Lake Lanier Fishing Report – January 2006

Lanier: Level: 1.7 feet below full pool. Temps: 50 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: There’s been an excellent bite for big spotted bass. “The water temps stabilized around 50 degrees, and a lot of fish moved shallow,” said guide and tournament angler Ryan Coleman. “Fishing jigs around steep rock banks and under deep docks on those steep banks has been excellent for numbers and for the big spots,” he said. Ryan recommends a 5/16-oz. brown Booyah Boo Bug jig tipped with a four-inch YUM twin-tail trailer. “I am fishing this bait on a six-foot to six-foot, six-inch medium-action St Croix spinning rod with 8-lb. Silver Thread fluorocarbon line. I can’t stress how important it is to use a premium fluorocarbon line. You need to feel the subtle bites to catch these fish. Work the bait very slow on the steep banks with a hopping motion. Be ready for some big spots. As long as the water temps hold and we don’t get any major cold fronts, these fish will stay shallow,” he said. Also, a good jigging-spoon bite has set up, with bass being caught just above the timberlines. “Get on the timber edges, work the spoon just over the timber line, and keep an eye out on your Lowrance. The fish will come out of the timber and hammer your spoon. Once the January fronts start to come, move out deeper on the bluffs and creek channels in 30 to 40 feet with the jig. You may need to go to a heavier jig, but stick with it for the bigger fish.”

Stripers: Good for numbers, and most of the best catches are coming deep. Downlines fished 30- to 40-feet deep have been producing, and trout seems to be the most productive live bait for Lanier stripers lately. There have been reports of good concentrations of stripers in Gainesville Creek, and also in Ada, Two Mile and Sardis. Umbrella rigs are also catching these deep stripers. See the article on page 60.