Angel and his boys joined me for a morning of striper fishing on Lake Lanier. For most of the trip, it seemed like it was going to be a pretty slow day. We caught three stripers early, but the bite never really got going, and we had to keep working to stay around the fish.
Fortunately, nobody gave up—and the final hour completely changed the trip.
During that last hour, we put five more stripers in the boat, bringing our total to eight fish. The highlight of the morning was a beautiful 21.7-pound “baby unicorn” that hammered a chrome Shimmer Spoon. There is nothing quite like watching a big Lake Lanier striper crush a spoon!
Current Lake Lanier Fishing Conditions
The water temperature was 87 degrees. Our best production came from working the edges of humps, where the stripers were relating to the changes in depth and structure.
Blueback herring was the live bait of choice and produced most of our bites. However, the biggest fish of the morning came on the chrome Shimmer Spoon, proving once again that keeping a spoon ready can turn an average trip into a memorable one.
Captain’s Tip
Angel and one of his boys doubled up on Lake Lanier stripers during a strong late-morning bite.
Never give up just because the morning starts slowly. Striper fishing can change within minutes. Stay patient, keep moving, watch your electronics and be ready when the fish finally become active. On this trip, our last hour produced five fish—including the biggest striper of the day.
A big thank-you goes to Brookton Bait & Tackle in Gainesville for helping keep us supplied with the quality bait and fishing gear we need.
If you’re ready to experience Lake Lanier striper fishing for yourself, book your trip with Captain Matthew Haynes and Lake Lanier Striper Snipers.
Call 678-283-6500 or visit lakelanierstripersnipers.com to reserve your trip.