LANIER STRIPERS

Lake Lanier has dropped more than a foot, but the lake is predominantly clear, and the water temperature has risen into the upper seventies. June has been a mixture of spotted bass and striped bass. As the month has progressed, the stripers have separated from the spotted bass. The stripers have moved deep, and the schools are getting larger and larger each week. Typically, July is one of the best months of the year for numbers for stripers. The south end of the lake will be your best bet.

With the schools of stripers being deep, good electronics and great bait are the essential ingredients to success. With the newest electronics, you should be able to see your bait swim on the hook. After picking up blueback herring at the local bait stores like Hammonds, Sherrie’s, and Oakwood Bait you just need a few key items. The key set up is a

Shakespeare striper Rod, a Penn Fathom II Linecounter reel, Captain Mack swivel sinkers, Berkley 100% flourocarbon leader material, and Gamakatsu 1/0 red Octopus hooks. You should be able to see your sinker drop into the schools of stripers.

If you want to try artificials, spool up another Penn Fathom Linecounter with fifteen-pound Trilene Big Game line and tie on a Ben Parker spoon or a 2-ounce white Berkley Fusion bucktail. Use the Linecounter to drop to the correct depth and reel the spoon or bucktail up past the stripers. Many times, they will try to rip the rod out of your hands. Give it a try and you will be hooked as well. The last two years the spoon bite has been slow, but every year is different. Hopefully, this year they will crush it. If so, you will forget about live bait. See you on the water!