• Lake Lanier Fishing Report - GA

    Southern Fishing Schools
    (770) 889-2654 http://www.southernfishing.com/ ken@southernfishing.com
  • SOUTHERN FISHING SCHOOLS INC. is the ONLY full time Fishing School in the south. We have been fishing these lakes and streams of the south since 1957. We have attended more than 40 worlds championship events, that include 26 Bassmasters Classics, 7 Red Man All Americans and 5 BassNGal World Finals. We can teach anglers of all skill levels how to find and catch more bass

  • Lake Lanier Fishing Report - GA

    LAKE LANIER IS 1.30 FEET OVER FULL, THE CREEKS ARE STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR THE RIVERS AND UP LAKE COVES ARE VERY STAINED. 40’S




    The lake continues to drop as the Corp of Engineers has been pulling water steadily this week. Currently the lake stands at 1.3 feet over full pool and down nearly a foot from my last report. The rivers are still heavily stained to muddy and mid-lake is stained. The live creeks in the lower lake are stained, and the lower main lake remains clear. The floating debris is virtually gone, but still keep an eye out for random logs and such. Shallower rocky points with a jig and worm in the mornings and sometimes throughout the day have been our best pattern overall this week. Not a ton of bites, but the ones you get are good ones usually. Also we are getting a few on a crankbait on some mornings up on the rock as well as later in the day, particularly on sunny afternoons when there is a breeze. We are also catching some worm and jig fish in the 20 to 30 foot range, but the presence of rock seems to be a key, and generally, I am dropping to these fish with a shaky head to catch them. The spoon bite as virtually vanished this week. There are plenty of fish out deep but they are scattered for the most part which makes it tough for the spoon. A drop shot will work at times but requires steady patience and an undying will to catch them deep without giving up and heading back to the shallow rock. LOL. Which means I am not fishing deep much. LOL. The creek ditches are still holding some fish now in shallower water and we have been catching a few on the SuperSpin down in the ditches on some days, but this pattern has not been as predominant for us as it has been in past years. Also, with the cooling water temperatures, look for the jerk bait bite to pick up back in pockets. This hasn't happened yet, but with the cool down coming this weekend, it could happen fast. I hope you will make plans to come join me as we soon will be heading into the early pre spawn bite. There is some winter fish to be caught, but we will shifting our focus to our early pre-spawners in the coming weeks. I hope the Groundhog allows for an early spring! Here are my open dates for January: 29, 30, and 31. February 4, 5, 6, 7, 8(AM), 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28.

    This report brought to you by: Jimbo Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com 770 542 7764





    Jimbo On Lanier is hosting a Fishing Swap Meet on February 2, 2019 at Midway UMC on Atlanta Hwy and Post Road. You can rent a table and sell your tackle or just come and shop. We expect a packed house so let me know ASAP if you would like a table. Contact Jimbo directly for details or table rental. There is a $5.00 entry fee.


    Striper fishing is good. With the colder temperatures this past week the bait has been deep over a 40 to 70 foot bottom. The warmer temperatures forecasted for this week end will bring the bait shallower onto flats and into the backs of the creeks. Fishing the backs of the creeks and flats will be the key this week. When you find an area you want to fish put out a "spread" (combination of free lines and planner boards) of Herring and Trout and vary your depths and distance behind the boat and boards. As an example; use a small split shot with a medium Trout 12 feet behind your planner board closest to the bank. Use a Herring on your inside board 50 feet behind the board. Continue to vary the distance and weight as you put out your free lines behind the boat and "deep water side" planner boards. Don't forget to drop a couple of down rods over the side and vary the depth based on the bottom. Herring and Trout have been working equally well. Also, vary your trolling speed from .2 mph to 1.2 mph. don’t spend a lot of time in any one area. The back of Flat Creek, Six mile creek and Short Creek are all good places to start.


    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 around 48 degrees. If you go above Laurel Park on the Chattahoochee side or north of Thompson Creek on the Chestatee you will notice that the water is more stained as you get into the “S” turns. Also, the water temperature drops a few degrees at this point. The river channel docks with warmer water temps at 48 degrees will be your best options. Our dock shooting technique is producing well. We’ve been catching better quality fish on the Chattahoochee side of the lake, however if you want to catch greater numbers, the Chestatee side of the lake will be your best option. The bite is starting at fifteen to twenty feet, but it is amazing how quickly the entire school will shallow up if they decide to feed, sometimes up to eight feet below the surface. Many community docks and marinas are holding fish. If you are willing to invest the time to find them by scanning with your electronics, it can pay off. When you locate them, note the depth that the fish are suspended and work the jig directly above their heads. The way the eyes are positioned on the crappies’ heads, they are always looking up. Therefore, if the jig is below them it is difficult for them to see and respond to it Jiffy jigs in a variety of colors and hair jigs are working well, but the soft body Bobby Garland jigs tend to skip the water easier. This will assist you in getting your jig all the way to the back of the dock when using the shooting technique. I’ve been trying many different Bobby Garland colors new to me, and I am very impressed. Bobby Garland is by far my favorite bait right now, especially with their exciting new colors. The fish are holding tight to the structure and it is very critical to keep the jig in their strike zone. With the colder temperatures, their metabolism has slowed and they are not willing to chase your jig. You will also notice that the color of the crappie has turned to pale white, which is an indication they have gone to deeper pockets. The females have begun to develop eggs and you will see their bellies starting to become distended, even though the spawn is still a good distance away. The bait will lead you to the fish, so pay attention to your graph. Threadfins are the bait of choice for crappie. Stay safe on the water and wear your life jacket.


    The Bassmaster Elite Series holds its second event of the 2019 season in Gwinnett, Georgia, on Lake Lanier February 14, 15, 16 and 17. See www.bassmaster.com for details.


    We have all the details for our On the Water SONAR School on our web SCHOOLS page. We have the LOWRANCE LIVE and 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.


    Call Brian Leiva at www.bbgmarine.com 888 570 0916 for all your Lowrance and other technology.


    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


    Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will be hosting a FREE Basics of Electronics class
    February 16, 2019 at Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville Georgia at 1:30pm.
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