Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Reports

April Lanier Kayak Fishing report!

2011-04-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

Spring is finally here to stay this time and the fish are biting well on lanier! The best thing going right now on the lake is the crappie bite. Most of my fish are being caught on a 1/32 oz chartuese Marabou jig tipped with a crappie nibble. Fish seem to be moving shallower, I have been catching good fish under shaded docks on the north end of the lake and some around brush. I will be out this week to check out the shallow action as I expect it is on right now!

Bass are also biting well, I have caught quite a few while crappie fishing. A green finesse worm fished around docks and brush will also get strikes right now. I like to use a spot sticker jig head with these finesse worms or a small bullet weight.

Pretty much any fish that swims in the lake may bite while you are crappie fishing!
I have not been striper fishing lately but the bite is said to be picking up. Will report back later when I get out after the linesiders! Good luck on the lake! Form more information visit our online forum at http://lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com/

March/Springtime Report

2011-03-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

After a cold winter in GA the weather is finally starting to warm up and the fishing is improving! Springtime is one of the best times of year to get out and enjoy a day on the lake or river in a kayak! The mild temps and reduced boat traffic/fishing pressure make for an enjoyable experience!

Crappie:

This time of year one of your best bets from the yak are crappie! If you like to catch numbers of fish, have fun and take a few home for dinner then give crappie fishing a shot! My number one producing lure so far this year has been a hand tied marabou jig in chartruese tipped with a crappie nibble. Fish this lure around boat docks and blowdowns for a nice mixed bag of bass, crappie bream and basically any other fish that swims in the lake! As the fish move shallower over the next few weeks continue to use a jig around brush and also take a few corks and light wire hooks to throw out a minnow or gulp alive bait to entice spawning crappie!

Bass/Stripers:

I have been out several times for stripers and the bite is slow during the day! Pulling free-lined herring will work but have patience! This is a great time of year to catch a trophy, my biggest striper last year was caught in late March and it was the only bite I got in eight hours! Kayak anglers are bringing in some good catches at night on long A bombers, if you do go out at night make sure you have a good stern light and headlamp.

The shallow bite for bass is starting and can be a fun way to spend an afternoon off in the yak! Throwing a buck tail towards the bank, points and humps is a popular technique for stripers but will also get you some nice spots if the stripers aren't around. My favorite technique for shallow spots is a plastic finesse worm rigged on a light spot sticker jig head or texas rigged. This bite should pick up as the weather warms up next week. Fishing a plastic worm around docks and brush will bring some nice spotted bass aboard the yak!
Good luck fishing, April is going to be a great month! For more information on kayak fishing in Lanier and surrounding waters visit our online forum at http://lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com/

Warmer Weather Sends the Stripers back down!

2010-10-26T09:28:00.001-07:00

I have been out several times over the past few weeks for stripers and the bite has been good at times and slow at others! The top-water bite for stripers has slowed down over the past few weeks with the warmer than normal temps. I have been back to fishing downlines at 30-45 feet deep over a 50-90 foot bottom! Kind of like summertime fishing! Make sure to keep a topwater lure handy though just in case!

Spots are still coming up around points and humps. Try out a large topwater plug like a zara spook or pencil popper for the surfacing spots. The kayak is a great way to sneak up on the busting fish, often they will not even know you are there and continue to break close to the yak! Will be back out later this week, good luck!

October Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Report

2010-10-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

As fall begins there are a number of tactics working on Lanier! The fishing is good and the kayak is a great way to sneak up on these schooling fish! Mild temperatures and reduced pleasure boat traffic make this one of the best times of the year to kayak fish on Lake Lanier.
Right now the stripers are starting to school up good but seem to be moving very fast! Downlines, free-lines and top-water are all working right now. The fish will let you know what they want on the particular day! As the weather cools the top-water bite should get better. A large pencil popper will sometimes bring the fish up if you can't make it to them when they are boiling on top. When you do see surfacing fish, often there are more underneath so watch your downlines carefully!

The spoon bite is starting up for the spotted bass. My favorite is the flex-it spoon. Worked over points and humps this lure can fill the yak quickly when the bass are feeding. Use your electronics and work the lure down off the bottom. Heavy bait-casting gear is best for deep jigging spoons. Don't be surprised to also catch bass, sun-fish and stripers while working your spoons!

A mega school from last week! They are still out there, just moving around! Good luck on the water!

September Lanier Kayak Fishing Report

2010-09-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

As the water temps are cooling the fishing is warming up on the LAKE!! Fall is a great time to get out and catch a wide variety of fish from the kayak. Mild temps and reduced pleasure boat traffic make for a relaxing experience on the water. Expect a mixed bag of fish on Lanier right now and multiple tactics are working.
The stripers are still eating down-line blueback herring very well. Some big fish are also showing up, several 15 plus pounders were taken in kayaks over the past few weeks! Fall is a great time to land a trophy striper from the kayak! Downlines over a 40-60 foot bottom seem to be producing well right now. There are also some schools of smaller stripers hanging out shallower! Free-lined bluebacks will also start to work soon as the fish move up with the cooling temps. Often I will run both until I find out what the fish want that day.

Doubles in the kayak........a challenging sleigh-ride!
Spotted bass are also eating blueback herring right now. I landed several nice magnums last week while striper fishing. The spots are also coming up in the mornings and throughout the day. Keep a large topwater lure handy to cast at these busting fish (if you aren't too busy reeling in stripers!) I prefer a large superspook. The sebile swimbait in white also produces some good strikes from these surfacing fish. As the spots move shallower plastics, crankbaits and white roostertails will also catch fish.

For some fun fishing the lanier catfish are biting very well right now! I caught three in a row on a recent fishing trip that made a trip home to the fryer. They are eating cut bait right now and a 20-25 foot bottom seem to be the best. Bank fishing will work well this time of year also. Try cut-bait or live nightcrawlers and make sure to secure your rod in a rodholder!

For more information on kayak fishing on lanier, tactics, fishing trips and detailed reports visit our online forum at:

http://lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com/

Good luck on the water!

Early June Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Report

2010-06-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

Summertime is upon us and the fishing is good! If you haven't allready dusted the yak off and got on the water now is the time! Below is what is working for Yakdawg and LAKE members on Lanier and surrounding waters over the past few weeks.
Bass: The spots are up on top and will hit moving baits if you are at the right place at the right time! The key to fishing the topwater bite in the kayak is patience. If the fish go down before you are in casting distance continue to make several casts and retrieves in the area you saw fish surfacing. Sometimes you will "call up" an aggressive magnum spot! It is hard to beat humps and points this time of year for topwater action on Lanier. The zara spook and chugbug are two great lures to throw. I have also been doing well throwing a jig-head 3 inch grub at surfacing fish. Jerkbaits and swimbaits will also get hit.
Stripers: The striper fishing remains good but be prepared to get "window shopped!" Downlined blueback herring is the ticket for a sleighride this time of year. I have been catching fish this week 20-30 feet down over a 40-60ft bottom on the south end of the lake. The great news is that the stripers are really starting to bunch up, but just because you have found them does not mean that you will get bit! Some tactics that will help trigger a strike: power reeling (dropping the bait below the fish and reeling up fast). Lighter leaders, try 12 or even 10 pound. Paint your weights black. Also have a bucktail jig ready to drop to the fish and even try cut-bait if nothing else works! Seeing lots of fish on the sonar is a bad problem to have! I would much rather figure out what they want then to spend all day looking for them!
Crappie/Bream/Catfish:Bream and crappie are biting on smaller lakes in the North GA area and can be a blast on light tackle! I have been catching a mixed bag of bull bream and crappie on micro jigs, sometimes tipped with a berkley crappie nibble. For larger bream, stay off the banks and let the jig sink to the bottom before working it back to your yak! Crickets are deadly on these big bream as well! Just because the spawn is over doesn't mean you can't catch crappie! I have been catching crappie around deep blowdowns and bridge pilings. Use jigs or live minnows for the slabs!
Visit our online forum at www.lanierkayakfishing@proboards.com for fishing trips, reports and more information about the great sport of kayak fishing!

Late May Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Report

2010-05-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

The fishing has been very good on Lanier and surrounding waters over the past few weeks! Spring is one of the best times of the year to get out and enjoy fishing from a kayak. Mild weather, less boat traffic and eager fish make for some enjoyable days on the water. So, what are the fish eating? Here is what has been working for Yakdawg and other LAKE anglers:

Bass: The bite seems to be changing daily! On the lake the shallow bite is starting to slow down but there are still some small buck spots close to the banks and under docks. Largemouth, like the fish pictured below, are biting good up the lake on plastic worms around blow-downs and docks. Down south there are some fish coming up, hopefully that will pick up soon. It is hard to beat a Zara Spook or chugbug for these topwater spots! The sebile magic swimmer and a fishhead spin are to lures that you should have ready to throw! If you want a change of pace from the busy Lanier traffic, try some bass fishing on a smaller lake or pond. There are plenty in the Atlanta area and the size of the bass you may catch will surprise you! In the smaller lakes I do well on finesse worms on a texas rig and shallow diving cranks or rattle traps.
Stripers: The striper fishing remains good on Lanier and will only improve! Kayak anglers have been catching stripers on Free-lined and downlined bluebacks. Over the next few weeks don't be afraid to have both downlines and freelines out as the fish move deeper in the water column. I like to run both particularly in the morning then switch over to all downlines once the sun gets high overhead. Target points and humps this time of year for good numbers of fish. If you have yet to experience catching a striper from the kayak then you are in for a ride, or should I say a "sleigh ride!"

Panfish: The bite for bluegill and other panfish is hard to beat right now! Small lakes surrounding Lanier are great places to target these tasty fish. I like to use small 1/80 oz micro jigs and 1/32 crappie jigs to target these fish on ultralight gear. You will find beds in anywhere from on the bank to five or more feet deep off the banks. Let your jig sink to the bottom then start a slow retrieve back to your kayak, often the bream will hit the jig on the fall. The key to catching good numbers of fish is not spooking the beds, anchor your kayak well away from the shore and make long casts. Live bait will also fill the yak with these panfish, try small worms or crickets. Pound for pound these fish are hard fighters, below is a nice stringer full of bluegill taken on a nearby lake.

Trout: For a change of pace, head up to the north GA mountains for some great fishing! Streams and rivers have been heavily stocked! A quick limit of fish coupled with the amazing scenery make for a great relaxing day on the water. Many presentations will work on these fish including corn, salmon eggs, and worms but my favorite lure is a small inline spinner (roostertail).

If you are new or interested in the sport of kayak fishing make sure to stop by our forum at: http://lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com/ For more fishing reports, info and fishing trips.

Good luck on the water!

May Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Report

2010-05-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

The fishing has been great on Lanier over the past few weeks! In my opinion the best thing going right now on the lake is the spotted bass fishing. The spots are biting a number of different lures right now so you can pretty much pick something you have confidence in and fish with it! I have been catching good numbers on a white rooster tail and a spot-sticker zoom finesse worm. The rooster tail works best if you let it sink to the bottom and then start your retrieve. Kayak anglers are also having good success with crankbaits, jerkbaits and catching some magnums with free-lined bluebacks while striper fishing!
The stripers are finally coming alive and biting! Free-lined bluebacks are still the ticket right now but don't leave home without a topwater lure. Red-fin's and Zara spooks are the lures of choice. Catching a striper on top in the kayak can be challenging but is worth the effort! Pictured below is a nice 12.5 pound striper that L.A.K.E member Ceanes landed today. Stripers over ten pounds will give you what is called a "sleigh ride" Quite an adrenaline rush!

If you want to have some fun this spring with ultra-light gear the bream bite is really starting to turn on on Lanier. On average the fish runs small but there are some larger ones in the mix waiting to be caught! All of the new structure on the shoreline is making for a great habit for these fish to survive in. I landed 20 plus bream on my last trip with a 1/32 oz jig and a pink grub. This combo has been producing bream, crappie, largemouth bass, spotted bass and even a five pound catfish. I just throw the jig out around brush/shorelines, let it sink, then slowly retrieve the lure. If you want catch numbers of fish then give this a shot, you never know what you may hook into!

Good luck on the water! If you want to learn more about kayak fishing or connect with other Lanier Kayak Anglers visit our forum at http://lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com/

Early April Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Report

2010-04-08T13:03:00.001-07:00

Not much has changed since March with the fish on lanier, with one exception....the bite is getting better every day!!! I have been out several times over the past week and have been doing well with bass, stripers and crappie. For stripers your best bet from the kayak is still free-lined blueback herring, run them 100 feet behind the yak and cover some water. You will catch a mix of spots and stripers this time of year, sometimes it is hard to keep the spots off the line! I also like to cast jerkbaits or crankbaits for some bonus fish while trolling bait.

The crappie are biting very well as they prepare to spawn. I have been catching them under docks but unlike last year this is not my best method. Most of the fish seem to be holding around blowdowns and brush that collected on the shorelines when the lake was down. Fish the backs of creeks or coves and target any woody cover or brush that you find for the slabs. They are hitting jigs and minnows right now, if you don't want to mess with bait, try some berkely gulp minnows, they work almost as good as live minnows, infact I caught five fish with just one yesterday! Fish the gulp baits 2-3 feet down under a weighted bobber.

The fishing should only get better! If you are interested in kayak fishing, visit our message forum at www.lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com To join in on a trip, read reports or just ask questions about the sport of kayak fishing. Will report back next week, good luck on the water!

Greg

Late March Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Report

2010-03-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

Fishing is picking up on Lanier! I have been out several times over the past week for crappie and today for stripers. I boated a nice 20 pound class striper today on a free-lined blueback herring, this seems to be what most anglers are using for stripers right now along with jerkbaits. Don't be afraid to cover some water to find the fish though!

Crappie fishing has been decent, I have started to catching them under shallower docks, my best lure is still a 1/32 oz jig tipped with a crappie nibble. The water temps should really warm up this weekend, I think next week will be great for shallow crappie!

Good luck on the water this week, if you are new to the sport of kayak fishing be sure to stop by our forum at www.lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com
Greg

March Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Report

2010-03-21T18:16:00.001-07:00

Spring has sprung and the fish are biting on Lanier and surrounding waters! Over the past few weeks I have been out mostly targeting crappie and bass. I have caught a mixed bag of fish on small 1/32 oz green jigheads rigged with plastic grubs. A small one inch pink grub has been my best color, tipped with a berkley crappie nibble. Small lures don't always mean small fish though, the 14 inch slab pictured in this report hit this exact combination!

With the warming weather and water, I am catching fish shallower around brush, blowdowns and docks. If you go out in the kayak after crappie make sure to use four pound line, you will catch more fish versus heavier line. Not to mention that light line and smaller reels make for some big fun with these panfish or even black bass! You may even catch catfish, stripers or perch this time of year so be ready!!

I will be back out several times this week, for more reports visit Lanier Area Kayak Fishing Enthusiasts on facebook or stop by our message board at www.lanierareakayakfishing.proboards.com .

Crappie time

2010-02-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

Made it out to Lanier Sunday for a few crappie, it is almost time! Best fish went about a pound, did not catch enough to fill a stringer but that will come soon! Fish were biting in a flat on the north end of the lake over a 20ft bottom. All of my fish came on a minnow or plastic grub with a yellow jighead at 15ft down. Can't wait to get back out there!
Will report back in the next few weeks! Greg

JIgging up spots on Lanier, 12/23

2009-12-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

Finally made it out to the lake today for a few hours! The flex-it spoon bite is strong right now for spots, I ended up catching a nice limit of spotted bass today over a 40-50 foot bottom! These fish were very aggressive, and feeding heavily on bait in the area. Check out the detailed report at our new fishing forum:

http://www.lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com

Good fishing and happy holidays!

Greg

New Lake Lanier Kayak Fishing Forum now online!

2009-12-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce that our new message board is online for Lanier Area Kayak Anglers to enjoy! Visit our new online forum at http://www.lanierkayakfishing.proboards.com .

Our club is totally free and the message board is totally free! We are dedicated to promoting your enjoyment of kayak fishing on Lake Lanier and surrounding watersheds! This forum is a great place to meet up with other anglers and learn about what is happening on lanier! Over the next few months, we will be adding rigging articles and hot fishing techniques! Several member only sections are even available for free!

If you are new to kayak fishing, experienced or just contemplating about getting into the sport, we invite you to join the discussion today! See you there!

Greg

Lanier 12/1

2009-12-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

Finally made it out to Lanier for some fishing this week. The weather has been a combination of wet and cold! I fished the back of a southend creek in search of stripers but only found spots! I caught a few spots while free-lining trout for the stripe's. Next time out I will likely target only spotted bass as I did very well this time last year with flex-it spoons and bucktails jigs. The lake is still full and looking great, very little pleasure boat traffic makes the winter months a great time to get out and fish!

Fishing is good on Lanier!

2009-11-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

I made it out yesterday for a few hours in the yak and was greeted by busting stripers everywhere! The only problem is they didn't want what I was throwing at them! These fish were in small groups and were having a frenzy feeding on small shad. It was awesome to watch these fish even if the catching wasn't that good! Several boats and yaks in the area boated one or two fish but that was about it!

I later got on the same spoon pattern that has been producing and boated several nice spots before heading home. I plan to get back out next week and try some downsized tactics for the stripers!

Lanier Nov 1

2009-11-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

Managed to get out this morning for a few hours and got on a few spotted bass. Could not find any stripers and there was very little top-water activity. Best spot of the day pictured was about 2-2.5 pounds and ate a flex-it spoon vertical jigged. The weather was nice, the lake still looks great! I will likely target spots for the next few weeks as I did very well with them this time last year!

Lake Lanier is full!

2009-10-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

After the recent rain lake lanier is now above full pool and looking great! I have been out several times this week, it has been either rainy or windy! Less top-water action than I would like but I have been catching a mix of stripers, spotted bass and catfish. I have caught fish this week with downlined and free-lined bluebacks, flex-it spoons and lost a striper today on a sebile swimbait. I did see one small group of stripers on top this afternoon, but as soon as they came up they went back down! Hope to get out soon to throw some bombers at night.

Twenty pound Lanier Striper in the Yak

2009-10-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Made it out today to fish in the wind and rain! Luckily the rain stopped but the wind was brutal. I caught spots/stripers today on a flex-it spoon, sebile swimbait and even boated a 20 pound fish on a downline........the fish was right on the bottom. Took about ten minutes to reel it in......fun day on the lake despite the weather!

Spots on Top, Stripers on downlines

2009-10-01T03:59:00.000-07:00

Hit Lanier for a few hours yesterday to find tons of spotted bass busting the surface. These fish were very aggressive and attacked a super spook as well as a sebile swimbait! Nothing like topwater fishing! After the spots went down I ended up with a few stripers on downlined bluebacks including a double of small stripers. Fun day on the lake!

Lanier 9/18 Power Reeling!

2009-09-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Made it out in the rain yesterday for a little striper fishing. The fish were there, lots of them! They just weren't interested in biting! I tried dropping a 1oz Spro bucktail to them to no avail. Finally I hooked a few by "power reeling" dropping a blueback herring almost to the bottom then reeling it up very fast. All in all not a bad day on the water, just rainy!

Summertime Stripers On Lanier

2009-08-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

Finally made it out to fish this afternoon after a week plus off the water! I found the stripers to be deep, and even got on a big school of fish! They were not that hungry but I did get some bites. Lost a tremendous fish to trees and ended up with one good fish in the yak in the 13-14 pound range. Fish were hitting the downlines between 40-60 feet over a 90-100 foot bottom. Hope to get back out soon!

Bassin on Lake Lathem

2009-08-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

Decided to stay away from the crowds on Lanier today and hit Lake Lathem in Cherokee county for a few bass. It was a nice relaxing day on the water with plenty of fish! Nothing big though, tons of small fish. This lake is very "bassy" looking. Filled with standing timber and deep drop-offs. Today I got on two patterns, one was small bass with jigs. The other was an un-weighted trick worm worked right in the standing timber. Lost one good keeper that would have gone 1.5-2. Will be back to fish this lake in the spring. Was a nice day on the water!

Striper fishing remains excellent on Lanier...8/5

2009-08-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Got out today with a fellow Kayak fisherman to hit lanier for a few stripers. The morning started off slow but eventually I got on a GOOD school of fish! At one point I was reeling in one fish and my other rod plowed into the water! A one man double in the yak isn't the easiest thing to reel in, I set the drag on the other rod and quickly reeled the first fish in but lost the second one. No worries, there were plenty more where that one came from! All fish today hit around 30-40ft down over a 70-85 foot bottom, many were coming out of the timber. The bite seemed to turn on around 10:30 so no need to get up early!

Stripers on fire! 7/30/09

2009-07-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Fished this morning despite the rainy conditions and was rewarded with some nice schools of stripers. Lots some big fish, the action was very fast. They were eating downlines at 35ft, power reeling was also effective over a 60-80ft bottom. What a fun morning just wish I had a fish in the boat for every strike! Bait was gone by 10am! It doesn't get much better, can't wait to get back out there!

Spots on Top, Lanier Kayak Tourney 7/25/09

2009-07-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day on the water! I participated a benefit tournament for the daughter's of Steve Ganio. Close to 50 kayak anglers launched from Van Pugh North today. While the goal of the day was to land a three fish slam consisting of a bass, catfish and striper I ended up catching spots on top and was happy with that! They were very aggressive on topwater for me today, points and humps were good, best fish was 18.5 inches and 3.5 pounds.

Lanier Kayak fishing Report July

2009-07-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

The fishing has been very good on Lanier this month! Sometimes it has been hard to coax the fish to bite though! It is a bad problem to have when you see fish all over your sonar but have to figure out what they want! I have been catching stripers on down-lined herring 30-40ft down over a 60-80ft bottom. They have been turning on later in the morning for me so no need to get up early.

The topwater bite has still been decent for spots in the kayak. They have been hitting a chug-bug and also a saltwater spook. Got to love those lanier spots on topwater, doesn't get much better!

Fishing for late June

2009-06-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Over the past week I have been fishing Lanier and also the Hooch below lanier for trout. The trout have been heavily stocked! I ended up with some nice ones for dinner last week and have never seen so many trout in my life! The trick to catching them was patience though and I suspect they will be biting better this week. Small spinners and light test line are key to getting these tasty fish to bite. I also caught and released small brown trout, most were around blow-downs on the sides of the river.

My past few trips on Lanier have been great! The weather is getting warm, the fish are starting to move deeper and hitting the downlines. Still catching some fat spotted bass like the one pictured below. The spots are coming up on top until around 8 around mainlake points and humps. Downlined bluebacks have been working well for stripers. Some kayak anglers are also having success with trolled bucktail jigs.

Nothing like a beautiful sunrise over lanier!

Lanier 6-8-2009

2009-06-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Had a great day on Lake Lanier today fishing in the kayak! Ended up catching a mix of small stripers and spotted bass. The best action was in shallow flats just off the main lake with downlines. Ended up the day out of bait and close to a dozen stripers/spots. Best striper pictured below was about 24 inches.

Hope to get back out later this week!