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Spotted bass fishing is slow but there are a few deep fish willing to bite. It will take a dedicated angler that can fish deep to get bites. The fish are not in schools except in the backs of the creek and they are all spots. With deep fish, sonar is the key and with the new Lowrance Structure Scan Down Scan, we can we the spots on the bottom. Find the schools with bait close by and the fish are there. Look in any creek at 30 feet and deeper and the fish will take spoons, shakey head rigs can all work just fish slowly. Stick with winter baits including spoons in a variety of colors and sizes and sand, natural blue and cinnamon worms and a green pig and jig or creepy crawlers. The recent rains may bring the water temperatures up a little but we need a lot of sunlight. The big spots ready to feed but for now they are all on a three day pattern. Try the deeper main lake points with the Shad Head Spin and add a small all white Fluke as a trailer. Fish this bait like a worm and drag it across the bottom with 10 pound Sufix braid. There are not many anglers up north with the cold waters. There are some bigger fish coming off the bottom at depths of 40 to 50 feet. Get on a point, pull out to the drop shot and the spoon and the fish are there. A dark brown 3/8 ounce jig with a pork trailer is a great big fish winter bait. Fish the jig dead on the bottom and any mushy feeling deserves a hook set. Next week, slow roll a 3/8 ounce spinnerbait in the white/chart combination in the same areas and don't forget or overlook any boat docks that might be close by. Nose into the wind and work both baits on the points until the area has been covered thoroughly. Any wood on the sides or close to these areas needs a good application of a jig in dark brown or black and blue. These bites will be subtle or in some cases these spots are slamming it hard. Take along a good dip net just in case.
This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service, 404-561-2564. www.bigfishonguide.com
We had a great time at the boat show. If you could not make the show this year we hope to see you next year. We are back on Lanier and catching stripers. The lake is at full pool and the fishing is good. The water temperature in the north end creeks are in the low 40's and stained. Most of the stripers have moved out of the northern creeks but will move back into the creeks with the warm weather. The back of the creeks will warm up first and the bait and the fish will move in almost overnight. The mid lake creeks water temperatures are in the middle to high 40's and have been the best producers this week. Flat Creek, Balus Creek and Six Mile Creek are holding fish. Trout, herring and shiners on down rods at 25 to 35 feet and umbrella rigs are all working. Casting Captains Mack's buck tail jigs are working and will only improve as the temperature warms the water and the stripers get more aggressive. Free lined herring and small baits are also working in the early morning. Early morning and late afternoon have been the most productive times. When the sun is high be sure to weight your free lines. The new Lowrance Structure Scan is a very helpful tool for finding the fish and bait. If you haven't had a chance to see the Lowrance LSS-1 Structure Scan/Down Scan technology in action, you need to.
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