Lake Lanier’s water level remains above full pool.
Currently, it is around 1,071.33 or .33 foot above full the normal full pool of 1,071
Lake temperatures are creeping up and currently we are in the upper 50’s to low 60’s.
The main lake remains mostly clear on main lake with some slightly stained to stained water in the backs of the creeks.
The water above Highway 53 is slightly stained to stained, but the upper rivers and creeks will turn very stained to muddy after any heavy rain.
The Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam is clear.
Check generation schedules before heading out to the river below Buford Dam at 770-945-1466.
Bass fishing remains very good.
These fish are moving up shallow where most anglers can find good fishing in many shallow areas.
Shallow bass fishing is easier.
When the bass move into the coves and up around docks in less than 15 feet of water, they become much easier for most anglers to target.
We are approaching that time when you can look back on your past spring fishing outings. Even if you haven gone out this year, you should be able to duplicate the pre-spawn and spawning type fishing and duplicate successful fishing methods from years past.
So what should an angler do that has not been fishing yet in 2022?
The bass are really starting to move around shallow docks in the coves and pockets all over Lake Lanier.
Arm yourself with a few staple fishing methods and go catching.
If I only had three rod-and-reel outfits to take with me, they would be as follows:
1. A medium-action spinning rod rigged with a 1/8-ounce shaky head and a straight tail worm.
2. A medium-heavy bait caster or spinning outfit rigged with a jerk bait.
3. A medium-heavy bait caster rigged with a spinner bait.
These three outfits would cover most of the fishable water we encounter in the early spring.
Other lures, like a crank bait and even a topwater plug will coax strikes.
The three aforementioned rods and lures should be enough to get you multiple bites in the spring.
On windy days, start out on the main lake, casting to shallow points and humps out in the wind with a Georgia Blade Spinner bait or a SPRO McStick 110 Jerk Bait and cover water.
There has been a good aggressive bite early in the day and can continue all day if the weather conditions are consistent.
Incoming weather fronts can signal excellent power fishing and anglers can have epic days in these conditions.
After fronts blow through, you can also see this same action disappear as quickly as it appeared.
On stable days and even when the weather fronts blow through, there has been a consistent dock bite.
Cast or skip a Lanier Baits Fruity Worm on a Gamakatsu Alien Head around docks and rocky areas in the backs of the coves.
Areas that have a ditch or deeper water access close to shallow flats will often be the best areas to start.
If the weather has been stable and warm, the shallow docks may be holding some good fish right now.
We have also caught a few bass on SPRO RkCrawlers, Redfins V-waked on the surface and even small topwater plugs in the right conditions.
Try small swim baits, like a Little Swimmer or Keitech, fished on a swimbait jig head.
Other techniques anglers have confidence in will also produce.
Fish your strengths and you should catch them.
Night fishing with the old reliable crank baits and spinner baits is on fire right now.
You should have the whole lake to yourself on weekdays.
Striper fishing remains good.
A variety of methods are productive.
There are a lot of stripers in the creeks and rivers right now, so that would be the place to start.
Anglers are also catching fish around main lake humps and points.
Keep an open mind and let your electronics be your eyes under the water.
Start your days in the creeks or rivers around coves that have large populations of baitfish.
You can often tell the best locations from the amount of water birds in an area.
Loons, herons, gulls and kingfishers are all good indicators that the baitfish is around.
Use these clues along with your electronics to show you the most productive areas to start.
Don’t be afraid to pull up and move to the next location if the area you start in seems devoid of this activity.
Some anglers have been starting very early, casting Redfins or soft jerk baits like a Fluke or Jerk Shad around points and humps midway back into the creeks.
Keep a casting lure ready at al times, in case you encounter surfacing fish.
Fly anglers are also doing well casting streamers and minnow imitators to fish that are swirling around the surface.
Live baits on flat lines have been the go-to technique for catching stripers all day long.
Keep a downline rigged for any fish that you see below 25-feet deep, even though the majority of catchable fish have been pretty shallow this week.
Pulling umbrella rigs on a trolling spread is also a quick way to cover water and also a great way to coax bites in spring.
Also, keep a castable version like a Captain Mack’s Mini Rig ready to cast toward schooling fish.
The stripers are really starting to hit after dark.
Continue to target dock lights and cast a Bomber Long A or SPRO McStick to the lights.
Flipping live herring or casting streamers on a fly rod are also great ways to catch them around the dock lights.
Crappie are biting well right now and a variety of techniques are productive.
Anglers are still doing well shooting small jigs around docks.
Hit your best docks and if the fish are there, stay around and try to get them to bite as they should be grouped up well right now.
If you own a dock, then you should be setting out brush any time you can and taking advantage of it year round.
The crappie will relate to submerged wood and if you know exactly where that wood is, then you have a distinct advantage.
Some crappies are moving shallow, so you can start catching them on small minnows fished below a float.
If you can fish off a dock, then also try a minnow on a down line (just a small spilt shot and a hook and minnow) around submerged brush.
You can email Eric Aldrich at esaldrich@yahoo.com with comments or questions.
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