Lake Lanier Fishing Report – May 2006

Lanier: Level: 1.4 feet below full pool. Temps: Ranging from 68 to 74 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Very good, according to guide and tournament pro Ryan Coleman. “Most of the spots and largemouths have spawned now and are on their way out to the main water and starting to feed. I’m having good luck with topwater such as Super Spooks and Pop-Rs thrown on main lake and main creek points and humps. Some of the fish are suspended over these humps and points and will take a Sworming Hornet Fish Head Spin or a Mini Me spinnerbait 10- to 15-feet down in the water column,” Ryan said there are also a lot of fish around the banks, but the majority of them are small. “They will eat up a green or brown 4.75-inch Yum Houdini worm rigged on a 3/16-oz. SpotSticker jighead around the docks. Big numbers can also be caught on a three- or four-inch YUM sand grub rigged on a 1/8-oz. jighead, or on a Swirlybird spinner fished slowly around pockets or secondary points. Look for the fish to get on the offshore structure this month and start to school on the lower end. Keep your Super Spook ready at all times,” Ryan said.

Stripers: Good. Many of the stripers seemed to have pulled out of the very backs of the creeks, and they’re being caught mostly around the creek mouths over deep water or over humps and the ends of points in 22 to 30 feet of water. Freeline small blueback herring over these areas. There are also reports of good fishing up both the Chestatee and Chattahoochee rivers pulling gizzard shad on freelines and planer boards. Also, have a Redfin or Zoom Super Fluke tied on and ready to cast to any breaking fish. Schooling activity has been spotty, but it pays to be ready just in case. Night fishing on points and flats has been good using Red Fins and Bomber Long As. Please be aware of the WRD tagging study on Lanier’s striped bass. If you catch a tagged striper, record the weight, length and location of where you caught the fish, and call WRD fisheries biologist Reggie Weaver at (770) 535-5498.