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Lanier Fishing Report
Bass fishing has been good lately. The weather
has been hot and the lake is low but those venturing out are having
successful days. Several mainstay techniques will put fish in your
boat. Keep an eye out for sporadic surface schooling action at any
time of the day. Be ready if this opportunity presents itself by
having your favorite small to medium size topwater plug tied on a
rig with eight- to 10-pound test line. If you need more casting
distance to reach the fish, try an old fashioned tail spinner such
as the Little George. This lead bodied baitfish imitator casts a
mile and burning it back through active fish will often provoke
reaction strikes. For the deeper bite, set up for drop shotting. A
3/16th to 1/4th ounce weight is usually sufficient to maintain good
bottom contact. Above this, rig with a shorter finesse style worm
or small minnow imitating plastic bait. Target the main lake points
near creek mouths and submerged humps from 25 to 35 feet deep. Be
sure to thoroughly work any submerged brush you spot on sonar as
well as the edges of submerged timber in these same areas. If you
want to catch a lot of fish, try the drop shot rig with live spot
tail shiners. These can be caught near sandy beaches and are easily
attracted by chumming with bread crumbs or grits.
Striper fishing
has been excellent. Anglers are scoring near main lake points around
creek mouths especially from Browns Bridge down to Flowery Branch
and Six Mile Creek. The old channels in these areas have also been
productive. Rig up down rods with ounce and a half swivel sinkers
and six foot fluorocarbon leaders. Be sure to use a leader testing
several pounds lighter than the main line. A leader of 12-pound test
below a 17-pound main line is a good choice. Snags are unavoidable
and this will usually save the sinker. Pick a good circle hook and
size it to the bait you’re using. Depending on the manufacturer, a
1/0 size is typically a good choice. Bring along a supply of extra
hooks, sinkers, and leader material. Blueback herring is the bait of
choice. Make sure your bait is lively. An aerated large capacity
bait tank will pay for itself this time of year. Drop your baits
down to about 40 feet over bottom depths of 70 to 100 feet or so.
Some anglers are also scoring well by trolling ounce and a half
bucktail jigs behind eight colors of lead core line. Remember when
trolling you’ll have fewer snags by targeting the old channel areas.
Choosing right gear is a good
investment
In my business, it’s very common to meet people who
would love to pick up the sport of fishing but aren’t sure how to
get started when it comes to rods, reels, tackle, and lures. With
the wealth of tackle available today, it’s easy to make choices that
might not be effective for your angling situations.
In this month’s column, I’m going to focus on the
basics you’ll need to get the job done for multi-species angling.
While you might fish for bass most of the time, it’s really nice to
have the equipment and lures for a panfish or trout excursion as
well. You really don’t have to spend a fortune to pick up the things
you’ll need to have a lot of fun on the water. When getting started,
an investment in the right gear will save money in the long run.
When it comes to lures, I’m placing emphasis on a select few proven
killers. If you’re a seasoned angler, you should definitely stock
these in your tackle bag as well. A good analogy for rod and reel
combinations as well as lures would be a comparison to tools.
Certain tools are made for specialty tasks while others might
perform well in a wider range of situations. Keep in mind that not
one rod and reel will do everything. As a kid, I remember learning
that you don’t cast bass lures (for long anyway) on ultralight
tackle. Buy the best rod and reel combinations your budget will
allow. Good news is that quality has become readily affordable over
the last decade or so. One proven method is to select a series of
rods and reels you are confident in and buy different sizes within
the same family. This way you know what to expect every time you
pick one up to make a cast. Many anglers who make their living
fishing the pro circuit take this approach.
Three versatile combos
Three outfits should get nearly any freshwater angler
in the Southeast started out nicely. One of these should be an
ultralight action. In most cases this will equate to a spinning rod.
Typically, lengths range from four and a half to five and a half
feet. These are very adequate for handling four- and six-pound test
line. Longer ultralight rods up to seven feet or more are available
and provide some pretty interesting options. I actually use a
seven-foot model on small trout streams with no length issues
whatsoever. Pair your ultralight rod with a small reel that easily
handles four- to six-pound test. Avoid the super tiny reels. The
small spool cuts casting distance. A spinning reel comparable in
size to the Shimano 1000 series is the way to go. This will solve
the distance problem and the weight will balance out the whole
package much better. For outfit number two, go with another spinning
outfit. Choose a six and a half foot rod in a medium action. Pair
this with a somewhat larger spinning reel comparable in size to the
2500 series by Shimano. This becomes a tool to handle eight-pound
test line and is indispensible for fishing lightweight bass lures
such as grubs, slip shot rigs, tiny spinnerbaits, and small size
crankbaits. This combination represents the lighter end of bass
tackle but it’s spent a lot of time in my casting hand. The third
tool in your box should be another six and a half foot rod in a
medium heavy action. A seven-footer would not be a bad choice
either. This rod can be either spinning or baitcasting. If this one
is a spinning outfit, you’ll top out with 12-pound test line. Select
a model about the size of a Shimano 4000 series. At this point you
may not believe it but I do not own any Shimano reels or rods.
However they have a fine reputation and the sizing is a good
yardstick for comparison purposes. Opt for a baitcaster and you can
easily handle 14-, 17-, or 20-pound test line which can be handy if
you’re fishing in a stained water or heavy cover situation. When it
comes to baitcasting reels, size is not a huge issue. Any standard
spool model will work well on the rod. The key here is to play with
a few and pick one that feels good in your hand. By this I mean you
should ask an associate if you can mount it on a rod and check it
out. Display handles are great but nothing beats holding the real
thing in your hand. These days, most anglers opt for the low profile
models. Expect to spend about $80 for a good quality baitcast reel
(unless you find a hot sale price).
Favorites that produce
Whether picking up one of those three outfits to tie
on a lure or considering expansion to another combo or two, never
forget that the bait you’re fishing will often dictate the rod and
reel choice. For panfish and trout lures which typically weigh in at
1/8th ounce or less, the ultralight gear is the obvious answer. When
it comes to bass lures, finesse style plastics, crankbaits,
jerkbaits, and smaller topwater plugs will give you best performance
on the medium action spinning rod. If you’re tossing larger or deep
diving crankbaits, consider spooling up with 10-pound test versus
the eight-pound string. Many reels come with a spare spool which
makes this an easy switch on the water. When it comes to fishing
plastic jerkbaits, worms, jigs, large topwater plugs, and
spinnerbaits, the medium heavy action outfit will yield the best
results. Today’s array of lures and rigging supplies is nothing
short of mind boggling. It’s safe to say you’ll find many favorites
on your own along with word of mouth and information sources such as
fishing publications and the internet. If you would like a very
sound base that will put fish on the end of your line try the
following baits. For trout and panfish, small in line spinners are
hard to beat. Pick up a couple of Rooster Tails, Mepps, or Panther
Martin Spinners in the 1/16th ounce size. Pick something bright
along with something dark and you’ll be in business. Miniature
diving plugs such as the Bitsy Pond Minnow by Strike King are killer
lures as well. Crankbaits run the gamut of depths and actions but
I’m only going to focus on a couple. You should definitely have a
couple of Rapala Shad Raps in number five and seven sizes. You’ll
not go wrong with the natural shad color. This lure is legendary in
its effectiveness. These will cover the four- to six-foot depth
range and sport a tight swimming motion. For a wider wobble pick up
a couple of Bandit 200 series crankbaits. These will run about six
or seven feet below the surface. Also ask for a couple of minnow
shaped jerkbaits as well. The Long A and Rattlin’ Rouge are both
super choices. Opt for natural baitfish colors. I mentioned in line
spinners for trout and panfish. In larger sizes these are deadly on
bass. Grab a couple of 3/8th or 1/2 ounce sizes in chrome and white
combinations. To round out your wire baits ask for advice on buzz
bait and spinnerbait choices in the 3/8th ounce size. Plastic baits
are a world of their own. To keep things simple start out with a
green Zoom Trick Worm. This can be fished with or without weight.
For weight let’s forget the separate hook and sinker deal and pick
up a pack of lead heads designed for “shakey head” fishing. Three
sixteenths ounce is a good all around weight.
OK. We’re almost there in the lure category, I
promise. You’ll want four-inch Tripple Ripple grubs (pumpkin with
chartreuse tail) and 1/8th ounce lead heads along with white pearl
Zoom Super Flukes and 4/0 Daichii Copperhead hooks for rigging
these. If you’re going after striped bass, toss in a couple of white
half ounce bucktail jigs. Lastly, don’t forget to throw in a few
small and large topwater plugs in baitfish colors. The Heddon Tiny
Torpedo and Super Spook will get the job done when the fish want it
on top.
Don’t forget fresh line
There are many other excellent lure choices out there
and believe me I own quite a few of them. I’m sure to have more
before all is said and done. But, with this basic tool set you can
catch fish north to south from coast to coast. Line is often the
most neglected part of an angler’s fishing gear. If I’m walking the
fishing department on a busy day, I’ll almost always get two or
three situations like this: After assisting someone with the
exciting stuff, I’ll ask if they need line. When the customer tells
me that he or she already has some, I’ll ask how old it is. Last
year’s vintage or longer is often the answer. While line does hold
up under controlled temperature and light conditions, I don’t
recommend fishing with anything approaching a year in age. This is
especially important if you’re going on a fishing trip to that
destination you’ve been planning for a long time. Good line does not
cost much. I personally use Tourney Tough line. I like the way it
performs along with the price. When it comes to color I am convinced
that green is the way to go in any daylight situation. Fluorocarbon
is another option to traditional monofilament. It’s clear and close
to totally invisible in the water with many devoted fans. However
it does sink so it may not be the greatest choice for topwater lures
and its lesser degree of limpness can be a hindrance on smaller
spinning reels. Super line products bring on a new set of choices
altogether. As with lures, there are many great line choices so talk
with sales associates who get feedback from lots of customers along
with their own experiences.
Finally, a few accessories always come in handy.
You’re going to need a good storage system for your lures and
terminal tackle. While hard tackle boxes are very traditional, do
yourself a favor and grab a soft side modular type system. These
are very affordable and offer much greater versatility. You’ll want
a couple of accessories as well. The very basics are line clippers
for cutting and retying jobs along with needle nose pliers to make
easy work of challenging hook extractions.
In closing, you
can get by with less than what I’ve outlined here or invest in more
as you’re sure to do as the passion for fishing grows. Anyhow,
these are sound selections to get you started on the right path.
Take care and enjoy the lake!
Tommy
Wilkinson is assistant manager for Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in
Duluth. E-mail Tommy at
tommy@lakesidenews.com
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