Lake Lanier Fishing Report December 2012

Lanier: Level: 13 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 50s. Clarity: Clear.

Largemouths: Good. Tournament angler Billy Boothe reports, “I’m catching a few shallow, but the mid-depth and deep bite has been very good. With the cold weather and increased number of people targeting largemouths, deeper is the best way to go right now. The crankbait bite is only producing a handful of bites a day, but I’m catching some very big fish doing it. Look for isolated stumps and bigger rocks in the 14- to 22-foot range. If the rock and stumps have a sharp break near them, there’s going to be a fish holding there; it’s just a matter of getting them to bite. I’m throwing an American Shad Mann’s 20-plus weighted with suspend dots on 10-lb. Spider Wire fluorocarbon. What’s worked the best for me is burning the bait until it hits the stump and then deflecting it off and then letting it suspend. If I hit a stump multiple times and don’t get bit, I’ve been able to pick up a few fish on a green-pumpkin Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper rigged on a 1/4-oz. jig head. The jig bite has really started to pick up and should be really strong as the month goes on. It’s hard to beat a 3/8-oz. brown Mann’s stone jig with a twin-tail grub. The head on the stone jig comes through rock great and will stand up when you hop it. Fish the jig on deep docks and down creek-channel ledges for the best results.

Spotted Bass: Tournament angler Ryan Coleman reports, “Very Good. The water is good and clear, even though it is still turning over a little in some of the creeks. There are a few different bites going on, and all of them are working. I have been having some great days all throughout November working a 3/8-oz. brown or green living-rubber jig with a twin-tail trailer around the natural timber in 35 to 55 feet of water. I am working this bait on baitcasting gear and 12-lb. fluorocarbon line. Also, work a Zoom Finesse worm on a 3/16-oz. SpotSticker jig head around this timber if you can not get them to eat a jig. The fish that move out to the timber usually stay there, so just offer them a little different bait if you can’t get bit. On windy days, you can work a jerkbait, like a Megabass, Spro or Pointer on main-lake rocky points for some nice catches. I can get a few on this technique early if there is no wind, but during the day I have needed wind to get them to commit. As the sun comes out, some of the fish are moving up shallow and can be caught in the backs of the creeks on the last few docks in the back. I have been skipping a 5-inch Yamamoto skirted Hula grub under and around the docks on spinning gear with 8-lb. fluorocarbon line. I am also working a finesse worm rigged on a 3/16-oz. SpotSticker football head. As we get into December, the crankbait bite should pick up on big, steep, main-lake points. Working DT10 style crankbaits on the deep rock is great when the water gets closer to 50 degrees.”

Stripers: Guide Mike Maddalena reports, “Striper fishing is good. The fish are chasing bait in the creeks, and you can find them in the creek channels over a 70-foot bottom and up on long, tapering points in less than 10 feet of water. The seagulls are here in force, and they are a welcome tool in locating stripers. This is the time of year when you need your electronics to find those deep fish, and you need someone to keep their eyes on the water searching for surfacing fish and working gulls. Trout and herring are both working, and you can catch some quality fish with smaller baits. However, if you want to go for a larger fish, it is hard to beat pulling large gizzard shad from mid creek to all the way back. Keep a 3/8- or 1/2-oz. bucktail jig tied on, and throw it at any fish you see rolling on threadfin shad. The hottest areas continue to be the south end of the lake, including Six Mile Creek, Shoal Creek, Flowery Branch and Flat Creek. Pulling herring and trout on freelines and planner boards is your best technique. Set your freelines from 50 to 100 feet back, and use split-shots to vary your depth. Drop a down rod over the side while you are pulling baits, and adjust depth based on the bottom and the trees.”