Lake level: Down 4.8 feet
Temperature: 60s
Clarity: Clear in main lake, creeks stained
BASS: Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good to very good.
It’s bedding season for both the largemouth’s and spotted bass. The largemouth are heading for the shallow areas mainly in the backs of the pockets around some type structure or the edge of shallow docks. This is visual fishing with the first step being to find the beds in these areas.
Once the bed is located pitch some type of creepy crawler bait slightly past the bed and bring it to the middle of the bed. Often a lighter color bait is helpful to be able to see the bait’s location and the bass’s reaction to it. Sometimes it takes a while to aggravate the fish into taking the bait, so be patient.
Just a personal note, I’m not a big fan of this type fishing but if it is done then releasing the bass immediately helps ensure our largemouth population continues to grow.
The A Rig is working very well right now for both the spotted bass and the largemouth. Work this bait along the shady sides of the shallower docks for the largemouths and on rocky secondary points, flats and reef poles for the spotted bass. The quarter ounce finesse Spot Choker with a Mayor trailer is also producing great numbers of bass in the same area with a cast to the bank and a bottom bumping slow retrieve.
Keep the Spot Choker and the A Rig handy and watch for top water action as the bass are starting to push shad to the top mainly in the pockets and creeks. If you like the worm bite, use a wacky rig green pumpkin Senko anywhere back in the pockets.
It’s a great time of the year to be on Lanier so get out and enjoy it. Go Catch ‘Em!
Report by: Phil Johnson, Pjohnson15@hotmail.com, 770 366-8845.
News note: The Blue Ridge Trout Festival is April 26 in downtown Blue Ridge. World Fly Casting champion, Rene Hesse, will be on hand. For more info visit: blueridgetroutfest.com or call 770 827-6657.
