JUNE ON LANIER:OFF-SHORE TOPWATER TIME!

Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com

It is hard to beat the topwater bite in June on Lake Lanier. Spotted bass chasing a topwater bait in wolfpacks from brush piles is unmatched excitement and fun. In this month’s installment, we will review the different options to take advantage of the incredible offshore topwater fishing on Lake Lanier in June.

Location

In June, most of the spotted bass have completed the spawn, and have transitioned into replenish mode. This June may be a little different in terms of timing based on the cold April and dispersed spawn we have experienced. Keep that in mind in terms of the timing of your pursuit of this bite. Post-spawn, many fish will be relating to key features at the mouths of the major creeks as well as main lake areas and can be found on key structure such as long running points and humps. Locating these areas and the man-made cover that is often found on them (Example – brush piles, which will often concentrate the fish and can be found in 20-25 FOW), will be important to your success.

Lures and Presentation

Now that we have explored the location that the spots can be found in June as well as how to find them, let’s examine some of the techniques and lures that can be used to catch these fish.

1. Topwater – There are many bait choices in the top-water category –poppers, walkers, wakers, etc. The preference of the fish will change day to day, so make sure to experiment daily to identify the mood of the fish as well as their preference in presentation. Excellent topwater baits for Lake Lanier from Berkley include JWalker, Cane Walker, Hi Jacker, Surge Shad, Choppo, and Bullet Pop. These lures as well as all the rods and reels you will need to present them can be purchased at local tackle shops such as Hammond’s Fishing in Cumming, GA. The friendly staff at Hammond’s Fishing will be happy to help you make the proper selection and match the rod and reel to the pre- sentation you are seeking. Make sure to check out those G Loomis rods and Shimano reels - truly world class tackle!

2. Swimbait – Swimbaits offer great versatility as they can be fished at any depth you wish. Popular hard and soft swimbaits are made by several different tackle vendors, to include many local options. As far as the mechanical type swimbaits, one of my favorites is the Lanier Baits Magic Swimmer. Vary your retrieving speed and depth with this bait until you find the retrieve for which the fish are searching. Look for these baits to be a big producer of monster spotted bass in June.

3. Underspin from GA Blade –We have talked about this bait in previous articles. When the topwater/swimbait bite is tough, pick up your Underspin and go to work. Fish the bait over and around brush for your best success, especially when the sun is out. The sun will concentrate the fish in this type of cover and the GA Blade Underspin offers the perfect solution for the finicky fish that won’t come up. You can tip your underspin with either a straight-tail or boot-tail style trailer.

4. Worm and Jig – When the topwater/swimbait action slows, and you see fish in the brush on your Humminbird, try the worm and jig. I like the GA Blade Jig head and worm combinations. As far as jigs go, I prefer Georgia Jigs. Explore different worm and jig sizes, shapes, textures, and colors when you are fishing. Something different presented appropriately can make a big difference on certain days. Keep trying until you find the presentation for which the fish are searching for that day.

Tackle

For topwater action, you should utilize either a medium to mediumheavy bait-casting or spin-casting outfit, rigged with 12-17 lbs. monofilament line. Also, an option is spooling with Seaguar Smackdown Braid/mono leader combination.

Monofilament (and braided) fishing line floats, whereas fluorocarbon line sinks, which makes either monofilament or braided line the best option for presenting topwater baits correctly. As far as choosing a rig for fishing these topwater baits, consider the weight of the bait as your deciding factor. Lighter poppers and smaller walking baits are often better presented on spinning gear which allows for easier casting of smaller baits. For swimbaits, I like to present the larger, heavier, mechanical type swimbaits on a heavy action rod that is at least 7 feet long and I will utilize 20-pound test monofilament or Seaguar Fluorocarbon line. My big swimbait rod is a G-Loomis IMX Pro Swimbait Rod which is perfectly matched for these baits. I appreciate the extra rod strength to cast these big baits and manage the big fish you will catch on them. As far as the many other soft and hard swimbait options, you can scale back to a medium-heavy rod if you prefer, but I recommend keeping the length at 7 feet or more. G-Loomis also offers some outstanding topwater rods from which to choose. I really like the IMX Pro options. Check out the options at Gloomis.com.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy some of the best fishing on Lake Lanier during the month of June! Want Detailed Weekly Video Reports supported by Daily Video Fishing Updates? Subscribe to Jimbo’s Video Fishing Reports – learn the lures, patterns, and locations that work before you go fishing! Stay in the know with Jimbo! Subscribe here: https://jimboonlanier. com/jimbos-weekly-video-fishingreports/

Jimbo is a Full-Time, Year-Round Spotted Bass Guide on Lake Lanier. Contact him today to book a trip! Mobile - 770-542-7764

Lake Lanier Crappie

Forecast By: Captain Josh Thornton 770-530-6493 www.crappieonlanier.com | www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org

The water temperatures are in the mid to upper 60s. Crappie are still shallow, check blow downs in shallow water. Look for shallow docks less than 15 feet deep. The crappie are suspending under neath in less than 10’.

Dark colored jigs are working well. I prefer black with a chartreuse tail or a solid dark purple jig. Minnows under a bobber set at 3-4 feet deep have been working well. Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows or shaded areas of dock. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. I use ATX lure company’s jigs. I use 5-pound test high visibility yellow k9 braid for my line unless I am using a bobber then it’s the k9 6-pound high vis line and a Acc crappie stix. I use Garmin Live Scope and a Power Pole.

If you haven’t yet check out www.4heroutdoor.com/ Find me on the web or Facebook and like my pages.

Forecast By: Shane Goebe Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service & The Angler Magazine Fishing Team Lakes Chatuge, Nottely, Blue Ridge and Hiwassee (828) 361-2021 | www.bigolfish.com

The long hot days of summer are finally here, and so are the insane schools of stripers and hybrids. We always tell everyone, “If you wanna catch numbers, then June is a great start”. It’s the perfect time to hit the lake and catch some amazing fish! FYI, when I say numbers it’s not uncommon to catch 30-50 of these explosive stripers in just a couple of hours. Now, what’s the best way to do that? By booking a trip with North Georgia’s #1 striper guide service: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. Check out our Facebook and Instagram page to see just what I mean. And, of course read these awesome articles.

Currently, Lake Nottely is at full pool. Water clarity is clear through- out the lake, and water temps are in the low 70’s.

Striper fishing remains excellent. We have been loading the boat with some big fish in good quantities. Several of our fish have been in the 20–35-pound range. The earlymorning and evening bites are your best times to see action. In the early morning hours, we are still pulling planer boards and free lines with live blueback herring and shad. As the sun comes up in the later morning hours, start to focus on deeper water and switch to down lines. Target creek mouths and points off the main channel. As the top-water bite has also been excellent, keep a spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag those surface-busting fish. By mid-month these fish will really start to school up and we’ll switch to an all-down line bite. Just remember to keep an eye on your electronics and watch for schools off stripers. Also, remember to try to get the fish back into the water as quick as possible.

June is a fantastic month for catching a lot of trophy stripers on this North Georgia lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Nottely’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Murphy, NC’s and Blairsville Georgia’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee and Chatuge (in North Carolina), and Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, GA. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

Enjoying Close To Home Fishing Destinations

Dr. Andrew Cox

The summer vacation time period is now beginning. Due to our economic inflationary times, travel expenses such as lodging, food, and fuel costs are way up. Unfortunately, these increased costs may impact the amount, and duration of family vacation time and locations. For many families, getting out of the home and spending time outdoors may be a welcome break but an economically difficult endeavor. However, you and your family could consider shorter family oriented day, overnight, or weekend trips. With some planning, fishing for the child, adolescent, or adult anglers in your family can be incorporated into these family trips. Such trips may be an opportunity to introduce children in your family to the joys of fishing and other outdoor activities. Fishing can be incorporated within other activities so that children do not become bored or disinterested in angling. Short periods of fishing can be interspersed with other activities that spark children’s attention when planning a family outing spanning a day, or weekend.

When on overnight family outings, some may stay in a hotel or motel. However, this may be a good time to explore and enjoy camping. There are many good camping destinations close to Georgia and Alabama residents. Some of these are close to or have fishing opportunities available for you and your family to sample. Though more expensive, there are lodges and self-contained outdoor lodging that have outdoor activities to include fishing on their premises.

Accordingly, with some research and planning, you and your family can enjoy close by fishing and outdoor activities during the summer time period. Families residing in Georgia and Alabama can access many good waters within three hours or less driving time.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources manages ten public fishing areas around the state. These waters have good fish populations, a variety of fish species, and good access for the boating or bank angler. The Department also has excellent written information describing various lakes, rivers, and streams across the state to include access, dominant fish species, fishing forecasts, and other information of interest to the prospective angler. This information can be accessed via http://georgiawildlife.com/fishing. Make sure to check to ensure that these areas continue to be open to the public.

Other Georgia fishing opportunities are available in the reservoirs constructed for public drinking water. Many of these are located within the Atlanta metropolitan area. Some of these reservoirs allow fishing and provide boating access, usually without the operation of an outboard engine. I particularly enjoy fishing these drinking water supply reservoirs located in Fayette County, Georgia.

The Alabama Department of Wildlife Resources has a similar website (www.outdooralabama. com). This website provides information describing rivers, streams, reservoirs, and lakes across Alabama. This allows the prospective angler to identify and plan trips to Alabama waters within easy driving distance from your home.

Alabama also maintains twentythree public fishing lakes located in twenty counties. Some of these are quite large with boating access. Some have specialized angling regulations. These lakes provide excellent fishing success with some located within easy driving distance for Georgia anglers.

Both Georgia and Alabama have an extensive system of state parks and state lands. Many of these have fishing, lodging, camping, as well as other activities that families can enjoy. State government Internet websites are available describing these state parks, facilities, available activities, as well as any costs that may be required. Lastly, you can explore access, activities, and potential overnight lodging available on Georgia Power and Alabama Power reservoirs and properties. Power company websites are also available describing these outdoor opportunities.

This time of year provides opportunities for you and your family to take a break from your daily routine and enjoy fishing and the outdoors. You may provide opportunities for your family and children to create memories that they will carry with them throughout their lifetime. Enjoy the great outdoor opportunities available to us in Georgia and Alabama. Remember that we must take extra steps to protect these resources so that they are available for future generations. These activities also help to support local and small businesses that have been hard hit by the Covid 19 pandemic, labor shortages, and increasing business costs.

Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. His writing interests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fishing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia,

Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. He has also fished the waters of most states within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and several Caribbean islands. He enjoys fresh and saltwater fishing for bass, bream, crappie, trout, redfish, and speckled trout using fly, bait casting, and spinning equipment. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama. He may be contacted at andrewtrout@ aol.com.