Lake Lanier Fishing Reports – September 2021

Lanier: Level: 1.7 feet above full. Temp: Mid 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Jimbo, from Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service, reports, “Before we talk fishing, I hope that you will all join me in thanking Ryan Coleman for his dedication to this role for many years. He has served our Lake Lanier community well, and I know we all wish he, his family and his SpotSticker business the very best as he opens his next chapter in Florida. Congratulations on everything Ryan, and thank you for all you have done! At Lanier as we’re heading into September, the water has generally been above full pool and trending lower in water temperatures than in recent years. The condition of the water is near normal for this time of year, with the beginnings of the turnover in sight on the calendar.  These factors, along with what I believe to be a recently rejuvenated population of the blueback herring in the lake, have led to a very productive summer, which I expect to continue into September. We have found the bait and fish to be suspended higher in the water column than normal this time of year (through August) and a better quantity of good fish staying in shallower depths, as well. Historically speaking, you have to go down to the fish in August, but conversely, this year the fish have been willing to come up to us. Topwater baits and lure presentations higher in the water column have remained very effective for numbers and quality of spotted bass so far this summer. I also expect this to continue in September, as well. In consideration of the recent trends, targeting offshore structure such as points and humps with brush in the 25-foot zone should remain the focus as we push through September. A major late summer heat wave or a big storm that raises the lake dramatically would be the only foreseeable deterrents to that game plan. If we stay consistent with recent trends, targeting those aforementioned areas from Gainesville Marina south to the dam on both the main lake and in the mouths of creeks will keep you around the majority of the spotted bass. A sustained heat wave would likely concentrate the bait and fish deeper on humps and points, and perhaps relating to timber lines and treetops around those areas. A rapid rise in the water level will scatter the fish and make shallow water fishing more viable. Topwater baits, such as a Chug Bug and a Zara Spook, can be an excellent way to catch these fish. The new CAST OG Herring 30 and 40 Gram baits are a new saltwater stick-bait option that are working well also on Lake Lanier. Check those out at local tackle stores like Hammonds Fishing. If the fish are resistant to the full-blown topwater offerings, try fast-retrieving a fluke over brush. The Georgia Blade Shad Spin is an excellent producer on Lanier. Fish the bait at the depth you see the fish suspending near bait balls or brush. A jerkbait is another great tool for targeting suspending fish, particularly as the water begins to cool toward the end of September. Choose a bait that suspends at the depth the fish are holding and experiment with your retrieve cadence until you zero in on what the fish are looking for on any given day. The SPRO McStick or McRip are great options here. The spy bait is a great option when the fish are not hitting your topwater or jerkbait presentations. Cast this bait out, count it down to 10 or so, and then begin a very slow retrieve. I like the Duo Realis offerings in the G-fix 80 size, which you can purchase at Hammonds Fishing or through Lanier Baits. A drop shot is a great tool to target deep fish. This presentation can be made vertically into cover or it can be cast toward the target and slowly retrieved. I prefer the Lanier Baits Fruity drop-shot worms. Light line is a must. I prefer 6- to 8-lb. test Seaguar Abrazx.Light line helps provide a more natural presentation and will garner more strikes. A jigging spoon is always a great option when the fish are deep. A Georgia Blade Flutter Spoon can be an effective tool for fish keying on herring. The smaller spoons like a Flex-It will work better for fish keying on threadfin shad. Experiment with the presentation and type of spoon once you have located the fish. For the Flutter Spoons, some sort of rip/pause or fast reel/pause cadence should do the trick. Their mood and the presentation required to catch them will vary daily with conditions. Look around timber lines and treetops near the mouths of creeks. The spinnerbait is an old favorite that can be deadly around flooded shoreline cover. Fish shallow docks blowdown trees, as well as steeper rocky banks. Try the new offerings from Georgia Blade.”

Crappie: Capt. Josh Thornton reports, “Crappie fishing is good. The hot bite zone is 10 to 15 feet deep. Don’t be afraid to look at your shallow-water spots. You might like what you find. Just because someone told you crappie only bite in deep water in the summer, they might not have told the fish. The crappie are on the docks and also can be found on open-water brushpiles and blowdowns. I always put out a crappie minnow. Sometimes the crappie just want a minnow. If you have LiveScope or Active Imaging, set the minnows just above the fish. Right now I am setting the minnows 10 to 15 feet deep. For best results, use an active minnow. Look under covered docks that are in 20 to 40 feet of water and near a main channel. Look for brush or structure, using your electronic charts to locate these areas. Remember that crappie love the shade, so cast into the shadows of a dock. Try different jig colors this time of year. I am using a solid white jig in clear water and a dark-colored jig in muddy water after the rain. Jigs can be used for short casting, vertical jigging, trolling or dock shooting. When dock shooting, the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. Let your jig sink and give it time to get down to the fish and retrieve your jig slowly. I’m using ATX Lure Company plastics. I use 5-lb. test high-visibility yellow braid for my line (unless I am using a bobber) and a Piscifun reel on an ACC Crappie Stix. I use Garmin LiveScope and the Navionics Boating app. Find me on Facebook and like my pages @crappieonlanier and @fishingwitheverydayheroes.”

Stripers: Capt. Ron Mullins reports, “The most important tip this time of year is to get the fish back down as quickly as possible and limit the amount of pictures you are taking unless you are taking fish home to eat. The dissolved oxygen content in the upper layers of water is very low and the last 20 feet that you are fighting your hooked fish through is very stressful to the fish. Get them back down by ‘shooting’ them face first down or even invest in a SeaQualizer that will drop the fish down to depth on a weight and then releases the fish. This month we will be looking for large groups of fish with our Humminbird Solix electronics. There will be lots of looking, and the only way to catch a striper while you are looking is to be trolling with lead core or with your Cannon downrigger. The Striper Tackle HAWG jig series Super Spin Shad in 1.5- or 2-oz. sizes in white head/white body, white/glo or chartreuse/chartreuse glitter has been great this year. The Fat HAWG spoon in nickel, nickel/silver scale or pearl/silver scale has also produced a lot of fish this summer. Both of these baits can be purchased at Oakwood Bait and Tackle or at Hammond’s Fishing Center. The HAWG series of spoons is also available at captmacks.com. After you find the big schools of fish that will be present from Big Creek and Two Mile Creek south to the dam, go ahead and drop your downline herring to them. Change your setup to at least a 1.5- to 2-oz. Capt. Mack’s swivel weight or a 1.75-oz. pencil sinker and 10 to 12 feet of 8- to 10-lb. fluorocarbon leader to a No. 2 Gamakatsu circle hook this month. The pitch bait rods are still getting bit as well, so keep at least two of these spinning rod setups with 12-lb. mono or 20-lb. braid main line with a 3-foot 10-lb. fluorocarbon leader and a No. 2 circle hook tossed back behind the boat. This year we have not put any split-shot on the line at all as the fish are coming up pretty shallow to eat a lone herring. ‘Have no other gods before me and make no images to worship.; God does not want to be ON your list of priorities as much as he wants to be IN your list.”