Lanier Striper Report

ProAngler

Senior Member
Started to find some big schools finally below Browns Bridge. I was marking one of the biggest schools I have been on and could not get a bite. Wondering if any other striper fisherman have experienced this? If you would have just showed me pictures of the graph I would have said that we were going to catch 20. We were over them for about an hour, and eventually had about 3 other boats fishing the same school. Between the 3 of us 1 person caught a fish and I had 1 pull down.
 

The mtn man

Senior Member
Same thing on nottely, i can find the schools and can't get a bite, either on live herring or every size spoon I could think of, including buck tail jigs, i just can't get them to bite.
 

Coenen

Senior Member
Smaller bait maybe? They still seem to be munching on a lot of threadfins.
 

StriperrHunterr

Senior Member
We managed one last night on the spoon, but that was in similar conditions that you're reporting. For those curious, that's why I haven't been sending out invitations to go out.
 

Scout'nStripers

Senior Member
It's way off from what it has been in past years, at least down here on the south end anyway. I see the striper guys out doing their thing and I'm sure their catching some fish downlining right now but I have seen very few striped fish come to the surface. There are some groups of stripers in the creek but most I've seen are staying down. A lot of the bait I'm seeing is threads and first year bluebacks. Those little first year bluebacks don't spawn and I think that's another thing missing from the equation of topwater stripers. Every time I see a fish chasing a bait on the surface, the bait is small. I didn't see hardly any second year bluebacks swimming on the surface during and after the spawn this year. I guess it could be a combination of lower water levels and lack of mature bluebacks this year.
 

Rabun

Senior Member
Did you try power reeling up through them with a blueback on a bucktail jig...I've not done this myself but have heard/read on this forum that it can trigger a lock jaw striper bite.
 

ProAngler

Senior Member
We managed one last night on the spoon, but that was in similar conditions that you're reporting. For those curious, that's why I haven't been sending out invitations to go out.

Ha, I do the same thing. Love taking friends fishing, but not when I know I cant get a bite. Also tried power reeling with everything I could think of. No results
 

ProAngler

Senior Member
It's way off from what it has been in past years, at least down here on the south end anyway. I see the striper guys out doing their thing and I'm sure their catching some fish downlining right now but I have seen very few striped fish come to the surface. There are some groups of stripers in the creek but most I've seen are staying down. A lot of the bait I'm seeing is threads and first year bluebacks. Those little first year bluebacks don't spawn and I think that's another thing missing from the equation of topwater stripers. Every time I see a fish chasing a bait on the surface, the bait is small. I didn't see hardly any second year bluebacks swimming on the surface during and after the spawn this year. I guess it could be a combination of lower water levels and lack of mature bluebacks this year.

I might try some smaller shiners next time. Would be weird feeling using little shiners this time of year though. I also noticed schools of smaller tiny baits on the surface during the early morning, and wondering if that was part of the problem, to locked in on small baits.
 

Scout'nStripers

Senior Member
I might try some smaller shiners next time. Would be weird feeling using little shiners this time of year though. I also noticed schools of smaller tiny baits on the surface during the early morning, and wondering if that was part of the problem, to locked in on small baits.
It is part of the problem. Normally I don't see those pods of small bait out on the main lake like that in June. I'm guessing some are first year bluebacks in those pods but they sure look like thread pods to me. Generally in June I see small groups of big second year bluebacks cruising the surface but this year I haven't see much of that. I'd like to open up a few stripers to see what's in their bellies right now.
 

Dustin Pate

Administrator
Staff member
It is part of the problem. Normally I don't see those pods of small bait out on the main lake like that in June. I'm guessing some are first year bluebacks in those pods but they sure look like thread pods to me. Generally in June I see small groups of big second year bluebacks cruising the surface but this year I haven't see much of that. I'd like to open up a few stripers to see what's in their bellies right now.

The fish at West Point are gorging on thread fry right now. Any fish you bring to the boat is just puking 1-1.5" shad. With the amount of fry available, it is amazing you can even get a bite. Regardless, getting a thread in front of them has been pretty much an automatic bite.

The topwater bite is still pretty much non-existant here as well. Very sporadic action here and there, and seems to be more prevalent when you get a school fired up down lining, causing them to go on a feeding frenzy. Most of the fry is in the top 1/3 of the water column, so it should be happening sooner than later.
 

j_seph

Senior Member
Caught a 10 inch and a 3 pound striper Monday evening on crappie minner
 

Coenen

Senior Member
I might try to sneak out early-early on Saturday, throw out a spread of minnows and see what happens. Worst case scenario is I get the skunk.
 

j_seph

Senior Member
I might try to sneak out early-early on Saturday, throw out a spread of minnows and see what happens. Worst case scenario is I get the skunk.
Careful on worst case scenarios
skunk-in-the-pool.jpg
 

StriperrHunterr

Senior Member
Ha, I do the same thing. Love taking friends fishing, but not when I know I cant get a bite. Also tried power reeling with everything I could think of. No results

If I were marking as consistently as I was last year I'd bring them out. Discussing that is fun in its own right. But when you're looking at stragglers that have lockjaw, that makes for a very boring night.
 

Coenen

Senior Member
And his half ounce will still stick with you.
I'm Italian. No shortage of tomato sauce at the Coenen house if things go awry.

EDIT: Maybe I can adopt the little guy and teach him to spray jet-skiers and wake surfers. I bet a meal worm here and there for positive reinforcement might have the desired result.
 

j_seph

Senior Member
I'm Italian. No shortage of tomato sauce at the Coenen house if things go awry.

EDIT: Maybe I can adopt the little guy and teach him to spray jet-skiers and wake surfers. I bet a meal worm here and there for positive reinforcement might have the desired result.
I thought Coenan was polish:pop:
 
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