Lake Lanier Fishing Report – August 2018

Lanier: Level: 1 foot above full pool. Temp: Mid to upper 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Spotted Bass: Guide Ryan Coleman reports, “Fishing has been about what you would think. There are some feeding periods going on during the day, and if you hit them, you can catch some nice fish. They are not on a constant feed all day, not even with live bait. The surface temps blew up in late June, which really hurt the topwater bite. There are a few coming up, but they are quickly going back to the bottom. I have pretty much given up on topwater late this month and pretty much concentrated on mid-depth baits and bottom baits. My best bait for late July has been the jig. Always the jig. I have been working points and humps in 22 to 30 feet of water with a 3/8-oz. SpotSticker casting jig in green pumpkin craw or spot c ducer colors with a cinnamon black, 5-inch twin-tail trailer. This has been my go-to bait the past few weeks. Yes, you can drop down on them with a drop shot, but the jig has produced more bites and bigger fish for me. I’m casting in and around the man-made brushpiles and natural structure on offshore places with 12-lb. fluorocarbon line. I have also been casting a 7/16-oz. underspin in albino or Arkansas shiner over the brush and catching some nice fish, as well. I usually can only get one or two bites on a place, but that is pretty good for Lanier in July. This has been pretty consistent for me all summer. As August rolls in, look for the drop shot and jig to be your best bets. It’s hard to believe the surface temps can get any warmer, but August is usually our peek water temps. It’s going to be a grind, so bare down and good luck.”

Stripers: Guide Clay Cunningham reports, “The summer heat has arrived on Lanier, and the downline bite has arrived with it. Finally, the rain has let up. So far this summer the bite has been more inconsistent than normal. Some days the bite has been great, and some days the fish have been skittish and hard to get to bite. The best fishing is on the south end of the lake due to deeper colder water, which means higher oxygen levels for the stripers. The schools are getting larger and larger. Look in the creek channels near patches of timber. As mentioned, the primary pattern is the downline. The primary setup for the downline is a Shakespeare Striper Rod spooled with 15-lb. Trilene Big Game line, the Capt. Mack 2-oz. swivel sinker, a 6-foot section of Trilene 100 percent Flourocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu octopus hook. If the baits are large, go to a 2/0 Gamakatsu octopus hook. The trolling bite is also picking up. Talk to your local tackle store for the specific rod and reel needed. Once you are set up, tie up one rod with a Ben Parker spoon and one with a 1- to 2-oz. white Spro Prime Bucktail and troll at 2.8 mph. Tip the Spro bucktail with a 6-inch Capt. Mack chartreuse trailer. Let the first couple of bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. Also, keep white Capt. Mack trailers and all sized bucktail sizes on hand. Be sure to release fish fast as possible. Every second out of the water in the hot summer months increases mortality. If you are taking pictures, have everything ready for a quick release. See you on the water.”