Lake temperatures are in the 80s. Lake Lanier is staying right at full pool at 1,071.

The main lake and creeks are stained to clear and the Chattahoochee River is clear. Check generation schedules before heading out to the river at 770-945-1466.

Bass fishing is good. The summer patterns are in play, but there are still some bass that refuse to leave shallow water.

We have had our best luck fishing topwater plugs over brush piles in an attempt to catch the active fish.

Dawg 100s and Super Spooks have been the lures of choice. If the fish refuse to strike our topwater plugs, then we move up over the brush and work it thoroughly with our drop shot rigs. We incorporate these methods into our run-and-gun plan, and we will keep moving until we find the active schools.

We often rerun certain areas that we either know hold fish, or we will revisit productive areas where the fish quit biting.

You should allow these areas at least an hour for the fish to set back up on the brush.

The offshore action requires anglers to either know where the specific brush piles are located or they at least must be able to find the brush quickly.

With today’s side imaging electronics, finding these hot spots is a lot easier. Use your electronics to find and mark these prime areas so that in the future you will know where to cast.

Native spot tail minnows fished on flat or down lines will almost guarantee anglers a good day of fishing.

Also try threading a night crawler onto a Spot Sticker Jig Head to up your odds of catching a trophy spotted bass.

The striper fishing is still very good and it should remain that way for a while.

They are still hitting topwater plugs like salty Dawg 125s and Super Spooks and other topwater lures during the day, but bluebacks fished on a downline are the most consistent method.

You really need good electronics for summer striper fishing. They will school on top out on main lake, but even those fish can come up a quarter mile away from where they just surfaced. For the most part these stripers are chasing these fast-running bluebacks.

Once you locate the stripers on your graph then drop a down line to just slightly above the fish. Thirty to 45 feet deep has been the magic depth, but look for them to go down deeper as the summer weather sets in.

Nighttime striper fishing is just getting started. Target main lake creek mouths and fish your down line under a Hydro Glow light.

Use bluebacks or even try a large gizzard shad for a trophy striper.

The crappie are in deeper water and are bunched up on the off shore spots.

Try to find standing timber in where the timber tops out at around 20-feet down. Use your electronics to pinpoint the spots that are holding crappie. Fish a down-lined crappie minnow or try some native spot tail minnows.

Bridge pilings and deeper lighted boat docks are also great places to target, especially after dark.

Work a Micro Spoon tipped with a crappie minnow around the deeper brush.

Trout fishing continues to be very productive. Whether you target a small stocked stream in the mountains or the larger Chattahoochee River below the damn, there are few better places to find yourself on a hot summer day. The cool river water acts like air conditioning!

Use the old reliables like the Rooster Tail, Rapalas, Yo Suri Pins Minnows and live bait.

If you use live bait just check local regulations to make sure you are in compliance with the law.

Rapids and the deeper pools above and below these runs will hold the majority of trout.

Fish you lure right through these fast-moving waters. If you are fishing with live bait use a split shot that is big enough to keep your bait in he productive zone.

Bank fishing: Lots of fish are biting for those anglers who fish from the shore.

Bream, bass, catfish and even stripers can all be caught this week near shore. Use minnows or live bait like crickets or worms below a bobber to catch bream and bass.

Chicken livers or dough balls are great for catching catfish. If all else fails, try fishing with corn for carp.

Eric Aldrich is a part time outdoor writer and bass fisherman. Reports are based on personal experience and permission from a close network of friends. I would love to hear from our readers, so please e-mail me at esaldrich@yahoo.com or visit my website at aldrichfishing.com. Remember to take a kid fishing!