Lake Lanier Fishing Report – August 2023

Lanier: Level: 1.8 below 1071. Temp: 83 degrees. Clarity: S.

Bass: Jimbo from Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service reports, “While the fishing generally gets tougher in August on Lake Lanier, there are ways to ensure continued success. Let’s review the locations, techniques and lures to keep you catching fish during the heat of the summer. Understand the primary concern of both gamefish and baitfish are oxygen and food source, in that order. The fishing traditionally changes in August because the baitfish, particularly the blueback herring, change in response to the conditions. They often go deeper in search of better oxygen content in the water. The depth at which this key oxygen content is maintained is called a thermocline. In August, I normally like to target sharp breaks and deeper water on main-lake features, such as ledges or sharper breaks on the ends of points and sides of humps and islands. Often in August, we would work depths of 25 to 45 feet of water, anticipating the thermocline to establish in the 25- to 30-foot range, historically speaking. However, even though there are fish in the deeper zones, there are also still fish located shallow all around the lake. You can find these shallow fish not only on the main lake but also in the backs of pockets and creeks.  These shallower locations are great areas to target during the early morning time frame. Later in the day, the normal areas with brush are still holding fish, and there are fish starting to move deeper and relate to the timber. When fishing deeper, target timber edges in 35 to 45 feet of water near the same key features upon which you find the brush. In general, if one type of area is not producing, don’t hesitate to try another location or another depth. Stay flexible and versatile and move around until you find active fish. Running and gunning several different types of places can be the key to success during this time of year. Often many areas will not produce, but if you stay on the move and remain versatile in types of location and bait selection, you can and will find active fish. Now, let’s examine some techniques that can be used to catch fish in August. The topwater bite over the brush can be good still in August, but again it can be nonexistent if the weather is extremely hot consistently. The fish will let you know if the topwater bite is working. Try using some smaller topwater baits, like the Super Spook Jr., which best mimics the smaller baitfish the spots are often chasing during the hot weather months. The swimbait adds another dimension to your game. Work swimbaits fast on the surface or let them sink and work them directly over the brush. Experiment with both the mechanical and soft models at different depths and retrieve speeds to determine which is working best on any given day. I like the Hard Swimmer from Lanier Baits in this category. A weighted Jerk Shad from Lanier Baits can be a good option to cast over the brush, as well. The Georgia Blade Underspin is an excellent producer on Lanier, and August is no different. Fish the bait over and around brush and deeper cover. Vary your retrieve speed, method, depth and trailer type until you hit on the right combination for that day. The Georgia Blade Flutter Spoon can be a good choice to target bigger fish during the summer months. Swim the Flutter Spoons with a rip, pause, rip presentation or fast reel the spoon off the bottom for six to eight cranks, allow it to fall back to the bottom, then repeat back to the boat. The strikes will almost always come on the fall. Fish this bait with no less than 20-lb. Seaguar Fluorocarbon line to help you retrieve the bait on hang-ups that will occur. A drop shot is a great tool when the fishing gets tough. This presentation can be made vertically into cover or it can be cast toward the feature and slowly retrieved. I prefer the Lanier Baits drop-shot worms in passion, obsession and candy. Light line is a must. I prefer a 12-foot leader of 6- to 8-lb. test Seaguar Fluorocarbon Invisx coupled with a main line of Seaguar Smackdown in 15- or 20-lb. braid. Light line helps provide a more natural presentation. I also like to experiment with tag length. I will sometimes use up to a 5-foot tag end on my drop shot, depending on the position of the fish and the feature I am targeting. The Georgia Jig is a bait that is apt to work through the entire summer, as well as into the fall and winter.  August is no time to forget the jig. I prefer Georgia Jigs, often in a brown and orange combo or in a pb&j color pattern. Work jigs on points and humps, around brush, as well as steep rock. If the jig is not working, don’t forget to try a Georgia Blade shaky head tipped with a finesse or Trick Worm or a Yamamoto Senko as a back-up. Wouldn’t it be great to have the most current fishing information provided to you weekly in a detailed format including lures and locations? If you think so, check out Jimbo’s Weekly Video Fishing Reports, now with Daily Video Updates. Stay on top of what’s working best on Lanier each week, right here: https://jimboonlanier.com/jimbos-weekly-video-fishing-reports.”

Stripers: Capt. Clay Cunningham, of Catching Not Fishing Lake Lanier Fishing Guides, reports, “After a hot July, hopefully August is a little cooler. The water temperature is in the mid 80s, and the water is clear. The size of fish showing up is even better than last year. The best fishing is on the south end of the lake due to the deeper, colder water, which means higher oxygen levels for the stripers. Look in the creek channels near patches of timber. The thicker the timber, the better the odds the stripers will be there. As mentioned, the primary pattern is the downline. The primary setup for the downline is a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II 15 Linecounter reel spooled with 15-lb. Trilene Big Game line, the Captain Mack’s 2-oz. Swivel Sinker, a 6-foot section of Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Add a live herring to the hook and you are good to go. Take plenty of herring, as they will not live long on the hook. Great electronics like the Humminbird Solix are the keys for success right now. Also keep a spinning rod like a Penn 7-6 medium-light Battalion rod paired with a Penn Fierce Live Liner reel with 12-lb. Trilene Big Game with the same Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hook ready at all times to pitch it away from the boat and let it sink. On the dead calm or cloudy days, this pitching technique will out-catch the standard downline. The trolling bite is also picking up. Talk to your local tackle store like Hammonds or Oakwood Bait and Tackle for the specific rod and reel needed. Look for a Penn Fathom reel paired with a Shakespeare Tiger rod. Once you are setup, tie up one rod with a Ben Parker spoon, one with a Georgia Blade Spoon and one with a 1- to 2-oz. white Berkley Fusion bucktail and troll at 2.8 mph. Tip the Berkley Fusion bucktail with a 6-inch Captain Mack’s chartreuse trailer. Let the first couple bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. Also keep white Captain Mack’s pink trailers and all 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.”

Crappie: Capt. Josh Thornton reports, “Target shaded areas, structures like brushpiles or fallen trees and areas with good water circulation to increase your chances of catching crappie. Use live small minnows or small jigs for best results. Try fishing during early morning or late evening when the temperature is slightly cooler. Crappie are moving deeper. This week’s catch mostly came from 20-plus foot deep over a 25- to 40-foot-deep bottom. Look for docks near a channel. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is ACC Crappie Stix one-piece rod and reel with a 6-lb. test  K9 line, along with Garmin LiveScope and Power-Pole. For more information and tips, please visit my websites www.crappieonlanier.com and www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org and like my pages!”

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