October 30

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 325.90 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity varies over the lake.  Morning surface water temperatures are about 67 degrees.  

There is improvement with the hybrid and striped bass fishing this week on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that even though fish are still moving around almost every day they are getting a little easier to locate and biting better. The best catches have been coming in the mid-lake area in the channel about 40 feet down over deep water, and they are not seeing as much schooling as a few weeks ago.

This pattern should hold a little while longer, but in a week or two fish should stop moving quite so much. 

The crappie fishing is about the same, and Captain Rocky reports that the fish are still moving from brush pile to brush pile and so can be hard to stay on top of. Fishing 8-15 feet down in 15-25 feet of water has still been the best, and Rocky’s boat is now exclusively fishing minnows. Up the lake remains better, but even there fish aren’t staying in one place very long. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the bite continues to improve with dropping temperatures. The fall movements continue to progress and lots of fish are moving to deeper portions of creek and river channels. Anchoring on the points and humps that are adjacent to the channels is still working. Dragging baits in these same areas is also productive as long as there is not too much timber to get snagged on. The basic depth range is 15-50 feet, and for that reason sharp ledges that offer an array of depths are particularly good.

A variety of cut baits will work, with larger, tougher bait like gizzard shad or perch generally getting less bites but overall bigger fish than softer baits like herring. 

Black bass report to follow once we have it. 

October 23

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 325.76 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity varies over the lake.  Morning surface water temperatures are about 70 degrees.  

There’s no change with the hybrid and striped bass fishing this week on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that fish are still literally all over the place. You just have to keep looking, and right now he is catching fish but not the quality he wants. So he is just going to have to keep searching for better schools. 

Unfortunately the schooling action has not picked up significantly. 

The crappie fishing has dropped off a little this week, and on Captain Rocky’s last trip three anglers fell short of a full limit with 50 fish. At the same time he caught 40 in an hour last week. It appears that the fish are leaving brush, but really they are just moving from brush pile to brush pile and so can be hard to stay on top of. Fishing 8-15 feet down in 15-25 feet of water has still been the best, and Rocky’s boat is now exclusively fishing minnows. Up the lake remains better, but again fish aren’t staying in one place very long. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the bite continues to improve with dropping temperatures. The fall movements continue to progress and lots of fish are moving to deeper portions of creek and river channels. Anchoring on the points and humps that are adjacent to the channels is still working. Dragging baits in these same areas is also productive as long as there is not too much timber to get snagged on. The basic depth range is 15-50 feet, which is a wide range, and for that reason sharp ledges that offer an array of depths are particularly good.

A variety of cut baits will work, with larger, tougher bait like gizzard shad or perch generally getting less bites but overall bigger fish than softer baits like herring. 

Black bass report to follow once we have it. 

October 16

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 325.98 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is normal although an algae bloom in certain areas has moved the fish into other areas with better oxygen. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 70-74 degrees.

With a $10,000 black bass tournament Friday and Saturday on Clarks Hill Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) has been pre-fishing as much as he can, and from what Josh is seeing the better fish have made their way back into the creeks. You can still find tons of smaller fish (heavily spotted bass) on the main lake schooling, and on the lower end casting a fluke or topwater over about any point or hump rising to five feet below the surface will get a bite from small spots. There is also schooling activity back in the creeks, either over brush piles or in the creek channels, but again these are mainly smaller fish. The best bass that Josh is seeing are chasing threadfin, bream, or even gizzard shad around the banks in the creeks. Walking baits and buzzbaits have both been working, and on windy days spinnerbaits have been good. 

The hybrid and striped bass bite has changed this week, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service(706-210-3474) reports that fish are still moving a ton but the schooling activity has really slowed down. Yesterday he spent the morning chasing schooling fish and only caught five, but once they started fishing down-rods they got 50. 

Overall fish are heading up the lake and spreading out, and they can be anywhere but also aren’t everywhere. There should be another work or so of uncertainty, and you just have to spend a lot of time looking right now. In some areas fish are way back in the creeks, but in some areas they are 40-50 feet down in 100 feet of water. Yesterday they caught the most fish 25 feet down but it’s really just a matter of searching and searching. 

The crappie on Clarks Hill are also spreading out all over the lake during this transition period, but Captain Rocky reports that more and more of the fish are also moving up the rivers. They are on brush, and the key depth his boat is fishing has been 8-15 feet down in 15-25 feet of water. Minnows and jigs are both working – it’s just a matter of personal preference.  

This week Guide Luke Wilson with Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) has also been on Clarks Hill, and he has found crappie stacked up on brush piles in 14-18 feet of water at the very top of the lake. Fish are suspended and some are on the bottom, and they have caught everything on minnows. Overall sizes are very good and one day they caught a white and black crappie that each weighed exactly two pounds. 

They also found white perch on flats in 15-20 feet of water and some bonus largemouth in the same areas.   

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the bite has really picked up this week with dropping temperatures. The fall movements continue to progress and lots of fish are moving to deeper portions of creek and river channels. Anchoring on the points and humps that are adjacent to the channels is still working. Dragging baits in these same areas is also productive as long as there is not too much timber to get snagged on. The basic depth range is 15-50 feet, which is a wide range, and for that reason sharp ledges that offer an array of depths are particularly good.

A variety of cut baits will work, with larger, tougher bait like gizzard shad or perch generally getting less bites but overall bigger fish than softer baits like herring. 

October 8

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 326.42 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is still high. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 76 degrees. 

The most exciting thing going on Clarks Hill is widespread schooling activity for hybrid and striped bass, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that today they got on top of a school that stayed up for 30 minutes. It can be chaotic, with ten boats all on top of each other, but the action is very good. Fish are literally all over the lake, and he has found them on top from the dam to Hickory Knob. 

Really the key to catching fish is locating them, and every day they seem to be in a different place.  Binoculars are a key tool right now, and you just have to keep looking until you find them. 

But once you find the fish it’s easy, and you can do everything from cast topwater lures at them to fish down-rods in the schools. They will take about any bait you get in front of them. 

With more cooling black bass are biting better on Clarks Hill, and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that this week he has caught most of his fish on the main lake on brush and rock piles. There are certainly fish in other places, but 12-30 feet of water has been his best zone. When fish are active then he is having success pulling a swimbait, fluke, or topwater lure over them, and they will come up to get it. Sometimes he is calling them up, and at other times they are actively busting on the surface. Wind usually gets them more active. When fish are inactive then he is fishing down in the cover with a shaky head. 

Tyler has also thrown a buzzbait around the banks, but instead of the quality largemouth one hopes to catch this way he has been getting mainly small spotted bass.

The crappie on Clarks Hill are spreading out all over the lake during this transition period, but Captain Rocky reports that more and more of the fish are moving up the rivers. They are on brush, and the key depth is still fishing 8-15 feet down in 25 feet of water. Minnows and jigs are both working – it’s just a matter of personal preference.  

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall movements continue to progress and lots of fish are moving to deeper portions of creek and river channels. Anchoring on the points and humps that are adjacent to the channels is still working. Dragging baits in these same areas is also productive as long as there is not too much timber to get snagged on. The basic depth range is 15-50 feet, which is a wide range, and for that reason sharp ledges that offer an array of depths are particularly good.

A variety of cut baits will work, with larger, tougher bait like gizzard shad or perch generally getting less bites but overall bigger fish than softer baits like herring. 

October 2

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 326.73 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is still high. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 77 degrees. 

With a slight drop in water temperatures Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) has found a really good shallow black bass bite in the creeks. They are eating a buzzbait and he is also finding lots of schooling action. At times there are groups of fish schooling and at times there are just individual fish occasionally busting bait schools, but either way they are taking topwater lures. The bigger fish seem to want big walking baits while for numbers of fish something smaller that imitates a shad is working.

While there are still decent numbers of fish on the main lake, they seem over-pressured and resistant to eating.

The hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill continue to spread out, but Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that for now it’s mainly smaller fish that are making their way well back into creeks. The bigger fish continue to be more related to deeper channels in the rivers and main creeks.

First thing there is still a shallow bite mostly for hybrids on 10-foot deep main lake humps. There is also a fair amount of schooling, particularly in the lower third of the lake, although fish can pop up anywhere. Then there are a good number of fish about 50 feet down suspended in the channels up both river arms and in the major creeks. These fish are taking herring on down-rods and generally are of high quality. 

The crappie on Clarks Hill are spreading out all over the lake during this transition period, but Captain Rocky reports that the best fishing is in the mid- to upper lake.  They are on brush, and the key depth is fishing 8-15 feet down in 25 feet of water. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall movements continue to progress and lots of fish are moving to deeper portions of creek and river channels. Anchoring on the points and humps that are adjacent to the channels is still working. Dragging baits in these same areas is also productive as long as there is not too much timber to get snagged on. The basic depth range is 15-50 feet, which is a wide range, and for that reason sharp ledges that offer an array of depths are particularly good.

A variety of cut baits will work, with larger, tougher bait like gizzard shad or perch generally getting less bites but overall bigger fish than softer baits like herring. 

Our apologies for the sporadic fishing reports in recent weeks. We will do everything we can to get back on track with weekly updates, but one of our children is getting through a significant health challenge which has occupied a great deal of our time and kept us out of work.  

September 24

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 326.80 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are still around 79-80 degrees on the main water.

Even though water temperatures have not dropped much more, Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service(706-210-3474) reports that hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill – which were so concentrated a month or two ago – are now spreading out across the lake. The basic movement is out and up into the creeks and rivers, instead of being concentrated in the lower lake and near the oxygen lines. 

First thing there is still a shallow bite mostly for hybrids on 10-foot deep main lake humps. There is also a fair amount of schooling, particularly in the mid-lake area. Then there are a good number of fish about 50 feet down suspended in the channels up both river arms and in the major creeks. These fish are taking herring on down-rods and generally are of high quality. 

There are certainly black bass that can still be caught on the main lake, but Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that there is a significant progression of bait and fish into the creeks. Many of them have already gotten to the very backs, and he is seeing bass schooling in as little as a foot of water where they have pushed bait to the banks. In the creeks there are pods of bait everywhere, and you can catch tons of spotted bass around them when they are schooling or even by calling them up with topwater lures in open water. However, the bigger creek fish seem to be actually on the banks where they often appear to be attacking bait in wolf packs. Pop-Rs, flukes, and big topwater lures are all working. 

Consistent with that tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that he is also seeing fish getting much more active. However, he is still mostly fishing the main lake. For now it seems that mainly the smaller fish are schooling, particularly over humps, and there are also fish on all of his deeper brush piles. For now the fish that are not schooling seem to want a shaky head more than a minnow-type bait. Any time now he expects the better fish to start schooling. 

Much like striper the crappie on Clarks Hill are spreading out, with the difference being that Captain Rocky reports that crappie were mostly up the lake and now they are spreading out in creeks and all over the lake. They are moving a lot which can mean they are on a certain brush pile one day and then not the next, but generally they are in most areas of the lake now. The key depth is fishing 8-15 feet down in 25 feet of water. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall movements continue to progress and lots of fish are moving to deeper portions of creek and river channels. Anchoring on the points and humps that are adjacent to the channels is still working. Dragging baits in these same areas is also productive as long as there is not too much timber to get snagged on. The basic depth range is 15-50 feet, which is a wide range, and for that reason sharp ledges that offer a variety of depths are particularly good.

A variety of cut baits will work, with larger, tougher bait like gizzard shad or perch generally getting less bites but overall bigger fish than softer baits like herring. 

September 10 

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 328.01 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 79 degrees. 

There is a still a little bit of early bite for hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that before daybreak they are still able to catch lots of mostly hybrids on shallow, 10-foot humps on the main lake. But the biggest change this week is that the later bite is turning on, and as fish are moving into the mouths of creeks they are feeding pretty well during the day. Mostly the action is about 25 feet down in roughly 50 feet of water. 

Overall it’s a transition period as fish start to spread out throughout the lake again, and one drawback is that – while you can catch good numbers – it’s hard to get the biggest fish right now. 

Perhaps counter-intuitively the cooler nights are actually a negative for the offshore black bass fishing on Clarks Hill, and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that for some reason the bait won’t get as high in the water column after cool nights and it can mess up the schooling bite. With temperatures in the 90s predicted for next week the schooling should come on again, but in any event the fish are still out there either way and with forward-facing sonar you can catch them with subsurface baits. 

At the same time cooler temperatures really help the shallow bite, and they are doing much better around the banks. Buzzbaits and frogs are both working. 

Temperatures haven’t cooled off enough for it to make much difference with the crappie, and Captain Rocky reports that you still basically have to be fishing up either arm of the lake if you want to catch numbers of fish. When you locate them they are biting pretty well, and they are grouped up on brush in 20-25 feet. Basically they are at the top of the brush piles right now, and so that could mean anywhere from 10-18 feet below the surface. 

On the catfish front, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall movements are setting in and lots of fish are moving to deeper portions of creek and river channels. Anchoring on the points and humps that are adjacent to the creek and river channels is currently working. Dragging baits in these same areas is also working as long as there is not too much timber to get snagged on.  The basic depth range is 15-50 feet, which is a wide range, and for that reason sharp ledges that offer a variety of depths are particularly good.

A variety of cut baits will work, with larger, tougher bait like gizzard shad or perch generally getting less bites but overall bigger fish than softer baits like herring. 

August 27

Clarks Hill water levels are still very high at 329.95 (full pool is 330.00). Morning surface water temperatures are around 82 degrees. 

The hybrid and striped bass bite has changed on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that basically the fish have “gotten little”. That’s because fish are spreading out and moving all over the lake, and the best remaining bite for a concentration of fish is before daylight in about 20 feet of water on main channel points. 90% of those are smaller hybrids. 

After that they are fishing deeper and picking up some better fish, mostly about 40 feet down but still off points. Some fish are also being caught around the oxygen lines. 

The best black bass fishing continues to be offshore on Clarks Hill, even though Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) does report that with high water levels there are some good fish being caught on a frog around the banks. Still, he is finding an incredible number of fish offshore on brush piles, around bridge pilings, and just following bait balls. They are also starting to school. For inactive fish Josh’s experience has been that if you throw at them enough they will usually eat, although they are showing a preference for something like a flutter spoon versus a minnow-type bait on a jighead. 

Although some of the schooling activity is random in open water, some of the best schooling action has been around bridges. It’s also more consistent in the morning, and fish are taking a Gunfish. 

Josh notes that in the next few weeks more fish should move towards creek mouths but for now he is seeing the biggest concentrations on the main lake. 

It remains a fair bite for crappie, but Captain Rocky reports that you still basically have to be fishing up the lake if you want to catch numbers of fish. When you locate them they are biting pretty well, and they are grouped up on brush in 20-25 feet. Basically they are at the top of the brush piles right now, and so that could mean anywhere from 10-18 feet below the surface. 

While again this week there’s no change in the overall catfish patterns on Clarks Hill, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that there continues to be a solid, post-spawn summertime bite both during the day and at night. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on shallow points and fan-casting rods from 5-25 feet, and as usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.

August 21

Clarks Hill water levels are above full at 330.22 (full pool is 330.00) and water conditions are normalizing. Morning surface water temperatures are back in the mid-80s.   

Even though by preference he is a shallow black bass fisherman, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that the best action right now is offshore. The schooling activity has picked up around humps, and since long casts are generally required topwater lures are working the best. When anglers are looking at them on electronics then flukes are working well. 

That’s consistent with the report from tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia, who reports that while the fishing has picked up a little bit it’s still really hard to find much size.  The better fish may be feeding at night or in the early morning, and things slow down in the afternoon. 

If you can find bait there are still typically fish with it, and humps and brush piles are magnets for bass. While Tyle caught lots of fish on a fluke his last time out he did manage a better fish on a brush pile with a shaky head in 30 feet.

While there’s no change in the overall catfish patterns on Clarks Hill, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that there is now a solid, post-spawn summertime bite. And even though temperatures have rebounded, the daytime bite is still good. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on shallow points and fan-casting rods from 5-25 feet, and as usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.

More to follow. 

August 14

Clarks Hill water levels are above full at 330.61 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is still good in the lower lake but there is a lot of debris floating. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s.   

This week there have been dramatic changes with the hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that they are now in a pattern typical for September and October.  They have moved off the oxygen line, and before daybreak they are stacked up on points along the river channel in 5-10 feet of water. Captain Rocky’s boat caught 50 before the sun came up this morning with down-rods right under the boat.

After that the fish get tricky, and they are basically running up the heavy flow in the river channel and very spread out. They are hard to locate and target, and while there are some fish grouped up in 55-60 feet they are inactive and it’s hard to catch more than five or six in a day. 

Overall Rocky expects that fish will return to more typical late summer patterns since temperatures will almost inevitably rise again, and he does worry about a fish kill if they turn off the oxygen line. 

The crappie are making a similar move up the rivers on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that he had a very slow day of crappie fishing in the lower lake a couple of days ago – catching only about 20 fish on brush in the vicinity of the oxygen line. While a couple of weeks ago fish were spread out on brush all over the lake, he learned that they are basically traveling up the lake right now and setting up on new brush. This much water flow brings drastic changes, and while some fish are just swimming the best bite is up the rivers where fish have already gone miles and gotten on new brush.  

It's also an unusual bite for black bass, and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that every rocky point and hump in 10-15 feet of water is covered up with fish right now. The catch is that there is very little size to them, and Tyler is almost embarrassed to report that he won his club tournament with 7.5 pounds of spotted bass and big fish at 2.2 pounds. While he caught about 20 fish before 2:00 they were all smaller bass.

Tyler discovered that if you pulled a Sebille or fluke through a group of fish then they would bite, but single fish (generally larger bass) were very reluctant to strike. 

If it were easy to know where the big fish are Tyler would have done it, but it seems that a lot of the bigger fish are just roaming offshore in 30-100 feet of water. Some could be on deep brush, and there are also some big fish around the banks. However, it’s very hard to get more than a few bites shallow and you can’t do much after the early morning. 

Finally, while there’s no change in the overall catfish patterns on Clarks Hill, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that there is now a solid, post-spawn summertime bite. Additionally, with the cooler weather the daytime bite has turned on again. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on shallow points and fan-casting rods from 5-25 feet, and as usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.

July 31

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 327.96 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity remains high. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 80s. 

The patterns for hybrid and striped bass have changed a little on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that he is catching fish on shallow humps in the morning in 30-35 feet. These fish are on the lower end near the oxygen lines, and they are biting before daylight. 

After daylight that bite slows to a crawl, and then the fish are setting up close to the oxygen lines. The lines are about 60 feet deep in 80-100 feet of water, and most of the fish are being caught on down-rods 40-50 feet down. Unsurprisingly there are bunch of boats in the area. 

The majority of the black bass fishing activity has shifted offshore, and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that in the various youth tournaments going on most anglers are out deep chasing fish that are schooling on herring. For right now the fish are acting like they don’t feel the fishing pressure and have been willing to take big topwater lures. There is a pretty good bite, and if you find bait the fish will eventually show themselves on the surface. Of course, you can also find them with LiveScope but most bites come from fish that are breaking the surface. 

There is also a decent shallow bite around bream beds, which should get better as the August full moon approaches. You can also work the banks with a frog or buzzbait, but dropping water levels – and the heat – are not helping shallow patterns. 

The crappie fishing is still good on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that most of the fish are still on brush piles in 25-30 feet all over the lake. When you first get to a brush pile the fish are likely to be suspended as high as 8 or so feet, but as you catch more and more they will sink down into it. And if you make noise they will just leave. Minnows have been working the best. 

The catfish spawn is about over on Clarks Hill, and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that is making the bite much more consistent. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on shallow points and fan-casting rods from 5-25 feet, but night fishing is much better than fishing during the day right now. As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.

Our family is travelling next week for the last week of the summer before our children go back to school, but we will resume weekly fishing reports the following week. Hopefully some cooler weather will give us some exciting changes to relay – although it will still be August in South Carolina!     

July 21

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 327.84 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity remains high. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s. 

There are hybrid and striped bass all over the main channels on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that from way up the Savannah River down to the dam and most places in between you can find some fish. Their depth depends on where the thermocline sets up, but most fish are in the 40-50 foot range over humps and off the ends of points.

But… by far the heaviest concentrations of fish are set up close to the oxygen lines. The lines are about 60 feet deep in 80-100 feet of water, and most of the fish are being caught on down-rods 40-50 feet down. Unsurprisingly there are bunch of boats in the area. 

At the same time, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) has found a surprisingly good bite for black bass shallow on Clarks Hill recently. The shallow pattern has changed since the hurricane, and he isn’t finding as many fish cruising the banks or set up around bream beds. Instead, they are grouped up around laydowns which are abundant after the hurricane. Pretty much any time you can find trees down the in backs of pockets there are bass around them, particularly when you find several trees together. The cover is generally too thick for a Whopper Plopper, and so Josh is almost exclusively fishing with a frog. The fish are generally good, fat fish shaped like footballs.

Other anglers are spending more time offshore, and there has been some schooling activity over the river channel where fish are chasing bait. You generally have to cast to them right when they come up with long, precise casts.

The crappie fishing is still good on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that most of the fish are still on brush piles in 25-30 feet all over the lake. When you first get to a brush pile the fish are likely to be suspended as high as 8 or so feet, but as you catch more and more they will sink down further into. And if you make noise they will just leave. Minnows have been working the best. 

Guide Luke Wilson with Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) is also targeting crappie on Clarks Hill, and they have found a very good bite for both crappie and white perch at the top of the lake. They are targeting brush in 15-20 feet of water, and again fish can be suspended from 6 feet down all the way to the bottom. Interestingly in the summer heat time of today is not making much of a difference, and the fish are willing to eat minnows all day long for them.

The catfish spawn is mostly over on Clarks Hill, and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that is making the bite much more consistent. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on shallow points and fan-casting rods from 5-25 feet, but night fishing is much better than fishing during the day right now. As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.

We apologize that these reports are running a few days behind – the author had some unexpected issues in his other job arise. 

July 10

Clarks Hill water levels are at 328.95 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity remains pretty high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 87 on the main lake and 84-85 even in the tailrace at the top of the lake.   

Once again the hybrid and striped bass have made a big move on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that this week most of the fish are set up close to the oxygen lines. The lines are about 60 feet deep in 80-100 feet of water, and most of the fish are being caught on down-rods 40-50 feet down.  Unsurprisingly there are bunch of boats in the area. 

If Captain Rocky had to fish a secondary pattern he would stay in the vicinity of the oxygen lines but fish some of the points and humps nearby. He would expect the fish still to be suspended about 40-50 feet down. 

The crappie action is still strong on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that fish are getting into patterns that won’t change for a while. Unlike some lakes where the bite is really slowing down they are still feeding well. 

Brush in 25-30 feet of water is fishing the best, and there really isn’t a section of the lake that doesn’t hold fish if you find brush at that depth. Fish are generally suspended over the brush early but then in the summer heat get very tight to it during the day. His boat is still doing better with minnows but jigs will also catch some fish. 

As the catfish spawn nears its conclusion on Clarks Hill, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the bite is really picking up, especially for big fish. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on shallow points and fan-casting rods from 5-25 feet. As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.

Black bass report to follow.

July 2

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 329.42 (full pool is 330.00) and clarity remains high on the main lake. Morning surface water temperatures are around 87 on the main lake and higher in the creeks. 

With two BFLs on Clarks Hill in two weeks Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) has spent a lot of time chasing the black bass recently, and he reports that things have changed pretty dramatically in that short period of time. Ten days ago the weights were better and the offshore bite was good, but it has really slowed down in the last few days. Between boat traffic and fishing pressure that’s not unusual in the heat of summer, but another strange factor has been that they haven’t been pulling much water and as a result the lake has gotten kind of stagnant at times. Even in the rivers there hasn’t been consistent current and sometimes the water has gotten almost a film on it.  That always makes for a tough bite.

By this past weekend they were worried about the effect of heat on the fish and went to a 3-fish limit, and unsurprisingly catches were way down after the heat wave. But what was most striking was how far the offshore bite had dropped.  Whereas fishing a minnow-style bait on a jighead around structure like bridges had been really productive, now it’s mainly spotted bass that are offshore and almost all the better largemouth are being caught shallow. It seemed everybody caught them on a buzzbait or a frog, and Josh found some good fish around grass up the river on a Horny Toad. 

The hybrid and striped bass pattern has also changed pretty dramatically on Clarks Hill, but Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that fish are going the other way. He can still catch fish at dawn throwing out baits around humps and blow-downs in 30 feet of water, but each day they are getting smaller and the numbers are dropping. Finally today they had to switch to fishing deeper, and found the better fish stacked up 40 feet down in 70 feet of water over the main channel. That bite should just get better while the shallow pattern gets weaker and weaker. 

The crappie action is still strong on Clarks Hill, but Captain Rocky reports that they are also headed deeper. Now brush in 25-30 feet of water is fishing the best, and there really isn’t a section of the lake that doesn’t hold fish if you find brush at that depth. Fish are generally suspended over the brush early but then in the summer heat get very tight to it during the day. His boat is still doing better with minnows but jigs will also catch some fish. 

It appears that the catfish spawn is wrapping up on Clarks Hill, and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that as a result the bite is really picking up. Most notably they are starting to catch more big fish than a few weeks ago. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on shallow points and fan-casting rods from 5-25 feet. As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.