Lake Lanier Fishing Report – August 2024

Lanier: Level: 0.7 feet below 1071. Temp: Low to mid 80s. Clarity: Clear conditions from the south end up through the middle of the lake.

Bass: Guide Jimbo Mathley, with 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 utilize to keep you catching fish during the heat of the summer. Understand that the primary concern of both gamefish and baitfish are oxygen and food, 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 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, as well. These shallower locations are great areas to target during the early morning time frame. Later in the day, 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 Lanier Baits Hard Swimmer in this category. A weighted Lanier Baits Jerk Shad 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 them 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 InvizX fluorocarbon coupled with a main line of Seaguar Smackdown 15- to 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 a brown and orange combo or 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 Shakey Head tipped with a finesse or Trick Worm.”

Stripers: Capt. Ron Mullins, with The Striper Experience, reports, “Water temps have reached their normal summer temps and the lake is definitely setting up a thermocline at the 35- to 50-foot mark. Most of the stripers have pushed down the lake and are in their normal summertime haunts. South end creek channels, like Big, Shoal, Two, Four, Six Mile and Bald Ridge, all have fish in them. In early August, there will still be some fish in main-lake pockets in 50 to 70 feet of water first thing in the morning. As the sun gets up, they will move out to the creek channels and the river channel in 90 to 120 feet of water. The best bet for catching these fish is a downline 30 to 80 feet down, over and in these fish. Make sure you have lively bait on the hook at all times. The herring are finicky this time of year, so give them plenty of leader to swim on. We will be using 8 to 10 feet of 10-lb. fluorocarbon leader and a No. 1 octopus or No. 2 octopus circle hook this month and changing baits out every five to seven minutes, as well.  You will go through lots of herring this time of year if you keep the best bait possible down there. One tip to keep your herring lively is to cool the bait water down that you get from the bait shops. We use juice bottles that are filled with water and then frozen. These blocks last longer and chill the water down better and also do not contaminate the water with chlorine that bags of ice often have since they are typically made from city water. The power-reeling bite will also get better and better this month. A Captain Mack’s Boss Hawg Spoon in nickel/silver or a 2-oz. Captain Mack’s Super Jig or Chipmunk Jig with a 6-inch u-tail trailer or one of your dead herring will be the best choices for power reeling. Drop your lure down through the school and start cranking it back up through the school. This technique is a great way to keep a school of fish fired up under your boat. Be sure to hang on as they try to rip the rod out of your hands. The lead core and downrigger bite has been hot this summer, as well. Run your lead core rods eight to nine colors out with a 1.5- or 2-oz. white/white or chartreuse/chartreuse Super Spin Shad, available at Oakwood Bait & Tackle and Hammond’s, at 2.8 to 3.2 mph to get your baits down close to the 30-foot range. Run these lures, or a Captain Mack’s Jr. Hawg spoon in white/silver, 60 to 75 feet behind your downrigger ball that is dropped down 23 to 29 feet, so that your lure will run 27 to 33 feet down at the same speeds. As we go through life, we might be in positions of power, but know that we really do not have control or power over ourselves. Our downfall begins when we focus on our desires and not God’s desires for us. We are tempted to hide our sins in the dark, but forgiveness will only happen in the light when we confess them. King David was arguably one of the greatest leaders ever in this world, and he committed adultery and murder.  When Nathan calls him out, he is horrified and brings it to light. Psalms 51:1-4 is David writing about how sorry he is for his sins. When we bring our shortcomings to God for forgiveness, we become new. ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!’ 2 Cor 5:17.”

Capt. Clay Cunningham, of Catching Not Fishing Lake Lanier Fishing Guides, reports, “The summer heat has arrived full force here on Lake Lanier. The average size of fish has made a huge leap from last year. The best fishing has been on the south end of the lake due to deeper colder water. The south end will continue to be best into August. 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 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. The trolling bite is also picking up on the south end of the lake. Talk to Hammond’s or Oakwood Bait & Tackle for the specific rod and reel needed. Look for a Penn Fathom 30 reel paired with a Shakespeare Tiger rod. Once you are setup, tie up one rod 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 of bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. So far this summer, the 1-oz. Fusion bucktail has been hot. Typically as we roll into August, the 2-oz. Fusion bucktail will become the best bait as it gets just a little deeper. 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, “Crappie are in the dog days of a summer pattern. Although they are tight-lipped, with some patience you can still get them. You can find crappie suspended around 14 to 18 feet deep over a 30- to 40-foot bottom using live crappie minnows. Just be patient. The color combination I am using is green and dark green (ATX Lure Co., D2D color), and I like a slow retrieval. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is an ACC Crappie Stix one-piece rod and reel with 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.”

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