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Last year at this time Lake Greenwood was giving up 27+ pound bags, but that feat was not to be repeated this past Saturday.  Six months of rain and a cold late winter had Lake Greenwood cold and muddy for the tournament Saturday, but in some tough conditions Jerry Kotal (our customary Lake Russell correspondent) and Daryl McClellon still managed an impressive 20.35 pounds for the win.  Considering that Jerry says they didn’t catch a single fish Friday in practice the feat was even more incredible!

Like last year’s winners Jerry and Daryl did a lot of the damage on Alabama rigs, which Jerry says they fished in 3-4 feet of water.  The combination of mud and sun seemed to push the fish shallower, and surface water temperatures went from 49 degrees at blast-off to as high or 55 or 56 by the afternoon. They stuck to the lower end of the lake which seemed to be clearer than the upper, and they fished the rig in pockets that were within within about 100 yards of deeper 10-12 foot water.  They caught four or five fish on the A-rig, including two that they weighed.  Their big 7-pound kicker was an Alabama rig fish.

The other four or five fish that they caught came on a combination of jigs and a Carolina rig, and they ultimately weighed in one jig fish and two Carolina rig fish.  These were fished exclusively around brush in deeper water 10-12 feet deep.

Fishers of Men is guaranteeing $5,000.00 for first place at each of their team tournaments, and with 93 boats competing the trail paid out over $6,000.00 to the first place team.  With engine/ boat team bonuses the winning team took home over $13,000.00!  The next Fishers of Men Upstate team event will be Saturday, March 26 on Clarks Hill. For our complete SC Bass Tournament calendar click here.  

Veteran tournament bass angler Stan Gunter concurs that Greenwood is fishing tough right now, but he adds that two additional patterns have been producing fish.  Jerry and Daryl caught fish throwing an Alabama rig in shallow pockets, but Alabama rigs are also producing around shallow and even mid-depth cover and structure.  In the middle to lower part of the lake Alabama rigs are catching bass around docks with 7-10 feet of water at the end of them as well as around boat ramps.  They are also producing around creek channels and channel swings.

While most fishermen have been concentrating their efforts in the clearer water down the lake, bass can still be found up the Reedy River in the muddy/ dingy water.  The mud has pushed them very shallow so that they can see better, and throwing a white or chartreuse spinnerbait in 2-4 feet of water has been generating some bites.  Fish will be around rocks, docks, brush and most any bank cover.

Overall, Lake Greenwood is at 438.12.

Crappie: Fair.  Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that crappie fishing has been a little slow with the cold, muddy water, but the season is on the verge of busting wide open and long-line trolling with jigs is about to take off.  Even in the mud decent numbers of crappie can be caught but as the lake clears (and warms) fishing will get even better.

Catfish: Tough.  It’s sounding like a broken record, but Lake Greenwood’s resident catfish expert Captain Chris Simpson reports that water conditions continue to make  catfishing difficult.  Anchoring with cut bait on humps around large schools of baitfish is still the best pattern – or drifting through the same areas.