by Ryan Coleman
Fishing is good. Lake Lanier is a foot over full pool right now and the surface temps are in the mid to lower 50’s. This is pretty warm for late December and it has affected the fish. Typically right now, the fish are loaded up very deep. But with the odd lake conditions, (Water level and surface temperatures higher than normal) there are more fish shallow right now. Fish are holding as shallow as 2 feet deep on the lower end on rock and clay banks and points. There are usually a few up there but the majority of the fish are up shallow right now. Once the water starts to cool, look for these guys to move out in the 35-50 foot ranges and hold there the remainder of the winter.
I have been working the shallow points and rock with crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits for the most part. We have worked 10 foot deep diving crankbaits up on the rocks very slowly for some big spots this week and worked a white ½ oz Mini-Me spinnerbait up there on the days with more wind. The wind breaks up the surface a little which makes the spinnerbait a little more appealing. During the calmer days, I have been doing very well around reef poles on a 3/16oz SpotSticker stand up football head tipped with a Zoom Green Pumpkin Swamp Crawler. This is a very good combination all winter on Lanier. There are some fish around the deeper boat docks and they are eating a Yamamoto 5″ twin-tail hula grub rigged on a 1/4oz SpotSticker crawler head. This rig is a dock fishing machine on Lake Lanier. I am working that rig on a 6′ medium action spinning rod with 8 pound fluorocarbon line.
As January rolls in, look for the water temperatures to drop and the fish to get out deep. This is your best time to get on a big school of spotted bass and be able to catch them for multiple days. The fish here do not move around as much once they get locked in to the deep timber in winter. A jigging spoon, a 3/8 oz casting jig and the jighead rig are your best weapons to work on these deep fish. It will happen fast so keep looking out deep for the bait fish and big schools of fish.
I was on the lake with Joe Thomas of Still’s Reel in the Outdoors last week. We shot a great show catching some big Lanier Spotted Bass. Keep an eye out on my reports early next summer and I will let everyone know when it will air on The Outdoor Channel. Here is one of our big fish Joe caught during our shoot.
Good luck to everyone out there.
FORECAST BY: Ryan Coleman
LanierSpots Pro Guide Service
770-356-4136