Lake Lanier Fishing Report – November 2008

Lanier: Level: Down 18.2 feet below full pool. Only a handful of ramps are open. Temp: 65-68 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Spotted Bass: Very good. “The spotted bass are feeding very heavily on bluebacks right now and ignoring the very available threadfins,” said guide Ryan Coleman. “They are working in the mouths of the major creeks right now on points, humps and flats near the open timber. Most of the timber is just 20 feet below the surface — very accessible for the fish to use as cover or to ambush bait. There are some schooling fish right now, but look for that to slow as the month rolls along. Bass are holding in big schools on main creek points in 20 feet of water. You can do very well right now with a Mini-Me spinnerbait worked on those points while we have all this wind. The PC Special color, which has gray blades, is working well. Do not go very bold with your colors right now. They seem to be shying away from the bright blades as the clarity is so good. As the month rolls along, the jerkbait bite will pick up over main-lake brush and humps. Fish will suspend over structure waiting for larger baitfish to move through. A Pointer 100 in ghost minnow or a Megabass Vision 100 would be great choices. The big swimbait bite has also been good. I have been using the 7-inch Triple Trout swimbait over humps and points on the lower end. This may be the best time to get a big spot on a large swimbait on Lanier. Look for the spoon and jig bite to really pick up this month. Winter has gotten here early, and the fish are reacting to it. I have already started to mark some deep schools of fish in wintertime areas. Don’t wait too long to start spooning.”

Largemouths: Excellent. Billy Boothe said the fishing is great, but the largemouths are really scattered. “I’m catching some in 2 feet of water and others in 17. There have also been reports of numerous 4-lb.-plus largemouth caught that are mixed in with stripers. It’s directly related to the low, falling water, and the fact of too much competition for too little available cover. Your best bet is to fish fast with reaction baits and cover as much water as possible. I’ve had the best success with a ghost-minnow-colored Mann’s Baby Waker and a 1/2-oz. blue-glimmer buzzbait midway up the rivers. The largemouths are really hammering the Baby Waker fished over the balls of threadfin shad. On this, use a really slow retrieve and get the maximum amount of wake you can. Start at the mouths of pockets, and work your way to the back. If you don’t see bait present, pick up and move to the next one. There is also a great dock bite going on. Look for brush and shad in 4 to 8 feet of water. When you find it, there will usually be multiple fish on each dock. Skip a watermelon-candy Mann’s Hard Nose Freefall Worm under the floats, and hang on. As we start to get some early winter fronts and the water falls even more, the jig bite will really start to pick up. On the lower end, target chunk-rock, channel-swing banks and docks with a 7/16-oz. green-pumpkin-orange TABU jig with a matching twin-tail trailer. On the northern end, look for lay downs and secondary points near the river channel and work a 7/16-oz. black-and-blue TABU jig with a blue chunk.”

Stripers: “The lake is in the process of turning over, and the fish are starting to disperse from the lower end of the lake,” said guide Mike Maddalena. “There is a good amount of surface action occurring. These fish will take a Spook, Red Fin, Sammy or small Capt. Mack’s Jig with a fluke trailer. Most of the surfacing activity is occurring during the first two hours and the last two hours of daylight, though on cloudy days, anytime is possible. Gizzards, trout and herring are all catching fish, primarily on freelines and planer boards. Some fish are beginning to be caught pulling shallow on points and flats. The mouths of creeks to midway back are the best areas to look. You can catch fish on a downrod, but it’s tough as the fish are moving very quickly. If you mark them and shoot a bait down quickly, you’ll get bit. You will also get some fish on the U-rig as it allows you to cover a lot water. As the lake cools off, expect the fish to disperse farther up lake and continue their move to the shallows. Mid November to late December is an excellent time to get a big fish up on the shallows. The fronts will become more important, so try to get out just before or as they’re moving in.”