Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report, Pictures, and Fishing Training Class Announcement: 12/14/2014

Hey Gang - We have had some cold mornings and beautiful afternoons over the last week. I trust everyone is enjoying a great holiday season and hopefully you have had a chance to get out and enjoy the great December weather. Two Notes of Interest to Start: 1. Christmas is just around the corner. A guided trip makes a great gift. Consider the gift of Jimbo this year! I have already sold several gift certficates and would love to prepare one for you as well! Contact me directly for your professionally prepared certificate. 2. I will be running two classes next month, one on Saturday, January 17 and second on Saturday, January 31. The classes will be from 9 AM until 12:30 PM and will be held at at the Dekalb Office Conference Room, which is located off of Exit 12 on GA 400. 1320 Ridgeland Parkway in Alpharetta. This is a top end, state-of-the-art facility that Daniel W has helped me secure. Thanks Daniel! These trainings will be intensive, Lanier-focused sessions to include detailed information on some of the following popular topics: Winter fishing to include ditch and timber fishing - how to find the best areas and how to fish them and with what, identifying and fishing productive ledges, tournament fishing pointers to include developing a gameplan as well as managing the mental side of fishing, matching tackle to techniques, reading and understanding electronics and processing the information you see to make better fishing decisions, establishing seasonal patterns, and much more. There will be a generous time slot allowed for an open forum/question answer period, as well as time for one-on-one questions after the training ends. The first session will be more winter focused, and the second session will address prepping for the winter/spring transition which will start in February. Each class will have a short morning break as well to include refreshments. If you register and pay in advance, prior to January 14, 2015, the price structure will be as follows: $69 for one training, $99 for both training sessions. Day of/at the door price will be $85 for either session. Space is limited so I highly recommend making your reservations in advance ASAP. There has already been a great deal of interest expressed from many people, so spots will go fast. You can call me at 770-542-7764 or email me at jim@laniermapped.com. You can also send me a message through my website. Payment forms accepted include: cash, check, credit card, and paypal. Please note that all electronic transactions will have a $7 processing fee added. This is going to be a very detailed and information-filled training. Don't miss this opportunity to improve your fishing on Lake Lanier! I will have a flyer out soon with a specific agenda and course topics for each class. Now, on to fishing. The bite has been good through the week with several different options out there still. At daylight, we have been working a crankbait, jerkbait, and Fish Head in the backs of pockets and creek arms. There have been some big fish very shallow early back in those areas. In addition, rocky points and bank lines have been productive early in the day. A crankbait worked slowly in these areas has been good for some big bites as well. A deeper diving model works best - make sure you maintain contact with the bottom during your retrieve. A jig has worked well in these areas too at times. Stay flexible. As the day progresses, we have been moving out to the standing timber in the creek ditches. A jig, a Shaky Head worm, and a spoon have been our choices out deep. The spoon bite has been very good for numbers and an occasional big fish over the last week. The jig and Shaky Head has been a good producer as well. The timber edges in 40-55 feet have been our main target. Slow is often the key with the jig and worm. SLOW. This is very important. Keep it on the bottom and slow. This will be even more important as the water continues to get colder. Lastly, here are the dates I have left open in December: 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30 and 31. This time offers a great opportunity to learn ditch and deep timber fishing. I would love to work with you and teach you. Give me a call and let's fish! Thanks to all and May God Bless! Jimbo For reports on other GA Lakes, please visit: www.southernfishing.com

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 12/5/2014

Hey Gang - I hope everyone enjoyed a great holiday season and y'all are geared up and ready for Christmas. We have decorated outside and inside in super-duper Clark Griswold fashion, and we are ready. Not really ready but sort of ready. LOL Fishing has been good the last few days. The warm weather and warming water temps have got the fish spread out quite a bit. There are fish up very shallow, mid-depth, and deep right now. The shallow fish contingent seems to be getting stronger each day with the warm weather. We have been starting shallow each day on rocky points or in creek ditches, and then rotating all the depth ranges as we go through the day to look for the most productive bite. As long as the water temps stay in the mid 50's range, look for the spread of fish to continue. Each day brings different condtions and therefore different fishing situations and best approach, so stay flexible until you dial in the day. A crankbait worked up shallow early on windy rocky points and pockets has been hard to beat. These are often very good fish that are positioned very shallow and are agressive. Don't expect a ton of bites, but definitely some good ones. A Chattahoochee Jig worked up shallow on the rocks has been productive also. You can pick those jigs up around the lake at Hammonds Fishing, Oakwood Bait and Tackle, the Dugout, and soon the Bait and Tackle Store at Buford Damn Road. They are hand-tied jigs on the display racks at the front of the store, but packaging has arrived so look for them on the main racks soon. I trail these jigs with either a Yamamoto Twin Tail or a Zoom Twin Tail Grub. We have also found a good bite deeper on rock points around 30 feet with the Chattahoochee Jig. This has been consistent location and depth recently with the cloudy weather. Some days the brush is important to this bite and some days they are just sitting on the rocks. In addition, we have found a good spoon bite out in the timber on most days. 40-50 feet around the timber edges has been the target depth and location for these fish. A jig and a worm have worked well also at times out there as well. It all just depends on the day and the prevailing conditions. Overall, the more wind we have, the longer I am going to stay shallow, particularly when we are looking for the bigger bites. As we all know, and as I have already mentioned, Christmas is coming. A guided trip makes an excellent Christmas gift for the fisher man or woman in your life, in my humble opinion anyway. LOL. Consider the gift of Jimbo this year for Christmas! Call or email me and I will be happy to mail or deliver a professional and festive looking gift certificate promptly. Right now, I have Tuesday, Thursday and Friday open next week. This is a great time to learn how to pattern these unpredictable late autumn fish and maximize your catch in different conditions. Give me a call and let's fish! Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, I was very busy over Thanksgivng week. I ran 8 trips in 7 days, including Thanksgiving Day. I expect the same for the weeks around Christmas and New Years. If you are having family in or have some down time and want to fish, please call me early to reserve those dates as they will go fast! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Spotted Bass Fishing Report: 11/26/2014

Happy Thanksgving Everyone! I hope you all are enjoying this time with family and friends, all while taking time to reflect and offer thanks for the many blessing you enjoy - like this incredible lake we get to fish! The lower lake temps are right around 56 degrees in the morning, and right now the lake sits at 3.52 feet below full pool, which is about a half-foot up from Sunday prior to the rain. I have been slam packed with business. I am very thankful for that. Save last Sunday in the rain, I have been on the water every day for the last 9 days, and I am full through the weekend, including a morning trip tomorrow on Turkey Day. I am blessed! My wife finally let me guide on a holiday. She has already told me Christmas is out! LOL. The fishing has been very good for the most part. The rain we got Sunday definitely spread them out a bit more than they had been. Prior to Sunday, there were several dependable patterns out there. They are all still there, just a little more looking around to find them. There have been some very shallow fish, some mid-depth fish, and some fish in 35-50 feet around the timber edges. All have worked well at one time or another every day. In the mornings, a spinnerbait and a crankbait on windy, rocky points has been very good for some big bites. In the mid to late morning hours there have been some good spooning opportunities out in the timber. In the afternoons, we have been working a jig and a shaky head around rock in 5 to 30 feet of water. There are some variations to this protocol, but this has been our normal schedule each day. The ditch bite with the fish head was coming in very nicely last week, but has since disipated some. I am guessing we can thank the rising water for that as well as the fish and bait moving around a bit more. They should get settled down and deeper as things stabilize and the water continues to cool. Look for the timber bite to strengthen and the bigger fish to be out deep more consistently. This is a great time to learn the timber bite with a spoon and a jig or shaky head out deep. Again, this should only get better. I am hopefull the fish head bite will return in strength as well. The ditch bite on Lanier is key to some big stringers this time of year. Bait choices this past week have included a Strike King 6XD crankbait, a white spinnerbait, a Chattahoochee Jig, a Davis Shaky Head, and a War Eagle spoon in nickle. I still have Saturday morning available this week if anyone is interested. I am pretty open next week as it stands (starting Dec 1), but with the warmer weather forecasted, I expect to fill up quickly. This is a great time to learn the ditch bite and the timber bite (which are often one in the same, just at different depths) so give me a call and let's go bust some donkeys! Thanks to all, Happy Thanksgiving, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 11/11/2014

Hey Gang - We have had a great past couple of weeks out on the pond. The weather has been gorgeous and the fish have been biting! The water level continues to drop as does the surface temperature. We currently sit at 3.68 feet below full pool and the surface temp in the morning has been around 62 degrees. Things are changing out there right now, as is to be expected with the weather changes. The bait and fish are scattered and can be found in many different areas and types of places. There are fish deep, shallow and all in between. There are fish on rock, brush, flats, humps, points...take your pick. I am actually excited for the upcoming cold weather as it should settle things down a bit and put the fish in much more predictable patterns and consistent locations. "Junk Fishing" is the rule right now as any bait can work on any day and about any place. Over the past couple of weeks, we have caught fish on: jigs, shaky heads, crankbaits, topwater, swimbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, spybaits, and a drop shot. Right now you can have any or all of these on the deck at any time and catch a fish on all of them. For us over the last few days, the crankbait, spinnerbait and jig have produced the best fish consistently. The shaky head is getting better for numbers. Our best locations have been creek pockets and main lake points in general, although we are fishing lots of different areas. It changes alot out there from day to day, so staying versatile is important. Look for the bait and you will find the fish in most cases. If you are not seeing bait in the area you are fishing, your chances go down. LOL. It's simple but true. We have found some shallow fish in creek pockets the last few days in the mornings. When they are active, a crankbait picks them off pretty well, when less active, a jerkbait or a jig. We have also found some shallow fish early on rocky points and flats that will crush a spinnerbait. Again, look for the bait in these areas. Later in the day, we have been working a jig around main lake and creek mouth brush in 20 feet of water for some good fish. As I mentioned before, a shaky head is a good bet at anytime right now for some bites. I am looking for the cold front to really improve the fishing over the next few weeks. It should concentrate the bait and fish in the ditches and then look for the Fish Head Spin bite to be on fire. The deep jig bite should get alot better as well as we continue to cool down. As the water continues to cool, remember to look more to the rock and slow down your presentations. To close, I wanted to share some information I learned from the lake biologist regarding turnover. Some of you may remember that I went on a shocking trip with the biologists back in April. I took that opportunity to ask several questions on many topics regarding our lake. Turnover was certainly one of those topics. I asked Patrick when this lake turns over. His answer intrigued me. He said, that without fail, this lake turns over each year sometime between Christmas and New Years. I responded " Really? What about all the dirty water, bubbling, odd smells, etc. that occur well before that time?" His explanation made alot of sense, and I wanted to share his response. He stated that through the year, the water warms and the lake stratifies by temperature range. For demonstration sake, lets say the top 10 feet of the water was at 80 at the end of September, the next 10 feet at 70, the next at 60, and so on. Of course the depths I am using are just examples, but it gives you a reference point. Patrick then explained that as the top 10 feet of 80 degree water cools to 70, it mixes with the next 10 feet of water that is already at 70 degrees, and then you have 20 feet of water at 70 degrees. Then, when that 20 feet of water at 70 degrees cools to 60 degrees, it mixes with the layer at 60 degrees. Now you have 30 feet of 60 degree water. This process continues until the temperature of the entire upper portion of the lake, that was previously stratified by different temperatures, all reaches 50 degrees, which is approximately the base temperature of the lake and the temperature that is almost consistently found in the Chattahoochee River that pours through Buford Dam. When the entire upper portion of the water column drops below the base temperature of the lake (again, somewhere around 50 degrees), the lake turns over - top to the bottom and bottom to the top. Until that point, what you are seeing when the water looks black or dingy, etc is the previously stratified layers of water mixing as the upper portions cool. I know that was long winded, but I hope this helps clear up some of the questions regarding turn over on our lake. Thanks Patrick! Here is what I have left open for the rest of November: 14, 17, 18, 20, 24, 25, 26, and 28. Those dates around Thanksgiving normally go fast when we get close to the holiday, and I have had many people ask about that week already. If you have some family coming in or just want to use that down time to fish, please call and reserve soon. Otherwise, be happy about the cold front coming and look for the fishing to really heat up. Give me a call and let's fish! Thanks to all and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Guide Report: 10/26/2014

Hey Everyone - Just a quick report from this past week as I have been out on trips for the past 6 days. It has been fun, but I am beat! LOL We have been enjoying some awesome weather and good fishing on the pond over the past few days. Even some great fishing as the pics prove. I have had some cool people out recently and it just reminds me how much I enjoy what I do! Thanks everyone! The water continues to cool and is starting to mix on the lower end. The bait and fish are starting to scatter. There are plenty of fish in the 15 foot range around humps, some deeper fish out on the timber edge, as well as fish up shallow. The brush is still holding very well in some areas also, particularly brush that is near a sharp depth break leading to deep water. While the bottom bumping baits such as a worm and jig have been good for a few, the topwater, jerkbait, and swimbaits have still been best for us, especially for the bigger fish. This past week, the sunny afternoons were better for the bite than the mornings in general, although we have been catching some big fish just after daylight on a Sebile and a chug bug. The early AM schooling bite seems to have slowed a bit, but is still there around some keys humps. Just look around a bit, you will see the action. Get in there and have fun when you see them pushing bait! Over the next week I have this Wednesday and Thursday October 29 and 30 open, as well as next Tuesday November 4 open as well. I would love to have you out to enjoy some great fishing and perfect fall weather. Give me a call and let's do it! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report: 10/20/2014

Hey Gang - Hope everybody is well and enjoying the great weather we have been experiencing. The leaves are changing, the fish are biting, and Lake Lanier is beautiful! The highlight of last week was the Garrison show, as pictured above. This young man had the fishing day of his life on Thursday with me. He smoked big spots and stripers throughout the day on a Sebile. He crushed them! The swimbait was great last week in the pre-front conditions. A spook and a chug bug were also very productive, along with a Megabass jerkbait and a Fish Head Spin as well. There are still fish around the brush, but they are certainly starting to move around as well. I am seeing fish up very shallow as well as out deep. The water appears like it is starting to mix down south which means the fish will be on the move even more. We had found a good schooling bite most mornings around humps, and that remained the case for last week as well. Although I will say that post-front the AM schooling bite slowed a bit post front - it should return in force this week with the more stable weather in store. I have Thursday and Friday open this week if anyone is interested in getting out to enjoy some great fishing and beautiful fall weather. Give me a call and we'll make it happen. Thanks to all and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Spotted Bass Fishing Report: 10/12/2014

Hello Gang - We have been enjoying some great fishing the past couple of weeks. My customers have had some fantastic trips, and its only going to get better! Over the past several days, I have had the pleasure of working with Brandon and his lovely wife Sandra - they are pictured in the attached montage with a nice double. This couple recently purchased a boat and hired me to work with them on techniques ranging from trailer backing to dock skipping. We have done a total of 9 trips since they got their boat, and they have came a long way baby! I am so proud of their progress and their ability to now navigate and fish lanier. Still some bumps to work out, but they are off to a great start! In addition to Brandon and Sandra, I have been able to work in some other very successful trips as well. The bite has been strong the last couple of weeks. We had a nice cool front last weekend which put them on the jerkbait pretty good, and then this week's warm-up put them back on the top water and swimbaits. A chug bug and a gunfish have been our main weapons, along with Rick's Bite Sized Herring Swimbait, a Sebile, and the Vision 110 jerkbait. We have found a great schooling bite at daylight almost every morning around some key humps across the lake. The spots are pushing bait on these humps and have been making quite a commotion! Lots of fun but somewhat random for the catches as you need to get into the action to get bit in most cases. As the day progresses, we have continued to work the brush with the baits listed above for some nice sacks of fish. 20-25 feet has been best, but there are some fish/bait moving shallower as well. I hear the bottom bumping baits are good for a few right now, but we haven't played with that bite much. Fish are up and moving most of the day for us so we have been staying agressive in our approach. I have all day Tuesday and Wednesday open this week, along with Thursday and Friday afternoon if you would like to get out. The weather change should kick the bite up a notch and make it even better. The schooling bite is just getting started so this should continue to improve as well. Great weather and great fishing ahead - give me a call and let's go get 'em!! Thanks to all and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Guide Service Report: 10/2/2014

Hey Gang - The weather is changing and the fish are biting. It has been a great 2 weeks out on the pond. The fishing has been very good and my customers have been enjoying some great catches. Of note from this past week, I had long time customers John R and "Uncle Steve" back out with me. John lives on the lake and came out with his dad on Friday and put a hurting on them. We rolled up to one hole and John caught 4 fish on 10 casts with Rick's Bite Sized Herring Swimbait that rounded out a 19lbs sack for him alone that day. His dad had some nice ones too - it was great to have them both out and enjoy such an outstanding day on the water. Uncle Steve was back from Richmond, VA as well - he booked me for the first 4 days of the week, but was only able to stay for 2 of them due to illness. I was sad to see him leave early, but I will say that he made the most of the time he was here. You can see some of the results from Day 1 and Day 2 above right. Johnny R is up on the left. Both are great guys that I am tickled to have as customers and very good friends as well. Also some great pictures attached from mid-Septemeber of Father/Son Team Joe and John H as well as Brandon H. These are all topwater and swimbait fish as well. It has been a great month - Awesome catch fellas! Our recipe has been the same as it has been for months - topwater and swimbaits over brush. It has worked and we continue to run it because it is so much fun!! The active fish for this bite are in that 25 foot range. As is traditional, the bite does not get going well until mid morning but is then subject to last all day. We have been playig around with a DS and a crankbait a little bit in the mornings, but mainly it has been the topwater and swimbait all day. Hard to put it down just knowing what can happen. LOL. As far as availability, this week I only have the mornings of Thursday and Friday open, but am booked in the afternoons those days. I am a little more open next week with all day Friday the 10th open, along with Thursday afternoon the 9th. I also have the mornings of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday open (Oct 6-8), but am booked those afternoons. Give me a call and lets get out and enjoy some great fall weather and fishing!! Thanks to all, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report: 9/11/2014

Hey Gang - Just a quick report on this day we remember our fallen and celebrate the heros that protect us everyday. Thank you to those who put their lives on the line each day so that we may all enjoy our freedoms. The fishing has remained good, and we continue to throw topwater and swimbaits. Hard to believe I know. This summer has been such a great topwater season, we have found it hard to put it down. They may hit other stuff, but who cares? LOL. We even ran into a school of Big LM recently - yes on topwater. My guys sacked 22+ pounds best 5, all from the same hole. I guess that's a pretty special place :o) Spooks, Chug Bugs, and the gun fish have all been producers. The buzzbait has even attracted some attention of late. All and all it is fun out there right now as it has been all summer. Cooler weather is ahead and fall fishing is just around the corner. I only have 4 days left open in September: 15, 17, 19, 26. I am also starting to fill October. Give me a call and save your spot for some outstanding fall action - it is not to be missed! Thanks to all, and may God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report: 8/28/2014

Hey Gang - I can't remember my last day off, and I'm loving it! It has been a great August for my business and the fishing has been fantastic. A big thanks to all my new and repeat customers that came out with me this month. It has been awesome and I appreciate you all!! I know this sounds like a broken record, but we have been throwing topwater, topwater, and topwater. The bite has just been great, particularly once the sun gets up. We have been catching great numbers and size every day. We have really hammered some studs the last few days. The cooler weather and bright sun each day has been a big plus. When this bite is on, its just tough to throw anything else. The aerial shows we have enjoyed from these fish have been impressive to say the least - just a blast to watch these fish crush a bait on top. A Gunfish, Spook, and a chug bug have been our main weapons. Brush in 25 or so on off-shore structure has been best. I am full the rest of week, but I have Tues, Thursday, and Friday open next week (Sept 2,4,5). My phone is on the fritz at the moment, so please email me at: jim@laniermapped.com with trip requests. You can also leave a message at 770-542-7764. I check those twice a day remotely and emails at night. I'll get back to you ASAP, I promise. Thanks to all, and May God Bless!! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Guide Service Report: 8/17/2014

Hey Everyone - Just a quick report as we wrap up the weekend. I hope everyone got out and enjoyed the great weather! I have been out on trips all week as well as both weekend days and the bite has remained very strong. It has been a long time since we have had such a productive August on Lanier for both numbers and size. The fish are eating topwater and swimbaits everyday out there and my customers have been enjoying it! The cooler water temps have kept the bait up and the fish active on the surface. Spooks, Gunfish, Chug Bug...throw it and they will come! LOL. We rarely pick up anything else through the day. There are alot of schoolers first thing in the morning. These fish are roaming on humps and keying on smaller bait fish. Downsize your offerings for best results on these fish. As the day progresses and the sun gets up, we have been focusing on brush in 25+ on offshore humps for the majority of our fish, and the full size baits seem to work best. August has been a great month - thanks to everyone for the calls! I only have 3 days left open: 21, 26, 28. Also, I have had many people ask me about September dates recently- those are filling up - please call me ASAP to reserve your September dates - they are going fast! Thanks to everyone - I am looking forward to an awesome fall fishing with y'all. It's going to be a good one! May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Guide Service Fishing Report: 8/11/2014

Hey Gang - I hope everyone has been enjoying the summer. It's hard to believe the kids are already going back to school! Mother nature has smiled on us so far this year with some very nice summer weather, especially for August, and I will tell you the fish like it! I wrapped up 8 trips over a 6 day stretch this past Saturday, and my customers enjoyed an outstanding week of fishing! Looking back, Wednesday was probably our best day as we had a 19 lbs sack, all on Topwater. Hard to say that on this lake in August very often! We have been working topwater and swimbaits over brush on off-shore structure in 20-30 feet of water. I know this sounds like a broken record for us this summer, but the weather has kept the surface temps low enough to keep the bait shallow in the water column and thus creating a continuing opportunity for a surface bite, and we have taken advantage of it. Nothing matches the excitement of our aggressive spots hammering a topwater plug, especially when they attack ten or more at a time! There are also some good fish getting very shallow in the mornings as well as throughout the recent cloudy days, so don't hesitate to throw shallow when the conditions are right. In addition to a gunfish, a chug bug,a Bite Sized Herring and a Sebile, a Fish Head Spin has been a good near the surface at times as well. With more cool weather in the forecast this week, I look for this bite to continue. This week I have open days on Thursday and Friday, August 14 and 15. After that, I have several open days throughout the remainder of August: 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the rare August topwater bite or do a spot tail trip. Lot's of fun on either one. Give me a call and let's fish! Thanks to all and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Guide Service Report: 7/24/2014

Hey Gang - WOW! What a great week it has been on Lanier! The cool weather in combination with the Corp pulling water regularly this week has made for some fantastic fishing!! We have been smoking the big girls this week on a swimbait and topwater. This has been some of the best late July fishing I have seen on Lanier. The water temp was in the upper 70's at the start of the week and the fish liked it. We have been running and gunning brush in 20-30 ft. on humps and points throughout the lower lake. The Bite Sized Herring and a Sebile have been our best choices for the swimbait, and a Sammy along with a Gunfish have been our best topwater offerings. When the topwater/swimbait bite slows, we have been utilizing a drop shot out in 30-35 for some nice fish as well. I ran some spot tail trips last week, but since then it has been all artificial for us. The first set of pictures above are from yesterdays trip with Jim, Mike and his son Tyler. They had a SACK yesterday, most on swimbaits with a couple of topwater fish. Tyler stroked a 18 lbs sack on his own - what a great day for him. Uncle Jim had bought the trip for Tyler as his Christmas present back in December. I think Tyler had a good Christmas....looking forward to next year guys! Awesome day! Also, on the 3rd pane of pictures attached, I want to give a shout out to Hui. She was the SuperStar that day when she and her husband Darryl were out with me. We were both very proud of her - great work Hui!! Here is what I have open over the next couple of weeks: JULY - 26, 28 (PM), 29 (PM), 30, 31(PM). August - 1,6, 8. Give me a call and let's get out there. I am still running spot tail trips also, so let me know your pleasure! Finally, before closing, I wanted to take a moment to share a great story of assistance. I can't speak highly enough of Shawn, Jody, and of course John at John Megel Chevrolet on Hwy 19 (GA 400) in Dawsonville. These guys are simply a Class Act! I was in a jam and these guys bailed me out without hesitation, and I am grateful. They took care of me and did so in a first rate manner. I was blown away with their attentiveness and professionalism. I can assure you when in comes time for me to purchase my next Chevy Truck, John Megel will be getting my business. I hope you all take the time to check them out as well. Thanks guys!! May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Guide Service Fishing Report Lake Lanier: July 12, 2014

Hey Gang - I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer. I also hope everyone's 4th of July was awesome as well. Such a great holiday, and we really do have so much to celebrate as a country. Even though I worked most of the holiday, we still had a great time and helped celebrate our country's independence through attending some of the local events - I just love fireworks! The fishing has been very good the last 10 days or so. The fish are now in a transitional stage as some of the bigger fish are moving out deeper as they traditionally do this time of year. We have been catching our fish from 20 feet all the way out to 40 feet on offshore structure, typically near brush. When the wind is up in mornings, we have found a very good swimbait bite. Rick's Bite Sized Herring has been king. Topwater has actually still been good on most days, but is not quite as dependable as it was. We are still able to bring fish up from the brush, and we have also seen alot of schooling activity. As most of you know, when you get a bait in the action, you will get bit! Just leave it in there long enough and don't jerk it away from them and you will connect! A fast retrieved Sebile has been a nice compliment as well on some days. We have caught a few on a jig this week, and have brought the drop shot into play as well. One day this past week we found a very good deep bite on the DS for some very nice fish. 35 feet or so was the key that day. Look for the deep DS bite to strengthen, depending on the temps. However, it looks like we are in store for a big cool down next week, which could revive the weakening topwater bite, which would certainly be fine with me! The first block of pictures are from the artificial trips the last few days. The bigger block of pictures is from all of our recent spot tail trips. I have been running several spot tail trips with some youngsters and that has been a blast! Watching and helping kids to catch fish is awesome. 20-30 fish in a half day experience has been the norm. This is a great time for young and old alike! This coming week, I have Monday and Tuesday open. With the weather change on it's way, as well as being on the tail end of the full moon phase, I look for some great fishing on the artificial side. Swimbaits and topwater come to mind...LOL. After this week, here are the days I have remaining open in July: 21, 23(AM), 24(PM), 28, 29, 30, 31. Topwater, Swimbaits, Deep Drop Shot, Spot tails....all sorts of options. Give me a ring, and lets fish! Rick also has some days up on Hartwell - let me know if you would like to get out with Rick as well. Thanks to all, and may God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 7/1/2014

Hey Gang - This report, as well as the multiple pages of pics, are all from last week. I am in the midst of a 13 day straight run of trips. Somewhat exhausting, but it has been awesome! Thanks to everyone for the calls and keeping me so busy - I love it! I was on Day 9 today, so still a few more to go before a day off, which, yes, I am planning to spend fishing. And yes I will be out in the mornings over the holiday weekend. Should be interesting. LOL. A great story from last week is where I will start. If you y'all remember, I had just got back from Disney last weekend, and was starting back on trips as of Monday, June 23rd. I posted a report and included some pics from the week prior to my departure. All that said, I headed on out the 23rd to get spot tails for an afternoon trip with some kids. I launched early and tried to find some minnows. No luck. I had been away for a week, and wasn't sure where to check, as my usual haunts were not producing. Finally, I had to give up the search, and hope that somehow we could make the artificials work, which is a tough order with inexperienced anglers, especially kids. Looking back, I'm SO GLAD that I could not find the spot tails. I will tell you all that I had the best, most rewarding week of my career last week. I worked with 5 different young men and women with limited, if any, fishing experience, and taught them to fish. To really fish. From the ground up. Started with teaching them to cast a spinning rig, and then how to properly fish a chug bug and a swimbait. And then, how to fight and land a fish. All week, we threw those baits, and those baits only, to catch all of the fish pictured in these multiple posts. Those kids did so well and I was so proud of them for learning and applying all that information so well. The sense of accomplishment for them, and me, was incredible. It was just awesome. They now each have a great base of fundamentals that will carry them through a lifetime of learning and growing in a sport that we all cherish so much. Great week. Agian, all the fish pictured came on a chug bug or a swimbait. You can see the baits we were using in one of the photos. We had several multiple hook ups, including one triple and several doubles, which are also pictured. The topwater bite has slowed a bit this week, but it is still there and, at customer request, we are still chasing it. We caught several today, including a big one, and lost a monster as well. Pics on those later. I have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday open next week (July 8,9,10). Give me a call - I would love to have you out. And, I would love to teach your kids to fish. I forsee some topwater, as well as a Fish Head Spin, a swimbait, a Dude, and a drop shot in my future, as well as some minnows. Maybe next time I can find some. LOL. Enjoy the Holiday weekend and stay safe if you chose to hit the pond this weekend. It should be quite a sight. LOL. Thanks to everyone, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report: 6/23/2014

Hey Gang - I am fresh back from a trip to Disney with the family. We had this vacation planned for awhile as it was a gift from my wife's parents from this past Christmas. There were 11 of us staying in a condo in Kissimmee and hitting all the different parks for 7 days. I am exhausted! LOL. The kids in the family had a blast and that is what it is about. We took about 4 bazillion pictures this week, but the above left is my favorite. This was taken early on day 1 just after we had entered the Magic Kingdom and pursued our personal appointment with Mickey. All the kids met with him and talked with him and it was cool to watch him interact with the kids, especially the younger ones in our family. The park staff would take pictures with Mickey and each of the kids in our group. With every picture, as it was about to be snapped, Mickey would say "Cheeeeeeese" really loud. Shocking I know. Anyway, as a spoof, I took the opportunity to meet him also as I was at the end of the line. The above left is a picture taken of Mickey's reaction to my question as he and I were posing for a picture about to be taken by the staff. As we posed, arm in arm, I said right in Mickey's ear - "So Mickey, about that money you owe me...". My family and the park staff lost it. The mouse turned and looked at me for a long time, speechless, and finally uttered "cheese?" in a questioning tone. Folks, you had to be there, but it was hillarious! One of my many favorite moments of the trip. Thanks to my wonderful in-laws for a great trip and some awesome memories. My good friends kept me up to speed on the bite while I was gone, and I am about to head out on a topwater and spottail trip with some youngsters this afternoon. I suspect we will be throwing topwater, topwater,and topwater this week when we aren't dropping minnows. I hear the bite is still strong in the right places. My favorite for sure. Hard to beat the action. The remainder of the above pictures are all topwater fish from last week before I left on the Disney trip. I have had a cancellation this week for Wednesday, June 25, if anyone is interested. I also have a free seat tomorrow afternoon. Just give me a call. Next week I only have July 1 and 2 open. I am excited to be back and looking forward to getting back on the water. Give me a call or drop me a line if you would like to get out there and chase 'em! Thanks everyone and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report and Pictures: 6/6/2014

Hey Gang - Been out all week on trips with another one tomorrow morning to round out 7 awesome adventures this week. This fishing report will be very simple. The fish are chewing top water and swimbaits. They may be eating other stuff too, but I don't care. LOL. Find a brush pile and start chunking! The above pics from this week are just a sampling of some the beautiful spots we have been hammering - all on the fun stuff! I now only have 2 days open next week - Monday and Friday. Thanks to everyone for the calls. Then after that, I have June 24 (afternoon), 26, 28, and 30. If you like the topwater bite, now is the time! Call me and let's go fish! I will also be running spot tail trips in July. A great time to get the kids out (and adults) and turn fishing into catching! Good luck to everyone out there and stay safe this weekend. May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Guide Report: 6/1/2014

Hey Gang - It has been a long week and I am grateful to have another one ahead of me this week. So, just a quick report tonight for y'all that might be getting out sometime this coming week. My clients enjoyed another great week of fishing. The Sworming Hornet Bite Sized Herring swimbait was responsible for the majority of our big fish. They are just pounding these baits. Rocky shoals and up from the brush in 20 feet or so have been the best locations for these fish. A Fish Head Spin, Topwater and a jig account for the other main producers this week. A shaky head still works well too, we have just kept the swimbait and topwater in our hands for the most part. The brush is really holding fish and they are beginning to get agressive. The traditional Lanier topwater/swimbait bite over the brush is stregthening daily and will make for some very fun fishing in the weeks ahead. I want to put in a quick plug for Randy, one of my regular customers who came out with me this week. He was using his own jig on our trip- a "Randy's Biggins" Jig, and popped some really nice fish that day, like the one he is pictured with above. Nice work Randy! Also, Rick Steckelberg will be fishing in the BFL All American this week over at Lake Wilson in Alabama. Rick tells me he is on 'em strong. Please join me in wishing Rick the best of luck in this big tournament. Go Win It Rick! I only have Wednesday, June 4 open this coming week and then here is what I have open for the remainder of June: 9,10,11,12,13,24,26,30. Next week is wide open and then only 3 days the rest of the month. The full moon is coming the week of June 9th and I look for the topwater bite to be outstanding that week. Give me a call and let's get out there! Thanks to all and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbos Lake Lanier Guide Service Spotted Bass Fishing Report: 5/24/2014

Hey Gang - Well for the first year in a great many we did not make the trek up to Indy for the 500. Things just didn't work out this year. I will miss it tomorrow for sure. The good news is that I have had plenty of time to fish! I ran 8 trips this week over 6 days on the water, including #8 this morning. It was starting to get nuts out there when we took out at 11 AM. Be careful if you get out on the water this weekend - I recommend out early and in early. LOL. My clients and I enjoyed an excellent week of fishing on Lanier. I am way backed up on posting pictures here as well as on Facebook - I am working to catch up. The above are just a few of the many - more to come soon. The spawn is definitely wrapping up as we have been catching several post-spawn females. We have been doing well on a number of different patterns this week. I am on a very strong bite at daylight and we have stroked them at first light every day. Wake baits, topwater, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, fish head spin - if it moves they eat it. We have often started the day with a 15 pound sack in the first 10 minutes and then built on it through the day with some studs mixed in. Rocky humps and points have been the key for this bite and the fish have been SUPER shallow - often in a foot or less as they focus on the remnants of the herring spawn. After the early morning bite dies, we have found a decent schooling bite through the day. A fish head spin along with a gunfish have been our best offerings for these fish. It seems the fish head works best for the schoolers as you can really launch it a long way into the action. A Davis Shaky head and worm combo has been good when the wind dies. We have been using the Screw Lock HBT Series in the 3/16 oz size along with a variety of green worms. The SL HBT Series has become my favorite Davis Shaky Head of the many they offer. Our best approach for the big fish through the day has been throwing the Sworming Hornet Bite Sized Herring Swimbait on points and humps. The key for this bite has been a slow retrieve. Get the right speed and they crush it. Brush is not necessary but can help - look in 15 feet or less for this bite. Still not a ton of bites on this, but the ones you get are hammers. Over the next couple of weeks, I have the following dates open - Thursday and Friday May 29 and 30, and then Wednesday and Thursday June 4th and 5th the following week. The topwater bite will be getting better and better and the swimbait bite will get stronger as well as the post-spawn fish move into replenish mode. Looking further into June, the spot tail minnow bite should be coming on soon as the fish lock into the brush. This is great fun for kids and adults alike. Bites are guaranteed! Finally, as we celebrate this Memorial Day with friends and family, I ask that we all take a minute to remember our fallen heros, who through their ultimate sacrifice have made the freedoms we enjoy in this country possible. And also a big thanks to all of the service men and women, both past and present, who work or have worked hard to defend this great country of ours every day. Salute! May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbos Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report: 5/8/2014

Hey Gang - We have had a great week on Lanier and the fishing has been good. I have lots to share, so let's get started.... I want to begin by congratulating Matt Jones and Eli Huggins on an outstanding performance in Saturday's FLW High School State Championship. The boys, who were representing the West Forsyth High Wolverines, finished 3rd out of 52 boats with a weight of 15 lbs, 11 oz. A fluke and wakebait were the main weapons that contributed to their creel. I had an opportunity to work with the boys in advance of the tournament as well as be their boat captain for the event. Matt and Eli both are awesome young anglers with a great future ahead in the sport. Because they finished in the Top 5 of the field, Matt and Eli qualified for the FLW Regional HS Championships which will take place in September on the NickaJack in Tennessee. Congratulations again boys and good luck on the 'Jack! Great job!! On Monday of this week I took a day off and enjoyed a very informational electrofishing trip with Lake Lanier biologists Patrick O'Rouke and Christopher Looney. This is something I have been wanting to do for quite some time and was grateful to have been presented the opportunity. We shocked 4 different "stations" around the lake. We collected a number of species of fish to include both Largemouth and Spots. We measured and weiged all the fish, collected fin/scale samples, and returned most of the fish to the water. They did keep a few of the fish, which is normal, for further disection and research which will aid with identifing growth trends along with other critical insights. I garnered SO MUCH information from this process that it would be difficult to share everything in this forum. Let me sum it up by saying that we are all blessed to have a very healthy fishery! I look forward to sharing all the nitty gritty details with my clients during trips in the weeks ahead. I was able to address some of the "myths" that circulate around the lake and get the true scoop. Another thanks to Patrick and Chris - they are both very knowledgable and professional - we are lucky to have them as a resource for our lake! The fishing has been very good this past week. In the mornings, we have been focusing on the herring spawn, working a fish head spin, a spinnerbait, and topwater baits around shallow rocky and sandy areas. A swimbait has also been working well on these fish, particularly when they are as fired up as they were this morning. There was a nice breeze at daylight and man the fish were chewing. We saw lots of schooling, which we are starting to see more and more of around the lake. Topwater is also working throughout the day, as is a fluke, and of course, the Davis Shaky Head and worm combo. Reef poles are a good bet right now as is still the weed/grass lines in the pockets and creeks around the lake. There are still fish on the main lake brush as well, and some areas are loaded with pre-spawner and some post spawners also. It seems the larger wave of the spotted bass are ready to commit to the beds and are in the process. Look for a big push with next week's full moon. I forsee for some awesome fishing through the week next week if history repeats itself in terms of timing with the full moon phase. I am booked through the weekend, but have Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thur open next week. Give me a call and let's get out there. Should be an incredible week of fishing! Thanks to everyone, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Fishing Guide Service Fishing Report: 4/27/2014

Hey Gang - The weather has been great the last few days - the warm, stable weather seems to have really helped the bite. We have been enjoying some very good days for both size and numbers. The spawn continues to progress with the warm weather. They have been coming up in waves as usual, however, I think the largest contingency of the spot spawn is yet to come. I am led to believe that based on the health of the big fish we have been catching. Most are in perfect condition - no spawning sores at all. The next month should bring the masses to the beds as the water temperature is finally right and should stay right given the extended weather forecast. Which, of course, is always accurate. LOL. As far as the number's go, look to the "grass"/weed stalks you see growing up in pockets and creeks around the lake. You will find plentiful buck bass in those areas. We have had several 25-30 fish days running this pattern. A 1/8 Davis Shaky Head Screw Lock HBT Series and a Zoom 4" Dead Ringer in sand color has been killer on those fish. Don't expect a bunch of big fish, but it is fun. The shallower docks that have the grass/weed cover growing around them have been good also. The docks have been giving up some good fish as well. A fluke is working well right now and that too is just a fun pattern. Watching them come up and hit the fluke is a treat. In addition, we have been fishing main lake points and humps for some big bites. A Fish Head Spin has been great on these fish which are often around the brush or shallower. When they are not as fired up, a Davis Shaky Head and worm combo has worked well to catch them. Also, don't hesitate to drop on the fish you see on your graph with the shaky head - they will eat it. The wake bait bite has just started to materialize over the past week. We caught a few on it this morning and missed a couple of hammers. Look for that to get better as we move into May. Rick tells me the bite on Hartwell is strong also and he has been running trips up there for me and doing a great job. He has some dates open in the near future, so give me a call if you would like to fish Hartwell with Rick Steckelberg. I have had some cancellations for this week, and I currently have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday open this coming week. I also have some dates open next week and throughout May. The fish are biting, and it's time to fish! Give me a call and let's get out there! Thanks to everyone,and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Fishing Guide Service Report: 4/13/2014

Hey Gang - Well, the recent warm weather has certainly done alot for the fishing as you can see from the attached. We have been busting some Monster Swamp Donkeys this past week including several spots over 5 pounds! It has already been a lot of fun with much more to come... For the bigger fish, we have been working the main lake. Main lake points and humps are holding these toads right now. The depth at which you find them varies with the daily conditions. We have caught them in 12 to 30 feet over the last week. Stay flexible with your approach and check shallow to deep. Deeper docks have also spit up some of these pigs, so check your favorite docks with deep water nearby. Cover around the dock is a plus also. As far as presentations, our most reliable presentations have been a Shaky Head worm with a number of different types and styles of worms. Again, it just depends on the day. Vary your plastic selections from lighter to darker colors and longer to shorter styles until you find one that works. If you are getting bites and no fish, downsize and/or change color. When the wind is up and the fish are moving, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits have worked well. Again, let the conditions dictate your choices. We have also found a good "numbers" pattern up shallow. A shaky head worm up around the old weed lines is working well right now. We have also been casting a dropshot to these fish when they present as more finicky. A fluke is starting to work in these areas as well and should only get better as the water continues to warm and the spawn continues. A fluke around docks is too fun! Focus on creek arms and pockets as well as main lake pockets for the best activity. If you have been waiting for the bite to get "easy", it is here! Time to book your spring trip! I wanted to share that I have been working with the Trokar line of hooks recently, and I have found their drop shot and worm hooks to be unreal in both sharpness and performance which equals more caught fish! If you have not tried these hooks, I encourage you to try these or any presentation specific hooks you need. Trokar is the real deal! Hammonds, Oakwood, and Sherrys all have a good supply so check 'em out. I am booked this coming week and only have the following days left open for April: 22, 25, 29, 30. I am also booking for May so give me a ring and get your date on the books as soon as you can. With the cold winter, I have alot of customers making up for lost time so dates are going fast! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo For fishing reports on other GA Lakes, check out: www.southernfishing.com

JImbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 3/29/2014

Hey Gang - Man it has been awhile since my last report. I apologize for the long delay. Up until March, business had been pretty slow due to the weather and I had only been fishing sporadically, and therefore only had limited information to report. March hit, our first big warm front came, and I have not slowed down since. I have been out on 5-6 trips a week over the past few weeks, rain, shine, or cold. It has been awesome and I am so grateful for all of my faithful customers - Thank You! Most of my business lately has been comprised of tournament anglers, so I am somewhat thin on photos, but I have shared a few recent ones above. Out of respect for those individuals with whom I have been working and their upcoming derbies, I am going to keep the specifics in this report to a minimum. I think all of you that know me understand that rather than sharing inaccurate or misleading information in any situation, I will always share truthful information, albeit sometimes brief and more general in nature, as is the case here. Now, onto the fishing portion of our broadcast.... I have been focused on the south end for the most part over the past few weeks. I have ventured up north a few times with some success, but have mainly been south of Browns Bridge. We have been hitting both creeks and main lake and found productive patterns for both. The fish are definitely behind where they should be right now due to the cold water temps. There are some good fish to be caught right now, but you have to work for them. There has been a good jerkbait bite for big fish as well. If you aren't catching them, stay with it and change locations. My other productive baits have been a Fish Head Spin and a Shaky Head worm, and sometime a jig. Yesterday, in the rain, we enjoyed an excellent day. We hammered fish on a worm from 11 am - 4 PM. Our smallest was 2.5 and our biggest was close to 4, and we caught 15 or more in that range, with several over 3 pounds. The previous two days had been a predominant morning bite, but yesterday proved true to the conditions and the current moon phase, and they bit mid-day. We have been sacking up some good largemouth as well. We have found 3 pounders very shallow consistently over the last week. The bigger ones for us have been more in the mid-depth ranges around docks and hitting a jerkbait pretty well. That should all change with upcoming warming trend. If the 10-day forecast holds, look for the lake to bust wide open in the next couple of weeks. I am booked up for March, and only have the following dates remaining for April: 7, 11, 15, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30. My April dates have been going fast, so give me a call and let's go get 'em! Winter is finally over. It's time to fish. Also, Rick says Hartwell is heating up, so let me know if you would like to spend a day with the Fish Head Spin Doctor... Thanks to all and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Fishing Report: 2/19/2014

Hey Gang - I have been out a few days over the past couple of weeks. Obviously, the weather, until recently, has not been overly cooperative...LOL. The fishing has been kinda tough to be honest. We have had some days that the bite is decent and you can put together a nice limit. I was out with young William, pictured above right, a little over a week ago. I worked with him first on throwing a baitcaster, and then on fishing a jig with a baitcaster. He did great and popped three good fish on the jig that rounded out a nice limit for our boat that day. I also had a 4 pound largemouth out of 40 feet of water that day...go figure. The jig has been our best offering of late. Timber lines in ditches from 30-50 ft, steep rock, and deeper docks have been the key for us. The fish on the steep rock still come very shallow at times, often 15 feet or less. Moving around alot right now is important. If you are going to get bit in an area, it will happen in the first few casts. If you don't get bit, move on. The warming trend we are in now should move some fish up shallower back in the creeks, and should also strengthen the rock bite as the sun really helps that bite. I will be heading to the BassMasters Classic Expo tomorrow in Birmingham and will be there through the weekend. I am fortunate enough to be representing Shimano and G Loomis during the show. If you are heading over, please make sure to stop by and say hello. Lastly, I want to put in a plug for Jeff Blair. Brandt, one of my good customers and friends, invited me to go crappie fishing on a charter he had booked with Jeff. What a blast! Thanks to Jeff's clicker he uses to keep count, we caught over 180 crappie that day! We are pictured above with our limit, which is 120 for the four of us. I dare you to count them. LOL. Jeff did, and we were right on the money. All the crappie were released alive and well after a day in Jeff's oxygenated live well. If you are looking to catch some Crappie, make sure to look up Jeff - lots of fun! I am at the Classic through Sunday, but I am open most weekdays next week, but booked next weekend. I know the bass will start moving with all this warm weather and will be getting where they need to be...let's go catch 'em. This is a great time of year to catch a monster spot. Thanks to all, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Spotted Bass Fishing Report: 1/22/2014

Hey Gang - I want to start by thanking everyone for keeping me busy even in this crazy weather. I have been out on trips on almost every reasonable weather day this year, and even some not so reasonable - LOL! I am grateful for the business and appreciate each of you very much. Thank you! I am also happy to report that my Skeeter has received a facelift! Thanks to Cibile and her crew at Overboard Designs, my boat looks brand new as you can see from the above picture. They really did a fantastic job on both the carpet and the vinyl seats. It looks great! Also, a shout out to Perry over at Perry's Hi Tech Outboard. He pursues an agressive PM program on my Yamaha that keeps her running perfectly and on the water consistently. I could not stay in business without him - thanks Perry for all you do! The fishing has been fair on most days and good on others. We are to a water temperature that you can't expect a ton of bites during the course of a day, but the ones you get will often be good ones. We have been running 2 productive types of areas and sticking with them each day. We have found big fish on the inside edge of timber lines in ditches as well as on rocky/hard clay features near deep water. The timber line fish are generally in the 30-40 feet range of water depth. A jig, a Davis Shaky Head, and a Fish Head Spin have been our best baits for those areas. Alternately, the fish coming from the rock have been much shallower. Our biggest fish consistently come from 10 feet of water or less, and generally no deeper than about 15 feet. Don't expect to catch more than one fish in an area, and don't expect it to take more than 3 or 4 productive casts to get bit in an area if its going to happen. Fish efficiently, but also, fish SLOW. That is critical, especially in these cold water temps. Our best offerings on the rock have been a crankbait, jig, and a shaky head. With this crazy cold weather and dropping water temperatures, I am going to be experimenting over the next few days with the float and fly technique on Lanier. I spent time learning this technique last winter and really look forward to employing it this year as Polar Vortex's continue to be our weather story. LOL. I will keep you posted on the results and hopefully will post some pictures soon. There is a warm-up coming this weekend, and I have some dates open. For January, I have the following dates remaining: 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31. Give me a call and let's go bust some winter swamp donkeys! I would like to close by expressing my sincere gratitude to all of my outstanding sponsors. Without them, I could not fish for a living. Thank you: G Loomis, Shimano, Lowrance, Seaguar, Lazer Trokar, Sworming Hornet, Hammonds Fishing, Davis Baits, Wackem, Chattahoochee Jigs, JJ's Magic, and LanierMapped.com May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 1/13/2014

Happy New Year Everyone - I sincerely hope that each of you enjoyed a wonderful holdiay season with family and friends. Ours was pretty quiet with no traveling, which was my gift this year. LOL. The lake currently sits at .46 feet over full pool and somewhere between 47 and 48 degrees at daylight, depending on where you launch. The lake came up about a foot with the recent rains. Many of the lower lake creeks are stained from the recent rains, particularly in the very back. The main lake is mostly clear down south, with the best water clarity found on the extreme south end. The bite on Lanier has been pretty good most days the past couple of weeks. I was on trips everyday from the 26th of December through Jan 1st and then most days since then when the weather was somewhat reasonable. The coldest day we fished it was 13 degrees at launch. We still caught 'em that day even though the temp never got above freezing during the trip. We have been fishing the 15-25 feet range on most days, with 20 feet about the average depth where we find most of our biting fish. The fish have not been out as deep consistently for us so far this year. The large majority of our bigger fish have been coming shallow - less than 10 feet in most cases. We often find "numbers" fish out in 15-25, with some scattered fish in 30+. I was out on a trip yesterday and saw more fish out deeper in the timber but they did not seem to cooperate. We tried 'em a bunch, but no takers. Again, we found our biting fish in the 20 foot range. The ditch fish have been cooperating most mornings as you can often show up at daylight and catch some good fish with a fish head spin or scounger directly in the ditch. As the day progresses, you can often find thefish around the docks next to the productive ditches or on rock ledges in the near vicinity. Main lake rock points have remained prodcutive as well and should be tended regularly. Look for those that have deep waternearby to be the most productive. A jig and a Davis Shaky Head have been our most effective presentations overall. We have one of these two baits in our hands 60% of the time or more on most days. I have Tuesday (tomorrow) open and with the front coming Wednesday, it could be a good one and certainly a warm one. I also have Thursday and Saturday open this week as well, in addition to several dates next week. This is a great time to learn winter patterns on Lanier, both shallow and deep. Give me a call and let's go fish! Rick is back up and running on Hartwell after repairing a blown power head, and Craig is still running trips for me on Allatoona and Carters with the Float and Fly if you would like to learn that technique. I have been throwing the fly some on Lanier, and have not crushed them on it yet, but I still look for it to have a place this coming winter. I have been teaching the Float and Fly on Lanier some already this winter, and I can help you with that technique on Lanier as well if you are interested. For fishing reports on other Georgia lakes, please visit: www.southernfishing.com Thanks to all and May God Bless - Jimbo