Lake Lanier Fishing Report – September 2009

Lanier: Level: 6.3 feet below full pool. Temp: Low to mid 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Spotted Bass: Slow, according to guide Ryan Coleman. “The spotted bass are holding in 25 to 35 feet of water right now on man-made brush and feeding on very small threadfins for the most part,” Ryan said. “For now, working drop-shot worms around brush will produce a few fish; a swimbait worked around brush and points will produce a few; and a topwater bait on sunny days will produce a few. For topwater, switch to a chugger and you will get more bites than a walking bait. As we get into early to mid September, look for some fish to start to group up in 30 to 50 feet and for some to start schooling. As late September gets here, look for the topwater to get strong and the spinnerbait bite to pick up on windy points and around windy pockets off the main lake.”

Largemouths: Fair. Guide Billy Boothe said, “Start the morning with a green-pumpkin Mann’s Wonder Worm rigged on a 1/8-oz. Bite Me jig head around shallow cover. Look for cover that has a main channel near by. Once the sun gets up, back out and fish the ledges in 10 to 15 feet of water. Work a Carolina-rigged Mann’s Hard Nose worm in watermelon red. For big fish, get out the flipping stick and target deeper brushed-up docks with a 5/16-oz. green-pumpkin/green TABU jig with a twin-tail grub.”

Stripers: Very good. Guide Shane Watson said the bite is on downlined bluebacks 40 to 100 feet deep over the main river channel and in the mouths of south-end and mid-lake creeks. “Capt. Mack’s 1-oz. white-foil jigs, tipped with a live blueback or Shadalicious paddle tail, are also working well,” Shane said. “Fish your jigs nine colors out at 3.0 mph. The best fishing the past couple of weeks has been from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.” Guide Mike Maddalena reports, “The fish have moved to deep water and the main river channel. Downrods are your primary method to get good numbers of fish, while trolling continues to be best to locate fish. The fish are moving very fast, so be ready to pick up and start searching again. Some days they seem to just not want a herring, so just keep trolling. The afternoon bite during generation has been best. Spend a good portion of your day over the river channel.”