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 Lake Lanier Fishing Report

The Great Outdoors Show Perry Georgia February 12-14, 2010 Seminar Schedule
SEMINARS ROQUEMORE CENTER
Friday
3:00 P.M. NAVICO-Ken Sturdivant-- Proper use of Marine Electronics
4:00 P.M. Captain Judy Helmey, Miss Judy Charters-- Inshore Fishing
5:00 P.M. Turkey Hunting with Marty Fisher
6:00 P.M. Snake Show-- Southeastern Reptile Rescue – Jason Clark
Saturday
1:00 P.M. Joey Mines—Freshwater Fishing
2:00 P.M. Turkey Hunting with Call Maker Dickie Champion
3:00 P.M. NAVICO-Ken Sturdivant-- Proper use of Marine Electronics
4:00 P.M. Captain Judy Helmey, Miss Judy Charters—Offshore Fishing
5:00 P.M. Snake Show-- Southeastern Reptile Rescue – Jason Clark
Sunday
11:00 A.M. Joey Mines—Freshwater Fishing
12:00 P.M. Turkey Hunting with Call Maker Dickie Champion
1:00 P.M. Captain Judy Helmey, Miss Judy Charters—Fishing the River Jetties
3:00 P.M. Snake Show Southeastern Reptile Rescue – Jason Clark
NORTH LAKE
Friday-- Saturday – Sunday
2:30 P.M. Retriever Dog Show – Roy Coffee
3:30 P.M. Georgia Kayak Club – Fresh/Salt Water Fishing w/ Randy Vining
Miller Murphy Howard Bldg
Georgia Wildlife Federation Grand America Turkey Calling Contest
Saturday 1:00 P.M.
Sunday 12:00 P.M.

See samples of the New Lowrance HDS Structure Scan Down Scan at this address: http://havefunfishing.com/fishingreports/lowrance.htm

Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Professional Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE! Sonar Seminars at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Lawrenceville Georgia.

The next Sonar Seminar is SATURDAY,

February 27, 2010 at 2pm.

 All seminars start at 2pm and are subject to change without notice.

February 5, 2010

LAKE LANIER IS FULL AND CREEKS ARE VERY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR AND 43 DEGREES.

Bass fishing is slow. And now more rain. So far today, we have had 3 inches of rain in Cumming. The bass are deep and we have seen the fish in 35 feet of water in the mid lake area in deep brush piles. Jigs or spoons are the best and you can sit on top of these locations and work the baits straight down. Anglers are fishing as deep as 40 feet in brush piles and not getting a bite. And some anglers are fishing at 20 feet on docks and on points and finding a few fish. There are still some fish under some of the docks and the double wide ones seem to be best. The water is warmer in these docks because the take lots of heat during the day. If you watch the water temperature gauge, you will see the water is warmer right next to the dock. Our best worm has been a Zoom finesse in natural blue. The sand worm with a red tail has been the second best color and both need to be rigged on a shakey head rig and a 3/16 ounce sinker. Add some Jack’s Juice for extra hold time to set the hook.

This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service, 404-561-2564. www.bigfishonguide.com

The lake is at full pool. The creeks and rivers are stained and 41 degrees in the morning, warming to as high as 47 in the afternoon. We are experiencing a winter threadfin shad kill due to the cold temperatures. Consequently, the birds are staying busy picking up the dying shad and they no longer have to rely on the stripers to push the bait to the surface. This makes the birds less reliable as "fish finders" and can be a little frustrating. If you see working birds, check the area with your electronics before committing to pulling bait. Finding the fish continues to be the challenge. Overall the fishing is spotty. One day is great and the next day all the fish seem to have vanished. Your best bet remains half way back in the creeks from Browns Bridge south to Bald Ridge creek. Herring, trout and small shiners on free lines and planner boards are working. Umbrella rigs are the go to method if you are marking fish and cannot make them bite. If the temperature ever warms and the rain storms let up the back of the creeks will warm up first and the bait and the fish will move in almost overnight. When this happens the fishing will go from fair to great! We will keep you posted on the conditions. The new Lowrance Structure Scan is a very helpful tool for finding the fish and bait. If you haven't had a chance to see the Lowrance LSS-1 Structure Scan/Down Scan technology in action, you need to.

Crappie fishing is slow unless you find the right docks in the creek down lake. Use small Bass Pro Shops Squirt jigs on 1/32 ounce lead heads and doodle the baits on 4 pound Stren Easy Cast to get the bites.

Bass Pro Shops Spring Fishing Classic in Lawrenceville Georgia seminars by Ken Sturdivant. On Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 2pm Ken reveals secrets to finding schools of fish that others overlook through the effective use of sonar and structure identification. On Saturday March 13, 2010 at 1pm be sure to catch this seminar as Ken Sturdivant covers the twelve lures you never want to be without on your favorite bass waters.

We have 50 GPS waypoints for bass fishing on Lake Lanier 25 on the south end and 25 on the north end of Lake Lanier for sale for $99.00. Get the GPS waypoint and the structure as well as the lures to use on each location. Send a check for $99.00 to: Southern Fishing Schools Inc., 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia, 30040

Look on the bottom of this page for a "sampler".

(WAYPOINTS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE)

Our NEW! DVD, FINDING FISH WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY is now on sale.

Lake Lanier Ramp Calculator
(Requires Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet)

Stop wasting time, gas and Money. Learn how to find where the fish Live!

“On the Water” Sonar School Outline

We will spend the day tuning the sonar, locating fish and structure and marking fishing locations where fish “live”. We will SEE the fish and the structure where they live.

Learn how sonar works. What is the cone angle? What do fish look like when we are sitting still and when we are moving? What are those long skinny lines coming off the bottom? What are those long horizontal lines? What does a school’s of bait look like.

How do I find the places where Bass live? Learn the technique that will eliminate water and hot to “find” the fish.

3. How to use the right bass lures at the right time. We will use the Fish and Game Forecaster and learn when to fish with what. www.moontimes.com

Tune a sonar from a to z. All the settings are there for the angler to customize their machine.

Learn how to use the Aqua Vu under water cameras. www.aquavu.com SEE THE FISH!

5. See the GPS features in action and load numbers into a GPS unit. We will give anglers a list of several locations at Lake Lanier where bass live. Learn how to load GPS numbers in machines.

Attachments: Outline, How Sonar works, Sonar tuning sheet, Moon times, Tooth Cove, Running updates, Young Deer GPS sheet

We also offer a $25.00 cash referral to anyone that books takes an On the Water School or a guide trip. Be sure you tell the referral to give me your name and phone number so we can forward you a check.

COPYRIGHT Southern Fishing Schools Inc.

Lake Lanier is a 38,000 acre reservoir operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) and located about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. Lanier receives heavy fishing pressure due to its proximity to the large population centers around Atlanta. Spotted bass, crappie, striped bass and catfish are favorite targets of Lake Lanier anglers. Record low rainfall in 2007 drastically reduced the surface area of the lake and brought predator and prey species closer together. These “close quarters” will allow spotted bass, largemouth bass and stripers to be more effective at locating and feeding on blue back herring and threadfin shad in early 2008. These improved foraging conditions will allow predator species to improve their body condition and put on weight for the upcoming spawning season. Black bass fishing should be very good in 2008. Spotted bass are very abundant, in excellent condition, and are putting on weight from the ample supply of threadfins and blue backs. Therefore, anglers should experience another good year catching numerous 1 4 pounds spotted bass. Based on WRD sampling from 2007, the abundance of 1 to 2 pounds largemouth bass has also improved slightly. Largemouth’s exceeding 5 pounds are present, but limited in numbers. Spotted and largemouth bass can be caught on a variety of artificial lures throughout the year as well as live baits such as night crawlers, crayfish and minnows.
Anglers fishing for crappie should experience an average year when it comes to numbers. Fish in the ½ ¾ lb. range will be common with a few larger fish weighing in near 1 ½ pounds The heaviest stringers will be produced from late February through April, when larger spawning fish are shallow. The best areas to find crappie are the upper Chattahoochee arm (Clarks Bridge to Lula Bridge), Thompson Creek and Taylor Creek. Look for downed trees in the water and use a depth finder to locate submerged structure, when fishing for Lanier slabs.
Lanier anglers can expect another excellent year for striped bass. The lake supports an abundance of small stripers weighing from 2 to 10 pounds. A good supply of 10 to15 pounds stripers will also provide plenty of action and an average number of trophy stripers (20 to 30 pounds ) are still present. Both winter (November March) and summer (July August) offer excellent conditions for striper fishing. Live bait (herring, shiners, bluegill, shad, and small trout), super flukes and bucktail jigs will produce the best results. Angler success during the summer months will depend on oxygen conditions at cooler depths (greater than 25 ft.), which provide the striper’s habitat from July through September. An abundant supply of blue back herring, which is the preferred forage of stripers, plays a key role in maintaining a healthy population in Lanier.
WRD stocked 142,000 walleye fingerlings in 2007 to boost the fishery by enhancing spawning runs up the rivers. Wahoo Creek and the upper Chattahoochee River arm of the lake are good areas to begin the hunt for Lanier walleye. Most fish caught in 2008 will be in the 1 to 2 pounds range, with a few fish over 2 pounds Adult walleye are increasing in abundance, and a few larger fish can be caught in the Chattahoochee River near Belton Bridge in February and early March during spawning runs. After spawning, walleye move to the lower reservoir seeking the cool, oxygenated waters (25 to 40 ft. depths). Trolling the shoreline (spinners, crank baits and crawler harnesses) and still fishing nightcrawlers on the bottom at depths of 15 to 40 feet is an effective method for taking walleye year round. Check out www.walleyehunter.com for general tips on walleye fishing or the “Walleye Fishing in Georgia” guidebook that is posted on the WRD website at www.gofishgeorgia.com .
Channel catfish are numerous and average about 1 lb. Bluegill weighing ¼ . lb. can be caught on a regular basis using crickets or red wigglers fished near boathouses and around sandy bottoms from May through August. Carp are terrific fighters and fun to catch in shallow water. They readily take prepared catfish baits, corn and dough balls from May through August. In 2007, WRD, State Parks, and COE personnel cut and anchored shoreline trees where permitted at two cove locations at the Don Carter State Park property, just below Lula Bridge. These downed shoreline trees will attract crappie, bass and other species for anglers to catch this year (if the lake returns to normal pool). Maps showing the locations of attractor sites can be obtained from the COE office at Lake Lanier (770 945 9531) and the Gainesville WRD Fisheries Management office (770 535 5498). A guide to bank fishing opportunities is also available. Some key bank fishing spots include Lanier Point Park, Thompson Creek Park, Little Hall Park and Little River Landing. Buford Dam Park and River Forks Park are two good sites that also are accessible. Lake Lanier was nearly 20 ft. below normal pool at the beginning of 2008. The COE, with assistance from local groups, will be extending some boat ramps around Lake Lanier. For information regarding lake levels, boat ramp openings and donations to ramp extension projects, contact the COE Buford office (770 945 9531) or visit their website: http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/ .

We have these books for sale: “BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE”, “BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL”, “BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE” and “BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL”. These books are written by Tim White and Ken Sturdivant and each one has over 65 locations exclusively for bass and covers every week of the year. Each book $39.00. If you would like a sample of any book, send us an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040.

We have 3 books that cover all species in the lakes, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE ALLATOONA, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE LANIER”, and “52 WEEKS ON WEST POINT LAKE” on sale. Each book is $23.95. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040. All the books are $39.00 total. Check or money orders ONLY, NO CREDIT CARDS. Make the payment to: SOUTHERN FISHING SCHOOLS INC, 106 HICKORY RIDGE DRIVE, CUMMING GEORGIA 30040. Please allow 14 days for delivery.

Lake Lanier Striper Survey: www.stripersurvey.com

You can see the feeding times daily with a Data Sport Fish and Game Forecaster on our web site.

We teach “ON THE WATER SCHOOLS”: “Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass or Maps and Depth Finders. Call 770 889 2654 for details or see the web site: www.havefunfishing.com.

Take a look at www.aquavu.com. You really need a camera. Copyright 2008, Southern Fishing Schools Inc. calls us to set up a school “Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass”. See our web site, www.havefunfishing.com for more details or call us right away, 770 889 2654.
 

if you would like to have a free set up sheet for your sonar, send me an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net and ask for the “Sonar Setup Quick List”.

Southern Fishing Schools Inc.
Ken Sturdivant
106 Hickory Ridge
Cumming Georgia, 30040
770 889 2654

SAMPLER

Lake Lanier G PS locations Volume One

NORTH LANIER
 

THESE WAY POINTS ARE "NOT" TRUE.

(WAYPOINTS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE!)

1. River Find this old road bed and in 25 feet of water there is a good man made brush pile. Jigs, crank baits and spinner baits. 34 22 83 49 28

2. River Rocky Point A small pea gravel point with small rocks with spots year round. Small crank baits, spinner baits and jigs 34 21 991 50 19

3. Creek This is an old road bed with a new man made brush pile. Right up on the bank there are small rocks that spots and largemouth will feed on. Use crank baits, spinner baits and jigs. 34 21 6 8 50 4

4. Creek This is a large fresh man made brush pile in front of the docks right next to the creek channel. Use crank baits, spinner baits and jigs. 34 22 421 83 59 415

5. Creek this is a set of 4 docks with brush piles under and in front. Look for the houseboat and fish all the docks. Use crank baits, spinner baits and jigs drop shot, Carolina rigs. 34 32 497 83 22 21

6. Creek This is a point just past the bridge with a fresh man made brush pile with stumps and rocks. Jigs, drop shot, Texas rigs 34 03 21 83 49 88

7. Creek This is an old road bed on the right side of the creek with a fresh man made brush pile. The road bed goes all the straight across the lake but this is the only place the fish hold on. Jigs, drop shot, Texas rigs and jerk baits 34 23 81 83 482 107

8. Creek This is a large hump with two very large man made brush piles. This hump is out in the center of the creek and there are always some big spotted bass living here. Crank baits, spinner baits, jigs, drop shot, Texas rigs, jerk baits, drop shot, Carolina rig, Texas rigged finesse worms 34 20 138 83 52 90

Copyright 2008, Southern Fishing Schools Inc.

FREE SONAR SET-UP SHEET:
If you would like to have a free set up sheet for your sonar, send me an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net  and ask for the “Sonar Setup Quick List”.

Please participate in the Lake Lanier Stripe Survey!
www.stripersurvey.com

 

We have these books for sale: “BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE”, “BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL”, “BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE” and “BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL” and "BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA". These books bass fishing locations exclusively for bass and covers every week of the year. Each book $39.00 total. If you would like a sample of any book, send us an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040.

We have 3 books that cover ALL species in the lakes, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE ALLATOONA, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE LANIER”, and “52 WEEKS ON WEST POINT LAKE” on sale. Each book is $23.95. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040.