Pat and Wes with a pair of Lake Lanier stripers after we bundled up and headed back into the open water for bigger fish.
Cold Wind and a Change of Plans
Pat and Wes came out with me on Lake Lanier, and we started the morning with a lesson none of us will forget: check the weather before getting dressed. We all showed up in shorts, unaware we were in for temperatures around 70 degrees and winds near 20 mph. By the time we reached our first spot, we were freezing.
We found school after school in the sheltered water. The fish were mostly 2–3 pounders, but they kept Pat and Wes busy bending rods.
Finding Active Stripers in Sheltered Water
There was a big school on the screen, but with the wind hitting us in the open water, we decided to look for fish in more sheltered areas. That move put us on school after school. The catch was that most of the stripers were in the 2–3 pound range. We caught around 20 in the first couple of hours. Pat and Wes didn’t even want pictures with those little fish, but they had a good time watching the rods bend. I posed with a few before we started releasing them without taking photos.
Back to Open Water for Bigger Fish
My friend Mitchell came through with the save of the day: sweatpants and hoodies delivered to us at the lake. Once we were bundled up, we headed back into open water to look for bigger stripers. We managed quite a few fish in the 10–13 pound range. We couldn’t match the 19-pounder Pat and Wes caught on their first trip, but we found the better fish we were after.
Lake Lanier Conditions and Captain’s Tip
The lake temperature has dropped to 82.3 degrees, and between that and the chilly wind, it sure felt like fall was knocking at our door.
This trip meant a little more to me because it was my first one back on my own boat since installing the replacement powerhead. The job took four days, partly because I also had to replace the control box and run new shift and throttle cables. After all that work, hearing the motor run smoothly and feeling how strong it is now was a great feeling. I’m thankful I could get it done, and I guess I can call myself a pretty good two-stroke mechanic!
Captain’s tip of the day: Check your weather app before you head to the lake. Look at the wind along with the temperature, and bring the clothes you’ll need when the boat is moving.
Thanks to Pat and Wes for another fun trip, and to Mitchell for keeping us from freezing. Read more Lake Lanier fishing reports, or book a guided fishing trip with Lake Lanier Striper Snipers.
Pat and Wes were having a blast catching these little guys, even if they didn’t want to pose with them. ???? So I held up a few for the camera before we got back to fishing.