The extremely hot days of Summer are here again and the bass population at Lake Lanier has headed into the depths and comfort of open water structures again. However, this annual occurrence shouldn’t stop anglers from enjoying excellent fishing for striped and black bass.
The key to success is a livewell full of local spottail minnows and the knowledge of how to catch and use them. These tiny cylindrical minnows are usually found near shorelines, but the best place to cast a net for them is on the boat ramp as you back your boat into the water or on a sandy beach. The importance of these places is that they are normally clear of stumps, jagged rocks or other structures that can ruin an expensive net.
You will need a 6 to 10 foot cast net with 3/16th inch mesh and fairly heavy lead weights built into the net so that it will sink fast…and know-how to throw it. Then, locate a likely spot that holds spottail minnows and take a piece of old bread with your thumb and forefinger and roll up tiny balls of bread. Throw these little balls slightly away from your position in a place where you can easily throw your net. If the spottails are there, you will soon see flashes of silver under the water or breaks in the surface as they feed on the bread. Two or three casts with the net should be enough to capture several dozen spottails to fish with later. Put them in a livewell or container with some type of aeration for the water, and they will stay alive all day. If this sounds like too much trouble, you can always hire a great fishing guide to do it for you at: www.georgiafishing.com. Continue reading – http://www.examiner.com/article/live-baiting-for-bass-is-hot-on-lake-lanier-by-bill-vanderford?CID=examiner_alerts_article