Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance
Professional Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE! Sonar Seminars at Bass Pro
Shops Outdoor World in Lawrenceville Georgia. The 2009 Sonar Seminar dates: November 28 and December 26. All
seminars start at 2pm and are subject to change without notice.
November 13, 2009
LAKE LANIER IS 1.72 FEET OVER FULL, AND CREEKS ARE STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS
CLEAR AND 62 DEGREES.
Bass fishing has been good and it’s a worm bite all day. With the lake up over
two feet, hit the points on the main lake with a Shakey Head and Zoom green
pumpkin green finesse worm on a spinning rod. There are some spinner bait fish
also on the Mini Me all white or white skirts and copper blades feeding also.
Docks in the mina lake creeks are great all day as the spots start to set up on
the fall locations. The deeper the dock, the bigger the fish but be patient and
work the worm slowly under the docks. There are some spinner bait fish also on
the Mini Me all white or white skirts and copper blades feeding also. Docks in
the mina lake creeks are great all day as the spots start to set up on the fall
locations. The deeper the dock, the bigger the fish but be patient and work the
worm slowly under the docks. Any main lake point can be a hot spot and the trick
is to fish them deeper this week. There are small fish a little shallower but
they strike baits so lightly, unless you have a soft tip rod and light 6 pound
test, you will not feel the strikes. All the shallow fish will bite the Zoom
finesse worm in natural blue or sand. With all the deep fish there is little to
no schooling as the turnover slows down. The better deep fish start at the 25
foot range. Drop shot rigs with small hooks and small finesse style baits will
work and they seem to be producing a little better than a Texas rig. Sand worms,
natural blue and cinnamon green pig and jigs or creepy crawlers are the baits of
choice. Be sure to drop a ½ ounce Flex It spoon on the same locations. Spots are
accustomed to deep cold waters and 30 to 45 feet depths are the key areas. Pick
the mouth of any major creek and run the Lowrance on and over the points and
pockets close by. Follow the depths out and the fish will start to show up at 25
feet. We can still see a lot of fish at 25 feet in brush piles but they are very
hard to make bite. Try the back of any of the lakes creeks even in the stained
waters. Around the docks bass are chasing small bait schools in the stained
water up until noon. These spots will take Shad Raps, finesse worms, a small
Sebile trout swim bait and Rico’s. Baits include spoons, u tail worms and small
finesse worms. This is a great time of year to experiment with the drop shot
rig. Small ¼ ounce drop shot sinkers, Mosquito hooks by Mustad and small finesse
worms in any color can be magic. Most of the experienced anglers are using
either 8 or even 10 pound test Stren clear line. A medium or even medium heavy 6
foot 6 inch Bass Pro Shops Extreme rod has the sensitivity and strength to feel
and then set the hook on these deep fish. Try simply doodling the bait off the
structure just like you are spoon jigging with very light pick ups with the rod
tip. Keep the bow of the boat pointing into the wind. This allows you to feel
the strikes as well as keep the line tight.
Striper fishing is fair but you will need to ride and look for any surfacing
fish. There are some schools breaking in the quiet coves mid lake but they will
only be up right at daybreak and then by 9am, it’s time to ride and look. Fish
mid lake down to the dam. Ride and look for any surfacing fish. There are some
schools breaking in the quiet coves mid lake but they will only be up right at
daybreak and then by 9am it’s time to ride and look. There is a little top water
feeding right at dusk in the creeks down lake. All day have a small bucktail
rigged as well as the white Sebile swimmer. If you plan to troll, get a loaded
umbrella rig out 100 feet back at 2.7 miles per hour and ride and look. Trolling
is an option while just “looking”. But this feeding only lasts about 20 minutes
and then they disappear. The fish move deep to 50+ feet and down lines is the
way to get baits to the fish. Herring and shiners will be the ticket the rest of
this year. But finding the fish is a real challenge. You have to pay attention
and ride and look with the Lowrance L C R. The fish have been in smaller schools
right in the tops of the timber down lake. Even when we found bait, many times
the stripers are not around them except for deep in the trees. The shad are
starting to move into the creeks and deeper main lake coves. There has been no
firm pattern all day except to ride and look. A few fish are biting in and off
the river coves and creeks. As the shad start moving into the creeks looking for
warmer waters, the stripers follow them. During the day use live baits on a down
lines. Also run a flat line back 60 feet as a back up rig just n case a school
roams by. Be sure to try other sizes on live bait and shiners and even small
bream are good choices. There are some big spots too up to 4 pounds feeding and
these flat lines will get them. There is limited night bite on pink Bombers
casting to wind blown banks.
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.
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.
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