The lake is .45 feet above full pool at 1071.43. Water temps are 61-63 degrees with the rivers having a light stain, most creeks go from a moderate to light stain, and the main lake is mostly clear below GA 369. The spring striper bite is really getting fired up and Capt Mack’s Perfect Planer boards and flat lines will be the technique that will catch the most fish in April. Herring, of any size, and small to medium shad will be your best bait choices this month for numbers of fish. Make sure you match your hook size to your bait size. Herring on a #2 or #1 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle, small shad on a #1 or 1/0, and medium gizzards on a 3/0 circle should do the trick. Using a smaller hook will keep your herring and small shad lively longer since they won’t have to lug around a big chunk of steel. Place your smaller baits 40-60 feet out, clip on your Perfect Planer and run the first (outside) set 60’ from the boat. Repeat with the inside planer set 30’ away from the boat. Flat lines are next straight behind the boat anywhere from 50-100’ as well. Adjust the lengths and even add a #3 split shot to figure out where the fish want to eat. There are a lot of fish up both river arms and they should stay up there through April if we don’t get to many really hard rains. Northern creeks like Thompson, Taylor, Wahoo, Ada, Gainesville, and Little River will all be good places to look as well. At the first of the month there will still be fish roaming over deep water in the middle of most creeks, but as the water temps warm into the mid 60’s the fish will move to 15-30’ points and humps throughout the lake and up the river arms. April is spawn time on Lanier for stripers and the big fish will be eating big baits. 8-12” gizzard shad or the biggest herring you can find will be the baits to pull. When pulling these bigger baits the line you have behind your planer boards and flat line Redi-Rig floats should be around 15-25’. This will keep your baits from finding every downed tree or brush pile you are fishing around. While you are pulling down the bank or across a point you should be casting a 3/8 oz Capt Mack’s White/Silver Flash Chipmunk or the ¼ oz Striper Tackle Ultra Pro Swing swimbait head with a Herring or Albino 3.3” Spot Sticker Swim bait or Bone Fluke Jr trailer using a steady retrieve with an Okuma Helios 30 with 15# braid or 10-12# mono paired on an Okuma Reflection 7’2” Med action rod.
As Easter has just past us, make sure that you remember all that happened 2000 some odd years ago and his last words. On that day the sun went dark as Jesus Christ was dying on a cross for us. He is the light of the world and there is no doubt that is why it became dark. The curtain in the Temple was also torn. This was always the physical separation between God and man, but with Christ’s death, and resurrection, the presence of God is now no longer in a place, but is now personal. Jesus’ last words before his death were, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Luke 23:46. He gave all his trust to his father, just as we can do even if the world has failed us. April is an awesome month on Lanier. Get out there and catch em up.
Call us at 678-300-4865 to book your Striper Experience!