LAKE LANIER IS .61 FEET OVER FULL, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & MID 50’S

This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley, www.jmboonlanier.com 770 542 7764

Bass fishing is good. Well folks, this report does not have much change to it as the fish have not changed dramatically, nor have the conditions. As the weather continues to warm over the next several days, look for the shallow bite to be even better than it has been, but the deep bite should remain as well, as there are a certain group of fish have committed to deep water. As has been the case of late, there are many patterns out there right now, which is no surprise with the warmer than normal water temperatures and higher than normal lake levels. The best bite seems to change from day to day. Over the past few days, we have been starting shallow, but also alternating in some deeper places early in the day. Our first stops usually focus on the classic Lanier ditch bite with a SuperSpin slowly retrieved in the heart of the ditch. When the SuperSpin bite slows down, the Chattahoochee Jig and Crossball Jighead/Trick Worm combo has remained effective in the ditches. The fish often are VERY shallow in the mornings in those ditches. Make sure to probe all the way to the back of these areas. There are also some fish out deeper in some of those same ditches which will take the jig and worm offerings mentioned above. Through the day we are also fishing secondary rock points and steeper banks. We are working these steeper rock areas with the jig and worm for some good bites. Also, a Spro DD Little John crankbait around the rock has been productive on some days, especially when the wind is up. The spoon bite has continued to be good. This has been a solid mid day pattern that has produced good numbers and a few big ones as well. Search in the 35 50 foot range around standing timber, and make sure there is some bait in the area. No bait, no fish! The spoon bite has been better on the sunny days of late. Here is what I have open the first two weeks of January: 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, and 14. If you want to learn ditch fishing and all it includes, along with deep timber fishing, it will still be going on in January given this warm weather! Give me a call ASAP to book your trip! Don't forget the Jimbo Seminar and EXPO on January 30, 2016! Call or email me NOW to reserve your spot! Also, don't miss my appearance at the Atlanta Boat Show on the Fish Trough Saturday afternoon, Jan 16th! Merry Christmas to all and tight lines!

This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of www.bigfishon.com

Striper fishing is good. Not a lot has changed this week. The water temperature has been warmer than past years and we have been stuck at a water temperature in the mid to high 50’s. Consequently, the fish are scattered lake wide and you can find fish anywhere on the lake from the Dam to Clarks Bridge and from the main lake channel to the back of the creeks. Under normal circumstances the majority of the bait and the fish would be in the creeks. The Stripers have been actively feeding in the early morning and late afternoon. As soon as the sun rises the bait and the fish move to deeper water. With the weather forecast of rain and storms the fish should extend their feeding until late morning. The best approach is live bait fish with free lines and planner boards until the sun gets high and bright and then switch to down rods. Set your free lines at 70 to 100 feet behind the boat. Deploy planner boards on each side of the boat with 30 to 50 feet of line behind the boards. Set your down rods to just above the bait. Blueback Herring, and Gizzard Shad are all working. Fish the areas with the highest concentration of bait fish. Shoal Creek, Six Mile Creek, Flat Creek, Big Creek, Flowery Branch, Chestatee River and mail lake points from Mud Creek to Gainesville Marina are good places to start. The water temperature is 58 degrees and the lake is at 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.
Our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com

With the unusually warm December temperatures, water temps are hovering in the upper fifties, with slight variations from creek to creek. With the projected forecasts continuing to be around the fifties at night and sixties during the day, our fishing pattern remains pretty much the same. There are plenty of fish to be caught on standalone brush piles. The deeper brush piles in fifteen to twenty feet of water are still the better choice, but with the warmer temperatures, we’ve noticed that some fish have moved back to shallower stand alone brush piles in ten to fifteen foot depths. We have been posting great photos of our Lowrance down scan. You can see the details of the brush piles and where the dots representing the fish are holding slightly above or beside the brush piles. The darker pods are the schools of bait. However, it seems that some of the bigger fish have already moved to docks with structure near stand alone brush piles. So right now, everything is working: shooting docks, and fishing brush piles. Our favorite jig head remains the one twenty fourth ounce and one sixteenth ounce jig heads. The Bobby Garland soft body jigs in a variety of colors remain our favorite jig. The trolling bite remains good early in the morning. With the amount of bait we are seeing, the fish are fattening up for the winter and sometimes leaving their habitat to chase the bait. That is the reason the trolling bite is effective this time of year, because you are covering a lot of ground. Take advantage of the beautiful weather and get out on the lake to enjoy the great fishing! Stay safe on the water and wear your life jacket!

The 2016 Atlanta Boat Show hits the Georgia World Congress Center January 14 to 17, 2016. Meet Ken Sturdivant, Al Bassett, Captain Mark Smith, Matt Driver, and Jimbo Mathley, Renee Hess, Chris Scalley. See www.atlantaboatshow.com for details.

Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Professional Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE! Sonar Seminar at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Lawrenceville Georgia on Saturday December 26, 2015 at 2pm. Seminar is subject to change without notice. Be sure to see the NEW Lowrance machines coming on www.lowrance.com

For a free set up sheet for your sonar, send me an e mail to [email protected]

Anglers 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 [email protected].

We offer these waypoints for sale. You get the coordinates and you load them into your GPS unit
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!

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