When my clubs discuss schedules each year I tell them I don't care
which lakes we
fish or when. I have won tournaments on every lake we fish - and
zeroed every lake
we fish. I don't have favorite lakes and don't believe in good and
bad lakes - but
Lanier is about to change my mind.

Starting last November I had been on Lanier five days without catching
a keeper.
Two of those days was with an excellent fisherman on the lake, working
on an
article one day and practicing with him for a tournament on another.
I was still
looking forward to my club tournament there Sunday.

When we took off at 7:00 I started in a small spawning pocket near the
ramp we
used - one where many tournaments are held and many bass released. I
started with
a spinnerbait around docks until it got a little lighter then switched
to a Yozuri
jerkbait. I caught on 13.5 inch spot - a throwback, on it. Within
the first 45 minutes
I tried a jig head worm, a Senko and a Carolina rigged lizard around
the docks,
brush and sandy flat where they spawn. Before I left it was light
enough to see and
could not spot any bass on the bed.

Next I ran to the back of Two Mile Creek to the bridge riprap there,
hoping to catch
a largemouth. Lanier's population is now 90% spots according to
recent reports but
there are still some quality largemouth. Nothing hit anything I tried
around the riprap
- and I threw a crankbait, Senko, jerkbait and spinnerbait. Tried a
few docks above the
bridge, too, checking two small spawning pockets. Nothing.

Came back under the bridge and hit a line of docks Mike Millsaps has
put in the
article I did with him - good cover as bass move back into the creek
to spawn.
Between two on a point a ramp enters the water and I missed a bite on
a jig head
worm.

Between the next two docks is a shallow pocket and I went into it,
throwing a
Yozuri jerkbait. A good fish hit and when I set the hook a solid 3
pound spot
cleared the water. Finally a keeper. But my reel would not turn under
pressure. Had
no problem with it until the fish put pressure on it. I pumped the rod
and reeled up
slack, working the fish to the boat. There was another spot about the
same size
trying to take the bait away from the one I had hooked. It jumped
again and I saw
the jerkbait was half way down its throat, felt good.

When the fish got to the boat I reached for it with the net - was
fishing by myself.
The fish made another jump and threw the plug! Lost it. But when it
hit the water it
lay there for a second and I made a scoop with the net and got it -
and as I raised the
net out of the water the fish jumped out. I lost that fish twice! I
was so mad I threw
the rod and net down in the bottom of the boat.

I started to call my wife and tell her to come get me, I was gonna
load the boat, pull
to the top of the parking lot and burn boat, trailer and truck and
quit fishing.

When I picked up the rod to take the bait off and put it on another
rod I saw I had
broken the bill off.

Tied a Pointer on another rod and worked it by the next dock. Saw a
good two
pound spot run out and grab it - and I actually landed it. Finally
put one in the
livewell on Lanier.

I worked that pocket and the docks around it hard but nothing else
hit. Worked all
the docks out for a couple hundred yards but nothing.

Hit several more spawning coves, working cover going in and looking
for bedding
bass. Nothing. Tried to hit several others I like but there were
boats in the backs of
them. Got to a small creek where Mike said the bass bedded and he had
caught a
keeper off one dock. He and his brother had caught a bunch of good
ones off a drop
in front of one of the docks. It was now about 11 and half the
tournament was over.

By one dock I threw the jig head worm and worked it thru a brush pile
and it got
heavy - set the hook on a bare 14 inch keeper. At least I had another
one in the live
well.

When I got to the drop in front of the dock I fished it - drop is from
28 to 35 feet
deep. Caught two throwbacks off it on the jig head worm. Fished
docks all the
way to the back of the creek and near the back it split. I cast down
the middle of
the ditch and caught a 13 inch bass. Did that on both sides and
caught several short
fish. Right in the back of one saw a 1.5 pound spot moving out and saw
what looked
like a bed but it never came back.

Out near the mouth of the creek is a small cove by boat ramp. Some
folks were
fishing on the bank and heard one say something about big fish in it.
Eased in and
saw some carp, then spotted two bass. They were largemouth about 4
pounds each
and were patrolling a small area about 10 by 5 feet, constantly moving
in it. Would
not stay on one spot like they were on a bed but just moving. I think
they may have
been males staking out a bedding spot but had not started fanning
yet. Picked at
them for a good while - they would move off a few feet them move back
to the same
small area but never showed any interest in anything I threw.

With about two hours left I ran down the lake to one of my favorite
spawning
pockets. Around the first dock by a boat ramp saw a solid 2.5 pound
bass
suspended under it. Two years ago I got a 3.5 pound spot in the same
place, saw it
and threw a Trick worm under there and it ate it. This fish would look
at my Trick
worm but not follow it or go for it.

Fished out that pocket without another bite.

At weigh-in one guy had five spots weighing just under 17 pounds,
including a 5.58
pound spot for big fish. Second place five spots at 14.5, third 5 at
13.5 and fourth 5
at 12,97. My two weighed just over 3 pounds and I came in 9th our of
13 people.
Only one largemouth weighed in. We did have three zeroes, including
the guy that
won for the year last year. Fishing is fickle!

Glad I am done with Lanier until November, but may go back. I really
want to catch
one of those magnum spots!


Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com