LAKE LANIER IS 3.5 FEET OVER FULL, THE CREEKS ARE HEAVILY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & MID 50’S

Lots of Debris Lake wide and many ramps and parks are closed.

Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. Things have changed a bunch since my last report. I was away for the holidays but have returned and have been running trips this week. Apparently it did nothing but rain in my absence as the lake shot up almost 5 feet in a few short days! The US Army Corp of Engineers has started to pull some water back out, but the lake is still almost 4 feet over full pool at this point. We have found fish very shallow in the newly flooded cover recently. A Spinnerbait, Chatterbait, a crank bait and a jig are all potentially good choices with which to fish all the freshly flooded shallow cover. The lake can be overwhelming when it looks like this, but just remember to break it down and go back to basics. Go back to areas where you have been catching fish and look shallower. Find points and pockets and focus on the significant features in and around these areas. The current from the water release can make a big difference in the position of the fish. Look for areas on the downstream side of significant cover to hold fish. Look for the potential ambush spots and fish them accordingly when you are fishing super shallow. We have had good success recently with targeting these specific shallow areas with a jig. A well placed pitch to the cover discussed will get bit. I will say the deep bite is still there as well, as there are a certain group of fish have committed to deep water. A jig and a worm in 35 45 has been good in the deeper section of select ditches. The classic Lanier ditch bite with a SuperSpin slowly retrieved in the heart of the ditch is still working also. Some of these fish are still in the same places and same depths, but some of them have pushed shallower into the newly flooded cover. Check both areas as both can be productive. When the SuperSpin bite slows down, the Chattahoochee Jig and Crossball Jig head/Trick Worm combo has remained effective in the ditches. 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. Sometimes these fish are very shallow in the cover, and sometimes they are back out a little deeper. Be flexible in your approach. Here is what I have open for trips in January: 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 27, 28, and 29. If you want to learn ditch fishing and all it includes, picking apart shallow cover with a jig, along with deep timber fishing, now is your time! 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!

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

Striper fishing is good. The lake is 3.5 feet above full pool and is considerably cleaner than last week. The water temperature has also dropped to 54 degrees and the fish have moved into the creeks. All of the changes this past week have resulted in a change from down rods to free lines and planner boards as the primary technique. Blueback herring, gizzard shad and trout will all work with blueback herring being the most popular choice. Set your free lines at 70 to 100 feet behind the boat and your planner boards at 20 to 50 feet. We use 20 pound main line and 15 pound fluorocarbon leader. Trolling with Umbrellas rigs will work and make an excellent search tool. Set your rigs at 70 to 80 feet behind the boat and vary your trolling speed from 2.8 to 3.4 MPH. Care should be taken as you motor down the lake as there is a number of logs on the surface which can inflict some heavy boat damage. We recommend and use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology combined with the Lowrance Point One antenna to help us find and then stay on the fish. As always, fish the areas with the highest concentration of bait fish. Shoal Creek, Six Mile Creek, Flat Creek, Big Creek, and Flowery Branch are good places to start. The water temperature is 54 degrees and the lake is 3.5 feet above full pool. The water is heavily stained in the creeks with a light stain on the main lake.

SEVERAL OF THE PARKS AND BOAT RAMPS HAVE BEEN CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING! Check with the Army Corps of engineers for a current list. The following link contains closures: https://www.facebook.com/LakeSidneyLanierUSACE 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. See our club’s website, www.laniercrappieanglers.net

In the last few days, we’ve witnessed significant change in lake conditions. From record high levels, the Corps of Engineers has been releasing water at high volumes to return the lake to manageable levels. This will generate current in the lake, which is good for fishing. Currently, the water temperature is fifty five degrees and dropping steadily with colder night temperatures. The colder water temperatures will stabilize the bite and cause it to become more typical for this time of year. You will also notice a significant change in the water color, and you can easily see the mud line. This is where the stain meets the clearer water. We find that fishing the less stained water will produce more bites. The fish are holding tight to the brush, so with the higher lake level, the bite in brush piles is deeper. The bigger fish have moved to brush piles close to docks, however keep in mind that most dock owners have moved their docks, causing brush piles that are normally below docks to be outside the docks. The long line trolling bite is good early in the morning. If you prefer using live bait, a slip cork or down line will be the best choice. The minnow needs to be dropped directly above the fish, so pay attention to your Lowrance DownScan to determine their depth. If you don’t get a bite, keep dropping your minnow a foot at a time until you get some action. With the cooler temperatures, the metabolism of fish has slowed and since crappie are not by nature aggressive, you will have to put the bait within the strike zone, both vertically and horizontally. Changing lake conditions can present challenges, but making the necessary adjustments successfully can be very rewarding. So bundle up, get out on the water and meet the challenge! 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 and www.southernfishing.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