Thursday, October 27, 2011

Jimbo's Lake Lake Lanier Fishing Guide Report: 10/27/2011


Hey Everybody -

It has been a very enjoyable week for me so far. For the last 2 days, I have been out with Steve S. Steve is from Richmond, VA and he called and booked me because he wanted to catch some spotted bass - which he had never done before. He is an avid angler, but has always focused on the largemouth and smallmouth, but never the spots.

As you can see from the pictures above, he has not been disappointed with his trip! We have caught some PIGS over the last 2 days - it has been a blast. We caught over 25 yesterday, and 16 today. Steve is with me for one more day, then back to Virginia. He has already made plans to come back in December, and again next spring for multiple day trips each time. He is an awesome guy and a great angler - a true pleasure to have in my boat. We are both looking forward to our last day tomorrow - it will be fun to see what the weather change will bring. For Wed and Thur, Steve and I have caught fish on jerkbaits, FHS, shaky head, and topwater baits.

Also pictured above is one of my best customers, John. John has been out with me several times this year, and we are scheduled for 1 trip a month for the next 12 months. John is a semi-experienced angler, but has employed me to get him tournament-ready in a year. I have charted a detailed training plan for him by month to include specific techniques as well as lake knowledge. I work with him as a coach during each of our trips. We fish from his boat, and I instruct him on boat positioning and information analysis while on the water (electronics, water conditions, wind, etc.) I think I am more excited than John is about our next year together - I love to teach and John is very receptive to my instruction. He made great strides during our recent trip, and learned the jerkbait quickly. He pegged the nice largemouth above on his 3rd cast with the bait. Nice work John! Next time, big spots!

Finally, a very special thank-you to my newest sponsor, Mashburn Marine. Paul and his crew there do awesome work for me - they work their hardest to get me back on the water quickly, and their chief mechanic, Terry, has 35 years experience working on all major outboard models. They recently got me back on the water very quickly as I had some issues with my fuel pump diaphrams. They ordered the parts immediately and got me squared away in 3 days. Hard to beat that kind of service. Next time you need your boat worked on, consider Paul and his crew at Mashburn Marine - great people and great labor rates compared to the market. They are located right off Browns Bridge Road near the entrance to Charleston Park. Tell 'em Jimbo sent ya!

I have a couple of days open next week. Give me a ring if you would like to get out and catch some PIGS!

Thanks, and may God Bless!

Jimbo

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Jimbo's Lake Lake Lanier Fishing Guide Report: 10/9/2011


Hey Everyone -

We have had another good week on Lanier - plenty of topwater and swimbait action.

I was out today with Greg and his son Jett. We had a good day, even with the wind. Greg and Jett were in learning mode, so we ducked back into some pockets to fish. We worked on casting and presentation of a shaky head and various topwater baits. Jett was the star of the day - he is posing above with his dad holding a very solid spot - nice job Jett!

On Friday, I had the pleasure of taking out 91 year-old Bob B. and his grandson Chris. We were out on a full day trip - Bob could really hang in there and still fish very well - you could tell he has done this before a time or two! We had a blast - we caught a good mix of spots and largemouth, and all of our fish came on topwater in or near the wind - most of the fish were in 15 feet of water or less. My instincts were pretty good, and I turned on the video camera just before Chris hooked the largemouth pictured above. I have published the video on my YouTube channel - check it out when you can - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdg78_sW6_A&feature=youtube_gdata. (just copy and paste the link above in your browser)

Overall, the fishing is good on Lanier right now. This past week, we have caught fish on: topwater, swimbaits, jerkbaits, worms, and of course, the FHS. Some fish have came very shallow (1 foot or less) and some have come as deep as 30 feet around brush. The fish have been changing every day - so, start with a clean slate when you get out and just go fish. If you are graphing fish in the upper levels of the water column, throw topwater or the jerkbait. You may have to hit several holes before you find the active fish, but you can pretty much chase an active topwater/swimbait bite all day if you want to run and gun. If you would prefer, you can also catch fish on a shaky head worm. Look for fish in and around brush and bottom locked - that is a good time to slow down and fish the bottom.

I am happy to report that I am booked everyday next week and weekend through Sunday, with the exception of Thursday. So please give me a ring if you would like to get out either on Thursday, or I have a couple of dates open the following week if you prefer. This is really a fun time to fish.

Thank you to everyone who has been out with me and those who continue to come - I am grateful and very blessed.

Best of Luck to everyone out there, and may God Bless!

Jimbo

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Fishing Guide Report - October 1, 2011


Hello Everyone -

We had another very good week on Lanier - lots of topwater and swimbait action this week and some nice fish to be had.

The lake is 8.8 feet down and has a 74 degree surface temp. The fish in the lower lake are schooling well right now at the mouths of creeks as well as on the main lake. We have been focusing on these fish all week and have had some great success.

Most of the fish are on and around off-shore structure as well as rocky points throughout the lower lake. There are also many fish roaming and relating strictly to the bait - you often see these fish busting in the channel or over very deep timber as they focus on the movement of the blue backs. These fish can be caught if you are in the area and can cast to the activity. Fish are also positioning over brush and other cover and can be called up on topwater and swimbaits. We have also had good success on a FHS as well as a jerkbait.

I have included a picture of a couple of toads from the tournament today. We had a good turnout with around 25 boats and really helped a great cause. Tim from Hammond's along with others hauled off an entire van full of toys for the Salvation Army. The cold front hurt our schooling bite for sure, but there were still some good ones to be had on top. Lots of short strikes and pull-offs today for us though, but still a bunch of fun. Thanks to all that participated.

I have Wen and Thur open next week if anyone would like to get out and get in on some of this great fall schooling action.

Thanks, and may God Bless -

Jimbo