As of June 18th, Lanier is at 1070.83 feet (.17 feet below full pool) with water temps ranging from 86-88 degrees. While water clarity is slightly stained in the backs of most creeks, it is clear on the majority of the lake. June is a big transition month. Expect that there will still be quite a few fish up on major points that have steep drop offs in the mid lake and south end of the lake that can be caught pitching herring. Spot lock your boat up wind of these areas and toss your herring on a 7.5 foot medium action Okuma Reflections spinning rod with a 3000 class Okuma Helios SX loaded with 20 pound braid. Attach a 3-4 foot 12 pound Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon leader with an Alberto knot to the braid and tie on a #1 or #2 Gamakatsu Circle hook depending on the size of the herring that you will be pitching. These points will hold stripers, spots, large mouth, and channel cats, so there is no telling what is going to eat your herring. After you pitch your herring up to the point just let the herring swim around as natural as possible so let out some line if you feel it swimming away from you and reel in a bit if you lose contact with the bait. Most of the bites that you will get will be pretty aggressive and the fish will be moving up into shallower water to eat your bait and then hauling back down into deeper water, so hang on and enjoy that screaming drag. The stripers will begin moving out to deeper water and start feeding primarily at depth versus chasing herring and shad on the surface as the water warms into the 80s in mid-June. Pockets with 40-60 feet of water, from Chestatee Bay south to the dam, will be the areas that will hold the majority of the fish going thru June. This is the beginning of our downline season and quality electronics will be your best friend through October. The Humminbird Solix or Helix units will allow you to look for fish in these pockets on the big motor and avoid fishing in spots that are not holding fish. Once you have marked fish then you can put your MinnKota trolling motor down and begin deploying your four 7.5 foot Okuma Striper rods with Okuma Coldwater 15s or 25s spooled with 15 pound Big Game monofilament with a 1.5-2 ounce Capt Mack’s swivel sinker, a 4-5 foot length of 12 pound Tatsu leader, and a #1 Gamakatsu Circle on the four corners of the boat. Drop your herring down just above where you have marked the fish and begin moving around the area at .4-.6 mph. Most of the fish that you will find in these pockets will be moving around the pocket, so keep moving so that you have a better chance to run back into them. As the fish migrate to the south end of the lake this month the lead core trolling bite will also pick up. This historically gets very good in the Chestatee Bay area this month so make sure you lead core is ready to go. The 1.5 ounce Striper Tackle Super Spin Shad, available at Oakwood Bait and Tackle, in white head/ white shad body or white/ glow will be great lures to start with. Troll these 5-7 colors back at 3 mph on the main creek channels or river channel for the schools that will be forming up as they move south.
In this culture of who is the GOAT and pressure to be the best remember that Jesus told us “anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” Mark 9:35. Serve others and put others first as Jesus Christ did for us.