Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 4/15/2015

Hey Gang - Well, I got a "snow day" today with all the rain this morning. My customer hit the "abort" button just before we launched, and I can't say that I blame him. Apparently, we have entered the monsoon season here in Georgia. We decided to depart from the ramp and forge ahead on the matters at hand - he went to build an Ark, and I went to gather animals two by two....LOL. Even with the rain, however, the bite has been steadily improving and there are lots of techniques working right now. If you like to bed fish, there are LM bedding all over the lake right now and have been for a couple of weeks or more. There are some spots bedding now as well, but I look for a greater progression to the beds over the next couple of weeks. It's hard to beat a 1/8 oz Davis Shaky Head for numbers right now. Focus on points or docks on or near rocky areas that have a spawning flat somewhere adjacent. Steeper areas seems to be better, but the flatter stuff is starting to work as well. We have been fishing this rig on a GLoomis NRX 822 Shaky Head Rod. It is super-sensitive and really lets you feel those light bites. A weightless fluke around the fresh pine blow downs (from the ice storm) has been good for some fun too. When the wind is up, a 1/2 oz Davis Spinnerbait with white blades has been a good offering, as well as a Spro Little John MD in the Cell Mate color. Focus on those same rocky points mentioned above. A jerkbait or a swimbait over the brush has been spitting up some donkeys lately, as evidenced above with Craig proudly 'splaying Spotzilla (2nd from right) - she weighed 6 flat on the digitals - heckofa fish Craig! I believe she was a round as she was long... Another quick reminder about the upcoming GLoomis Owner's Tournament on June 6th out of Little Hall. Make $300 worth of qualifying purchases in the GLoomis/Shimano line at fine local tackle stores like Hammond's Fishing or the Dugout, and you are in! Visit the stores for details! I was tinkering with the idea of holding another seminar in May, but honestly I am too busy running trips to create and deliver a quality product to everyone, so I have decided to wait until August for my next round of seminars. I will have the dates confirmed and be ready to take sign ups shortly. The August seminars will focus on Fall and Early Winter fishing on Lanier. As before, we will have a range of topics to cover in that arena. Techniques, locations, Lowrance Screen Shots, proper rod and reel set ups, and much more will be covered. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again for a great learning experience and some fun fellowship! I will announce the dates and location soon. In April, I only have the 23rd open, as well as the afternoon of the 29th. Here is what I have for May right now: 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28 and 30. Lot's of fun bites to come during that time including topwater! Give me a ring and let's go get 'em! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Guide Service Report: 4/6/2015

Hey Gang - It has been a busy few weeks for me. I just wrapped up my second 5-boat corporate trip of the week today, and we had a blast! I have been blessed to work with some really great people and today was no exception! I'm not sure if its a good thing, but I was on the water every day in March. Every day. I had a couple of days off....and fished anyway. LOL. I just can't seem to get enough. Its just too much fun. A huge thanks to everyone for keeping me so busy. I love it and please keep it coming! The fishing has improved a bunch in the last few days. The warm sunny days we had before today really made for a great bite out there. Above Browns Bridge has been more consistent, but the south end has had its days and is improving steadily. We have been focusing on pockets of late. There are large schools of blue backs hanging in the backs of several pockets, and some big fish are there chasing them. The bait and the fish have both been very shallow. often in 5 feet of water or less. Docks in those same areas have been productive as well, much more so when the sun is high. The fresh pine blow downs from the ice storm in these pockets are also holding fish on many days. We have caught a few fish on the points, but they just don't seem to be holding the quantity or quality of the fish the pockets have yielded consistently in recent days. As far as bait choices, in the mornings, a McStick, a War Eagle spinnerbait, and fluke have been best. As the day progresses, pretty much the same baits have been effective, particualarly on the fish chasing bait in the backs of the pockets. The fluke bite around the docks, when the sun is up, is really starting to improve as well. The Davis Shaky Head HBT Series with a trick worm or senko has been a good bet around the docks and the blow downs as well. Of course, the weightless senko is always a good bet around the docks throughout the spring. There were several fish starting to bed before the cold front hit, and I look for a good wave to go on bed with the upcoming full moon, particularly the largemouth. I look for the south end to get consistently good over the next few days, and look for some more big sacks, like the one Scotty and I are sporting above, to show up. Don't forget about the upcoming G-Loomis/Shimano Owners tournament coming to Little Hall on June 6th. $300 in qualifying purchases and you're in! See the folks at Hammond's or the Dugout for details. For April, I only have the 22, 23, and the afternoon of the 29th open. Other than a day off on Easter, I am booked solid. My May is starting to fill up quickly as well, so please let me know as soon as you have a date in mind. Thanks to all, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report: 3/23/2015

Hey Gang - Well I think Spring has finally "Sprung" as they say and the fish are moving after that tough February. I hope you have all had the opportunity to get out and enjoy the great weather. The bite has been improving steadily. We have had some good days lately and I expect them to get better. We have mostly been fishing creek arms and pockets the past couple of weeks looking for that faster warming water. Docks have been a great target for us within those places, although the areas around the docks and open areas without any docks have been productive as well. We have started most days with a Spro or Megabass Jerkbait and a rattle trap. These baits worked on flats in the back of creek arms have been productive for some early morning bites. We have then been shifting to the deeper creek arms and focusing on steeper banks with the jerkbait. Once the sun gets up, the docks have been very productive. We have focuses on docks that are in 20 feet or less. Some days the deeper docks are better, and some days the shallower docks seem to be more productive. You can definitely find more largemouth consistently around the shallower docks near the back of the creek arms, but the spots are back there on some days too. The deeper docks are a better bet in terms of consistent spot production. As far as bait selection, a jerkbait, a fluke, and various plastics rigged on a 3/16 oz Davis Shaky Head HBT Series Screw Lock Head have all been very good producers. Trick worms, finesse worms, and creepy crawlers skipped around docks are all working well right now. Experiment each day to find what the fish prefer. We have had some decent days on a jig as well, but I look for the jig bite to become a staple soon. I recommend stocking up on your favorite Chattahoochee Jigs now! I have mainly been fishing up North, but the lower lake is starting to come around and you will find me below BB much more often over the next few weeks. Look for the main lake bite to heat up soon and some big sacks to come from down south. It's just time for that to happen. Any day now... If you haven't heard, make sure to mark Sunday, March 29th on your calendars for the Lowrance Lake Lanier Mapping Party and Big Bass Bash. The event will be held at Little Hall Ramp that day and will include food, prizes and giveaways, as well as free Lowrance instruction and seminars. Catch the biggest bass that day and win a FREE Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 2 Touch! Also, there is an ongoing Lake Lanier Mapping Challenge that offers an HDS 9 Gen 2 Touch as its grand prize (March 6-28). Check out all the details by clicking HERE. A special congrats to my man Bo Pierce who is pictured above in the 2 photographs on the right. I had Bo out on a trip with me earlier this week while he was having his brand new HDS 9 Gen 3 Touch units installed by Tim at Hammond's Fishing. We caught a good sack the day we were out, and I was able to show him a few things he could apply on this own during future trips (Pic 2nd from right). The picture on the far right is the result! I met up with Bo on the water at the end of one of my trips later this week to tune his units he had installed on Wednesday, and was happy to celebrate his results with him. I love to teach and Bo was an outstanding student! It was very gratifying to me that he took what he learned and was able to immediately apply it to his fishing. Congrats Bo! I have Thursday and Friday open this coming week (March 26 and 27). I also have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 30th, 31st and April 1st open as well. After that, my first open days are April 13, 14, and 15 as I am fully booked the first 2 weeks of April. I anticipate some excellent fishing over the next few weeks. Give me a call and book your dates now! Let's go catch'em!! Thanks to all and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report: 3/8/2015

Hey Gang - I hope everyone has enjoyed the recent warming trend. It was sure beautiful out there today! It is really great to see Spring arriving as we have all had about enough of old man winter! Who's with me??! I have been out on the water every day since last Saturday, and the fishing has been tough...in the lower lake. I spent 2 days down there last week and determined it was just not worth hanging around anymore. I have not been below Brown's Bridge since. LOL. The water temps are trending much warmer up north as with daytime warming today we found 53 degrees in the back of some pockets. The fish are biting up there as well, and we have had decent limits every day this week. The bite has seemed to get better each day. Don't get me wrong, you have to work your tail off, but the fish are there and will bite with some patience. We have been working jerkbaits, rattletraps, and Super Spins for some good early morning bites. We have mostly been focusing on shallow flats in the backs of creek arms and pockets in 10 feet or less. A 7 second pause on the jerkbait seems to be important for a bite. A Spro McStick and a Vision 110 have been our choices. The trap bite seems best on a steady retrieve for us, vs a yo-yo presentation. We have been working a 1/4 oz Super Spin tipped with either a Super Fluke Jr or a Kitech trailer. A slow presentation of the Super Spin with some hops and pops seems to be best on most days. A chatterbait has also given us a few bigger bites through the day as well. Slow and steady has been the best presentation. Through the day, docks back in creek arms and pockets have been our best bet. We have been working small plastics rigged on a 3/16 oz or 1/8 oz Davis Screw Lock Shaky Head, HBT Series. SLOOOOOOW is the key. And I do mean painfully slow. Move it an inch, make a phone call, drink a soda, move an inch, shake slightly, take a nap, read the paper, return emails, then....tick! The bites are very light and hard to detect. Often you will just see your line start to move after a pause of the bait, if you are not napping of course. LOL. The best docks seem to be in 15 feet or less. Often times, even on sunny days such as today, the fish are not under the docks, but just around them. Work the areas thoroughly and as discussed above, take your time. The DVD's I had produced from my January Seminar on ditch fishing have been selling well. Thank you! I still have a few copies left, and I will mail next day USPS, so you will receive them quickly. Please call me at 770-542-7764 to order your copy or email me at: jim@laniermapped.com The cost is $39. I have recently had a short preview from the DVD produced. Click on this link and take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyIbZMiBMlA&feature=youtu.be I also wanted to share a couple of tournament announcements. I will make a separate post for these tournaments on this forum as well. First, I am excited to report that Shimano/GLoomis will be hosting a series of owner tournaments this year, and one of the stops on the tour is Lake Lanier! Mark down June 6th at Little Hall (SL-3 PM) on your calendars for this awesome event. Entry fee is purchase of $300 or more in qualifying GLoomis, Shimano, Jackall, or Power Pro equipment from your fine local tackle stores such as Hammond's Fishing or The Dugout. Only GLoomis Rods and Shimano reels will be allowed in the tournament. The series covers Lake Lanier, Logan Martin, Smith Lake, and the Classic will be held at Guntersville. This is sure to be a fun and rewarding tournament trail. Make sure to check out the details and buy some Shimano/GLoomis or other qualifying product and come fish!! Also, I wanted to share some info on a tournament being held on Lake Allatoona for a very worthy cause. Fishin' for a Mission will be held on March 29, 2015 out of Gatewood Park (SL- 3PM) and proceeds will benefit Children's Healthcare. I will share the flyer for this event on a separate post as well. Make sure to put this on your calendars and come out and support Children's Healthcare. I am full this week and looking to wrap up a 16 day run of days on the water this coming Sunday. Here are the dates I have open the remainder of March: 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31. Call for your April dates soon as those have been going quickly as of late. The warm weather this week is sure to get the fish really moving and making their push towards the spawn. The next few weeks are sure to hold some excellent fishing with some STUDS to be caught. Now is the time folks! Give me a call and let's go bust 'em!! Thanks to all, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Report: 1/27/15

Hey Gang! It has been awhile since my last post. I have been busy on some other fishing-related fronts and it has been an awesome January. I hope you all have been out and enjoyed some of the good days we have had recently, when we have had 'em. It is January after all, not all the days are good! LOL As many of you know, I have been running a Seminar Series this month. We held one on January 17th and I have another one coming up this Saturday, January 31st. My buddy Dan W. has graciously offered his company's state-of-the-art meeting facility down at Dekalb Office, where we are holding he seminars. This place is unbelievable and it has been a true pleasure to work with Dan. I can't say enough about his generous hospitality. Thank you Dan - you are the man! The January 17th Seminar was a HUGE success. We had over 90 attendees and discussed some of the particulars of ditch fishing, timber fishing, and tackle set up. In the January 31st Seminar, we will have an in-depth reveiw of electronics - how to read them and interpret them to catch more fish. In addion, we will discuss fishing the winter to spring transition, tournament preparation and game planning, as well as seasonal patterns on Lanier. Thanks to Dan, we have been able to add some additional chairs for this Seminar to meet the growing demand. We sit at 101 attendees, and can grow it to 110. So I have 9 spots left if you are interested in attending. This will be an extremely valuable course as we will help prepare you for fishing the coming months on Lanier. We will welcome you with refreshments such as coffee and donuts, raffles, giveaways, in addition to some great vendors such as Chattahoochee Jigs, SuperSpin by SuperFish, and Spro Lures. Please contact me directly at 770-542-7764 to reserve your spot. First come, first serve of course. Class starts at 9 AM, doors open at 8 AM. Registration is $85 and we will close the class at 110 participants. I hope to see you there for another great lesson on Lanier. I have also been playing in the tournament scene this month. We wrapped up the Hammond's Winter Trail on Saturday with a 16.92 lbs sack and a 2nd place finish in the Classic on a very tough day. My partner Joe and I were further honored to secure 2nd place in the points race for top team of the year. We were fortunate to have fished very consistently all year. Our strengths were planning and decision making, along with execution of course. These are areas that we will be discussing at this Saturday's seminar. A big congrats to Mark Hardin and Chad Spivey for their incredible year and 1st place honors in the trail. Also, a big thanks to Hammond's Fishing for running this highly competitve trail that consistently attracts Lanier's best. Joe and I then rolled into the first H&D Tournament of the year out of Little Hall on Sunday with a 15.74 lbs sack and a solid 6th place finish out of a 61 boat field. Conditions were much nicer Sunday, but the fishing was just as tough. Over the weekend, we focused our efforts in the 45 feet range on timber edges for most of our fish. A Chattahoochee Jig, a Shaky Head, and a drop shot were our main weapons. We did make some deviations on Sunday after we got our limit in the timber as we then went hole hopping for a couple of upgrades on the Chattahoochee Jig. Overall, a fun weekend and a pleasure to be fishing in January! Check out the PIG above that I caught last week on the SuperSpin from SuperFish Baits. This is a fairly new release to the market and in my opinion a great addition to the UnderSpin market. A longer blade arm, bigger eyes and a unique head design highlight the competitive advantages of this bait. The longer blade arm allows for a consistent free spin on the fall which is how I caught spotzilla above - on the fall. I am honored to be working with Kevin Stowers and his team helping to promote this new product. I encourage you to give this bait a try - I think you will like it!! Lastly, I want to announce that I have officially split from Sworming Hornet Lures. I enjoyed my time with Rick and certainly appreciated the opportunity to represent his company. I wish him all the best with his future endeavors. I have Thursday and Friday open this week for guide trips. The weather looks good so let's get out and catch 'em! Give me a call! Thanks to all, and May God Bless. Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spots Fishing Report and Seminar Reminder: 1/2/2015

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope y'all enjoyed a safe and happy holiday season with family and friends! I want to wish everyone a fulfilling, healthy, and prosperous 2015! We made the trip back to Indiana for Christmas in a most excellent 11 hour downpour all the way there....and back. We enjoyed the time there anyway, but I am glad to be back in Georgia where at least we see the sun every once in awhile! I want to start by thanking everyone for registering for my upcoming seminars on Jan 17 and 31, 2015. The response has been incredible and I am grateful. There are a still a few spots left, but not many. These Lanier-intensive, winter fishing-specific seminars will cover such topics as: Ditch Fishing, Deep Timber Fishing, Ledge Fishing, Fishing the Winter to Spring transition, Reading Electronics, and much more. I invite you to call or email me to register for these valuable classes while there is still space available. The seminars will be held at the Dekalb Office Conference Room which is conveniently located just off of Exit 12 on GA 400. These facilities are top-notch with a beautiful, spacious break room and outstanding conference space. If you register and pay before January 14, 2015 the price is $99 for both classes or $69 for one. The pay at the door price will be $85 per class, if space is still available by then. Refreshments will be served, and there will also be Vendor/Sponsor tables and we are working on a raffle as well. I encourage you not to miss this wonderful opportunity to learn more about fishing our awesome lake in the winter time, as well as enjoy some great networking opportunities with your fishing peers. The fishing since my last report has been good. Aside from the few days around Christmas, I have been out on trips every day. Thank you all for keeping me so busy! I love it! The fish have been spread out with a good concentration of fish deep, as well as mid-depth ranges and even shallow. We have been starting our mornings in the back of creek arms/pockets and fishing 20 feet deep or less. We have had several 10-12 fish stops on our first hole, often accumulating a 13-15 pound sack and then moving out deeper for some bigger bites. We have been working an underspin, a jerkbait, as well as a Chattahoochee Jig and a Shaky Head worm in these areas for our bites. As the day progresses, we have been moving out to the ditches with timber and working a Chattahoochee jig, Shaky Head worm, and a spoon for our catches. Fishing the baits slowly is key. There are some big girls out deep right now, and I look for the fishing to improve out there as the weather gets colder later next week. This should concentrate the bait and fish a bit more in the deeper water. Isolated timber in 40-45 feet has been most productive for us of late, but there are fish along the timber rows/edges as well. Rock bluffs have been a good option as well on some days. The key here is chosing areas that have deep water close. The fish may be 15 feet or less in some situations, but there is always deeper water very near. Again, work the bait slowly, particularly on those areas with ledges combined with steep drops. This coming week, I have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday open (Jan 5, 6, and 7). With the full moon phase and a cold front coming later in the week, these should be good fishing days. Give me a call or drop me an email and let's go get 'um!! Also of interest, I will be presenting at the 2015 Atlanta Boat Show again this year. I will be on the Bass Tank at 5:30 PM on Friday, January 16 and again at 3:30 PM on Saturday, January 17th. I will be demonstrating some principles that I will be covering in my fishing seminars, so come on down and join me for some fun and learning at the 2015 Atlanta Boat Show! Thanks to everyone, and May God Bless! Jimbo Jimbo On Lanier - Jimbo's Spotted Bass Guide Service Call: 770-542-7764 Website: www.jimboonlanier.com

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