by Ryan Coleman
Lake Lanier Spotted Bass: Excellent!
Lake Lanier is about 6 inches over full. This is the lowest we have had the lake in a long time. Hopefully, no rain and a steady flow going downstream will get this sucker down some. The surface temps have held steady over the last week or so in the upper 70s to very low 80s. I think we will lose the 80s by next week, and that is a beautiful thing. The surface clarity is very good and so is the fishing.
I have been out on trips every day over the past week or so, and the fishing has been excellent. The spotted bass are loving the cooler weather and feeding up on big bait all over the lower end. Most of our fish had been feeding on the small threads out there but changed their diet about two weeks ago to T-bone herring. They are knocking big herring out of the water all over the lake.
I have been having some great catches on topwater, swimbaits, jigs, Fish Head Spins and even big crankbaits. For the most part, I have had a jig, a swimbait and a topwater rigged every day. The Fish Head Spin is still steady every day. And it will be throughout the year on Lanier.
On the windy days, you can smack them on a big swimbait like the Bull Herring (my best right now), Tim Farley’s swimbait or a Sebile Magic Swimmer. I would stick with the big Sebile if you use it. Remember they are feeding on large bait out there. I am having fish spit up 8-inch herring all day long.
It has been fantastic with moving baits, and when they go down I have been catching some monster fish on a 3/8-ounce Spot Sticker casting jig. I am working on the bottom from 25 to 40 feet of water. Once they go down, they are sticking to the bottom and will eat the jig. I am have more success on the jig than a drop shot right now. For colors, I am sticking with either PB&J, green craw or dark smoke. All with either a melon or cinnamon-black Yamamoto 5-inch twin-tail trailer.
When the wind has been up we have done extremely well on topwater and with the big swimbait. I almost wore out a Bull Herring yesterday. I’m catching more than a dozen stripers and three-dozen spots on it. My customers have done very well with the big swimbait the past 7 days or so.
There are some big schools out there, and when you get around them, don’t leave until you bounce the jig around. You may just catch one on it.
As the next few weeks roll around, look for the jig bite to really pick up along with the topwater and swimbait. This should be the ticket if we do not get any major temperature changes
FORECAST BY: Ryan Coleman
LanierSpots Pro Guide Service
770-356-4136