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Lanier Fishing Report
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Lake level: Approximately 1062 or nine feet
below full pool.
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Surface Temp: Just over 50 degrees – several
degrees warmer than average for this time of year.
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Clarity: Normal. Clear in main lake areas with a
little color in the uppermost areas of tributaries.
Bass fishing has been good for numbers and
size. Anglers have been boating quite a few spotted bass over the
four-pound mark lately. At this time, you can take your pick and
fish deep or shallow. Shallow patterns equate to depths of three to
20 feet of water while the deep patterns are typically targeting
fish that are holding 35 feet or deeper. Yes, some fish are also
being caught between 20 and 35 feet deep. Just cast a bait out there
somewhere and it might get bit. Whether you’re fishing shallow or
deep, have one rod rigged with a finesse style worm rigged on a lead
head. Green pumpkin is always a fine color. When it comes to the
lead head, 3/16th ounce is a great all around choice. Anglers having
shallow success are targeting points and pockets in the creeks. The
most productive areas have cover such as brush or stumps and large
rock. And, don’t forget that boat docks are always good for
attracting fish. Aside from plastics, medium running crankbaits and
suspending jerkbaits have been yielding good action. Remember to
keep retrieves slow. On the deep end, Shakey Head Rigs, skirted jigs
with Fat Albert Twin Tail trailers, and lighter spoons have been
producing. At these depths, you’ll want to target submerged timber.
The edges of timber lines and isolated patches or large trees are
the most productive areas. Quality electronics, good scouting
skills, and a measure of patience are all necessary to pinpoint deep
water honey holes that consistently produce this time of year.
Striper fishing has also been good lately.
Linesides are being caught both up and down the lake. This is the
time of year to think about the upper portions of creeks and
pockets. Trolling lighter weight umbrella rigs armed with bucktail
jigs has been a productive tactic. This holds especially true if you
do not have any scoop on areas that are worth your time and effort.
Live bait has been a big producer lately. Smaller trout or herring
dropped to about 30 feet off points will get the right attention if
gamefish are present. When you’re getting well up into the creeks,
trail these baits on flat lines about a hundred feet behind the boat
and cast bucktail jigs with trailers or plastic fluke type baits
(with or without lead heads) all the way up to the bank.
It’s worth noting that the use of planer boards will
at least double the potential for baited lines in use and facilitate
getting baits closer to the bank where stripers cruise this time of
year.
Jump start your spring season
OK, I know that it’s still February, a lot of us have
not been fishing through the winter and we’re ready to go. Things
start to happen in late February and it’s time to map out your
spring time strategy. This month’s article will focus on a few
things you can do to be prepared and some of the patterns you’ll not
want to miss out on. If you’ve not devoted any time to tackle
maintenance since last fall (or longer) now is the time to take care
of business. Nearly everyone has a reel or two that isn’t working as
well as it should, but does not quite warrant discarding. As a
result, the reel gathers dust. This is a great time to take it to
your local tackle shop for repair. In my experience, tackle repair
facilities are slammed when nice spring weather breaks and it pays
to be ahead of the curve. Any shop you deal with should contact you
to provide a price quote before proceeding with repair. Most repairs
involve cleaning and a nominal fee is typically charged for this
service. Getting an older reel up to speed doesn’t cost much
compared to a new purchase.
On that subject, this month is a great time to
purchase that new reel as major retailers launch spring sale events.
One local retailer offers a fantastic trade in program that gives
you credit for older reels in working condition. The trade reels are
donated to the DNR and given to kids at fishing rodeos all over the
state. What’s not to like about that? If you’ve not replaced the
line on all your reels, go ahead and get it done. I am a big fan of
stripping half the line off reels and splicing in new product. This
saves money and that’s a good thing. But, it’s worth noting that
most bass fishing reels will serve double duty for stripers. Be sure
to strip all the line off these and replace with 100 percent new
product. As an ongoing practice, it’s safe to replace half the spool
but I recommend getting a fresh start every three months or so.
If your tackle storage system does not look like a
system, reorganization is the order of the day. Clean up, and get
rid of old stuff. Sell things you don’t use at your spring yard
sale or give items to kids who love to fish.
Get ready for crappie
After observing behavior in a tackle shop for 16
years, I can tell you that crappie fishermen are the first to wake
up for spring with good reason. This time of year, the crappie
section is often filled with customers selecting lead heads,
miniature plastic baits, and everything else it takes to reel in
these tasty panfish. Crappie fishing can get hot in the middle of
February and should be “on” by the end of the month. I’m referring
to the pre-spawn phase when these fish congregate in large
concentrations under boat docks. Savvy anglers target these schools
with tiny tube jigs. One and a half inch models are the most
popular. These are rigged on lead heads with typical weights of
1/32nd to 1/16th ounce. Use the lightest weight you can get away
with. A slow fall is the key to success. One way to up the weight
some and still achieve a slower fall is to rig two lighter baits in
tandem with one a foot to 18 inches ahead of another. The additional
plastic body provides some resistance and slows the overall rate of
descent. Tried and true colors include chartreuse sparkle,
black/chartreuse, rootbeer, and of course, blue/white. There’s
something about the blue body with white tail that crappie really
seem to like. This can be a hard color to find; it’s often sold out.
Again, it pays to get your shopping done before it’s time to go
fishing. Ultralight rod and reel combinations are the order of the
day when hitting the boat docks for crappie. Four- to six-pound test
line pairs well on these rigs. It’s worth noting that you will get a
slightly slower fall on six-pound test line which has a greater
diameter than four-pound test. Cast your Crappie tubes around docks
up in the creeks. Get your bait as close to the dock as possible and
keep a tight line on the fall. This is when most strikes occur.
These fish will lock in at certain depths. Once the strike zone is
established, you can quickly rule out docks that don’t have enough
water under them. I’ve heard tales of anglers having great success
with side imaging depth finders cruising dock fronts with the
electric motor and only stopping at the ones where schools of
crappie are spotted.
Feed them a McStick
For the most part, February is still a deep water
game for the bass fisherman. Drop shotting, dragging jigs, and
jigging spoons are all go to methods and certainly produce a large
share of the action. However, things can begin to quicken in the
latter half of the month. February weather is often fickle and an
arctic blast is certainly not out of the question. February weather
can also be mild with pleasant and sunny afternoons. If the weather
has been stable and mild, think about jerk baits. These can be very
effective when presented in a methodical manner points with an
abundance of rock or wood cover. Of course, I’m referring to
suspending jerkbaits. The water is still cold and these neutral
buoyancy lures resemble sluggish baitfish and neither sink nor float
upward when paused during a retrieve. The McStick by Spro has
gained a great reputation in these parts as a highly effective cold
water jerk bait. You’ll find other models by Smithwitk, Rapala, and
Lucky Craft. The latter company produces the Stay-See which is a
super choice. Be sure to fish these with frequent and long pauses
during the retrieve. In Missouri where cold water jerk bait fishing
has evolved into an art form, pauses of up to a full minute are not
unheard of. Into March, focus more and more attention to points in
the creeks. When the willow trees green up, you’ll find pre-spawn
bass staging under boat docks. They can be caught by a variety of
methods. They often suspend so it’s important to experiment with
different depths until you establish a pattern. If you want to have
some real fun this spring, take a week of vacation just before the
full moon in April. It falls on the 21st this year. Barring a major
cold front, bass will be invading their spawning areas in huge
numbers all over the lake. The target depth is three to eight feet.
Cover as much water as possible and you should have some memorable
days and a sore thumb from lip landing lots of fish. Small plastic
baits and in line spinners are both good to bring in big numbers.
Medium action spinning tackle paired with eight-pound test line is a
good presentation tool. This is a great time to get family members
or friends hooked on fishing.
Stripers on the fly
No article on early spring fishing in our lake would
be complete without a paragraph on striped bass. These gamefish are
actually predators of the sea that became landlocked sometime in the
’50s era. They thrived in South Carolina impoundments where this
occurred and with time were stocked in many reservoirs across the
U.S. They were initially cut off from salt water during spawning
runs up freshwater rivers. Our population of linesides still tries
to make the annual spawning run. The difference is that in our
reservoir, they migrate up into the creeks and upper river systems.
This usually begins in early March. You’ve already guessed that this
is a great time to be on the water. The false spawn is a phenomenon
that takes place all over the lake. Drifting live bait and casting
artificials are both keys to success.
At this time of the year, fish will venture far up
into tributaries. Lively blue back herring will draw a lot of
strikes. Rig these on flat lines trailed 50 to 100 feet behind the
boat depending on shoreline contours. The use of planer boards will
help to get baits close in to the shoreline. Stripers often prowl
close in at this time of the year. While letting live baits work
their magic, you should be casting toward the shoreline. Lures of
choice include soft plastic fluke type baits. The Super Fluke by
Zoom is always a great choice in the white pearl or albino color.
Bucktail jigs weighing in at 3/8th ounce or lighter tipped with soft
plastic trailers are also staple choices for casting success at this
time of year. By the way, if you’ve always wanted to tangle with a
striped bass using a fly rod, this is a great time to give it a
try. Choose a rod designed to handle a seven or eight weight line.
The reel should have the capacity to store at least 100 yards of
backing. A weight forward floating line works fine with a seven to
eight foot leader. Tie on a weighted streamer that resembles a small
shad or herring. During low water periods (key for the backcast), I
have actually walked the banks at dawn near boat ramps and caught
stripers on my fly rod. Give it a shot. It’s great fun.
In closing, we’ve all got the itch. It’s time to get
ready and get out there. Until next month, be safe out there and
enjoy the lake!
Tommy Wilkinson is a veteran of the fishing industry
and resides in Jefferson, GA.
Email:
thwilkinson6@gmail.com
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