Lake Lanier Fishing Report – February 2022

Lanier: Level: 0.3 feet below 1071. Temp: 45-50 degrees. Clarity: The main lake is clear and becoming slightly stained as you venture toward the backs of the creeks.

Bass: Jimbo, from Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service, reports, “The early prespawn on Lake Lanier can be a fantastic time to catch a huge spotted or largemouth bass. The fish have been lethargic due to the colder water, and biologically they are triggered to begin feeding in preparation for the arduous spawning process that will soon follow. Typically, the largemouth females emerge from the deeper water first. What triggers this move to shallower water? Where will these big fish emerge? How do you catch them? These are all excellent questions, the answers to which we will explore in detail within this month’s article. The biggest factor in the bass beginning their trek shallower is the steady lengthening of daylight we experience as the calendar progresses forward. The longer days are nature’s signal to the bass that it is time to start focusing on the reproduction cycle. This integral need will also trigger a feeding urge. Ideally, from a weather standpoint, look for a three- to four-day period of stable weather accompanied by a warming trend. The trend upward in temperature does not have to be huge. Just a degree or two in surface temperature can make the difference and trigger the fish to move shallower and begin feeding. Not all the fish will move at once, but the shallow feeding waves may contain some giants. Fish travel much like we do—on ‘highways.’ Fish highways include areas like the main river channel, creek channels and creek-arm ditches within or near those channels. The bait and fish move methodically along these paths and look for cover to which they can relate for food, protection and often in the case of the bass, ambush opportunity. Understand that fish are not going to randomly appear. They travel these ‘highways’ as we have discussed and seek likely stopping points along the way. As I pursue the ditches and channels within the creek near areas that I have been catching fish, I look for likely stopping points; a secondary point with deep water close by, for example. Other viable locations include deep pockets with a small flat or ledge near the point of entry, small bays or ‘guts’ that receive all day sun and are located right next to the creek or river channel. Boat docks located over or near a channel bend or creek channel ditch in deeper water can be excellent choices, too, particularly if the area in which the dock is located receives all-day sun. Also, focus on pockets that are protected from a northern wind with southern sunlight exposure. The main body of water can also be an excellent location to target early prespawn bass. When fishing the main lake during the early prespawn period, I like to focus on points and humps that are near the main river channel and offer sharp contour breaks and therefore ease of access to feeding flats or ledges within these areas from deep water. Obviously, cover in these areas will provide an ambush spot for these prespawn monsters, so a well-placed brushpile can improve your results. Now that we have explored the timing and areas of pursuit of early prespawn bass, let’s examine some possible lure choices and techniques to catch these fish. In selecting and working a lure, remember that the water temperatures are still traditionally cold during the early prespawn period, and therefore the fish’s metabolism is reduced. The fish will move slower and so should your lure presentation. As far as lure colors, I tend to stick with natural colors in the spring as I do all year long. Green, brown and white are generally found somewhere in the lures I am utilizing in the spring. If you are not getting bit, switch colors or lure type. One of my favorite early spring lures are jerkbaits. These lures mimic expiring baitfish and represent an easy meal for lethargic bass. I prefer a deeper-diving model such as the Berkley Stunna in early spring. Work these lures in the areas mentioned above with a very slow cadence. Offer small twitches or short pulls of the jerkbait followed by LONG pauses. Vary your cadence until you find the right combination; let the fish tell you the way they want it and stick with that retrieve. The Georgia Blade Shad Spin can be a very productive lure in the early prespawn period, as well as throughout the spawn and into postspawn. Work the lure by slow-rolling the bait in the likely areas we have discussed. In most cases, maintaining contact with the bottom is important. I prefer a boot-tail trailer this time of year. It imparts more vibration in the lure and allows you to work the lure more slowly. Rapala Shad Raps are great choices in the early spring. If the fish are not shallow on the flats and I am unable to get bites with the shallow-running models, I will switch to a medium-depth crankbait, such as one of the Berkley Flicker Shad medium divers. If this fails, I will probe the deeper depths on the ends of flats, points and humps with a deep runner, such as a Berkley Dredger. Work these baits slowly and attempt to deflect the bait off of cover or the bottom as much as possible. Also, this is one area that I will venture into different color patterns in the crawfish pattern arena. Red-colored baits along with other crayfish-like color patterns can be productive. When all else fails and when the fish are bottom-locked, do not ignore the shaky head/Berkley Hit Worm combo, as well as the Georgia Jig. Drag these baits in likely areas very slowly, imparting periods of motionlessness on the bait. Often bites will occur this time of year when you are simply allowing the bait to remain still following a slow drag or slight hop. Early prespawn is a great time of year to fish. Often, this is the time when you are most likely to catch the biggest bass of your life! Get out there and fish. See you on the water.”

Stripers: Capt. Clay Cunningham reports, “Striper fishing this winter has been better than average except for a few bad weather days. Hoping the same for February. The lower two-thirds of the lake have been very clear and the upper third a slight stain. We need some sun to warm the water for the bait to make a shift shallow. Most of the bait has continued to be 50 to 80 feet deep. There have been a few fish shallow but not big numbers. Live bait has continued to be the best pattern over the deep bait. As the bait continues to condense in the creeks, this pattern will not change much except that they will progressively move shallower as spring gets closer and closer. Herring have been the best bait all winter. Keep as many Shakespeare Striper Rods rigged as possible with Penn Fathom Linecounter reels spooled with 15-lb. Trilene Big Game. Rig several of these striper rods with downlines. The downline is more or less a Carolina rig for live bait. Tie on a 2-oz. Captain Mack’s Swivel Sinker, a 4-foot leader of Trilene 100% 12-lb. fluorocarbon and a size 1 Gamakatsu octopus hook for the herring. These hooks are tiny but incredibly strong. Great electronics like the Humminbird Solix will greatly increase your success, as well. You should be able to see your bait almost hit the fish on the head with the electronics. Also, the Down Imaging of the Solix allows you to see into the bait with more detail. Many times you will see fish with Down Imaging that is hard to see with old-school 2D. If you want to use artificials, the Captain Mack’s 3/8-oz. and 1/4-oz. Berkley Underspin will come into play in February. In clear water, go with the white bucktail and the chartreuse in stained water. Rig up a Penn Conflict 3000 with 10-lb. Trilene Big Game on a 7-foot medium Penn rod and you are ready for battle. If you prefer a baitcaster, match up an Abu Garcia Revo with an Abu Garcia Veritas 7-foot medium casting rod. Do not use heavier than 10-lb. line. Heavier line will decrease your casting distance. This pattern will be best once the bait moves to the backs of the creeks. Right now, the key ingredient is the bait. If the bait is thick, the stripers will be there. Also of note, February is the big fish month of the year as the females begin to feel the urge of the spring spawn. The metabolism of the big females will increase, and they will be looking for a meal. Some big fish may show up this February if the weather falls into place. A few big fish have already shown up this winter. The stripers are rebounding from the parasite that hurt the big fish a few years ago. Be prepared and don’t say the big one got away.”

Stripers: Capt. Ron Mullins, of The Striper Experience, reports, “Our winter fishing is starting to come around as we dip into the 40s. The key this month will be finding large concentrations of bait in 40 to 80 feet of water from two-thirds of the way back to all the way in the backs of the major feeder creeks coming in on the north end of the lake primarily. Don’t overlook the southern creeks as they receive less fishing pressure. Downlines baited with herring, small trout or small gizzard shad will be the most consistent technique going through February. The stripers will be concentrating on these large schools of bait that are deep in the water column. Make sure that you also put out a Captain Mack’s Mini Mack in your downline spread 25 to 35 feet down for that bonus fish feeding up in the water column. When you find a large school of fish with your Humminbird Solix or Helix and Spot-Lock on top of them with your Minn Kota trolling motor, make sure that you have a Captain Mack’s Super Spoon in 3/4- or 1-oz. white/silver flash, white/ chartreuse flash, white glitter or chrome/silver flash tied on so that you can drop to the bottom and mimic some of the dying bait that will be happening as the lake cools into the low to mid 40s. Later in the afternoon you do have a good shot at catching fish on sunny, rocky points or stretches of bank that will warm up a few degrees as the day goes on. Bait will be seeking this slightly warmer water and the stripers will follow them up there to feed. These fish will be better targeted with a larger, 8- to 12-inch trout or shad pulled up in 5 to 10 feet of water with a Captain Mack’s Perfect Planer board. February can be dangerous with the cold conditions, so especially if you’re fishing solo, put on that life jacket. If you place Christ first in your life then all else can only follow in the right path.”

Crappie: Capt. Josh Thornton reports, “Try smaller, lighter jigs with little to no action. Color will depend on water clarity. Use dark colors for muddy and stained water and light colors for clear water. Try several color combinations until you find one that works for you. The bite is slow and soft, so keep a close eye on your line. You may see the line swimming away before the rod bends over. Crappie minnows work great year-round. Try a freelined minnow (no sinker) when the crappie are schooling near the top. I am setting minnows 10 to 12 feet over brush. Look for covered docks that have brush under or nearby. A good depth range would be in 20 to 30 feet of water and near a main channel. Use your electronics to locate structure or brushpiles. Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows. When dock shooting, the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. I’m using Skippers Jig Moon Jigs. Use the promo code ‘heroes’ when ordering. I’m using ATX Lure Company plastics. I use 5-lb. test high-visibility yellow braid for my line (unless I am using a bobber) and a Piscifun reel on an ACC Crappie Stix. I use Garmin LiveScope and the Navionics Boating app. Find me on Facebook and like my pages @crappieonlanier and @fishingwitheverydayheroes.”

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