Lake temperatures are in the upper 70s.
Lake Lanier is around 15.6 feet below full pool, which is up more than two feet from last week. The Chattahoochee River is clear and cool.
Bass
The bass have been schooling off and on, and they are chasing bluebacks out on the main lake points and humps.
Topwater plugs, like a SPRO Dawg 125 or a Super Spook, will work well when they actively are up on top.
If you only see one or two on the surface you may try subsurface lures like a Fish Head Spin, Rooster Tail or SPRO Aruka Shad.
Choose colors that mimic blueback herring or shad.
The fish are still biting dropshots and straight worms on jig heads fished from 5- to 30-feet deep.
Some bass have been really shallow, while others are still deep.
Play around with the depth and let the fish tell you how deep to fish.
You can also use a Texas rigged or Tru Tungsten Ikie Spike Jig Head worm.
Target main lake points and pockets near the creek mouths.
Live bait is still a good bet but the spot tail minnows have been a little harder to catch. You can purchase medium minnows from Hammonds Bait and Tackle to save the trouble of finding good bait.
Fish these minnows on a flat or down line.
Stripers
Shane Watson reports that the stripers are biting well.
Target depths around 40-feet deep over an 80-90-foot bottom off the main channel.
He is fishing down lined bluebacks from Hammonds. Trolling lead core with a 1-ounce SPRO Bucktail Jig in spearing blue will also work well around the river channels.
Feed out seven to eight colors and keep your boat running around 2.5 miles per hour.
I have witnessed some huge schools out in the creek mouths around the main lake on my Humminbird Electronics at 30- to 50-feet deep this past week.
The topwater bite is just around the corner so keep a SPRO Dawg tied on and ready.
Crappie
Keith Pace reports that Crappie fishing is picking up, but a lot of the crappie are suspended. Troll crappie Spoons and Jigs at around 13-15-feet in the creeks and pay close attention to your Humminbird Fish Finders to give away the best locations.
He says that Two and Four Mile Creeks have been holding some decent slabs.
Trout on the Chattahoochee
Trout fishing is better in the mornings. Small Rooster Tails, Rapalas, dry flies and live worms (where permitted) will all produce a limit of trout.
Eric Aldrich is a part time outdoor writer, bass fisherman and sponsored by Humminbird, SPRO, Gamakatsu, Tru Tungsten and Hammonds Fishing and Boat Storage. Reports are based on personal experience and permission from a close network of friends. He would love to hear from his readers so please email him at esaldrich@yahoo.com or visit his website at esaldrich.tripod.com. Remember to take a kid fishing!