Lake Lanier Fishing Report – October 2006

Lanier: Level: Down 9.1 feet below full pool. Temps: 74-76 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Spotted Bass: Fair and improving. Other than some early topwater action off main-lake points and islands, it’s been a deep-water specialist’s lake for a while, but guide and tournament pro Ryan Coleman says more fish are already moving shallow. For the deep fish, Ryan says to work main-lake ledges and humps that have timber and are in 30 to 45 feet of water. “I am drop-shotting a Spotsticker, hand-poured worm in the new RC Watermelon Pearl color. This worm is a little larger than a normal hand-poured worm and is easier for the fish to find in the deep, dark water. I am using 6-lb. Silver Thread fluorocarbon line, which is critical when fishing that deep.” Some spots are moving up on brushpiles and will come up on topwater. “Try a bone-colored Spook or Chug Bug for topwater or a Rogue or XCalibur Stickbait for a jerkbait,” Ryan said. “Fish these baits across the points, humps and timber to bring up the big spotted bass. Early in the morning, spotted bass can be caught on a white, 1/4-oz. buzzbait around steep banks at the mouths of small feeder creeks. Some of these fish are in one feet of water, so toss the bait up on the shore and bring it in the water slowly.” Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Ryan Coleman for his first-place win in the B.A.S.S. Southern Invitational on Lanier last month!

Largemouths: Young tournament pro Billy Booth says we’re about two weeks away from a great largemouth bite. “With the cooler temps and rain lately, the largemouth are really starting to move up shallow and feed. The threadfins are stacked in the backs of the major creeks, and so are the largemouth.” Billy says to cover a lot of water with a shad Pop-R and a pearl Mann’s 1 Minus. “I’m throwing them in two to five feet of water, hitting any available cover from docks to brush. I hate to tell you about the next pattern because hardly anyone is doing it. When the sun gets out, if you really want to load the boat, tie on a white 1/4-oz. Mann’s Stone Jig with a white grub and fish it just like you would a spinnerbait. Slowly swim it around docks and laydowns, but don’t be afraid to throw it in open water around the schools of shad. If these tactics don’t work, get out a 1/8-oz. Bite Me jighead and thread on a watermelon-candy Trick Worm. Throw it on secondary points midway back in the creeks, and if there’s brush present it’s even better.

Stripers: Excellent. One striper angler who fishes lakes all over the Southeast called it the best downline bite he’s ever seen. Lots of fish, and plenty of big ones over 20 pounds. Use downrods with live blueback herring and drop them to the 35 to 40 foot range to the thermocline. Reports of fish being caught about 40 feet down over a 55-foot bottom all the way out to over the river channel. Right now the best action is on the south end of the lake from Two Mile to the dam.