Lake Sidney Lanier Striper Report

Lanier striper report Feb 23rd, 2009

2009-02-23T22:09:00.003-05:00

Well folks......the water temps have bottomed out and have stayed fairly consistent at between 45-47 degrees. It is just C-O-L-D and the fish are doing what they sometimes do when it gets cold. They disappear.........Many fish are spread out and we are having a difficult time finding big schools to throw at. I have cancelled trips now for the past 2 weeks. No let up on that strategy appears to be coming anytime soon. If the fishing pattern is a poor one then we do what any ethical guide should do....reschedule the trip and either go fish the Hooch or drop tiny jigs down to crappie on my dock. For those who just need to suffer, the good news is that most all the fish I am catching are good size. Biggest fish this past week was a 19+ lb beast taken on a size 4 somethin' else. The day before my buddy (Capt Clay Cunningham) was fishing bait and landed a 35 lb behemouth. This is the time that we usually see the biggins' (as we southern boyz say). That pattern of big fish should continue thru March. However, once the water temps rise to about 52+ degrees then I expect to see more fish feeding in the mornings in the backs (I mean where the water almost runs out) of the coves. Loads of fun! Some schooling is taking place now and the birds will surely give it up for anglers looking to suffer. I even caught a BIG white bass this past week (these puppies use to be WAY more common). It was a nice suprise! Believe it or not....I look forward to seeing you on the pond :)

HC

Lanier striper report 2/3/09

2009-02-03T15:31:00.005-05:00

Well the show season is finally over........After having flown up to NJ for the Somerset Fly Fishing Show and back to Atlanta for the AFFS all in the same weekend, all I can say is GET ME ON THE POND! Fishing has been pretty consistent. That is to say that when we get a front coming thru the pre-front conditions make the fish extremely active. After the front comes high pressure and blue skies which throw the feed off. 2-3 days after the fish start to feed again. So here are the results: Before the front we can get between 6-15 bites a morning for the couple of mornings before. After the front we are LUCKY to get 1-3 bites for the mornings fishing. Once the weather settles in we are back to 3-8 bites for the mornings fishing. Fish are now mixed sizes. Had Dennis (poon) Ficco out with me yesterday and we hooked 10 stripers. We landed 8 which ranged from 3 to 14 lbs. Also landed 1 spotted bass and a largemouth of about 4 lbs. Total = 12 bites (before the front). Fish are still feeding on little threads and the somethin' else fly is still our best producer. We had some surface feeding yesterday as well as lots of birds feeding up on the bank (giving away the stripers location). All in all Feb looks like it should be another good month.........see you on the pond! David Cannon photo. Cowen video. HC

Lanier striper report 1/10/09

2009-01-10T02:43:00.003-05:00

As we turn to the new year the striper fishing on Lanier has been nothing short of AWESOME. Once again the low water conditions have allowed the baitfish to have less cover to hide and made them easy targets for striped bass. This past fall was as good as last year with the exception of the size of the fish being caught. I think the fish were bigger this fall. Average striper being caught is in the 8-12 lb range. Fish are gorging on 1-2” long threadfin shad. Fly fishermen are out fishing all others on the lake by a 3-1 margin. We can simply MATCH-THE-HATCH better. The hot fly has been the “somethin’ else” which is nothing more then a small Clouser type minnow tied w/a bit of magic in the throat. Average number of bites per day can range between 5-15…..Still enough on the surface to make it interesting on intermediate lines however PLENTY of fish are being found in gigantic schools between 10-25 feet below the surface. These are easy targets using integrated shooting heads. Fish are still all over the lake both north and south. We were just getting to see the beginnings of the back of the cove bite which allows you to throw at fish that are in water as shallow as 1-2 feet. We still have a few days open in January. See you on the pond! (if not then maybe at the Atlanta Fly Fishing show on Jan 24th & 25th)

HC

Lanier striper report Dec 18

2008-12-18T05:14:00.002-05:00

Well things have changed a bit after the 3" of rain Lanier received last week. First the lake level came up 1 foot. That is certainly a good start. The waters north are muddied up pretty good so you will either need to find a new area to fish if you do not like slinging flies into brown water. The fish are still up there and over the past 3 days the afternoon bite appears to see more top water action then the morning. The morning bite is still very good with a combination of graphing fish on the depth finder and using sinking heads to catch them and the use of intermediate lines when you see surfacing fish. With this cloudy weather all week the fishing has been pretty consistent with an average of 6-12 bites a day. Some days we got up to 20 bites. It is all dependent on the caster.....amazing how surfacing fish can completely make a perfectly good caster lose all his or her mechanics. Fish are still north and south but I like north a little better. Try 2 mile, 4 mile and 6 mile if you are fishing the south end. Look for birds as a dead giveaway to find the fish. Biggest news is that the bait and fish are moving into the creeks. Stripers are still on 2" long baits. Finding fish in the creeks will make fishing even a little better although the surface feeding will slow down some. See you on the pond..........

HC

Lanier striper report Dec 7th

2008-12-06T14:08:00.004-05:00

Not much to say without feeling like a bragger. This past week was OFF THE CHARTS good. Had many fish (and some biggins'- as we southern boys say) this past week on every trip. Fish are both way south and north. Gulls and terns have been really helpful (may have to split my tips with them). Fish are gorging on little threadfin shad and on cloudy days the action can last all day long. Sunny days still has fish feeding but the feed is not as epic. Extremely visual right now. I would say the next 3 weeks will be some of the best fishing we see as fly and light tackle anglers. Flyrodders have a distinct advantage over conventional guys as we can match the hatch better. Here are some numbers to get your mouths watering: Wed- Tom McCue had 6 stripers on fly the smallest of which was 10 lbs and the largest was 28 lbs! Thurs- Bill (bamboo) Oyster (seen in photo) was out and we hooked 6 fish to 16 lbs. Fri- Robert Lee was out and we hooked 5 fish to 16 lbs. Today (Sat) David Cannon and I hooked 10 and landed 8 fish to 16 lbs. ALL THESE FISH MENTIONED WERE TAKEN ON FLY (somethin' else pattern). When the fish are on top an intermediate line is the best. When they are not then a sinking line is in order. Still have some days open in Dec...... See you on the pond.

HC

Lanier Fishing Report 11/10

2008-11-10T16:43:00.000-05:00

Water temps have plunged into the low 60’s and the top water has started off with a bang! Lots and lots of surface feeding fish being seen ALL OVER the lake. Best times are from first light until 11am and then again from 4pm until dark. Mixed sizes of stripers being caught on the fly. Fish this past week were caught up to mid teens in size. Some days show groups of 5-10 fish (small packs) and other days shows groups of 50-100 (large packs). This week showed fish working bait balls of small shad up and onto the beach. We caught fish on intermediate lines in 18” of water. Some days we caught 2 or 3 fish and other days we hooked over a dozen. Now thru Xmas should be some of the best fishing of the year. Looks like we are going to have another fantastic fall and early winter striper bite. Best of all is that the fish are munching on threadfins rather then blue backs. If you have never seen this surface bite then just check my web site under “Lanier Fishing Footage” which shows scenes from last years top water feast. Love to talk more about it but I have to get to my vice to replenish my fly box………….see you on the pond!

Henry Cowen

The New Year...........

2008-09-30T13:00:00.002-04:00

It is the end of September and the lake has cooled down some. We are already starting to see some top water activity on the lower end of the lake. At 73 degrees we are just weeks are even days away from seeing the top water bite open up. I suspect that by sometime in early October (1st-10th) the fishing will begin. Last year I had my greatest fall season ever on Lanier. This I believe was due to the low water levels we experienced last year. Well we are going to see these low water levels again. Fly rodding and redfin fishing will be extremely rewarding if all goes as I suspect it will. Should be starting up our guide trips by mid October. Check the web site for our NEW witching hour trips (after work). These trips are always very visual (lots of surface feeding) and a bit more cost effective then the normal 5 hr half day trips. See you on the pond!

HC

Lanier striper report 2/18/08

2008-02-18T16:06:00.005-05:00

I know it has been too long since the last report. Here is the skinny on Lanier. Fishing since the end of January has been OK at best. We are still getting fish but we are working much harder to catch 2 or 3 each day. The first 10 days of Feb were tough due to inconsistent weather. The past 8 days has seen an emerging change of pattern. The back of the cove bite is just starting. This will get stronger as we warm up. For me personally, it is my favorite time on Lanier. BIG fish on the banks in the backs of the coves! It does not get any better. Intermediate lines, grey clousers or coyotes and lots of patience. Fish can be seen blowing bait up in 1-2 feet of water. Blind casting is also effective. Spotted bass are already moving up on the shoreline as we hooked 6 this morning along w/one 7 lb striper on this crazy wind blown day in just 2 1/2 hrs of fishing. This pattern should last thru the entire month of March. Both the new and full moons for this month should be awesome!!!! I suggest you look in any of the coves on both the north or south end of the lake. There are more fish north then south right now. That should continue for the next 6-8 weeks or so. I am fishing both ends of the lake depending on the reports I get from other boats as well as my own fishing on days off from guiding. Lots of reports coming from way south end (but that may be due to available ramps). Now is the time to plan a trip on the pond. We have hooked many fish in the mid to high teens over the past week. Many have been lost in the brush/trees due to inexperienced fighting of these big powerful brutes. If there was ever a time to fish a 10 wt on Lanier, now is the time. See you on the pond.

HC

Lake Lanier striper report 1/14/08

2008-01-14T07:33:00.000-05:00

Fishing on Lanier is still pretty darn good. When we had that last cold snap the fish did what we expected them to and moved back into the coves. There was some fish running shad on the banks which can make for some great fishing! We caught them both on fly (little bitty 1 1/2" Clousers and regular coyotes) as well as on conventional tackle (little George lures and flex it jigging spoons). Biggest fish on fly was 17lbs. Biggest fish on conventional was well over 20 lbs. Then we warmed up and the fish left the coves and moved back out in to the open water and river channels. We had a week of inconsistent fishing (a good day followed by 2 bad days and then another good day......Cloudy days are FAR BETTER then sunny days. Now with the cold snap coming we fully expect to get the stripers and BIG SPOTS back into the coves again. This will make for some great winter fishing if you can handle the cold. WIth the lake down, the fish will run the deep cut banks until the weather warms up. Fishing the coves means more privacy, some nice visual surface feeding, blind casting the banks and MUCH LESS PRESSURE from other boats that cannot see you tucked back in there.......We are booking February trips and have a few days left in January (not too many though). See you on the pond!

HC

Lanier striper report Dec 27th, 2007

2007-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well the fishing is still going strong just as we had hoped. This is by far and away the best fall for fly and light tackle we have had in over 6 years. Fish have settled in strong up north and although the ramps are now all but closed people that get up there are finding fish. Gulls and terns are certainly extremely helpful. Fish can be found anywhere from Browns Bridge on up to Clarks Bridge. Fish are feeding on small little threadfin shad that are anywhere up to 2" in length. Coyotes, small Clousers and small baitfish patterns (mostly in grey) have been the ticket on both sinking lines and even occassionally on intermediates when the fish get up on the bank. Best day this past week was 6 fish to 19 lbs caught one afternoon. Both mornings and afternoons have been productive but I give the nod to the PM as being a bit stronger. You MUST have clouds to be more consistently successful. The next few days looks like it will be awesome. Looking forward to this afternoons trip upcoming as we are trying to get bamboo rod maker Bill Oyster a striper on one of his bamboo beauties....Keep you posted. Plenty of open dates for anyone wanting to book trips. Remember the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show will be held at the Gwinnett Civic Center the last weekend in January (26th & 27th). We will be doing a striper seminar on how to catch both stripers and bass in LOW WATER ENVIRONMENTS like Lanier today. Stop by and say hello if you are attending. Otherwise......see you on the pond!

HC

Lake Lanier striper report 11/30/07

2007-11-30T16:46:00.000-05:00

Fishing has now officially changed over to the late fall early winter pattern. Fish are starting to move into the coves to feed. This is great news. Although the top water bite is still going on, the fish are MUCH easier to catch in the coves. We just came out of probably the best 5 weeks of top water that I have seen in 5 years on Lanier. I fully expect the next 5 weeks to be equally productive. Last year, Dec was possibly my best month. Fish are mixed sizes with lots of 5-10 lb fish being caught on integrated shooting head sinking lines. Fish are munching on lots of threadfin shad in the 1-2” range. Terns and gulls are just getting going so finding the fish is always a lot easier this time of year. If you can handle the cooler temps that No GA gets this time of year, I really think you need to experience this year’s fishery. THERE IS VERY LITTLE PRESSURE on the lake due to the closing of ALL the boat ramps. Saturdays are relatively quiet now so you can easily fish the weekends. The lake is not dangerous as long as you stay in the channel when traveling. Also do not run into the coves, but rather idle your way in……..It is far safer that way. I am really excited and think we will experience a great last of the year push on stripers and spotted bass…………see you on the pond!

HC

lanier striper report Nov 8th

2007-11-08T13:48:00.000-05:00

Fishing has been hit or miss over the past couple weeks. Top water is going on but lasts for a short 30 minutes to maybe 1 hour. After that there really is no pattern for fly or artificial fishing. Best bet is to troll live bait. NOT FOR ME but that is your best bet. Cloudy days make the top water bite solid and sunny days make it short lived. Fish are EVERYWHERE.......just gotta keep looking and burning fuel. Best flies are the baitfish thrown on a sinking line. Best lures are a walk the dog type bait like a spook or top dog. Redfins still work but are getting more refusals. See you on the pond.

HC

Lanier striper report 10/22/07

2007-10-22T16:08:00.000-04:00

Well the new season has finally kicked into gear. For the past 6 days we have had 4 VERY GOOD days of fishing. Today was off the chart. I had two fishermen in the boat and we hooked close to 24 stripers on bith fly and redfins. Biggest fish was about 12 lbs. We landed at least 15 or more. Average fish today was about 6-7 lbs. Some rats were mixed in. Fish were all over the surface this morning. With the front coming thru in the next day, it was easy to see why the fish ate like they were famished! We caught them on sinking lines and Clousers (grey/white) as well as floating lines and crease flies. Fish started out over a 40-50 foot bottom and moved into the back of a pocket where they pushed bait up onto the bank. IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!! My sports doubled up several times and the fishing was juat like I remember when the water levels were down some 5-6 years ago. We are in for a BIG season in my opinion. Best redfin was the chrome/blue and the solid bone. Now is the time to get out on the pond for top water..................see you on the pond!

HC

Lanier striper report October 22nd

2007-10-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

Lake Lanier striper report 4/30/07

2007-04-29T20:19:00.000-04:00

Top water took a leap forward this week. Fishing was mostly on this past week as the shad spawn and top water bite came into play. Fiush of mixed sizes from 3-15lbs were the norm. Stripers ate baitfish pattern, coyotes and crease flies. Fish being caught both north and south. Early morning bite as well as dock lites has been best. BIG spotted bass also being caught on top water over the past 7 days. These next 2 weeks should be off the chart with regards to the fishing. Sinking lines still my go to set up unless throwing crease flies. See you on the pond.

HC

lanier striper report 4/18/07

2007-04-18T17:19:00.001-04:00

Winter just will not leave this season. Water temps dropped down to 56 degrees over the past few days and this has thrown the fishing off a bit. Wind and cold have the fish eating very little at this time (at least for fly and light tackle enthusiasts). Good news is that all we need is some stable warm weather and the fishing will rebound. Redfin bite is still going to be a good choice to find a topwater feeder. Fish have moved out of the pockets (hopefully temporarily). Will have to wait and see where the fish have gone once the wind lets up and we can get out again to look. The past 4 days have been very tough. Good news is the spots are still aggressively feeding. They ARE ON THE BANK and can be fished for with flies and lures. Nice size spots are being caught. I would say our fishing is about 3 weeks behind from last year (water temperatures tell us this). A little nice weather would help. Keep your fingers crossed for warmer days and lighter winds. See you on the pond!

HC

Lake Lanier striper report 4/12/07

2007-04-12T02:42:00.001-04:00

Wind, wind and more wind! That is what we have seen over the past week. The big chill passed us by and the fishing just keeps on movin' forward. Fish seemed to shut down some over the past weekend, however it just rebounded come Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Fish are eating redfins waked on the surface again for light tackle enthusiasts. Some big fish being hooked in shallow water (15-20 lbs.). The fly bite rebounded as well. Fish on both intermediate and sinking lines. BIG schools of fish being seen over a 20-25 foot bottom. Sinking lines with long Clousers, coyotes and baitfish patterns working extremely well. Fish from 4 lbs to 15 lbs. These fish are eating herring. Fish also found yesterday in VERY skinny water. FLOATING lines were needed. Fish tossing threadfin shad in 1-2 feet of water in the backs of some pockets and coves. Spectacular finesse fishing!!!!!! This should continue over the next couple of weeks. Spotted bass fishing is getting hot too. BIG fish being caught. Many over 4 lbs. I am fishing north but have reliably heard this is happening ALL OVER THE LAKE. This is your opportunity to get a line class record for spots! New boat now being used. Got the kinks out and it is now full speed ahead! See you on the pond.

HC