Lake Lanier Fishing Report September 16th-22nd, 2023

Lake Lanier Weekly Fishing Report

September 22, 2023

Water Level: 4.98 feet BELOW full pool and falling.

Water Temp: Water Temps are topping out around 81 on Lowrance in the afternoons. AM temps have been in the upper 70s.

Water Clarity: The clearest water is still on the main lake and in the mouths of the main lake creeks.

I spent the past 5 of the last 7 days on Lanier. Lanier is fishing very well right now with the opportunity for both numbers and size of fish. The fish have started their fall transitions and they are on the move. Locations varied from day to day and even from hour to hour. Forward facing sonar can help eliminate water if you have it. If you don’t have it, make a few casts at a spot and if you do not see fish come up or get bit, move to the next spot.

It is difficult to narrow down the best two baits for this week. That being said, top water ruled the roost. A ~4in walking topwater bait in chrome was a great producer this week. The Ima Skimmer, Vixen, Gunfish all produced well this week. Vary your retrieve speed from medium to fast to see what the fish want on a particular day. Some days they wanted it slower than others.

The Lanier Baits Jerk shad also produce a lot of bites and fish this week. I am still rigging this bait with a small nail weight in the nose and keeping it just below the surface. A constant retrieve with small twitches of the rod tip has generated most of the strikes. This is a bait that should continue to produce well into October and is great for anglers who may not have mastered the coordination needed for a walking bait.

I am focusing on primary/secondary points and humps in the first 1/2 of the major creeks. Additionally, if I have a lot of confidence in a location, I may hit it two or three times over the course of the day. Several times this past week, a spot would be vacant the first time and loaded the second time.

With October right around the corner, it is time to start preparing for, and stocking up for the winter bite while there is still a good selection of those key baits in stock. CAST Prodigy, Keitech, Spotchoker Underspin, guppy heads, damaki baits, and jigging spoons will soon be in short supply at local tackle shops. Now is the time to conduct an inventory and stock up before the rush.

In celebration of the start of my 3rd year guiding, I am giving each client that takes a trip between 14 September 2023 and 25 October 2023 a spool of CAST braid.

If you are looking for more detailed information on my trips over the past week, I publish a daily video covering the conditions, the where, the what, and how I caught fish each day I am on the water. You can sign up at https://jeffnail.uscreen.io

I am booking for October so reach out if you are interested in getting in on the top water action or learning the fall swim bait fishing. I am open Oct. 2-4, 6, 8, 9, 11-14.

Jeff

770-715-9933

jeffnailfishing@gmail.com

Jeffnail.uscreen.io

Jeffnailfishing.net

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