LAKE LANIER JULY 2008

106 Hickory Ridge

Cumming Georgia 30040

770 889 2654

www.havefunfishing.com

www.stripersurvey.com

July 11, 2008

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 15 FEET, AND LAKE IS STAINED AND THE CREEKS AND THE RIVERS ARE STAINED & 82 DEGREES.

SPECIAL NOTICE: BE VERY CAREFUL RUNNING LAKE LANIER AS WATER LEVELS FALL. THERE ARE MANY AREAS THAT HAVE TREE TRUNKS, STUMPS AND ROCKS JUST BELOW THE WATER LEVEL.

Black bass continue to roam the banks in shallow water all day both up and down lake. The fish are very scattered and the early bite has been barely fair. The water is hot and the fish are chasing small bait fish up into the shallows early. Get to the lake as early as possible and cast to the shallows with trick worms and small shad and blue back top water lures. The top water action in limited and will die by 9 am. Fish the north end of the lake but there are only a few small bass in any mood to bite, plus they are all small. Fish in the creeks and a little deeper and use a Bill Norman Middle N’s in the perch pattern caught a few small largemouth. All the fish are skinny except for two spots in the two and a half pound range. The only fishing that can last into the day is in the currents way up both rivers. Up the river right at the river bends in the creek mouths, the largemouth relate to the shallow pockets right next to the river. The fish are not in the current but close to it. Right in the mouth of any creek, we found some largemouth on all black jigs in the 1/2 ounce size, all brown. We tried both plastic and pork trailer and all the fish took the all black pork trailer in the #11 size. The fish will pound the bait when they take it. All the fish are close to rocks and no deeper than 12 feet. Cast baits right on the points that are closest to the river and work back about 100 feet into the cove or creek, then move. Early and late use the Zoom small bush hogs on a 3/16th ounce sinker on a Texas rig. A light wire hook or a trick worm cast into the shallows can draw a few strikes. The trick worm can be almost any dark color but natural blue seemed to work best. The crawfish colors in the 7A Bomber crank baits or pearl combinations are fair. Stay close to the current as the bass watch for food sources passing by. Day fishing up lake is fair if you can stand the heat of the day. Night fishing has been off all week.

Spotted bass are fair and they are almost exactly 21 feet deep in brush piles. Try small bass minnows or use a small cast net and try and get some fresh spot tail minnows. Use these baits on a small wire hook and a gold crappie hook works very well. If there are 15 spot tails in the live well, there will 15 spots bite them. All the fish are relatively small with only an occasional 14 inch keeper fish on this technique. Use 6 pound test and a spilt shot and fish over the brush piles. This week we found several schools of spots chasing tiny baits right on the bank around the mouth of the major creeks. These fish jumped on the 115 Sammy and color did not seem to matter and at any time of the day, sun straight up. Early and late each day these main lake reef markers can hold several fish but make a few casts and go to the next one. Small to medium chrome and blue top water lures can draw the spots but the key is to move around and make only a few casts to each location. If the fish don’t cooperate keep moving. Night fishing has been fair until midnight. Spinner baits that are all black, June Bug Bill Norman Middle N’s and Zoom June Bug u tails on a Texas rig are the three best night baits. Do not spend more than 15 minutes in a spot. The reefs right in front of the mouth of Shoal Creek where you can see the dam are good all night areas.

This report is from Captain Chuck Biggers at Southern Striper Fishing Guide Service 404 405 8280, www.southernstripers.com

Striper fishing is great for numbers of fish from just north of Brown's Bridge southward. Fish the pockets at 40 to 60 feet deep with baits fished from 30 to as deep as 50 feet will work. If you fish your bait deeper than 30 feet be sure and check it frequently and often as every 5 minutes. The oxygen level below 30 to35 feet may sometimes be too low to sustain the bait. Bait maintenance is critical this time of year. Be sure to keep the bait tank water temperature between 60 and 70 degrees for best results. The bait lately has been running a little small. Use a #6 Kale hooks by Eagle Claw and 14 pound leaders six or seven feet long. The long leader is an advantage in the rough water because it gives the bait room to swim more naturally as the boat rocks with the typical summer traffic and errant jet skis. We are catching fish off the pockets off the main creek and river channels but as the water temperature rises to the high 80's, look for the fish to move to the river channels and flats off the river channels. As always, I will be happy to take you on an educational trip and show you some tricks of the trade.

Crappie are biting at night and live minnows are best. The bridges up and down lake are the best locations or a lighted dock close to or over deep water. Do not expect a lot of action unless some white bass pass through around midnight. A lot of light on or over the water will bring the bait. Depths will depend on where the shad are but fish are deep at 14 feet.

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