As most of you know, Lake Lanier has suffered due to severe drought conditions that have plagued the southeastern U.S. for almost three years now. But what is bad news for pleasure boaters and jet skiers is actually good news for those of us in search of spotted bass. Low water levels mean the fish generally tend to group up and when you find them, chances are you can catch several from a single spot. But what has really been beneficial is that lake Lanier's gin clear water now has a slight stain due to exposed muddy points. As the wind blows, you can literally see the mud lines form in the current and stretch for miles down the lake. These mud lines help anglers eliminate huge areas of the lake as non productive since spotted bass like clear water. So now, each competitor is going to have to play the wind and water, because if you only have a few spots for spots, the wind and mud lines could leave you empty handed. My advice, find areas that will stay clear regardless of which direction the wind blows because in the springtime in this part of Georgia, it can blow in from any direction. My prediction is that an angler will need from 12-14 pounds to advance to the Title Round. Anything below that and you can start packing.

Many of you have written recently wondering what bait most of the competitors have been throwing on Lake Lanier for those big spotted bass. The bait is commonly referred to as the fish-head spinner, and it works wonders on spotted bass and just about any other species of fish if you know how and when to use it. Panfishermen will immediatley recognize the bait because it's a larger version of a horse head spinner that many of them have used for years, and now bass anglers are discovering just how effective it can be in an up-sized version for bass. The bait consists of a jig head attached to a long shank hook with a spinner blade. The long shank hook allows you to attach a large soft plastic bait that lets you mimic the size and color of the predominate bait fish. The versatility of the bait allows you to fish it shallow or deep, fast or slow, depending on what the fish want. It's also an incredible bait to use on suspended fish in both summer and winter, and I've found that it allows me to entice big spotted bass throughout the year on Lake Lanier in the "ditches" that run into the hundreds of pockets on my home lake.