November 19

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 329.05 (full pool is 330.00) and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 62-64 degrees.

More birds have showed up this week on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that at times you can find some little pods of striped bass chasing bait. Other than that there is no change at all with the striped bass this week, and fish are still pushed about halfway back in the creeks. As they continue their movement up the rivers and out the creek arms they are still biting very well in 30-35 feet of water off secondary points and at the edge of ditches. Down-lines are working well and they are catching most of their fish on the bottom, but fish are suspended from about 15 feet on down. 

Benefield Creek, Shriver and Soap Creek are all fishing well. 

There is still no early bite to speak of, and all over the lake the best action is running from about 7:15 on.    

While catching numbers of bass can be straight-forward on Clarks Hill, tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that pretty much everyone is struggling to get big ones this week. He is still finding the most active fish up the rivers throwing a spinnerbait or crankbait, but on very sunny days they will get extremely tight to cover or in holes between rocks and you basically have to hit them on the head. Flipping can be more effective at those times. Meanwhile, when it is cloudy and overcast fish will roam and feed. 

There is also still some decent schooling activity, but with water temperatures dropping it is moving more into the creeks and ditches and off the main lake. 

There are also some fish being caught on brush offshore. 

The crappie patterns are very stable, and Captain Bradd Sasser reports that he is still finding them 22-28 feet down over brush in 30-40 feet of water in the creeks. Minnows are still working best most of the time, but when the fish are less active jigs can be better for triggering reaction strikes. 

There are also some fish being caught long-line trolling, but the brush bite has been so good that Brad sees no reason to mess with it. 

This week the Mistletoe area, Raysville/ Amity, and Big Hart have all been very good.

It’s an excellent time for catfish on Clarks Hill, and Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that in particular the blue cat bite is in full swing. This year there is a huge crop of 14-18 pound fish. 

The bait fish are balled up in pretty large groups in the 30-45 foot range, and anchoring on points that top out around or shallower than that depth range is one of the best methods. The baitfish are also starting to stack up in the feeder creeks, and some creeks are clear enough that it’s possible to drift Santee-style in and out of them in areas where big schools of bait are present.

Cut gizzard shad and herring are the best baits right now. 

November 11

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 329.48 (full pool is 330.00) and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 65 degrees.

It continues to be a very good striped bass bite on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that fish are pushed about halfway back in the creeks. As they continue their movement up the rivers and out the creek arms they are still biting very well in 30-35 feet of water off secondary points and at the edge of ditches. 

Down-lines are working well and they are catching most of their fish on the bottom, but they are suspended from about 15 feet on down. This morning the best action was in 31 feet on the bottom. 

Benefield Creek, Shriver and Soap Creek are all fishing well. 

There is still no early bite to speak of, and all over the lake the best action is running from about 7:15 on (with the time change).    

While tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that he is still finding the best bass heading up the river and throwing a spinnerbait, he is also finding that the fish which were schooling offshore seem to be heading into the creeks more. They are still schooling at times, and he is finding them in the back half of the creeks or at the mouths of ditches. Sometimes they are schooling over brush, particularly if you can find it at the front of a ditch. When fish are willing to eat on the surface a Pop-R is often the best bait, and flukes and swimbaits are also working well. In general downsizing is a good idea as the fish are on fairly small bait.

Buzzbaits are still generating some bites, too.

The only change with the crappie is that Captain Bradd Sasser reports they have slid a little deeper on Clarks Hill, and he is finding them 22-28 feet down over tree tops in 30-40 feet of water over brush piles in the creeks.  The Raysville/ Amity area has been fishing very well. 

Even though the patterns have still not changed much the catfish bite is really good as water temperatures have dropped, and Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that during the day they are catching fish in 20-40 feet of water around points and humps, while at night fish are in 5-20 feet. 

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

November 4

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 329.81 (full pool is 330.00) and there is a little stain to the water as the lake is near the turnover. Morning surface water temperatures are about 67-68 degrees.

It’s a very good striped bass bite on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that as fish continue their movement up the rivers and out in the creek arms they are biting very well in 30-35 feet of water off secondary points and at the edge of ditches. Down-lines are working well and they are catching most of their fish on the bottom, but they are suspended from about 15 feet on down.  On the upper end Soap Creek is fishing very well and out the Georgia Little River Lloyds Creek is good. 

The only downside is that there is no early bite to speak of, and all over the lake the best action is running from about 8-11.  

Numbers of bass caught are picking up again on Clarks Hill, and tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that there is still a pretty good bite for schooling fish which should last through late November. However, the fish seem to be getting a bit more target-oriented and they are more likely to relate to humps or a brush pile than just to be roaming right now. More of the schooling is also starting to take place in the creeks. While the cold snap should set it back for a few days temperatures look to rebound very soon.   

There is also a pretty good buzzbait bite early in the creeks, but Josh has not been able to find much size that way.  Instead he is heading up the rivers and fishing a spinnerbait around steep banks with rock or wood cover. He is getting a ton of bites this way and finding that fish are right on the banks. 

For the past three days Captain Bradd Sasser has found that the crappie have gone deeper on Clarks Hill, and he is finding them 20-23 feet down over tree tops in 30-40 feet of water. Brush piles in the creeks are fishing the best and Lloyds Creek has been very good recently. 

Even though the patterns have not changed much the catfish bite has gotten really good as water temperatures have dropped, and Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that during the day they are catching fish in 20-40 feet of water around points and humps, while at night fish are in 5-20 feet. 

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

October 20

After reaching several feet above full Clarks Hill water levels are down to “only” 330.57 (full pool is 330.00), and even though there is still a lot of floating debris the lake is settling out. Morning surface water temperatures are about 74-75 degrees.

The striped bass fishing on Clarks Hill has picked up, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that the fish are on the move and running the channels as they head up the lake and out the Georgia Little River arms. By his estimation most of the fish have moved about halfway up and out.  

There is not really an early morning bite to speak of, but between 8 and 9:30 in the morning there is schooling most days. You can also catch fish on down-lines about 10-30 feet deep. 

Not a lot of big fish are showing up right now, but they are catching a ton of smaller striper up to about 10 pounds and a lot of hybrids. 

It’s a little bit of a down period for bass on Clarks Hill, but tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that by the end of October when the lake has hopefully settled back out from the rains and fall turnover the fishing should have improved. 

For right now about the best thing going is still chasing schooling fish on the main lake, but you can also have some success with a buzzbait fished around the banks. There are also some signs that a square-billed crankbait or small swimbait is about to start to work in the creeks, but so far those bites are still few and far between.

The crappie fishing has definitely started to pick up on Clarks Hill, and Captain Bradd Sasser reports they are getting good numbers of fish 18-20 feet down over brush in about 30-31 feet of water in the creeks.  A lot of 10-11 inch fish are being caught fishing vertically, but there are also some better ones mixed in.

The South Carolina Little River continues to fish well and all you need are minnows. 

Between the rain and fall turnover the catfish bite is a little erratic, but Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that it’s already starting to pick up as water temperatures continue to cool.  During the day fish are in 20-40 feet of water around points and humps, but at night they will be in 5-20 feet. For now the night bite is still much better than daytime fishing.

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

September 29

Clarks Hill water levels are at 329.25 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 77-78 degrees. 

The striped bass fishing on Clarks Hill is slow but steady, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that fish remain in a transition period. You will mark a ton of them but anglers pretty much have to force-feed them to get them to open their mouths. The bait is high in the water column and so any day now they expect schooling activity to bust right open, but except for some vauge reports there are no indications that has happened yet.  

Fish are still running the main channel in 100 feet of water, and groups of fish will come by 20-30 feet down. Fishing down-lines and trolling umbrella rigs are both working about the same – you just have to wait them out.   

Unfortunately the schooling activity for largemouth and spotted bass has slowed down, and tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that even though there are still occasional fish schooling over main lake points and humps they have gotten tougher to catch. And while you can catch fish around cane piles, they are smaller than their cousins in the same spots on Lake Murray.

The water level has been so high that much of the maiden cane and grass is dead, meaning that it’s harder to fish a frog around cover right now. Throwing a buzzbait around the banks is about as good as anything. 

It’s a not a wide-open fall bite for crappie yet on Clarks Hill, but Captain Bradd Sasser reports that he has found pretty good numbers of big crappie about 15-16 feet down over brush in about 24 feet of water. The South Carolina Little River continues to fish well and all you need are minnows. 

There’s still not a lot of change with the catfish patterns, but Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the fishing is still getting better as the water cools. During the day fish are in 20-40 feet of water around points and humps, but at night they will be in 5-20 feet. The night bite is significantly better than the daytime bite right now.  

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

September 17

Clarks Hill water levels are at 329.75 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is still pretty clear despite all the rain yesterday. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 80 degrees. 

Despite still-hot water temperatures things appear to be happening earlier than usual this year, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that striped bass are making a strong migration up the lake, out the river arms, and particularly into the Georgia Little River. There is no early action to speak of, it’s not a fast bite, but nonetheless they are catching some good ones.

Fish are running the main channel in 100 feet of water, and groups of fish will come by 20-30 feet down. They seem more interested in moving than binge feeding, and when they clean them there’s not much in their stomachs. Fishing down-lines and trolling umbrella rigs are both working about the same. 

Captain Bradd Sasser does note there are reports of striper schooling below the Russell Dam but he hasn’t been up there. 

While the striper aren’t intent on feeding, Captain Bradd reports that the largemouth and spotted bass are voracious right now! While his guide boat is not specifically targeting them, they are seeing them schooling all over the lake and slapping herring out of the water. While some are deeper lots of the fish are as shallow as 8-10 feet of water following bait pods, and with the bait still pretty spread out the bass are also highly scattered. They seem willing to take about any topwater lure you throw at them. 

Captain Bradd has run several trips for crappie lately and he reports that catching numbers is a little tricky, but they are getting some good ones. Fish are on brush way up the South Carolina Little River, and he is finding them 15 feet down in 23-27 feet of water. Minnows are working well. 

There’s not a lot of change with the catfish patterns, but Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the fishing is still getting better as the water cools. During the day fish are in 20-40 feet of water around points and humps, but at night they will be in 5-20 feet. The night bite is significantly better than the daytime bite right now.  

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

September 2

Clarks Hill water levels are at 329.98 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is pretty clear despite some rain Tuesday. Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees. 

It’s a still a very good, very early bite for hybrid bass on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that from before dawn until about 7:15 fish are still feeding over points and humps along the main channel on the bottom in 25-35 feet of water.  There have even caught some fish as shallow as 15 feet first thing. 

After that the bite frankly gets really tough, although hybrids and striped bass are starting to scatter out in the same general area and suspend 30-35 feet down in 35-60 feet of water. 

There are also some fish being caught around the oxygen line 20-40 feet down in 80-100 feet of water.

The fish are still mostly grouped up on the lower end, but the very early stages of moving up are starting to happen. 

It’s a pretty tough period for bass fishing on Clarks Hill, and tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that he has caught a few fish on buzzbaits around the bank and had plenty of bites – but for some reason they seem to be slapping at it more than eating it. And while there are still plenty of fish that can be marked over offshore humps, getting them to bite can be tricky. 

From what Josh has seen fish are starting to move towards the backs more, and he has seen lots of fish schooling over the creek channel. They can be hard to get to bite, especially since they seem to be on very small bait. 

He has found a few bridges loaded up with two pounders that are easy to catch on a very small popper. 

Back after the crappie again, Captain Bradd Sasser reports that the fishing is not wide open but if you are willing to work for them you can catch some really big summer fish right now. They are apparently lethargic because of the heat, but in the Amity area he found them bunched up on brush 15-16 feet down in 25-27 feet of water. Minnows are working the best. When temperatures cool fish should feed more.

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that there is not a lot of change in tactics but the fishing is progressively getting better as the water just begins to cool. The cooling is the result of gradually longer nights, not necessarily lower daytime temperatures. 

The 1-12 pound blues and channels are biting pretty well on the points and humps. During the day fish are in 20-40 feet of water, but at night they will be in 5-20. 

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

August 20

Clarks Hill water levels are at 329.76 (full pool is 330.00) and morning surface water temperatures are about 85 degrees. 

Even though some guides are travelling over to Murray right now from Clarks Hill, William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that it’s still a good very early bite for hybrid bass on the lake. From pre-dawn until about 7:15 fish are feeding over points and humps along the main channel on the bottom in 27-30 feet of water.

After that the fishing slows down a lot, hence the guide migration, and the action turns into more of a striped bass bite. Fish can be caught on humps in about 40 feet of water, while others are suspended 40-60 feet down over the main channel in 60-90 feet of water. You have to really work them with your electronics to find feeding fish. 

The best action remains in the lower lake. 

The bass patterns have again changed on Clarks Hill, and tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that the offshore schooling fish have pretty much disappeared. You can still find some fish on the bottom on humps, but Josh suspects that at this time of year when it is this hot they are more likely to feed at night when the moon is close to full.

At the same time the full moon does appear to have drawn some fish to the banks after bream (up there for likely one final spawn), and there has been some good topwater action around laydowns. A frog will work but Pop-Rs may be fishing a little better.

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the 1-12 pound blues and channels are still biting pretty well on the points and humps. During the day fish are in 20-40 feet of water, but at night they will be in 5-20. 

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

Crappie fishing is very light on the lakes right now, but Captain Bradd Sasser reports catching some fish 15 feet down over 27-28 foot brush with minnows.

August 6

Clarks Hill water levels are still very high at 330.96 (full pool is 330.00) and morning surface water temperatures are about 85 degrees. 

Patterns for catching bass are changing again on Clarks Hill, and tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that fish are finally starting to school offshore. Unlike on some other area lakes they aren’t relating to cane piles, but they are frequently over humps and shoals. Topwater lures, swimbaits and flukes are the best way to target these fish, and the bite should hold up for the next couple of months.  However, like any pattern if the fish are too pressured they won’t bite well.

While we are now once again between bream spawns, last weekend after the last full moon Josh found some really good bass up shallow around beds. He got some good bites on topwater lures, but the best action may have come when he was bream fishing and a big 5-pounder would occasionally attack a hooked bream!

The hybrid bass bite is still very strong on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that right at daybreak they are catching lots of fish 35-40 feet deep over humps.  After that they are still targeting solid 5-12 plus pound striped bass off humps and ditches on the bottom in 50-70 feet of water.  

The bite has also come on around the oxygen line, and even though the line is 80 feet down in 100 feet of water the best way to fish it is to put out a range of rods between 25 and 50 feet down with down-lined herring. 

The best action remains in the lower lake. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the 1-12 pound blues and channels are still biting pretty well on the points and humps. During the day fish are in 15-40 feet of water, but at night they will be in 5-15. 

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

Crappie report to follow.   

July 30

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 330.97 (full pool is 330.00).

While he caught bass this week, tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that the fishing is really tough.  If you get 5 or 6 bites it’s generally considered a good day. And while he has had a few bigger ones on, most of the fish he is catching right now are small. 

Some of the bites he is getting are coming on a double-bladed buzzbait, while others are coming fishing a drop shot rig around brush. 

Overall it’s not surprising that the fishing has been this tough as the water was 86 degrees when he put in at 5:30 a.m.!

July 29

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 330.82 (full pool is 330.00) and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are 86-87 degrees. 

While there’s no doubt that there are plenty of very small spots that can be caught over deep water, tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that overall he thinks the water quality has dropped around deep brush and as a result a lot of the better bass are starting to move shallow again. The recent bream spawn, and high water levels, should also combine to pull fish shallow, and Josh has seen some wolf packs with five or six 3 plus pound fish cruising near the banks. Topwater lures and particularly prop baits have been his go-to. 

Other fish may be starting to suspend, and Josh has caught some fish schooling over deep points as they start to get on the pattern of swimming around and chasing very small baitfish. He has seen the best schooling very early but there is no reason that it should not continue during the day. 

New report to follow from Tyler Matthews of Evans, GA. 

There has been significant improvement in the hybrid bass bite on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that right at daybreak they are catching lots of fish 35-40 feet deep over humps.  After that they are still targeting solid 5-12 plus pound striped bass off humps and ditches on the bottom in 50-70 feet of water.  

The bite has also come on around the oxygen line, and even though the line is 80 feet down in 100 feet of water the best way to fish it is to put out a range of rods between 25 and 50 feet down with down-lined herring. 

The best action remains in the lower lake. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the 1-12 pound blues and channels are still biting pretty well on the points and humps. During the day fish are in 15-40 feet of water, but at night they will be in 5-15. 

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas.

Very few people are targeting crappie in the heat but Captain Bradd has a three-boat trip next week and will provide an update around that. 

July 22

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 330.29 (full pool is 330.00) and morning surface water temperatures are 85-86 degrees.  

There are a few different patterns for catching bass right now on Clarks Hill, but overall Tyler Matthews of Evans, GA reports that the fishing has been pretty good. There are quality fish being caught, and 18-20 pounds has been winning recent tournaments. The one caveat is that those winning anglers are often only catching 6 or 7 fish. 

The best action Tyler has found has been around deep brush piles in 25 plus feet of water, and he has been catching them on a 10-inch Zoom green pumpkin worm Texas-rigged. The best brush piles have been in the area of marinas around shade, and the degree or two cooler water seems to be making a big difference. 

There are also some fish out on humps in 25-30 feet of water, and he has caught some schooling fish that were chasing herring over the humps on a fluke or topwater bait. You always have to be ready on Clarks Hill for fish on top! Brush on humps can also hold good fish, while clean humps with no cover are covered up with small spotted bass. You can catch them on small green pumpkin worm on a drop shot. 

There are also some shallow fish that can be caught on a buzzbait or Pop-R early and late. 

 

It’s a mixed bag catching striper and hybrids right now on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that for some people the bite has gotten so tough that they are choosing to guide on other lakes. At the same time there have also been some really good fish caught.

Part of the reason for the seeming disparity is that the easy early morning hybrid bite has fallen off and numbers on this pattern are way down. You can still catch 10-12 fish in 30 feet of water on humps first thing, but gone for right now are the days of limiting out before daybreak.

However, the bright spot has been that starting about 8:00 and continuing into the day they have been steadily catching good 5-12 pound striper. While they aren’t catching 50-fish limits for 5 people, one day this week they had 30 and the smallest fish was 6 pounds. 

These striper have gone deep, and they are generally on the bottom in 50-75 feet of water in lower lake ditches. Some of them are also along the side of humps along the edge of the channel. While Captain Bradd Sasser has found some suspended groups 40-55 feet down in 80 feet of water, the fish are not really staying still well enough to target them. 

Overall they are catching a lot of single fish, but occasionally they will get two or three on at a time. The quality of the striper keeps them from moving. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the 1-12 pound blues and channels are biting pretty well on the points and humps.  During the day fish are in 15-40 feet of water, but at night they will be in 5-15. 

Cut herring, dip baits and shrimp are the best baits for catching numbers of smaller fish, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a larger flathead or blue then fish live bream in the same areas. 

Very few people are targeting crappie in the heat. 

July 9

Clarks Hill water levels have finally dipped below full to 329.94 (full pool is 330.00) and morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s.   

While some people are making a run at the bass in deep water on Clarks Hill right now, tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta has found such a good buzzbait bite right now that he is barely messing with the deep patterns. When he is he is only picking up small fish on a drop shot.

Perhaps in part because of high water levels the buzzbait action has been lasting all day regardless of the weather, and Josh says that the only adjustment you have to make depending on cloud cover is where you fish. When the sun is high the fish will come up out of wood and shade to eat the buzzbait, while when the conditions are cloudy they are moving around everywhere and seem to take it even better. 

In the mid-lake, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the down rod bite for hybrids and striper is a little shallower than in the lower lake but fish are in similar patterns. 

Main lake humps and points are holding fish. Before daylight fish are feeding in the 18-25 foot range, and when the sun gets up they tend to move out to the 30-foot range. 

On the catfish front, it will be a little while until the trophy bite improves but Captain Chris Simpson reports that 1-12 pound blue and channel cats can still be caught in pretty good numbers by anchoring on points and humps. Dip baits are a sure bet to get the channels going, while cut herring will generally land more blues. 

Look in the 5-15 foot range early and late and 15-30 feet when the sun gets up. 

Additional report to follow from William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468).

June 23

Clarks Hill water levels are slightly up to 330.70 (full pool is 330.00) and morning surface water temperatures are around 81-83 degrees. 

It’s been a good week for hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill in the lower lake, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that first thing there is a fast bite for 2-4 pound hybrids off channel points and hump in 25-35 feet of water on the bottom. The bite is hot until about 7:15 or 7:30, but then the action dies off and fish generally move out to 40-55 feet of water in the same general areas. 

Here they are catching a mix of hybrids and striper, with some fish on the bottom and some suspended about 35 feet down. The biggest fish are on the deeper end of the range, like this 23-pounder caught last week. Everything is coming on down-lines. 

In the mid-lake, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the down rod bite is a little shallower than in the lower lake but fish are in similar patterns. 

Main lake humps and points are holding fish. Before daylight fish are feeding in the 18-25 foot range, and when the sun gets up they tend to move out to the 30-foot range. 

The last couple of times Josh Rockefeller of Augusta has fished for bass on Clarks Hill, including the BFL South Carolina division tournament Saturday where he had a respectable showing, and then again Monday when he found a very strong bite, it’s been all about a buzzbait. Unusual for summer he is getting 10 plus bites each time he throws the buzzbait, and if they don’t get it he can usually catch them throwing back with a floating worm – unless the fish have come up out of very deep water. 

Josh is mostly fishing up the river, but it seems that the most important factor is having deep water nearby and he is pretty much sticking to the main lake. The fish are also highly related to wood. He is still getting some bites around willow bushes, but particularly on overcast days laydowns have been holding more fish. Josh notes that right now there are a ton of bream up shallow.

While he would probably rather be throwing a buzzbait, too, tournament Tyler Matthews of Evans, GA reports that you can also catch fish in 15-25 feet of water on the bottom with a Carolina rig, jig or The Sled. You want at least a half-ounce of weight. Fish are related to humps or points, but having some rock or brush greatly increases the action and bare bottom isn’t holding much. 

It will be a little while until the trophy catfish bite improves, but Captain Chris Simpson reports that 1-12 pound blue and channel cats can still be caught in pretty good numbers by anchoring on points and humps. Dip baits are a sure bet to get the channels going, while cut herring will generally land more blues. 

Look in the 5-15 foot range early and late and 15-30 feet when the sun gets up. 

Captain Bradd Sasser notes that between the heat, a feeling that the flesh is mushy in the summer, and the good striper bite not many people are targeting crappie right now, but they are almost certainly still on deep brush. Report to follow after he guides for them Saturday.  

June 18

Clarks Hill water levels are still very high at 330.57 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is mostly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 83 degrees. 

Back on the water after the birth of a child and eventually a well-earned fishing vacation, Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the down rod bite for hybrid and striped bass is pretty good in the mid-lake. Main lake humps and points are holding fish. Before daylight fish are feeding in the 18-25 foot range, and when the sun gets up they tend to move out to the 30-foot range. 

Tomorrow morning tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta has the BFL South Carolina division tournament to fish, and he reports that in the lower lake he has found plenty of bass schooling down near the dam over humps first thing. Once the sun gets up this bite shuts down. 

While there are still a lot of fish on brush piles in 15-20 feet of water, in recent tournaments like last weekend’s BFL Savannah River division event it seems that better fish are coming up shallow around bushes. Josh is catching them on topwater lures, but the winner of the last BFL caught everything he weighed flipping.  Regardless it’s obvious a lot of good fish are holding around bushes. 

While it’s not the peak time for catching giant catfish, 1-12 pound blue and channel cats can be caught in pretty good numbers by anchoring on points and humps. Dip baits are a sure bet to get the channels going, while cut herring will generally land more blues. 

Look in the 5-15 foot range early and late and 15-30 feet when the sun gets up.

June 10

Clarks Hill water levels are still very high at 330.62 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is mostly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 82 degrees. 

Summer patterns are starting to set in on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports that the hybrid and striped bass are in a pretty reliable pattern where they can be caught on lower end, main lake humps in 30-40 feet of water. The pattern doesn’t change a whole lot as the sun gets up, but they bite better early and as it gets later shift from the shallower to deeper end of the 30-40 foot range. 

There are also some big fish starting to be caught off the sides of humps in about 60 feet, and these are mostly 8-10 plus pound striper. However, it’s not a very reliable pattern for numbers yet. There were some decent numbers of fish at the dam but now there aren’t as many.

Unusual for this time of year there are also some schooling fish in the 1-2 pound range right at daybreak. 

In the two weeks since the last report the bass patterns have changed pretty significantly, and tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports that even though there are still some shallow fish most of the action right now is deeper. A buddy of Josh’s fished almost 20 brush piles in 15-20 feet of water and caught a fish out of every single one, but sizes are not generally great. Some people are fishing big worms but Josh likes to get over them and fish a drop shot. He finds that as long as there is at least 12 feet of water the vertical presentation does not spook the fish.

In his last night tournament Tyler Matthews of Evans, GA reports that they caught fish on even deeper brush in 25-30 feet, but they actually found their best action around chunk rock where they located some good groups of fish. They also targeted humps that rose from about 15 to 8 feet. Tyler notes that there has been some schooling over the humps. 

As always there is some shallow action if you know where to look, and Josh has discovered that around the flooded bushes he can get the fish to blow up on topwater lures.  If they don’t get it then he will throw back in with a wacky rig. The fish seem to be suspended in the bushes and so flipping for them has been ineffective. 

The crappie fishing remains very good and in stable patterns, and Captain Bradd Sasser reports that fish are still 10-12 feet down over brush in 15-20 feet of water. The depth where they are suspended is probably more important than the depth of the water, and if you had brush that rose to within 10 feet of the surface in 30 feet it would likely also be good.

Small minnows are still working well and the Amity area has been good.