Lake level: Down 1.3 feet
Temperature: mid to upper 80s
Clarity: Clear in main lake, stained in creeks

Bass: Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. We are in the typical summer patter now with the bass located in their summer homes. The brush in 25- to 35 feet of water and humps in the same depth range are holding fish.

There is still some topwater activity but it is mostly during the first hour of each day. The main activity has been with either the Spybait or the drop shot. When using either it is video game fishing.

Panoptics allows me to see how the first are oriented to the brush and determines which bait I choose. If the fish are scattered around the brush I will first try the Spybait. This is a bait that you count down to the depth of the fish and then it is very important to know the speed of your reel retrieve. You want to be able to maintain the desired depth to bring the bait through the fish. Since this is a finesse bait it has very small hooks and is thrown on either six or eight pound test line it is important to have a rod with plenty of tip action. I prefer at least a seven foot medium action rod for both ease of casting and playing the fish. Remember, it’s not a game of how fast you can get the fish in but can you land it, so play them easy.

The top colors for the week on the drop shot have been Blue Lily, Morning Dawn and Prism Shad. I’ll go to the drop shot if I see the fish either in the brush or scattered around the bottom. I prefer to use eight pound fluro with 14 pound braid backing with a three eights weight.

The key to the drop shot is to keep the weight on the bottom while gently shaking the worm. The majority of the bites this week were a simple pulldown without feeling the strike. Don’t over power the hook set since again you are using lighter line and smaller hooks. Both these approaches are true finesse fishing. Be prepared to move quite a bit since there are many one fish holes out there right now. You have to work a little but they are still biting so Go Catch ‘Em!

Report by Phil Johnson. Email: Pjohnson15@hotmail.com, 770 366-8845.

Crappie: Yes, crappie bite in the summer. If your normal spots are not holding fish scan the area they are probably not far away sometimes they’re just behind you. The water temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s we are finding crappie suspended 15 to 25 feet over a 30 to 40 foot bottom. Look for deep water brush up to 40 feet deep.

Try using small 1-1.5 inch jigs on a 1/24 ounce jig head it will take a while to get down to the fish so be patient. Also look at blow downs off steep banks or trees that extend 50 to 70 feet deep off the banks. If you are using jigs I would recommend translucent colors with sparkles. I am setting minnows 15 to 20 feet deep most of the time over a 20 to 25 foot bottom.

Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows or shaded areas of dock. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. I’m using the skippers jig moon jigs tipped with a small minnow use (promo code heroes) when ordering. I use ATX lure company’s jigs on a lip thrashing lure jig heads. I use 5 pound test high visibility yellow k9 braid for my line unless I am using a bobber then it’s the k9 6 pound high vis line k9fishing.com and a Piscifun reel on a Acc crappie Stix. I use Garmin Live Scope and the Navionics Boating app.

Report by Captain Josh Thornton, 770 530-6493.