04/21/2023
Captain Mack's Fishing Report 4/21/23
The first three weeks of April have been very good on Lanier for all species! Many of the Bass are in shallow water and very catchable, and while the Stripers remain scattered that bite is also good. Expect the topwater bite bite to really ramp up for both species moving towards the end of the month! The lake level fell a little this week, down .42 feet from last weeks level, but we are still .56 feet over full pool. We will close out the week with a lake level of 1071.56, and the surface temp at 64 degrees.
Striper Fishing
The Striper bite is good, with fish being taken all over the lake. I think because the fish are so scattered, which can be typical for April, it is hard to get the big numbers. I still think the greatest numbers are in the middle and upper parts of the lake, but there are certainly still fish on the lower end as well. Live baits are the biggest producers, Herring and Shad primarily, with Shiners also producing some fish. Pulling the live baits on the planers and free lines, pitching, with some fish being taken on down lines as well. Casting top waters, Magic Swimmers and Mini Macks will also account for a few fish. Keep one of these tied on to cast to the banks and points while you are pulling the spread. Saddles, long tapering points, humps, and anywhere you locate spawning baitfish are the target areas.
Pitching the live baits remains a very strong pattern, but it mostly Bass with a few Stripers mixed in. Many of the Spots that you will catch pitching are big, so it is a good problem to have. Shallow points and humps, bridge pillars, seawalls are all likely places to use the pitching technique, and if you fishing early or late you can include the dock lights as a favorite area.
If you want to target the Stripers using the top waters, that is a viable pattern and should improve in the next few days. This pattern necessitates you move quickly, make enough cast to saturate the area and move on. Normally, the first few cast will get the bite if the fish are there. Catch what you can and move on to the next place. Humps, points and saddles over a 5 to 25 foot bottom are likely structures. The Cast OG will be hard to beat on this pattern, but old reliable’s such as the Zara Spooks, Sammies, and the big Chug Bugs are also great choices. I’ll try and post a technique video net week on that OG if you are new to that bait/technique.
Bass Fishing
The Bass bite continues to be very good! It is really hard to pick a best bait/pattern because there are so many applicable techniques going on right now. Topwater fishing is very good, and last week I mentioned that I think there are very distinct differences in the topwater patterns. The shallow bite, with smaller baits is very good. Again, many baits will get the job done, but the small Chug Big has been lights out. You can cast it to almost any type of cover: secondary points, pockets(pay attention to those deeper areas of grass), blown down trees, stumps, and flat points are all holding fish. Don’t get in a big hurry, those longer pauses in the retrieve seem to be getting a good response. The other option is to target deeper structures. and offshore structures with large baits. Zara Spooks, Lanier Baits Magic Swimmer, Shower Blows, and many other top water/swim baits are coming into play. Keep the Cast OG bait in mind, they are becoming very productive, especially for the bigger fish.
“Beating the Banks” is still a great technique, and almost any bait will have application. Find a bank with cover and you’ll get the bite. Jerk baits, Flukes, spinnerbaits, and the previously mentioned small top waters will be great choices, and allow for high saturation. Here is a footnote on the spinnerbait pattern: Cast the spinnerbait right up to the bank to target the really shallow fish. Once you get the bait off the bank, slow down and let the bait fish a little deeper as opposed to keeping it shallow all the way back to the boat. Often, the fish that are in 5 to 10 feet will respond to the spinnerbait if you make easy for them. Think in terms of allowing the bait to follow the slope of the bottom, making it easy for those deeper fish to take the bait. If the fish are not responding to any of these moving baits, grab the Weedless Wonder and your favorite plastic and you’ll stay plenty busy. Gotta throw the wacky rig in the mix too, it has also been very productive. The fish may be very anywhere from 2 to 15 feet, depending on the day, and the structure, so don’t give up on the retrieve until the bait is back to the boat. Watch for the spawning bait fish, rip rap, bridge pilings, and seawalls are the usual areas where this occurs. Mostly an early event, find the Herring or Shad Spawning and you will likely find the fish! The bait fish spawn is really just beginning but expect this annual occurrence to be full on within the next few days.
Good Fishing!
Capt. Mack
