Spotted bass are spawning

Lake Lanier gets more recreational visitors annually than any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir in the nation. Many anglers also consider the impoundment the best fishing lake in Georgia, despite that heavy traffic.

Fishermen targeting spotted bass find that reputation to be factual in April and May. The spots are in a spawning mood, have moved closer to shore and are most accessible to anglers.

The early spring-like weather the Atlanta region enjoyed this year has prolonged that fast action, according to veteran fishing guide Bill Vanderford.

Vanderford has been guiding on Lanier since 1977. He was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a some anglers to believe they are diseased. Those wounds actually are acquired building and defending the beds from other fish.

Vanderford has been catching spawning fish all month and expects the action to continue through the full moon phase in May.

His top lure for this action is a one-eighth of an ounce Swirleybird Spinner that he designed.

“This fishing is simple,” he said. “Just cast the spinner to the shore and reel it back slowly.”

The average catch for two anglers during the spawn is 40 spotted bass per day, with 25 to 50 percent of them longer than 14 inches.

For more information on spotted bass, Swirleybird Spinners and fishing on Lake Lanier, go to fishinglanier.com.