LANIER STRIPERS

The water temperature on Lanier has been hovering at the 50-degree mark for weeks. Once we get three days of sun look for the temperature to finally climb into the fifties. The water clarity has been clear on the south end, as usual, but with all the rain the back of the creeks definitely have some stain.

The stripers have been very deep up to this point. With that being said, look for the fish to move shallow in March. Freelines will become the primary tactic in March. We just have to have three days of sun. Rig up a Penn Fathom 15

Linecounter reel with 15 pound Trilene Big Game line, a Trilene 100% Flourocarbon leader, a Spro 80 pound Power Swivel, and a Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hook tipped with the herring. This setup is the Lanier staple. The Penn Fathom Linecounter really helps your success rate as you will know exactly how far back your baits are behind the boat. Start at 120 feet and make changes as necessary. A small split shot or an additional 30 feet of line can make a huge difference from day to day. Pull the freelines at 1 mph across humps and points and in some cases over open water. It’s just hard to say which will be best this Spring.

If the fish move to the banks, keep a Penn Battalion 7’ medium light spinning rod paired with a Penn Clash spinning reel with light line on the deck. Tie on a Capt. Mack 1/4-ounce bucktail in white or chartreuse. Some days the buck- tail outperforms live bait. Another option is casting MiniMacks or slow trolling MiniMacks with the trolling motor. You can troll the MiniMacks on the same Penn Fathom Linecounters you use for live bait. As you are trolling live bait, drop a couple MiniMacks close in behind the boat like a transom bait and you will boat some extra fish. The fish are getting bigger like old times so look for some better fish to show up soon.