by Steve Scott
June and July brought the lake to full pool and the striper fishing was back into full swing on the traditional summer patterns which were downlining, lead core, umbrella rigs and weighted freelines. The early morning bite was still in the backs of creeks using Sebiles and Magic Swimmers; to mid-morning halfway back with weighted freelines; to the main lake coves and bays 75’ to 90’ toward late morning for downlining blueback herring. In late July we put more emphasis on lead core trolling as the bait style fishing slowed down dramatically with the surface temperatures in the upper 80 degrees range and down in the low seventies to 25’. Ideal temperatures for bluebacks and stripers is 50 to 65 degrees. Per the dissolved oxygen reports from the DNR the ideal depth for stripers was 40’ to 80’ south of Browns Bridge. The dissolved oxygen at the dam supported stripers from 26’ to 130’. The importance of pulling lead core allowed you to search a wider area more quickly, and it had a good success rate as well. This search would produce finding stripers more concentrated and allow you to do some Ben Parker spooning and more downlining.
Let’s get back to lead core for a minute. This technique targeted depths of 28’ to 36’ produced good results as the stripers were more likely to feed on your presentation. Not familiar with Lead Core? 100 yards of lead core line has 10 colors, each color being 30’ of line. The line consists of Dacron covering over lead. The Dacron provides the strength coming in 18, 27, 36 and 45-pound test. The lead provides its sink-ability. I use a 20-pound 30’ fluorocarbon leader which will break easier than the lead core line. Be sure to use backing when adding line to your reel. Each color should be slowly released into the water moving at 3.5 mph then slowing to 2.5mph when you reach your desired color. I’ll use two lead core setups 6 and 8 colors out. This makes the distances from the boat 180’ and 240’ putting the bait at 24’ and 32’ deep. I use 2 ounce Capt Mack’s white with chrome threads bucktail jigs and either curly tail or paddle tail trailers in chartreuse or pink (sunny) or blue & white (cloudy) colors. Don’t stop or slow the boat when reeling in a fish unless someone else reels in the other line. Use your GPS mapping software to follow contours carefully so you don’t get into trouble with an unexpected hump or tree. Some locations to pull lead core are TM1 to TM9; SM1 to SM6; mouths of Shoal, Bald Ridge and Young Deer Creeks; “B” buoy to LM18; the Saddle Dike and Shoal Creek from the mouth back to SC8.
Tip of the month: Create waypoints with your unit to establish trolling lanes. See more details at TeamLanier.com. Steve Scott 404-273-3481
by Capt Clay Cunningham
The summer heat has arrived on Lanier and the downline bite has arrived with it. The water temperature is in the mid-eighties and the water has gotten clearer and clearer now that the weather has stabilized. Finally the rain has let up.
The best fishing is on the south end of the lake due to deeper, colder water which means higher oxygen levels for the stripers. The schools are getting larger and larger. Look in the creek channels near patches of timber. As mentioned, the primary pattern is the downline. The primary setup for the downline is a Shakespeare Striper Rod spooled with 15-pound Trilene Big Game line, the Captain Mack 2 ounce swivel sinker, a 6 foot section of Trilene 100 percent Flourocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Add a live herring to the hook and you are good to go.
The trolling bite is also picking up. Talk to your local tackle store like Hammonds or Oakwood Bait and Tackle for the specific rod and reel needed. Once you are setup, tie up one rod with a Ben Parker spoon and one with a 1 to 2 ounce white Spro Prime buck tail and troll at 2.8 mph. Tip the Spro bucktail with a 6 inch Capt. Mack chartreuse trailer. Let the first couple bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. Also keep white Capt. Mack trailers, pink trailers, and all bucktail sizes on hand.
Be sure to release fish fast as possible. Every second out of the water in the hot summer months increases mortality. If you are taking pictures, have everything ready for a quick release. See you on the water.