LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 2 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 47 DEGREES

Black bass are moving close to the wood, docks and points all over the lake. With the warm weather and lake all the way full, expect to find some bass roaming the banks later in the day. Theses bass are pre staging on the points and docks and they are biting well especially mid day. As the day starts, go to the 3/8 ounce Stanley jig and use the old Uncle Josh #11 trailer. Dark colors and early slow presentations will work. If the pork is too much trouble, use the Zoom salt trailers on the jigs. The docks and wood in the very backs of the up lake creeks are the best areas. Look at the back of Sardis Creek and find similar locations all the way up to Clarks Bridge.

Fish the sunny areas on the northwest side of the lake first each day. This water is always warmer. Later in the day, go to the same locations and use spinner baits, Super Flukes, u tail worms and small red and black crank baits. Use Zoom u tail worms on a Texas rig out to 15 feet. Cast on points and wood and use a 3/8 ounce Leverage spinner bait. The blades should be two colors and the skirts that are working are brighter colors. The up river fish are on the secondary points in the backs of the creeks. Use the black and silver or the shad pattern #5 jointed Shad Raps on light line. The Stren line in the clear works very well on spinning reels.

Be sure to dig the bottom on the cast and then use a stop and pause retrieve. Cast them shallow on the points and docks up lake. The backs of the up lake creeks are key areas and go to the warmest water in the creeks. Up lake go to both forks of Little River. Use a Zoom pumpkinseed lizard with a red tail and a short 2 foot leader on a Carolina rig with a Lindy 1/2ounce No Snagg sinker and a Carolina keeper for a one knot rig up. Also use the # 7 Husky Jerk stick bait and shad patterns are working. Work coves right off the river from Gainesville Marina up the Chattahoochee River. After mid day and a warm up go to the 6A and 7A Bombers in the baby bass and shad colors on the clay points and around rocks. Keep the line sizes down to 10 pound test and these baits will run a few feet deeper.

Spotted bass are still deep but they are beginning to move under the larger docks. We can see these fish on the Aqua Vu camera and these spots from a pound and a half and bigger are very fat. These fish have been feeding on a lot of small threadfin shad all month so small imitations will work. The fish are under the bigger docks including marinas. But there are still some spots on the creek edges and deeper rocky points. Big Creek is typical winter area just fish the deep points. Zoom finesse worms in greens on a lead head or a light Texas rig will get their attention.

Be sure to continue to work the deeper baits slowly, the water is still very cold off the deep areas. Docks, wood and points are key areas but get baits into the deepest cover. Work the main lake man made and natural cover on points in Shoal Creek and be sure to work rocky areas. Use the small 1/4 ounce Strike King Bitsy bug in greens and blues skipped under deep docks will work right now. The docks around the marinas are warming the surrounding waters and the spots are tight under these docks. Work baits in the shady docks slips all day.

Worms should be greens, natural blues and sand on a Texas rig. Fishing has been good all day. The new Zoom baby bass Super Fluke Jr. on a 1/4 ounce jig head on light line will catch spots shallow in the stained waters later each day. Feeding periods are late all this week. Use the Texas rigged worms in the lime aide colors and is sure to work the lure all the way back to the boat on points. Depths will be from 10 to 20feet. On windy and overcast days use the darker green colors of finesse worms. The river fish are shallow and use a Leverage Lanier Shad color 3/8th ounce spinner bait with white skirts. Cast this spinner bait right on the points that the wind is blowing on. Bait fish are blown on and over the points and the bass are feeding on them. Largemouth bass will attack this lure. Be sure to add a bright white or pearl trailer on this lure. Live night crawlers on a 1/8 ounce lead head jig on any docks will find a bass.

Stripers are in up both rivers and are moving daily. Start in the backs of the creeks in Flat Creek, Shoal Creek and Flowery Branch Creek. Use medium shiners and take a few blue backs as well. The Zoom Flukes in pearl o a light lead head will work and cast them into the coves and pockets in these creeks. Be sure to cast the bait shallow and then reel them back slowly. Watch for any loons in the area to reveal the locations of the schools of bait fish. Casting into less than 2 feet of water with a small all white buck tail jig may catch both stripers, spotted and largemouth bass. Add a Zoom Fluke in pearl to the buck tail and head to the shallows in the very backs of the creeks. Stay on the main river with live minnows or shad on a flat line and a down line to 24 feet.

Crappie are already moving shallow on the wood, docks and bridges all over the lake. They are abut 13 to 15 feet deep and they are biting all day. Work lures exclusively and the green, banana and all blue squirt tubes on a 1/24 ounce jig head are best. Mix up the colors all day as the water and sunlight change. Down lake work around docks and bridges and watch the Lowrance depth finder for schools of fish. The average school has about 40 to 70 fish and they are almost exactly 3/4 of a pound. Light line and ultra light rods and Stren Mangaflex clear line is best. The docks in the back of Shoal creek around Lanier Harbor and the docks in the back of Big Creek past the water intake are great areas all spring.

We have 3 books, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE ALLATOONA, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE LANIER”, and “52 WEEKS ON WEST POINT LAKE” on sale. Each book is $23.95. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040.

The new books, “BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL and “BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL” are now on sale. Tim White and Ken Sturdivant have opened both lakes up to avid bass anglers with over 100 key bass fishing holes.

We teach “ON THE WATER SCHOOLS”: Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass or Maps and Depth Finders. Call 770-889-2654 for details.

Take a look at www.aquavu.com. You really need a camera. Copyright 2006, Southern Fishing Schools Inc. call us to set up a school “Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass”. See our web site, www.havefunfishing.com for more details or call us right away, 770-889-2654.