Fishing

Lake level: Down 5.1 feet
Temperature: 80s
Clarity: Clear

BASS: Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The bass are set up in true summer patterns and there are three different ways to target them.

First is on top with either a Riser, Krej, Skimmer or Fluke worked over the top of structure in the 25- to 40-foot range or off the ends of long points. For the sunny days use chrome and for the cloudy days use bone colors. For the Fluke Chartreuse is working. The wind over these areas seems to help the bite more as it pushes the bait over them.

If the top bite isn’t happening, then go to the drop shot in the same areas but also add in the deeper ledges. Use your electronics to see how the fish are positioned on the structure and try to put the dropshot right on their nose to draw the strikes. The colors for worms recently have been Sweet Rosy, Bue Lily and Morning Dawn.

There are some good deeper schools of shad right now, especially over the very deep structures that have bass scattered around them. If you want to target these bass the FFS is critical in making the correct lure presentation.

Use a three eighth ounce Spot Choker with a Chartreuse or Chartreuse and White fluke and stay back off the bait school. Cast past the bait and let the Spot Choker fall to a depth just above the bass and use a steady retrieve back past them. If the bass react, speed up the retrieve to trigger the bite. You can also target the bass around the deeper brush with this same set up and retrieve. The patterns are pretty steady right now and won’t be changing much until the cooler weather arrives. It’s hot but they are still biting so Go Catch ‘Em!

Report by: Phil Johnson, pjohnson15@hotmail.com, 770 366-8845.

STRIPERS: Stripers are schooling in the river channels in the 100-foot depths so they can be caught fishing 35 to 45 feet deep using blue backs at most turns in the channel.

Using your electronics find the balls of bait and put your down lines in and start drumming and give it 30 minutes. If they don’t show move to another ball of bait and do the same.

The top water bite is hard to locate but if you can get close throw your favorite lure and hook up.

Remember to wear your life jackets.

Report by: Buck Cannon, 404 510-1778.