Lanier Report Transition Period w/pics

Scout'nStripers

Senior Member
The water temps have moved into the lower 70's and a lot of fish are in pre-spawn mode and moving towards their summer dwellings. Last week the fluke bite and spinnerbait bite was still somewhat good but the shad spawn has started and this is the time when the crankbaits in a shad pattern prevail. I was out yesterday afternoon with a friend and we wrecked them with cranks on the windy points and in shallow flats. The shad are very active right now and it's not uncommon to see them flipping along the shore or jumping and scattering from your baits moving through the water. Yesterday afternoon we caught 25-30 fish with a lot being dinks and 1-2lbers. We also caught a few with the underspin, spinnerbaits and the chatterbait. Here's 10 pics from the last few trips out.
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Rabun

Senior Member
That's some fine action with quite a few good ones mixed in! Thanks for the intel. You seem to be all over their transitions in feeding patterns...for sure!
 

Worley

Senior Member
Daggum what some fine fish, thanks for the update...
 

Coenen

Senior Member
How are you positioning the boat relative to the target and wind direction?
 

Scout'nStripers

Senior Member
How are you positioning the boat relative to the target and wind direction?
Good question Paul. Now we're getting into my technical wheelhouse. Most of the fish I caught on windy points was on the leeward or down wind side of the point if the wind was blowing across the point. I worked it at a 90 degree angle. If the wind was blowing right on the point I'd work my bait at a45 degree angle down both sides of the point. In both instances I tried to keep my boat in 15+ fow.
 

Coenen

Senior Member
Good question Paul. Now we're getting into my technical wheelhouse. Most of the fish I caught on windy points was on the leeward or down wind side of the point if the wind was blowing across the point. I worked it at a 90 degree angle. If the wind was blowing right on the point I'd work my bait at a45 degree angle down both sides of the point. In both instances I tried to keep my boat in 15+ fow.
Thanks! Fishing out of the kayak makes any sort of wind an adventure, trying to get set up for workable drift is a big consideration. The idea then, would be that wind action is roughly analogous to current, with the fish setting up primarily "downstream" of the structure?
 

Scout'nStripers

Senior Member
Thanks! Fishing out of the kayak makes any sort of wind an adventure, trying to get set up for workable drift is a big consideration. The idea then, would be that wind action is roughly analogous to current, with the fish setting up primarily "downstream" of the structure?
Yep, they were sitting down wind or down current just waiting on that bait to get blown over the ridge of the point. We also found some fish still eating crawfish on rocky flats and long rocky points.
 

Chap

Senior Member
Thanks! Fishing out of the kayak makes any sort of wind an adventure, trying to get set up for workable drift is a big consideration. The idea then, would be that wind action is roughly analogous to current, with the fish setting up primarily "downstream" of the structure?

I had small aluminum jon boats from my late teenage years and throughout my 20s. I yak-fished most of my 30s, and also from an awesome Tracker Topper 1432 with a 9.9. I now have a Gheenoe 15 and a 9.9. So, just like you, my entire on-water fishing experience has been about treating current and wind as the same thing.

The trickiest thing for me is when fishing some of these flatland, slow-moving blackwater creeks and rivers here in south Jawja when it gets just a little breezy. The wind will literally blow me upstream against the current. And it isn't all that windy. The looks that some people give you when you try to explain to them that you have to drop an anchor against the wind are hilarious. But it's necessary.

So, thanks for your question above the reply from Scout'nStripers. It really highlights the importance of your physical position when it comes to successfully presenting your bait to the fish. If you are out of position, the current and/or wind can cause too much drift and your presentation will be off. The fish will know that something is wrong about that bait, and it's going to spook him.
 

Deer Tic

Senior Member
Jim, You said you were using FC Sniper.? I've recently been trying FC Sniper 7lb. do to it's popularity, but I'm having a **** of a time with break offs. I have used a lot of 6lb mono over the years and never had this problem. No way i would ever use it in a tournament! Who knows, perhaps i got a bad spool. I don't get it!
 

Scout'nStripers

Senior Member
Jim, You said you were using FC Sniper.? I've recently been trying FC Sniper 7lb. do to it's popularity, but I'm having a **** of a time with break offs. I have used a lot of 6lb mono over the years and never had this problem. No way i would ever use it in a tournament! Who knows, perhaps i got a bad spool. I don't get it!
I'm not sure what's going on with the 7lb. I think there must have been a bad batch or something. Your not the first that has said the 7lb breaks a lot recently. I'm sitting on a full spool of it that I'm afraid to use. I'm going to stay with 8lb for now but I may switch to a lighter line from a different manufacturer when we get into spybait and drop shot season.
 

Browniez

Senior Member
I'm not sure what's going on with the 7lb. I think there must have been a bad batch or something. Your not the first that has said the 7lb breaks a lot recently. I'm sitting on a full spool of it that I'm afraid to use. I'm going to stay with 8lb for now but I may switch to a lighter line from a different manufacturer when we get into spybait and drop shot season.

I ran into it with a spool of 10# sniper back in Early April. Both times I spooled up off that spool. I experienced strange break offs using a jerkbait. Jerk off a long cast and “pop” jerkbait gone. Middle of the line, not on the rod or at the knot. This happened 3x in a weekend. Expensive megabass bill.

I didn’t birdsnest, kink the line, or any other common issues with Fluoro breakoffs. Checked my eyelets and worm gear with q-tip and no burrs.

A couple of friends have also had a similar issue. I trust them and their gear maintenance too.

#tatsutime
 

Deer Tic

Senior Member
I ran into it with a spool of 10# sniper back in Early April. Both times I spooled up off that spool. I experienced strange break offs using a jerkbait. Jerk off a long cast and “pop” jerkbait gone. Middle of the line, not on the rod or at the knot. This happened 3x in a weekend. Expensive megabass bill.

I didn’t birdsnest, kink the line, or any other common issues with Fluoro breakoffs. Checked my eyelets and worm gear with q-tip and no burrs.

A couple of friends have also had a similar issue. I trust them and their gear maintenance too.

#tatsutime

Similar strange break offs. Not like it was my first rodeo either. Been spot fishing that lake since 1980's!
I may start a new thread on the subject so we don't keep hijacking Jim's post.
 
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