Lake Lanier Crappie Fishing Report October 4, 2017
This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. See our club’s website,
Water temperature is around 76 degrees, and with cooler nights, is inching lower. This means better fishing! If size does not matter, fishing is good right now. Expect this pattern to improve over the next several weeks. The fish that are being caught are eight to nine inches long, and occasionally a larger one will nibble on your bait. The fish are deep, and the bite is very gentle, almost to the point that it is unnoticeable. So obviously, the fish are not being aggressive. For that reason, some of us have downsized to a two pound high visibility yellow “Vicious Fishing Panfish” line. I HIGHLY recommend it! The quality and the strength of the line is very impressive. Having said that, if you are a regular fisherman, make it a habit to replace your line once a month. This is an inexpensive fishing line, and worth the effort. The fish are holding tight on stand-alone brush piles at twenty to twenty-five foot depths. Your fishing line at some point will have contact with the brush pile, which is another reason that maintaining fresh line may save you from losing a few fish. A hair jig is my “go-to” bait for fishing brush piles this time of year. The feathers seem to give it more presence, which catches the fish’s interest. One twenty fourth ounce is our go-to jig. On a windy day, use the double rig method (tying two jigs to your line about a foot apart), or use a one-sixteenth ounce if you prefer a single rig. When the bite is really subtle, an old seasoned fisherman’s trick is to use a closed faced Zebco 33 reel and while retrieving the jig, rest the line on the trigger finger of the hand holding the rod while applying slight pressure to the line with the thumb of the same hand. Make sure you are not interrupting the flow of the retrieve. This will help you feel the bite more effectively.
Be safe on the water! Wear your life jacket, it can save your life!