeks, and combined with warmer days, should raise the water temps quickly For the last few weeks, our bait and our crappie have been held hostage in deeper water. The bait is going to move quickly to shallower water, and the crappie will follow. They need to eat to prepare for the spring spawn. If you notice bait and roaming fish nearby, tie a road runner to your line and fan cast toward them. You may need to experiment with the depth. My plan is to fish multiple times next week. My first trip will be to observe, hit as many pockets as we can, and look for a pattern. The fish may be roaming. Or they may be on stand alone brush piles. They may be on docks, or on brush piles near docks. My second and third trips will become easier and easier. One helpful tip: use darker jigs in stained water. In moderate to light stain in the mouths of creeks, use lighter colors. Just experiment. If your fishing partner is using one color, be sure to use a different one until you figure out what they want. Also, don’t use any line heavier than 4 pound test. We use 2 pound test all year long. In summary, we can feel the bite coming on, so go out and enjoy!

Stay safe on the water and wear your life jacket.

Based on the Fish and Gamer Forecaster, the middle morning to one pm is the best period this weekend. After lunch, fishing will be slow.

We have all the details for our On the Water SONAR School on our web SCHOOLS page. We have the LOWRANCE CARBON and 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. See our Southern Fishing Schools page for the latest screen shots of the LOWRANCE 3D technology. See bass over a ladder in 10 feet of water 158 feet from my boat. www.lowrance.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.

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We recommend Transducer Shield and Savers. Protect your investment.

We recommend Spider Diapers for your protecting your boat in your dock.
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We 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 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

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