Monday, May 25, 2015

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Guide Report: 5/25/2015

Hey Gang - Happy Memorial Day to everyone! I hope y'all have enjoyed time with family and friends, and more importantly, taken special time to remember our fallen heros who have, over many years, paid the ultimate price for the continuing freedoms we enjoy today. God Bless our Service Men and Women, both past and present. Now, onto fishing. In a word, the fishing on Lake Lanier has been AWESOME the past couple of weeks! While there are several patterns working, the only one that matters to me is topwater! LOL. It's just hard to beat watching a big spot, or any fish for that matter, crush a topwater plug. Fishing at its finest. Check out the top set of pictures - those are just a few of monsters Tom D and I hammered this past Friday - all on topwater. Too much fun! It was Tom's best day on Lanier and maybe his best day of fishing ever. He said I made him feel like a HERO! LOL. I was honored to be able to provide that experience for him. Tom has been coming out with me all year, and I think this was his 6th trip so far. He has learned a bunch and been able to apply it to fishing on his own to really improve his catch rate. We has booked another trip for next week to enjoy some more topwater fun. Great day and super job Tom!!! We have been fishing flat rock, humps, and points with brush for most of our topwater action. The depth has varied from very shallow all the way out to 25 feet or so. Again, it just depends on the day and time of day as to where you will find the best action. Several different baits have been working, it just depends on the day as to what bait they prefer. A list of some of the top producers: Spook, Gunfish, Chug Bug, Redfin and a G-Splash just to name a few. For the periods when the fish are not active, a drop shot and a Davis Shaky Head/finesse worm combo have been great options. We are fishing the same type areas as noted above and just going down to them when they won't come up. A swimbait has been working on some days also, as well as a spinnerbait, especially on the windy days. The bottom line is that several fish have gotten past their post spawn funk, and they are strapping on the feed bag! It is a great time to be fishing on Lake Lanier! My June open dates have shuffled around a bit, so here is the latest list of what I have open in June: 9, 10, 11, 18, 22, 29, 30. Don't miss this great season of topwater on Lake Lanier. It is an experience like no other. Give me a ring and let's go bust 'em!! Thanks to all, Happy Memorial Day, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Monday, May 11, 2015

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 5/11/2015

Hey Gang - My apologies for the delay since my last report. You guys have been keeping me VERY busy, and I am grateful. Thank you! Other than Mother's Day and my little junket to Guntersville a few weeks ago, I have been on the water every day. I am going to switch to only half days on the weekends at this point as the lake has became quite busy in the afternoons as I am sure you can imagine. The fishing has been excellent over the last couple of weeks. There are plenty of patterns working and lots going on, so you can take your pick. First and foremost, the herring spawn has started and offers some great early morning action. Look for shallow, flat rock or sandy areas to be holding the herring best. A variety of baits will work on these fish - spinnerbaits, wakebaits, swimbaits, flukes, jerkbaits, and the list goes on. Pick a moving bait and throw it. A spinnerbait is the best search instrument. If you have herring following your spinnerbait back on the retrieve, you are in the right place! The action on these fish only lasts about the first hour or so of the day. Get out early and enjoy! There are still plenty of spots on the bed, and a few left to go. You can catch these spawning fish with, among other things, a 4" worm on a 1/8 oz Davis Shaky Head. Move the bait very slowly. Drag it, don't hop it. Sandy pockets and the areas near them seem to be best for this bite right now. Lot's of fun and plenty of fish if you have the patience. There are some post-spawners showing up as well. The topwater bite has been getting better on these fish. Rocky points as well as brush piles have been holding these fish. Topwater poppers and walkers of all sorts have been productive, along with the wakebait as well. This bite can go throughout the day with some wind. A big swimbait has been working well out over the brush when the wind is really up. A medium steady retrieve seems to be working best. We have been catching some big pre and post spawners on this for several weeks now. This and the topwater bite should only get stronger in the weeks ahead. Late May and June should offer an excellent topwater bite. This is not to be missed! You haven't lived until you have seen a wolf pack of 4 pound spots chasing your topwater bait! Off the chain baby! If you have not yet, take the opportunity to make your qualifying GLoomis and Shimano purchases so you can qualify for the big owners tournament out of Little Hall on June 6th. This will be an awesome event with lots of great prizes, don't miss it! See the fine folks at Hammond's Fishing or the Dugout for details. Upcoming I have May 20, 21, and the 27th available for full day trips. I have May 28 and 30 available for half days as well. My June is filling up quickly with the anticipation of the coming topwater bite. Call me soon to get a date, this bite is incredible!! Thanks to everyone and May God Bless - Jimbo