Cool weather has arrived, and with it a change in the fishing opportunities on Lake Lanier, north of Atlanta. Shad and blueback herring are moving into the creeks, and the big stripers are not far behind. While you’ll need to adapt your approach to these cooler conditions, there is plenty of hot striper action available on Lanier this month. With the advance of winter, surface temperatures are heading south, and the lake is completing its annual turnover. This inversion of the water column can drag angling action to a halt as the fish adjust to the change in their environment. However, by December the turnover is usually behind us, and the murky water of November has been replaced by the crystal-clear water we expect on this deep reservoir.

Captain Jerry Hester, of Ball Ground, is a Lanier regular who has been fishing the lake for virtually his whole life. As a full-time striper guide for more than 20 years, he has become known as a striper expert who consistently...