Lake temperatures are in the high 50’s and the lake is clear to slightly stained. The lake turn over is about over. The level of Lake Lanier is around 1,051.6 feet, just over 19-feet below the normal full pool of 1,071 feet.

The Chattahoochee River is stained. Check generation schedules before heading out to the river at 770-945-1466.

Bass fishing has been on and off this past week and a few different methods will work.

There are some large schools of bass in the creek mouths and they are gorging themselves on tiny threadfin shad.

Because the bait is so small many anglers feel you have to down size your lure to match these one-inch or smaller threadfin shads.

Instead of trying to throw a very small lure, pick a larger lure in a color that mimics a baitfish and work it steadily around the schooling fish for your best results.

When the fish are schooling, anglers will often make the mistake of throwing a lure a few times then changing because they assume these fish should hit on every cast. Because there are so many bait fish, your lure will often get lost in these large schools of bait.

It’s a numbers game of how many casts you can make before you get in front of the right hungry fish.

Choose a lure you have confidence in and stick with it and you will catch more fish than if you constantly switch up, trying to find that one “magic” bait that probably doesn’t exist.

I have been doing well working a «-ounce SPRO Buck tail in Spearing Blue or a «-ounce white and silver Rooster Tail. The secret is to make long casts and use a slow and steady retrieve through the schools of bass.

When there is no schooling activity present, stay in the creek mouths and work a drop shot or jig head rigged Zoom Finesse Worm around points and steeper banks from 10 to 30 feet.

Dip the tail in some Chartreuse JJ’s Magic for an extra advantage.

If the wind is blowing the fish will get active so try a spinner bait, jerk bait or swim bait on the windiest backs you can find.

Fishing medium live minnows under a float from the bank or a dock will work fair for bass this week.

Striper fishing remains very good and they are still schooling well on the main lake. If it is a calm day then get out early and motor around until you witness some of the large schools of stripers that are on the main lake or in the mouths of the creeks. They can be located anywhere from the dam on up into the rivers, but the creek mouths south of Browns Bridge have been the most productive this week.

Keep a close eye on your Humminbird Fish Finders while you are motoring around as the stripers will often be schooled up thick below the surface, gorging themselves on threadfins and blueback herring.

Stripers have been hitting lures almost as well as live bait when they are on top.

Like the schooling bass, it is best to use a single lure that you have confidence in and throw it consistently to these breaking fish.

Swim Baits, SPRO Buck tails, Red Fins and other lures will all work well when the stripers are up on top.

Pulling a flat line behind the boat when they are schooling will help you to pick up an extra fish or two.

Switch over top a downline when the fish go down or when your Humminbird Electronics show them to be deeper. Trout or Bluebacks from Hammond’s Bait and Tackle have both been producing well. The Bomber Long A bite after dark has also been hit and miss but they are bitting decent if you find the right areas.

As a quick side note: Master angler Jeff Yero lost his battle to cancer this past week. I have often mentioned Jeff in my reports about stripers. He will be greatly missed.

Crappie fishing has been very good and anglers are reporting catching them with several different methods.

Keith Pace says he is still doing well up the river by dropping small crappie jigs and spoons into brush at 4- to 8-feet deep. There have also been some reports of fish biting in the lower lake creeks around docks and on humps with brush at around 15-feet deep.

The bridge pilings are also holding some good slabs, so anglers who fish from the bank should do quite well.

Check in with Hammond’s for the latest information and best lures for catching crappie.

The Chattahoochee River is still stained and trout fishing is a little slow, but they are bitting.

The Buford Trout Hatchery has been stocking trout so the fishing should get better.

Use live earth worms (where permitted by law) and small in-line spinners in the rapids for some decent action.
    
Eric Aldrich is a part time outdoor writer, bass fisherman and is 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 new website at
aldrichfishing.com. Remember to take a kid fishing!