—

February 19

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 435.1 (full pool is 440.0) and water temperatures are in the mid- to high-50s.  Clarity is very good, ranging from barely dingy up the lake to clear on the lower end.

Bassfishing on Lake Greenwood continues to be tough, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter reports that up-and-down temperatures are probably responsible for this.  It’s tough to catch fish when the weather is so erratic, jumping from one extreme to another (30s to 70s).  A prolonged warming period may help, but for now top sacks in tournaments have only been in the mid-teens – and dropping off fast after that.

For now Stan says the fish are pretty scattered, and there are certainly still some fish being caught deep. Besides fish caught on jigging spoons in 15-20 feet, you can still catch a few bass on Alabama rigs fished around brush piles in about 15 feet.

However, between the drive to spawn and the warming trend the overall movement is certainly shallower.  Stan has been catching fish in 3-4 feet of water mid-way back in the creeks, and he has had the best success in the mid-lake.  Main lake pockets and the mouths of creeks have also produced.  Some people have reported catching fish in the very backs, but these have mainly been small fish.  Shad Raps, Rattle Traps and Alabama rigs have all been catching some fish that want to chase bait, and you can also catch bass fishing slowly with shakey head worms and jigs around rocks.

With unseasonably warm temperatures the bite for catfishis still only fair, and Captain Chris Simpson reports that overall the fish are really scattered.  Some fish are as shallow as a few feet while some are holding in the river channel.  Overall, the best pattern is in between those two extremes, and drifting cut herring and white perch across flats adjacent to the river channel is most productive.

Chris reports that there is still a good bite for a mixed bag of species and particularly white perch in 20-35 feet of around large schools of baitfish in 20-30 feet.  Chris says that birds will usually point you in the right direction.  Birds will also point to the best places to fish for striped bass, and pulling live herring on planer boards and free lines off points and in open water under birds is working pretty well.

January 19

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 435.50 (full pool is 440.00) and water temperatures are in the mid- to high-50s.

At the turn of the calendar veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter reported that the Alabama rig was dominating the Greenwood bass scene, but with much warmer than typical air and water temperatures that bite has basically fallen apart.  The fishing has gotten tough, and in the ABA tournament on Saturday it only took 13 pounds to win.  The best fish were caught on a football jig fished around shallow rock with deep water close by.  Rock off points on the main lake is the best bet.  As warm as it is there should also be some fish taking a Shad Rap as well as a square-billed crankbait.  Spinnerbaits have also caught some bass up shallow recently.

To go with the shallow pattern, even with the warm weather there are still some bass being caught on a jigging spoon fished in 15-20 feet of water.  Stan finds that 18 feet is usually a magic depth, and he likes humps in creek channels or on the main lake.

With very warm temperatures the pattern for catfishhas changed on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Chris Simpson reports that fish have gotten a little tougher to catch.  Fish were in the river and creek channels when it got cold, but warming temperatures have them scattered across flats and main lake humps again.  Particularly with fish spread out drifting cut bait remains the best pattern.

A lot of anglers are still catching good numbers of white perch, as well some other species, jigging spoons under large schools of baitfish in 20-30 feet.  Chris says that birds will usually point you in the right direction.  

December 28

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 435.54 (full pool is 440.00) and water temperatures are around 54 degrees.  Clarity is good.

Unsurprisingly, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter reports that the Alabama rig continues to dominate bass fishing on Lake Greenwood.  Stan says that since water temperatures haven’t gotten very cold they are catching fish shallow, and on a recent trip they caught 10 or 12 bass just moving down the bank in a creek and casting the rig around docks and other cover.  Most of the bass were in 3-7 feet of water.  There are also some bass being caught on crankbaits in the same areas.

Bass are also being caught around brush in 12-15 feet of water, and jigs, crankbaits and jerkbaits will all catch these slightly deeper fish.  Fishing an Alabama rig over brush is also (naturally on Greenwood) a good pattern.

Catfishfishing remains pretty good on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Chris Simpson reports that drifting main lake flats in 10-15 feet of water with cut bait remains an effective pattern.

Jerking for white perchbite has gotten really strong, and jigging a ½ ounce spoon in 20-35 feet of water Chris is catching a large variety of fish to go with a bunch of perch.

Striped bass fishing has gotten a little more consistent, with fish still being caught pulling live herring and shad on free-lines and planer boards across points and humps.  Fish are also being caught chasing season birds and throwing artificials at fish on the surface.