Lake Lanier Fishing Report March 29, 2024

Lake Lanier Weekly Fishing Report

March 29, 2024

Water Level: The lake level has fallen over the past week to .52 feet ABOVE full pool.

Water Temp: As of the 28th, water temps were steady at 56 on my GARMIN. Warmer temps can be expected in shallow areas in the backs of creeks, pockets, and other shallow water areas in the afternoons.

Water Clarity: The main lake is clear with increasing stain heading up the rivers and towards the backs of the major creeks. I did not find any “muddy” areas over the past week.

Pollen is continuing to accumulate on the surface of the lake. If we get periods of no wind and rain, this layer of yellow will provide shade for the bass which will help the shallow bite in the clear water. When we get rain and/or wind, the pollen will be mixed into the upper level of the water column. This will cloud up the water and will be visible on FFS. Anglers can counter seeing pollen on FFS by turning down the gain until the pollen haze is no longer visible.

I have been on Lanier for 6 of the past 7 days and the fishing was good to very good. I did have a couple of tough days immediately following the cold front last weekend, but as the weather stabilized, the bite got much better. While the shaky head with a Trixster Custom Baits Tamale is still the most consistent way to get bit right now, the 1/4oz SpotChoker has come roaring onto the scene as a very strong producer.

Many do not think of the SpotChoker (underspin) as a spring time bait. I strongly disagree with this assumption. For years, I have had tremendous success in the spring with an underspin. While it may not be the ticket as consistently as a shaky head this time of year, when it’s on, it can’t be beat. As a result, I will have at least one on my deck for the foreseeable future.

I have been targeting relatively shallow water with the SpotChoker. The 1/4oz tipped with a 3in CAST Prodigy or a 2.8 Kietech has been the ticket. While both of these baits can produce well by themselves, I have found pairing them with the SpotChoker to be exponentially more productive this spring than simply using them on a guppy or ball head. The reason I believe this to be so, is the bait in the areas I’m targeting is very small, often less than 2in in length. The blade size on the SpotChoker is very similar to that of the thread fin shad that are in the areas I’m fishing.

For the retrieve, we have been using a slow to medium steady retrieve. Visualize keeping the bait a foot or two off the bottom or directly underneath balls of bait that anglers may see on their graphs. We are trying to mimic a disoriented shad that has lost its way and thus an easy meal. As far as colors go, anything in the natural shad colors have been productive. Gizzard Shad, Blue Back Herring, Cider, Casper, TN Shad, and Pro Blue Red Pearl have all been effective.

We have been throwing the 1/4oz SpotChoker on the same setup as we used all winter to throw the finesse swimbaits.

Rod - St. Croix 6’8” MXF spinning rod (Legend Series)

Reel - 2500 series SEVIIN GX or 2500 series Shimano Stradic

Line - 12lb CAST Braid with a 8lb SUNLINE Sniper leader

Areas for the worm bite have not changed. Secondary clay and rocky points along with boat docks have been most productive. Primarily, we are still using a 3/16oz Davis Shaky HBT shaky head. As the fish get a little more shallow, I will use an 1/8oz head as well. This lighter head is easier to skip and offers a slower rate of fall.

Remember to support your local tackle shops as much as possible. Hammonds Fishing Center and the other local Lanier shops have all of the baits I have covered in this report. For those of you who are interested in purchasing one of the new St. Croix PHYSYX rods, the Dugout has a bunch of them in stock and anyone who purchases one from them between 22 March and 12 April will be entered into a chance to win a 3/4 day trip with me.

The daily videos I publish cover all the other techniques that were effective this week. In these videos, I cover the conditions, part of the lake, and how I caught fish (or did not) for most days that I am on the water. All subscribers will have access to all historical videos as well. You can sign up and view videos at https://jeffnail.uscreen.io

For the month of April, I have the following dates available: April 9 (4 or 6hr AM only), 10 (4hr AM only), 16-21, 23-27, 29-30. If you are interested in a trip, please reach out and I will get you on the calendar.

Jeff

770-715-9933

jeffnailfishing@gmail.com

jeffnail.uscreen.io

Jeffnailfishing.net

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