April 2021 Fishing Report
April 2021 Lake Lanier Fishing Report
The days are getting hot and that’s the best way I can describe the April Striper bite on Lanier this past month. Double digit numbers and healthy big fish have been common, even with the cold fronts and rain pushing through. Plenty of fish caught up in the rivers, though I stayed in the lake for the most part. The backs of the creeks with the warmest water and most bait have been highly productive, though I have done most of my damage along the river channel from Vanns Tavern all the way to Toto on the Chestatee side and Clark’s Bridge on the Chattahoochee side. Points and clay banks have been too consistent to leave, even though I have scored solid fish in the creeks.
Planer boards have been the most productive method by far, with herring and gizzard shad about equal. If I’m fishing the backs of the creeks, shad are a little better, river channel is a better herring bite. Early last week I marked several schools down between 20 and 25 feet, so downlines were in the boat the next day and produced on school sized fish. On the slower days, the freelines out the back consistently out produce everything for me, 120+ feet. Heavy freelines with double split shot are red hot one day and ice cold the next, still worth keeping in the spread, 40-60 feet behind the boat. Don’t discount the smaller herring in your tank, my best fish this year was caught by a young man on a 3 inch herring heavy freeline. It’s encouraging to see several fish over 20 pounds caught this Spring.
As we move into May, the stripers will finish their spawn and congregate on points and flats forming the first schools since winter. Often, the best points are the ones with brush piles in 15-35 feet of water. The stripers gravitate to these areas year after year in May. Pitching live herring can be absolutely deadly on these points. Keep a few casting rods at the ready as well, you are very likely to see topwater action. My favorite lures to throw are the Sebile, the Berkeley Surge Shad, and a Chug Bug. Though last year, on calm days, the Imma Skimmer in bone color was money on topwater. We’re all excited for the rest of this Spring and the upcoming Summer bite, hope you are as well! Tight lines, get out there and go catch them up!
