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

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report and Pictures of Spotted Bass: 12/23/2013

Hey Everyone - Merry Christmas from the Jimbo clan here in Cumming! From our family to yours, we wish you a very happy and safe holiday with friends and family. On the fishing front, the lake has came up just a tic...LOL...its now back to almost 2 feet over full pool and today, we found 56 degree water temps in the backs of some creeks. And yes, the bait and the big fish had followed. A Davis Shaky Head around docks seemed to be the best offering and location this afternoon. We tried alot of different areas before settling in on the dock pattern, and it was strong. Jeff, above middle, is sporting one of those toad dock fish from this afternoon. Prior to the front, we had been doing well in creek ditches in the morning with a Fish Head Spin, Jerkbait, and Davis Shaky Head. Most fish had been coming in the 12 -20 feet range. As the day progressed, we were moving to the rock areas and points around creek mouths and throwing a jig, crankbait, and shaky head for our best fish. These fish tended to be the most shallow as our biggest fish were often the most shallow - nearly on the bank in some cases. For the coming week, I have the 27, 28,and 29th open. Also, my traditional New Year's Day customer is not going to make it this year, so I also have New Year's Day open also. Not sure what it is, but we always seem to have a great day on Jan 1st....give me a call and let's go fish! Merry Christmas and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report: 12/14/2013

Hey Gang - Glad I am not out there today, but we have had a very good week for numbers and big fish as well, even last Sunday during that nasty day that looks just like this one! The ditch bite has really picked up for us over the last week. The classic Fish Head Spin in the ditches is really working well right now. I enjoy this bite and it is a must have in your winter arsenal. We have been starting every morning in the ditches and catching lots of fish and good ones too. In addition to the spots, we have been running into the occasional Largemouth as well. Most of these ditch fish are coming in the 8 - 20 feet depth range. In additon, we are continuing to spend a good amount of time on rocky points, ledges, and bluffs. The rock has also been very consistent for us over the last week and we have been catching some big fish on this pattern, again, both spots and largemouth. The Spro DD Little John has been really good, along with Davis Shaky Heads and Chattahoochee jigs. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of taking out Zane Smith along with my long-time customer Hector. Zane pitched in the bigs for 13 years in the 80's and 90's, including 6 seasons with the Braves. Just a great guy and a great day - they whacked about 25 fish through the day with their best 5 going 18 pounds. We had a blast and laughed all day. Zane has promised a return trip so I know there are more stories to come on this front. Awesome job fellas! Guys, the weather forecast for the next few days looks awesome! I have the following available this coming week: All day Tuesday & Friday,as well as Thursday morning. Give me a call if you would like to get out and enjoy some beautiful December weather and some great winter fishing! Also, remind your sweethearts to give the gift of Jimbo this Christmas! I sell several gift certificates every Holiday Season and I am told they make great presents! LOL. Give your wives a nudge here and I will make sure you guys enjoy some great trips! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report: 12/1/2013

Hey Everyone - I was away last weekend and the first of this week as we departed to Indy for a wedding and an early Thanksgiving. Been on the water since returning and found that suprisingly, not much has changed in terms of the fish position. Even though the water temperature dropped 5 degrees or so, the fish and bait remain in about the same position. We are still catching fish shallow on rock for the most part. Rock is definitely the key. It can be rock in a creek, main lake, around a dock, it doesn't seem to matter as long as there is rock. Brush or cover helps on some days, but on others the fish are just roaming on and around the rock, and are often VERY shallow. I have checked for the ditch bite and there are fish in some of the traditional locations, but they are not there in force yet, because the bait is not there in force yet. When the bait gets there, the fish will follow. The last week or so, three baits have produced the majority of our fish, including some studs: Davis Shaky Head, Chatahoochee Jig, and a Spro Little John DD. Our strategy on most days is to cover water, and lots of it. No need to spend much time in any one location, if they are there, they will eat quickly. As the temperatures continue to drop, I look for the ditch bite to pick up, along with the timber bite out deeper. There are some fish out deep, but our big ones are still coming shallow. Looks like we are in for a cold winter, which should be great for the deep bite. We have not had a cold winter in a few years - we are due. The good news is if you can handle the cold, the bite should be awesome. I am full for the next 8 days except I do have Tuesday open this week if you are interested in getting out on Lanier. I also have some dates open the week of December 9th (next week). Rick is available on Hartwell and the other North Georgia lakes, and Jamie is running those Hooch river trips for me as well, which is quite an experience. Float and Fly fishing is not on fire yet, but Craig can teach you the technique on Carters or even Allatoona. Call me if you want to fish, we would love to have you as our guest!! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report and Pictures of Spotted Bass: 11/18/2013

Hey Gang - We have been having a great fall of fishing and you folks have been keeping me busy - I am grateful - Thank You!! I have lots to share in this report, so let's get started. We have been doing well on rock for the last 10 days or so. We have been focusing on rock bluffs and points for the most part all day every day that I have been out. This pattern has been producing consistent heavy sacks and big fish for my customers...until Saturday. LOL. The sack Joe and Kurt are sporting above came from Friday. My customer Ron Clark and I fished the Hammond's Tournament on Saturday. We weighed 15.34 and finished 1 ounce and 1 place out of the money. Our big fish was over 4 and we had a 2 pounder the we could just not cull. We caught 3 limits of fish through the day and culled 4 times on the rock pattern. A SPRO DD crankbait gave us our 2 best fish, and a jig provided the rest of the fish we weighed. Steep rock bluffs and points in 2 - 20 feet were the key for us. We fished clean, however, in retrospect, I made a couple of bad calls through the day and elected to check some back-up patterns instead of staying with the rock. Mistake! All was good in the end though and Ron and I had a blast as usual. Tim Hawkins and Steve Gerbig did a great job running the weigh-in and everything went smoothly as do all the Hammonds Tournaments. A special call out to Steve Pescitelli and his son Noah. They have been out with me on a dozen trips or so over the last year. I almost feel like Noah is my own son at this point, and Steve is like a brother to me. They have came a LONG way in a very short time and I am extremely proud of the them. Noah and his dad finished 13th in the Hammond's tourney Saturday with a sack of 15.01. This was against a strong field of 62 boats - they beat a bunch of Lanier's top sticks and almost beat me too! LOL. They are awesome people and I have thoroughy enjoyed working with them as they are both outstanding students. Great job guys - and as usual, I am looking forward to our next class on the water!! As most of you know, my business has really been growing over the last year. Jimbo's has expanded to Hartwell with Rick Steckelberg as my lead guide up there, and I have had several multi-boat trips on Lanier lately as well. I am very excited to announce that I am adding two more guides and two more bodies of water for this fall and winter. Craig from the Dugout in Kennesaw will be running Float and Fly trips on Carter's Lake for me this winter, and Jamie Koza, who owns and runs the Dugout and Kennesaw Bait will be running trips on the Chattahoochee River for Largemouth as well. Craig is an EXPERT with the float and fly rig and there is no better lake on which to learn this technique than Carters. This is a great experience and a technique that is often unmatched for producing big winter sacks. Also, for a limited time this fall and early winter, Jamie is going to be running trips on the Hooch and doing some river fishing for giant Largemouth Bass. This is an unforgettable experience and one I also highly recommend. These trips will be ran on a section of the river near Six Flags theme park and I promise you will learn and see things which you have not before seen!! I am full this week, but Nick is available to guide for me on Lanier this week if you would like to get out. Rick is also available on Hartwell, and he too will be doing trips for me on other popular Georgia Big Bass Lakes on the Savannah River chain like Burton, Rayburn,and Seed. Rick is in tune with most of the Georgia lakes and he has competed and won on most of them. Rick can help you on any of those lakes - Jimbo's is now your one-stop-shop for bass fishing! Lots of growth and lots of changes at Jimbo's! For November on Lanier, I have the 27, 29, and 30 open, and I am also booking for December. The fish are starting to move into the ditches and the Classic Lanier deep ditch bite is just starting, but will get much stronger as the water continues to cool and the bait moves into their winter holes. The weeks upcoming are great to learn the Fish Head Spin bite in the ditches, as well as the deep jig bite in the timber. A quick summary of the other lakes available through Jimbo's with dates available NOW: Lanier, Hartwell, Carters, Burton, Rayburn, Seed and the Chattahoochee River. Also, Rick takes requests! Call me if you want to fish in Georgia, we can get you set up! For fishing reports on other Georgia Lakes, please visit: www.southernfishing.com Many thanks to all, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 10/30/2013

Hey Gang - Well the lake is finally almost exactly back to full pool. It stands at .06 feet over full at the time of this post. The lake has been experiencing some turnover. Areas of the lake look good, and others not so much. Aside from all that stuff, the great news is the fish are biting well right now. The other good news is that you can pretty much take your pick of how and where you want to catch them too....it's pretty fun as you can run a number of different patterns through the day and catch big fish on most of them. The only thing pretty consistent for me is that we are starting our days shallow on rock almost every trip for the last couple of weeks. After that, I let the conditions lead me to the best bite. And folks, that could literally be almost anything. Topwater over brush, to jig on rock, to a shaky head on a point, to a drop shot deep around the timber. Its all there right now. Here is a list of some of the baits we have caught good fish on recently: spinnerbait, crankbait, Chattahoochee Jig, Davis Shaky Head, drop shot, topwater, Fish Head Spin, jerkbait, and a Sworming Hornet Bite Size Herring Swimbait. Whew. Long List. LOL. I think the best message I can send to you guys without having you in my boat to show you is to stay versatile, especially as the numerous fronts of fall come and go. Try different areas and techniques. Don't stay in any one area too long and don't have a favorite bait. The best bite is different every day for us. This is a great time of year to work on any variety of techniques you may want to learn. I am full this week and have been for the past couple of weeks since my move (Thank you for the calls!), but I do have most of next week available as it stands now. Give me a call and let's get out there. The leaves are really starting to change and it is gorgeous on our pond. Lastly, I want to offer a special congratulations to Noah Pescitelli for his 2nd Place Finish in the the Wackem High School State Championship this weekend. Noah and his partner had a 2 day total of 20.76 pounds and missed the victory by .03 pounds. Wow. Noah and his partner are now qualified for the National High School Championship in 2014. Way to go Noah!! For fishing reports on other Georgia Lakes, please visit: www.havefunfishing.com Thanks to all, and May God Bless - Jimbo