Lake Lanier Fishing Report March 2011

Lanier: Level: 0.8 feet below full pool. Temp: High 40s. Clarity: Clear.

Spotted Bass: Good. “The water temps are getting up there, and some very big spotted bass are up shallow,” said Ryan Coleman. “We have been catching some huge spotted bass over the last few weeks of February, and it should continue into March. Our best baits right now are hard jerkbaits worked in pockets. I am working a Pointer or Mega Bass Vision 110 very slowly on 10-lb. fluorocarbon line in pockets all over the lake. Once the surface temps hit 50, look for the dock bite to really pick up. Fish the docks with a green finesse worm rigged on a 3/16-oz. Spotsticker jig head. This is a very good way for big weights as well as numbers throughout March. Look for the spinnerbait bite to also pick up. You can catch a few on spinnerbait early in the month, but the masses of fish on the blade will be better as the surface temp approaches 60.”

Largemouths: Fair. Billy Boothe reports, “The largemouths are finally starting to get active with the warm weather we’re having, but you’ve got to fish slow. Start out early with a Carolina-rigged, green-pumpkin Mann’s Hardnose Lizard fished at the mouths of pockets and the ditches leading in them. As the sun gets up, move into the pockets and fish shallow. The best baits have been a Table Rock Shad Pointer 100 and a small Fish Head Spin fished over the ditches and fan-casted around the edges. You might fish 10 pockets and only catch largemouths in one, but there are going to be multiple fish in it. Another pattern that is working right now is bumping a brown-craw Mann’s 15 Plus over rocky secondary points up the lake. This pattern is working best with some wind, so if it’s calm, use a stop-and-go retrieve. If the weather stays mild, look for a huge push of fish shallow in the next couple of weeks. For numbers, cover water with a chrome-green Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe fished on flats and shallow points. If you’re looking for a big bite, work shallow isolated docks with a depth change near by. The bigger prespawn females will hold on them and can be caught on green-pumpkin Senkos or by slow-rolling a blue-shad Revenge spinnerbait under the floats.”

Stripers: Fair. “Your best bet is to fish freelined and planer-board bluebacks, trout and gizzard shad in the backs to the middle of creeks,” said Shane Watson. “Cast a white 1/2-oz. bucktail or a Spro McStick to the banks while you are freelining. Look for single stripers boiling on top. We are seeing a decent shad kill, and the seagulls are a little of a distraction right now as they are diving randomly and picking up dying bait. If they are tightly bunched up, hovering and diving in one place, then that’s what you are looking for. If they pick up one piece and then fly on, that’s shad kill. Capt. Mack’s 4 arm U-rigs pulled over humps are catching a few as well.” Mike Maddalena said, “The water temps are starting to rise, but as of yet the striper fishing has not yet improved. It will break loose any day now. It is time to start fishing shallow, with your best bet being the afternoon. Pick flats and points that the sun has been shining on the longest. The middle to the backs of the creeks are where you want to be. Also, the main lake from the Highway 60 bridge up should have some fish on the flats and points. Keep one planer board with a short leader up as shallow as you get it, a flatline around 20 feet back and a bait on a float way back. The board on the deep side of the boat should have a 1/4-oz. weight on it and be 20 feet behind the board. As the water continues to warm, this pattern will only get better and better. Be sure to have someone casting a bucktail up to bank. It couldn’t hurt to have out at least one or two big baits. The fish are going to be feeding heavily getting ready for the upcoming spawn. Clipping points with U-rigs will also be productive. Run-and-gun with them.”