LAKE LANIER IS 1.42 FEET OVER FULL, THE CREEKS ARE STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR THE RIVERS AND UP LAKE COVES ARE VERY STAINED. 50S


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


Bass fishing is good. The fish are definitely and finally in full pre spawn mode. They are still somewhat spread out and somewhat unpredictable, but they are moving. A crankbait and a jerk bait have been our best choices for catching fish this week. Shallow is the word for the fish we have been on. We have been working these baits shallow on rocky and clay points at the mouths of pockets and creeks. A Spro McStick jerk bait and a Castaway 1.5 Shad crank are good choices. Also, these baits will work back shallow in the creeks as well. Some days the wood in these areas is holding fish as well, so make sure to make some casts to the now many pieces of flooded cover. The jig and worm bite is still an option when the moving baits aren't working, so keep those handy as well. Slow tapering clay and rock points have been good this week, especially in the afternoons. Shallower docks are holding fish as well, so those are always worth a check on sunny days.


Striper fishing is good. The creeks and rivers are stained, the main lake is clear. The fish are scattered lake wide and on points and flats. Concentrate on south end creeks with herring and gizzard shad on planner boards and free lines. The Spotted bass have move on the points and humps and the smaller ones will skin your herring. Check your herring often and you may want to pick up some extras when buying your bait. There is an early morning and late afternoon bite. We have not been fishing at night but have heard that the night bite has slowed. The creeks south of Browns Bridge continue to me more productive than north. Bald Ridge Creek, Flat Creek, Balus Creek and Mud Creek are good places to start. The most productive method is to put out a couple of free lines, a planner board and cast all white buck tails the entire time you are pulling baits. Herring and gizzard shad have been the most productive live baits. Some fisherman have had good luck casting jerk baits but buck tails have been the good. Weight your lines with a split shot or two as the sun gets high.


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


This time of year we often hear the comment “if the dogwoods are blooming, the crappie are biting”. Even though most of the dogwood blooms are gone, fish need to eat all year, so we target them all year using various methods. The lake is still about a foot and a half above full pool, and current water temps are in the low sixties, which is great for catching crappie. Fishing is good to excellent. We are now fishing the mid late spawn, and as we have said many times, crappie ALWAYS relate to structure. They may leave their habitat in pursuit of bait, but they always return. That is why you can target fish using several different methods right now. If you prefer using crappie minnows under a cork, the blowdowns and brush piles close to docks in shallower water, along with areas nearby are still going to be your best bet. Blowdowns are beginning to produce quality fish, especially if you see a few surrounding weeds. Do not overrule using a jig. In my opinion, it may work better. As stated in the past, some of these blowdowns are in 10 feet of water, but some are in 20 feet of water, depending on the size of the tree. Make sure you fish the blowdown at every possible angle before moving on. After you finish fishing a blowdown, ride over it with your downscan and it will give you the accurate depth of the tree as a reference for your next trip. Especially when the fish are shallow, we avoid going over them prior to fishing a spot. If the spot was a good producer, you may also want to mark a waypoint on your electronics. Hair jigs and soft body jigs are working well. Long line trolling, is also working well. The fish chasing bait are the targets of this method. If you are a dock shooter, game on! We are catching them inside docks at various depths with structure (both deep and shallow) and getting photos of impressive catches from our members. Warmer days together with good fishing is a great recipe for an awesome time on the lake. Take advantage of the weather and get out on the water and enjoy some good crappie fishing! Wear your life jacket it can save your life!


Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will host a Free SONAR! Class April 27, 2019 at 2 pm at Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville Georgia.


Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will be at the Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, Georgia on April 7, 14, 20 and 27 from 10 am until 5 pm. Dates and times are subject to change without notice.


WATCH THIS VIDEO! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7k0ECCQjeY


Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will be at the Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, Georgia on April 7, 14, 20 and 28 from 10 am until 5 pm. Dates and times are subject to change without notice.


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.


Please watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7k0ECCQjeY


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