Lake level: Over full pool
Temperature: 80s
Clarity: Main lake clear, slight stain in creeks
BASS: Bass fishing on Lanier is fair to good. This has not been the typical early summer bite. The topwater bite is very sporadic and the bass seem to be moving into the deeper brush earlier than normal.
There are some large schools of bass schooling on top but that doesn’t mean they will bite. If you work an area of breaking fish but don’t hook up just move on. Several baits have caught fish recently with no one bait really standing out.
The main target areas have been humps with structure and long points with the fish being in the 15- to 35-foot range. The Fluke, Slick Stick, Gunfish, Skimmer and Whopper Plopper have all produced fish at one time or another. Just be ready to try different baits to see which one they want on that particular spot. Once you work an area with the above baits it is worth it to throw a shaky head with a green pumpkin green trick worm around the area.
The drop shot with either a Blue Lily or a Sweet Rosy worm has picked up as the fish are getting more into the deeper brush.
Using your FFS has been a key to either target the fish in the brush or seeing where the fish are located in relation to the structure.
Be prepared to fish a lot of areas because moving from spot to spot is necessary right now. They can still be caught so Go Catch ‘Em!
Report by: Phil Johnson: pjohnson15@hotmail.com, 770 366-8845.
STRIPERS: Stripers have scattered over the lake, find an island and search around it using blue backs with flat lines and down lines. Blue backs need to be lively.
Small coves are holding stripers and big spots. Planer boards and flat lines will do the trick. We are using small weights on the flat lines. Remember to wear your life jackets.
Report by: Buck Cannon: 404 510-1778.
CRAPPIE: Crappie fishing is good.
The fish are on stickups and open water brush and also in large groups under docks in the shade. Crappie have been at depths of 10 to 15 feet above a 25- to 40-foot bottom.
The jig color combo that worked the best for me recently was the green and chartreuse single tail 1.5 inch jig. Minnows have been working well over brush.
For your best fishing experience consider using the following equipment: a one piece ACC Crappie Stix rod and reel paired with 4 or 6 pound test K9 line with an Atx lure company jig. Further optimizing your efforts, a Garmin Live Scope, protected by a sonar shield cover, and a Power Pole are highly recommended.
Report by: Captain Josh Thornton: 770 530-6493.
