Water Conditions: Lake Lanier water level is still above full pool at 1,071.41 or .41 feet above the normal full pool at 1071. The main lake remains mostly clear. There is still some off-colored greenish water in some of the creeks due to the recent algae blooms. The water up in the rivers and creeks ranges from very slightly to very stained due to this past week’s rain inflow. Lake Lanier’s surface temperatures have risen but they are still around 80 and on into the low 80’s.
The Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam is clear. Check generation schedules before heading out to the river at (770) 945-1466.
Bass: Bass fishing remains good for the anglers that are willing to make adjustments as needed. The bass have started to make their moves into the deeper brush. Anglers that can master their Lowrance Electronics to find fish in offshore brush should be able to score some good bites.
We have started out early in the day around offshore humps and long points on the main lake. The bass have been schooling on the surface for the first hour and a half. We have been casting topwater plugs like a Zara Spooks, Chug Bugs, Big Bites Jerk Shads and other topwater lures over the brush piles in 15 to 30-feet of water to score some good bites if you don’t catch fish on your first area then keep moving until you collide with an area full of “schoolers”
Other lures and techniques will work early in the day. Cast an SPRO McStick 110 or 115 to these same schooling fish and they will crush it. An SPRO Spin John 80 Spy Bait or other brands of spy baits have really been producing well when fished over brush or mid-depth humps. On cloudy days the topwater and moving lures will produce all day long.
After the sun gets high in the sky try working deeper running lures like deep diving crankbaits like a Little John DD, drop shot rigs, Texas or Carolina rigged worms and just about any other bass lure that looks like herring or shad.
Keep a drop shot rigged with a Lanier Baits Fruity Worm or a Big Bite Bait’s Shakin Squirrel and drop-down them directly down below your transducer anytime you see the tell-tale signs that indicate fish are below the boat.
Remember that Lake Lanier’s bass population will turn on during wildlife activity periods, Buford Dam generation periods. Use and depend on your Lowrance Electronics to show you where the bass are located in the water column.
You can avoid the crowds and enjoy some good fishing by getting out to the lake right around sundown. The best times seem to be from sundown to midnight. Use an SPRO Little John DD, RkCrawler or large black spinnerbait. Work the lures from the bank back to your boat. Allow your lures to keep in contact with the bottom. Some strikes will occur as your lures bump around into rock and brush. Other times the bass will strike you lures after they break free from the bottom.
Stripers: Striper fishing has been good. The stripers have been shallow early in the morning. They will hit both topwater baits as well as subsurface lures early in the day and again at sundown and onto.
After the low light periods and the sun gets up you should move out deeper offshore where trolling or down lining herring will score most of your daylight action. Most of the stripers we have caught this week were located from 30 to 60-feet deep over 40 to 80-foot bottoms.
Our down line rigs consist or a medium-heavy to heavy action Kissel Krafts Custom rods with a larger baitcasting reel spooled with Sunline 15 to 20-pound natural as our mainline with a heavy 1 to 2-ounce sinker attached to an SPRO Swivel. Attach a long 5 to 8-foot Sunline 12 to 14-pound Fluorocarbon leader.
Remember that when you set out your down lines it is best to fish right at or slightly above the striper you see on your electrics. Stripers will look up to attack bait but they seldom look down. Change your herring out every 10 to 15 minutes.
You can also troll a Captain Mack’s Mini Umbrella Rig while you search for the mega schools of stripers that are deeper. You can use lead core line or use a downrigger to obtain a 20 to 35 trolling depth. Invest in an umbrella rig retriever. It will pay for itself when you get snagged in timber or in the deeper standing timber.
Crappie: Crappie fishing during the daylight hours has been very slow unless you can work tiny crappie jigs or live bait through deeper brush located in 20 to 30-feet most anglers prefer.
The best action will occur under bridges or around deeper lighted boat docks at night. Set out your own portable Hydro Glow light or utilize one of the many lighted boat docks around the lake.
Use down lined minnows or small crappie jigs after dark. Fish the area outside where the lights are glowing.
Bank fishing: Shore bound anglers can catch bass, stripers, brim, crappie and even catfish this time of year.
If I had to choose only one one fishing lure it would probably be a silver and white, 1/6th ounce Rooster Tail. Rig these small inline spinners on light, 4 to 6-pound Sunline Natural Monofilament. This set up would work on Lake Lanier or your own local ponds, small lakes, creeks and the larger rivers.