Striper fishing is good. The lake level is rising and we may be at full pool soon. The key to catching Stripers continues to be Herring on free lines and planner boards over 20 to 30 foot flats half way back in the creeks early in the morning. While you are pulling bait keep one person on the front deck casting a Captain Mack\'s 3/8 oz buck tail jig. Keep your eyes open for Stripers rolling on Thread Fin Shad. Keep a spinning rod with a small hook and a weighted float available to cast a small bait at any rolling fish you find. As the day progresses weight your lines with one to three split shots and work your way out to the creek channel over a 50 to 70 foot bottom. Drop a couple of down rods over the side and keep them just over the bait. You should be fishing over bait. Do not bother fishing if you are not marking bait on your Lowrance. Move until you find bait. There are fish in every creek with high concentrations of bait. The Umbrella rig bite has slowed and will probably remain that way until the water temperature climbs above 50 degrees. Flat Creek, Balus Creek, Mud Creek, Six Mile Creek and any of the creeks with a high concentration of bait are all good places to start. Consider fishing a creek you do not typically fish and one that does not get a lot of pressure. This is where you are going to find the bigger fish.

"This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service, 404 561 2564. http://www.bigfishonguide.com The striper fishing is slowly improving despite the cold fronts and heavy rains last week. The lake temperature has dropped a few degrees to the low 50's but, with the warmer temperatures forecasted for this week we should see the fishing pick up. The stripers are moving into the backs of the creeks and are running the shallow flats and points looking for an early breakfast and a late dinner. Pulling baits shallow on flats and points with a variety of baits both large and medium is your best bet. Put one board right up on the bank with a large bait a couple of feet behind the board. Vary the length on your other boards and free lines from 20 to 70 feet back depending on size of your baits and the depth of the water. Put someone on the front of the boat casting a bucktail the entire time. There are a lot of gar moving around shallow they will drive you crazy killing your bait and you can waste a lot of time fishing for them. Be sure to take an extra dozen baits and check your lines every 20 minutes. Stripers being caught at night with Bombers and buck tails with a fluke trailer in the backs to the middle of the main lake creeks. You can also take out your Lake Lanier map or look on the Navionics chip and look for flats and long tapering points half way back to all the way back in any given creek. This is a great way to learn the lake and discover some hot spots."

"March 11, 2011 LAKE LANIER IS .5 FEET OVER FULL, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 53 DEGREES. Spotted bass are moving shallow but the high water means stay in the clear water on the main lake. Watch for floating debris in the lake. The best tactic is still deep structure. Look to main lake points and deep ledges as use the slow moving baits like all white buck tails, jigs and u tail green worms. With the water warming and on sunny days use sand and Limeaide Zoom worms on a Texas rig. If the overcast conditions move in use green pumpkin and pumpkinseed on the same rig. Look in the ditches in the creeks and off lake coves at 30 to 50 feet for the old trees and natural brush. Sand and hard clay banks are good all day areas as spots will spawn on them next month. Cast any baits close to the bank, but be sure to work the baits all the way out to the boat. At this time of year, bigger fish will hold off the banks as far as 26 feet of water. The Zoom dark blue plastic pork trailer on the matching colors of 3/8 ounce Stanley jig is a good second or third choice for this deep structure. Cast to the banks after lunch. Drop the lures right into the structure and vertically lift the lure making contact with the cover. Strikes will be very light so a sensitive Bass Pro Shops Extreme medium tip rod and light line Sufix Elite in 8 pound test will make these strikes easier to feel. “The Southern Fishing Report” By Ken Sturdivant 106 Hickory Ridge 770 889 2654 Cumming, Georgia 30040 http://www.havefunfishing.com"

"“The Southern Fishing Report” By Ken Sturdivant 106 Hickory Ridge 770 889 2654 Cumming, Georgia 30040 http://www.havefunfishing.com March 4, 2011 LAKE LANIER IS DOWN ONE FOOT, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 53 DEGREES. Spotted bass fishing is fair and the water temperatures are struggling to get to the mid 50 degree mark. Soon the big spotted bass will move shallow and with the full moon on March 19, expect the water to be warmer and the spots shallow. Pick apart any shallow pockets off the main lake and work half way back in the creeks in the same pockets. We see tons of shallow baits in the clear water in the backs of the creeks and the bass are hungry. All the lakes docks are ready to break loose and the Zoom finesse worms will be big hits all month. Use the 3/16 ounce Spotsticker jig head. We will see a surge of fish mid month head to the shallow humps on the main lake and that is the time for the Mini Me spinnerbait bite to also pick up. All white or the Mini Me baits with the shades of purple and white will work. Run these baits on at least 12 pound test Sufix Siege line. The jerk baits and the trick worms worked in pockets along with the McStick and the Vision 110 worked very slowly on some 10 pound test Sufix Elite line will get some attention. This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service, 404 561 2564. http://www.bigfishonguide.com Striper fishing is fair and the water temperatures are rising into the low to mid 50's. The backs of the creeks are stained due to the recent rains and the threadfin shad have stopped dying. This is all good news for striper fishing. The stripers are starting to move into the backs of the creeks and moving up shallow for bait fish early in the morning, late afternoon and at night. You won't miss much by taking a nap late morning and early afternoon. Striper fishing should continue to improve as the weather warms and the fish start packing on the weight for the spring spawn. Pulling baits shallow on flats and points with a variety of baits both large and medium is your best bet. Put one board right up on the bank with a large bait a couple of feet behind the board. Vary the length on your other boards and free lines from 20 to 70 feet back depending on size of your baits and the depth of the water. Put someone on the front of the boat casting a bucktail the entire time. Pulling umbrella rigs across points will also get you a few fish. You can fish Flat Creek, Balus Creek, Bald Ridge Creek. Up on the north end, fish the area around Holly Park, Little River, Wahoo Cree and the river to Clarks Bridge. You can also take out your Lake Lanier map and look for flats and long tapering points half way back to all the way back in any given creek. This is a great way to learn the lake and discover some ""new"" hot spots. We are getting good night fishing reports on points and flats with Bombers and bucktails with a fluke trailer fished very slowly."

guest 3/2/2011 Just out riding around enjoying the warm weather.

"went out last night, 8:00pm my partner netted a 29lb stripper. 12lb line using a #12 husky jerk."

2/27/10. Water temp at Clarks bridge 44. Down from 46.2 on Tuesday.

"Just went riding around Sunday, 10/1. No fishing, but wanted to note the higher than estimated water temp."