Lake Lanier is down 5.9 feet, the creeks are slightly stained and the main lake is clear and 80 degrees.

Black bass fishing is fair and work the shallows at twilight with Super Flukes and Bandit 200 root beer crank baits. The fish are in the shallows and the secondary points and creeks coves. The Zoom trick worm in almost any color will get strikes and use light 8 pound line on a spinning reel. One of the best hooks is the 2/0 offset Mustad. They are extremely sharp and will easily go through the worm and the fish easily. Cast the all the baits around any shallow wood or docks all over the lake. Even at mid day these bass will strike the baits around up lake docks. Concentrate in the backs of major creeks early and the back of Wahoo Creek on the docks on the left side of the creek past the bridge are very good after 3pm daily. Crank baits in baby bass, shad and fire tiger colors cast to the banks will get bite and the fish are relatively shallow at less than 10 feet. Use the stop and go technique and try running these crank baits in the blow downs. A slow retrieve in the trees letting the bait float up once it hits the limbs will draw a strike. Not much action this week on spinner baits. But be sure to try a buzz bait anytime of the day or night. Use a 3/8 ounce bait with gold or chartreuse skirts and cast to the points and trees. The small bass will strike first and work the same area for a bigger bass that are close by. Almost all styles of lizards and worms can get the strikes from these bass. Float these plastics with no weight and watch the line dart once the fish strikes. In the slightly stained water up lake, this is a deadly technique for shallow bass. Around Thompson Bridge there is a lot of top water activity from big schools of spots. Put on a fluke and cast to the steep banks and watch for schoolers to pop up.

Spotted bass fishing has been on and off as the fish get into summer habitats. The top water action has been slow and the few fish up on top are all small. The bigger fish being caught on deeper points breaks and mid lake deeper humps where the fish have made their way to. Target areas should have some brush piles or structure of some sort. Work any main lake reef marker and if you can Lake Lanier islands you are in a good area. The best baits are a Zoom Super Fluke with a 3/0 Mustad offset worm hook in the white pearl or any shad color and a Zoom finesse worm rigged on a 3/16 ounce Spot Getter lead head in sand or watermelon colors. If you want to use a jerk bait, the Lucky Craft minnow in Aura shad has been fair. Usually the spinner bait bite pick up but it is not developing well. The fish that are being caught on Pop R’s, Rico’s and the Super Spooks just watch for any surface activity. After the fish go down, get out the X-Rap in white and Bandit 200 root beer crank baits and go back over the same places they surfaced. Mini Me all white spinnerbaits and Zoom Super Flukes in white rigged with a Mustad 4/0 hook will take the better fish. Use a 1/8 ounce plain jig head and a green pumpkin Zoom Fat Albert grub and slow roll this bait on rocks and reef markers. Try the curly tail in a white or watermelon also. Spots and grubs on a 1/16 ounce lead head with a Fat Albert green grub, single or twin tail will get them all day and even at night. Try to focus on deepwater areas with underwater structure for the fish to hold to, such as points, reef markers, and the brush piles in those areas, with schooling fish surfacing at dusk and dawn.

Stripers are biting but most of the fish are in the mouths of the lower lake creeks and the main lake river channels. Live bait bite continues to be best during the day. Use a combination of free lines, balloons, and planer boards with shiners, gizzard shad and blue back herring. The morning bite has been fair and you can see these fish on the Lowrance. Many of the fish are bunched up right at daybreak so keep an eye on the sonar and be ready to get a in their zone. Stop the boat and let the baits sink by adding a split shot the size of a pea. On any overcast day look for the best action to be mid day till early evening. Flat lining and a split shot up the line using live bait 18 to 28 deep feet is best. After dark the bite will pick up as the weather gets hotter and the fish ease into the marinas after 10pm. Up Little River there are some fish near LR3. Please participate in the 2007 Striper Survey: www.stripersurvey.com.

Crappie fishing is best on the bridges all over the lake and live bait is best. Pick a set of pilings and stick with them all night and the fish are at 12 feet almost lake wide. The bridges have been very good but there are lots of boats there so get there early.

For more information visit www.havefunfishing.com.