Let’s Go Dock Shooting for Crappie on Lake Lanier

Expert Tips on How to Catch Crappie

By Captain Josh Thornton

As a lifelong angler who’s been fishing in Lake Lanier and North Georgia for over two decades, I cannot sing enough praises about this wonderful waterbody. It’s such a beautiful crystal-clear lake with a rich history, abundant fish, and amazing nature views. That’s why I never get tired of spending my days there — whether to guide my guests aboard my boat or on my personal time as a recreational or tournament angler.

This historic southern fishing lake, named for American poet Sidney Lanier, was created after constructing the Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River. It was originally developed to provide water and hydroelectricity and help with the navigation and flood control of the river. But, as time went by, it transformed into the rich freshwater body we now know today, filled with many fish species, including bream, rainbow trout, striped bass, spotted bass, largemouth bass, and our very beloved crappie.

You can probably guess our charter’s main target based on my fishing charter business name. Yes, that’s right, it’s crappie — the all-American favorite panfish target and southern fishing classic. If you look at my website and my charter business’ Facebook page, you’ll get a glimpse into our regular crappie fishing trips. 

Going on adventures on Lake Lanier means getting to catch this well-loved panfish. The lake is absolutely hopping with them. I love crappie fishing! Teaching people how to fish for this fish species is always an exciting time. It’s especially great to have beginners or children along for the ride. Crappie are very easy to seize, and you can use a nice array of techniques to catch them. That’s why they draw many people in. The feeling of landing your first crappie often makes people fall in love with fishing. And I love to be there when that happens. 

What’s even better about crappie is how delicious and nutritious they are! They taste great no matter how you cook them: grilled, smoked, boiled, or fried. You can even put them in soups and stews. Fishing for table fare is always a rewarding experience. It makes you appreciate even more the way nature provides for us.

Here in Lake Lanier, my favorite way to catch crappie is by targeting them under brush piles or under a boat dock, and we’ll surely do both when you book a fishing trip with me. There are so many brush piles here in this lake.

 They’re everywhere, and I’m not exaggerating. I’ve been fishing here for most of my life, so I’m pretty familiar with the docks that hold the big fish. Crappie spawn very quickly, so you’ll always find them in the lake all year round, from the shallow to the deep water. 

The challenge with crappie is not the catching. As I’ve said, they’re pretty easy to catch. And what’s more, they’re constantly feeding, so you can get one to bite. What will test your mettle as an angler when it comes to catching crappie is finding them. Once you do find them, though, you can use a range of fishing techniques to catch them. It’s great practice if you’re a beginner angler who wants to try your hand at different strategies.

As a guide, I’m partial to vertical jigging and dock shooting for catching crappie. To jig for this fish, you need to try a range of speed and depths. You must also alternate between wide and shallow rod sweeps before landing on what works. Dock shooting is the way to go if we're targeting big fish. With dock shooting, we must be ten feet away from the boat dock where the crappie are hiding underneath, probably beneath deep brush piles. We’ll “shoot” our target with our medium action rod and 4 lb test line. If you want to try this technique, I highly suggest practicing in your garage. If you cannot do it before your trip, I’ll be more than happy to show you my own techniques. It takes effort to master, but I promise it will be worth it.

Dock shooting or not, I always have a blast fishing with my guests, especially with families with kids. I grew to love fishing with my dad and brother, so I love being there to watch a child fall in love with the hobby. Some of my best and fondest memories on my charter boat are with my family guests. One memory that particularly stands out to me is that one time when I was out with a family with two small boys. One of the kids was in front of the boat. He was probably so excited about catching fish that he set the hook so hard on his catch. It was so hard that the fish seemed to jump out of the water and then proceeded to hit his brother in the face! It must have been such a surprise since his brother was 15 feet away at the back of the boat! Imagining the whole scenario still brings tears of laughter to my eyes. I’m sure those kids will never forget the experience as well.

While not every fishing trip I make guarantees such side-splitting stories, I always strive to give each guest I host a fun and relaxed time on my boat. I welcome all types of anglers — from experts looking for giant crappie to families and groups of friends just out for a relaxing time out on the lake. I have all the gear you need — rods, reels, and tackle, plus a Livewell with live bait for all your fishing needs. So all you need to bring is your sense of fun and adventure, some tasty treats and drinks, and your state fishing license, of course. You can come here to our part of Gainesville for some productive crappie fishing any time of the year — I promise you they’re just out here, hiding in the shadows and under the brush piles, in the deeper water during warmer months, or in the shallows staging.

We make early morning and weekend trips to Lake Lanier to hunt for crappie, so if you and your family are ever in the Gainesville or North Georgia area, come on a fishing trip with me and let’s have an adventure. You’ll find more information on our trips, rates, boat, and the most updated Lake Lanier fishing report on our website and our Facebook page.