Lake Lanier Fishing Report, October 4, 2024

Lake Lanier Fishing Report | Bass Fishing Tips by Jeff Nail

Oct 4, 2024

Water Level: Following hurricane Helene the lake has risen to .82 feet BELOW full pool.

Water Temp: Temps have been fluctuating over the past two weeks with afternoon highs creeping above 80 a few times. It is safe to say that temps are sustained in the mid to upper 70s and should stabilize in the mid 70s with the 10 day forecast.

Water Clarity/Conditions. The lake came through the storms last week surprisingly well. There is some stain, but it is minimal below HWY 53. I cannot speak for the conditions above that. There are some items floating, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Following three or four days of lights out fishing leading up to the passage of the storm, the bite has mellowed out some. Some of this can be attributed to the fish feeding like hyenas for an extended period of time followed by high pressure and a lack of wind. When the wind has blown, the bite has been better. But when there has been no wind, the bite has been challenging.

I am still focusing on the upper 20% of the water column with moving baits, namely topwater, soft jerk baits and hard jointed swimbaits. Points and humps in 10-20ft of water are the areas that have been most productive.

I have talked a lot about soft jerk baits and topwater baits over the past few months so I want to focus this report on the hard jointed swimbait bite that has historically been very good during the month of October. What is needed for this bite is wind. If slick calm conditions exist, this is not the presentation to focus on. However, when the wind blows, it can be time to chunk, wind, and hang on.

This bite is often referred to as the “Sebile” bite. While Sebiles or magic swimmers work phenomenally well, they are not the only baits that currently exist in this category. There are versions that hit all price points with a wide variety of actions from a tight to a wide S swimming motions. Others include the Slick Stick, Sweet Bait, Hard Swimmer, Bite Sized Herring and lastly a bait that I am growing to love, the SPRO Sashimmy. Unlike many of the other baits mentioned, the Sashimmy is a 4 sectioned bait rather than a 3 sectioned bait. This offers a slightly different swimming action that is unique and shows the fish something a little different than what they are used to seeing.

For colors, there is nothing new to the equation. Crome and bone are great starts then work in some more natural herring colors in-between the two. The basic retrieve for these baits is pretty simple. Throw it out and reel it back at a steady pace under the surface. The strikes will can be violent or the rod will just load up. Pauses and varying the retrieve speed can be effective as well. Often it is a trial and error thing to figure out what the fish want on any given day. As I have stated many times, there is no substitute for confidence. Sticking with your confidence retrieve can be a key to success over the course of the day.

For locations, I am throwing these baits in the same areas as topwater and soft jerk baits with one addition. I will also throw the hard swimbaits on wind blown points and banks when the wind is whipping.

My equipment selection for this presentation is listed below.

-Rod - St Croix Victory or Legend Tournament 7’5” MHF

-Reel - SEVIIN GF series bait caster in the 7 or 8:1 ratio class

-Line - 12 or 14lb Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon

I will frequently swap out the rear “naked” treble hooks for a feathered one.

* I do not upsize the split rings. I would rather have a striper straighten out a split ring than loose the bait. I can typically play spots well enough to avoid straightening out split rings and thus landing the fish.

The daily videos I publish offer up to date current information on what I’m doing on the water. 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 have access to all historical videos (330+ previous videos). You can sign up and view videos at https://jeffnail.uscreen.io There is also a folder of “free” videos that are accessible to anyone at any time free of charge.

For the next two weeks, I have the 6-16 open. 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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