Lake level is 1069.80 (1.20 feet below pool) with water temps of 47-49 degrees. Water clarity is slightly stained on the main lake to muddy in the backs of the creeks with the recent rains. This January will be like the last few years with small bait being the key to catching numbers of fish. Downlines on an Okuma 7 ½ Striper rod with an Okuma Coldwater 203 line counter with 15-20 lb mono main line will be the most used rod this month. Attach a Striper Tackle 1.75 oz Pro Pencil swivel sinker to the main line and then tie on 3-4 feet of 10-12 lb fluorocarbon leader with a #4 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle at the end. January stripers can be very finicky and reducing your hook and leader size to match the small trout, herring, or medium shiners you will be using will keep these baits moving around more naturally and will get you those extra bites. The population of 28-32 inch (9-12#) fish this winter continues to be great to see. These 4.5-5.5 year old fish will eat a bigger bait quicker so switch up at least one downline to a 1/0 or 2/0 circle and pin a medium trout or medium Gizzard Shad in the 7-9 inch range on. All of these fish, as well as the smaller fish, will be around large concentrations bait in 30-60 feet of water, and you will be fishing your baits anywhere from two feet to about 15 feet off the bottom. Use your Humminbird SOLIX to find these large concentrations of bait towards the backs of any creek on the lake. Favorites will be Young Deer, Big, Flat, Sardis, and Gainesville on the south side and up the Chattahoochee side. Going up the Chestatee side, Thompson, Yellow, and Johnson will all be great places to look. Artificials for this month will be the Striper Tackle Jigging Spoon on schools of fish you find around the bait and Capt Mack’s Mini Macks for searching for spread out fish. Once you find these concentrations of fish use your Minn Kota Spot Lock to sit on top of the school of fish or to move around at .4-.6 mph and swim your baits through the bait balls. If you lose the school of fish you were on then speed up to .8-1 mph and put your Mini Macks out 20-30 feet down and stealth troll around the area till you find them again. The White ½ oz or ¾ oz Striper Tackle Jigging Spoon with blue flash or chartreuse with blue flash are the same size shad that you will see these fish spit up so keep one tied on to drop down to any fish you see on the bottom around the large concentrations of bait you will find with your SOLIX. Winter fishing on Lanier is about finding the bait. Trust your electronics…the fish will be close by as well.
Recently we lost a long time great fishing guide here on Lanier and at his memorial we were all reminded that we should all be more like him and be an unbelievably humble person. This was him to a tee and something for all of us to strive for. “Do NOTHING out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
Call us at 678-300-4865 to book your Striper Experience!