ronniegarrison
Senior Member
I don’t get to fish Lanier much, five or six times a year for club tournaments or articles, so when one of my clubs set a tournament there for yesterday I was a little worried. I don’t think I have ever fished it before in February.
I had been reading about the Fishhead spin bite in the pockets here and other places but I hate to admit, I have never caught a fish on a Fishhead spin. I have been in the boat with folks catching fish on it but I have not confidence in it at all. I contacted KBad and we set up a trip there last Friday. I was hoping to figure something out –have not been on the lake since November.
Friday I decided to go to the doctor instead – bad sinus infection. Antibiotics and steroids got me feeling good enough to fish Sunday so I went out blind. Started on some points and pockets with the fishhead and other baits but no bites. At about 10 I went to a brush pile in Mud Creek Lanier Jim had shown me – its in the book – and saw fish on it in 35 feet of water. Quickly caught a 2.5 pound spot on a jigging spoon. That improved my attitude.
Three hours and several brush piles later without another bite I was idling around looking for fish when Chuck Croft, a member of my club, pulled up. He shook his head when I said I had on – he had a good limit from the backs of pockets on the Fishhead. I thought about trying it but decided to go with something I felt better about.
Many years ago I did a February article with Ryan Coleman and a November article with Larry Lewis. Both had put the same couple of points back in Flat Creek on the map and I have caught some fish off them over the years.
The first one I stopped on I smiled when I saw some stain and 52 degrees. Started throwing a crawfish DT 6 and landed a keeper spot. Then pitched a jig to a log in a couple of feet of water, felt a thump and set the hook on what turned out to be a 5.34 pound largemouth. I missed one bite on the jig in a tree top then, a few minutes later, as I pulled the jig up a limb it pulled back. Usually those fish spit the bait before I can set the hook but this two pound spot held on – maybe it was the JJs on the trailer!
I did ‘t get any more bites but my four gave me second at 10.95 pounds and had big fish. Chuck won with five at 14.09 and he had a 4.42 pound spot. Third was three at 6.39
Not a good catch for those of you that fish Lanier and know it, but I was happy!
Sometimes it is best to go to what you are comfortable doing. I usually guess wrong, but this time it worked out ok.
I had been reading about the Fishhead spin bite in the pockets here and other places but I hate to admit, I have never caught a fish on a Fishhead spin. I have been in the boat with folks catching fish on it but I have not confidence in it at all. I contacted KBad and we set up a trip there last Friday. I was hoping to figure something out –have not been on the lake since November.
Friday I decided to go to the doctor instead – bad sinus infection. Antibiotics and steroids got me feeling good enough to fish Sunday so I went out blind. Started on some points and pockets with the fishhead and other baits but no bites. At about 10 I went to a brush pile in Mud Creek Lanier Jim had shown me – its in the book – and saw fish on it in 35 feet of water. Quickly caught a 2.5 pound spot on a jigging spoon. That improved my attitude.
Three hours and several brush piles later without another bite I was idling around looking for fish when Chuck Croft, a member of my club, pulled up. He shook his head when I said I had on – he had a good limit from the backs of pockets on the Fishhead. I thought about trying it but decided to go with something I felt better about.
Many years ago I did a February article with Ryan Coleman and a November article with Larry Lewis. Both had put the same couple of points back in Flat Creek on the map and I have caught some fish off them over the years.
The first one I stopped on I smiled when I saw some stain and 52 degrees. Started throwing a crawfish DT 6 and landed a keeper spot. Then pitched a jig to a log in a couple of feet of water, felt a thump and set the hook on what turned out to be a 5.34 pound largemouth. I missed one bite on the jig in a tree top then, a few minutes later, as I pulled the jig up a limb it pulled back. Usually those fish spit the bait before I can set the hook but this two pound spot held on – maybe it was the JJs on the trailer!
I did ‘t get any more bites but my four gave me second at 10.95 pounds and had big fish. Chuck won with five at 14.09 and he had a 4.42 pound spot. Third was three at 6.39
Not a good catch for those of you that fish Lanier and know it, but I was happy!
Sometimes it is best to go to what you are comfortable doing. I usually guess wrong, but this time it worked out ok.
