Happy Thanksgiving! It’s been a few months since I had some time to write up a fishing report..so here I am on flight down to Tampa to visit the family for a few days with an hour to kill. Haha Summer flew by quick. As always, fall means I take a little time off the water and spend it out in the field chasing the 4-legged critters. I was fortune enough to fill some tags and now it’s back to business as usual. A fishing trip isn’t complete without some deer jerky to snack on, right? Despite the hunting trips, I have found my way back weekly to run some charters to stay on top of a very nomadic fish. Time to get back to fishin' and I have open dates in December!
Lake Lanier surface temps have been fluctuating around 62 degrees and with a good front approaching it will certainly drop later this week. This is a good thing and will normalize our winter patterns. The lake level remains low and continuing to fall. It is currently at 1067.34’ MSL, that is 3.66’ below full pool. October had its ups and downs. Overall, it was tougher fishing with some decent days mixed in. The fish have scattered lake wide as well as in the water column with the extended turnover due to warmer temps. November/December is looking MUCH better with solid patterns developing. The past few trips have yielded a much better bite with some great topwater action. The biggest tip this time of year is to go out armed with the kitchen sink. Be able to adjust tactics and locations daily, as well as throughout the day. We have been finding some nice schools which is a blast chasing them down and sight fishing while they are exploding the surface.
Winter months means threadfin are on the menu. These shad are small, anywhere from 1-3 inches. They are dialed in on chasing these bait schools most of the time. The migratory gulls and loons have been showing up and are already helping us locate active fish. Right now, dawn until about 9:30am we are seeing bait being pushed to the surface most mornings. Look for the gulls diving in the distance and get over there quick. My go-to’s when they are on the threads is the Cast 3” Prodigy in the blueback herring pattern on a jig head or the 110 fast sinking Berkley Magic Swimmer in any color as long as it’s chrome. Throw right on their heads. These aren’t spooky redfish. Get the bait there quick and start working it. Their brains are keyed in on chasing these bait schools. A common error I notice is when anglers see the big dark shadow closing in on the lure, the angler will slow down the retrieve. To them it makes sense to give the fish a chance to catch the bait. That Striper more times than none will hit a 180 and bail out. If you see them chasing your bait down moving it faster or an erratic movement can trigger the strike. Just like an actual baitfish will do, you are mimicking it. Remember, these fish are fast. They can swim faster than you can reel. Set that hook and get ready to hear that drag scream!
On the days when we are not seeing the surface activity going nuts, downlines have been the go to. Mid-lake downline herring, trout, or shiners 30-40’ deep over 40-65’ contour has been pretty solid. Take what the defense gives you. When you see the fish and bait up high run the freelines, planers, and work those artificials. Days that you may have the post front conditions and high barometric pressure, you might notice fish/bait sounded deeper and are hugging the bottom. That could be one of those times to deploy baits deep. One of my recent trips landed 1/3 of the fish casting artificial at schooling fish, 1/3 caught trolling freelines, and 1/3 caught on downlines. Bring the kitchen sink, keep your eyes on the birds.
Fall through Winter on into Spring time I do target and offer Crappie fishing trips to add some variety. Those days the Stripers are being stubborn the crappie fishing is a great alternative..not to mention excellent table fare! I’m a big fan, 10 out of 10. These are all 5 hour trips and I do include filleting your catch. This is for crappie only. If you never tried it on Lanier it’s a lot of fun. It’s not uncommon to catch Stripers, Bass, and catfish while doing so too. We target them in a variety of ways from downline Crappie minnows, dock shooting, and casting jigs to structure. Right now all of the above are producing fish. If interested call or text me for more info or to book a trip.
This week starts the Christmas shopping for most and I do have those fishing trip gift certificates available. Excellent gifts for the angler in your family, fishing buddy, or office. Recipients can cash in on them anytime throughout the season to their convenience. Fully customizable, from 5-7 hour trips, 1-6 passengers. Give me a call/text to grab them or they are available to purchase online on the website. I always get positive feedback on these! Yes, we’ll do the Black Friday thing.. $50 off any gift certificate through November. They are already marked down on the website so get a few!
Whether it be on the water, in the field, or spending time with friends and family this week, safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Andrew Hammond
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