Springtime Means Warmer Weather, Rising Surface Temps, and Bigger Baits for Trophy Lake Lanier Stripers.

Report Date: February 9, 2009

Water Temperature: 45
Water Clarity: 4 feet or greater

Shane Watson Guide Service Report (2-9-09). Everything is about the same on the stripers. We've ran trips north and south since my last report and found stripers and surface temps in the middle 40's. We are suppose to have warm weather for the next 2 weeks and the surface temps should get back up into the 50's. Down south we are seeing small groups of boiling stripers in pockets from the mouths to the middle of southend creeks. If you can hit these fish in the head, they will bite a leadhead fluke or a flex-it spoon. We have also caught fish down south on freelined medium shiners and bluebacks. Mid-lake you will find stripers in the usual, popular winter-time creeks. We have had great trolling at times in there, during the week when the boat traffic has been lower. Down south, expect to cover alot of water and the loons are a distraction. Up north the creeks are much shorter, but the fish can move in and out quickly. Our boats have found fish up north somedays in the very backs of stained creeks and the next day they will be out in the main narrow channels. Up north we have done best on downline medium shiners, u-rigs, and beating the banks with bucktails. Somedays, the fishing has been wide open both north and south. Somedays, they have been easy to find but finicky and harder to catch. The key thing right now is to keep moving until to you get on some fish. Downsize your leader and hook sizes and use smaller baits for now. As the surface temps warm over the next 2 months, you will see the bigger trophy size fish up shallow, roaming banks, points, and on shallow flats. When the water gets back up in the 50's, pull big trout, big gizzard shad, and bigger bluebacks with planerboards and on freelines. This report is brought to you by Shane Watson Guide Service and Hammond's Fishing Center. Good Fishing.

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