September 1
Lake Russell water levels are around 474.5 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is fairly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 84 degrees on the main lake.
You can certainly catch striper off the main lake points, but Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that his boat is on a different pattern. They are catching fish 25-30 feet down on the lower end, but they are finding them suspended and roaming out over deep water in 70-120 feet of water. Fish are just swimming around following schools of bait, and so you have to find the herring in order to locate the fish. They have been taking down-lines pretty well.
His boat is also still catching fish at the top of the lake in the Hartwell tailrace. Sometimes they are catching them on free-lines and sometimes they are schooling.
Wendell is also finding the bass in a transition period, and the fish seem to be really spread out. They are still picking up fish trolling Shad Raps 10-12 feet deep over the main channel, but they are also catching some fish in large coves off the main channel. In addition to a few bass they are also catching white perch, crappie and catfish. The fish are on the bottom in 15-25 feet of water and a minnow on a drop shot rig is the best way to approach them. You will catch more crappie when there is brush but for the white perch and catfish is does not seem to make a difference. Crappie range from small to large and they are all mixed together in the same areas.
August 31
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.49 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is fairly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 84 degrees on the main lake.
It seems like the bass have just started to make an early fall move on Lake Russell, and yesterday Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that the fish were leaving the main lake points where they had been catching them and heading shallower towards brush on secondary points – still in the main lake. The best fishing was coming in about 25 feet of water, and bass would take drop shots, deep running crankbaits and of course live bait.
Even though the bass have started to move the striped bass are still stacked up on main lake points, and Jerry reports that they are still catching them with down-lines in 25-40 feet of water. The bite can be a little inconsistent but there are good numbers of fish off the points. Sometimes when they don’t seem very excited about eating herring you can get a reaction bite with a large spoon.
Small catfish are still stacked up in 8-15 feet of water in coves and off points, and cut herring is working very well.
More to follow from Guide Wendell Wilson.
August 18
Lake Russell water levels are around 473.96 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is fairly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 84 degrees over most of the lake.
While the water temperatures are in the 80s over most of the lake, Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that he has been targeting hybrid and striped bass in 65 degree water! Up the lake in the Hartwell Tailrace the water is very cool right now (even though sometimes it’s not, as when they aren’t letting out much water), and it’s attracted a bunch of striper.
Yesterday it was cloudy and rainy and the fishing was better than today, but each day they have caught good numbers of solid striper averaging about 10 pounds. They are catching them on a combination of free-lined herring and topwater lures, and there has been some pretty good schooling activity.
They have also caught a bunch of good largemouth and spotted bass up to about 5 pounds up there.
You can also fish for striper down the lake on the lower end, and generally the best pattern is to fish about 30-40 feet down with down-lines over deeper water on flats and off points.
While there are a lot of patterns for catching bass right now, nothing is really hot in Wendell’s estimation. Probably the best way to catch fish is to troll crankbaits with a small profile about 10-12 feet down over the main channel.
You will also pick up some spotted bass fishing in large coves off the main channel, but this is a better pattern for white perch, crappie and catfish. Fish are on the bottom in 14-20 feet of water and a minnow on a drop shot rig is the best way to approach them. You will catch more crappie when there is brush but for the white perch and catfish is does not seem to make a difference.
August 4
Lake Russell water levels are around 474.5 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is still clear on the main channel. Morning surface water temperatures are about 85 or 86 degrees.
The bite is fairly stable on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that he is still catching bass, striped bass, some perch, and catfish in the same areas. While they can be a little shallower early, fish are generally off main lake points in 25-40 feet of water. He is also catching them in the center of coves just off the main lake at the same depth. Points with brush are holding more fish, and most of the fish are usually related to the bottom. Live bait is hard to beat but crankbaits and drop shot rigs will also work for bass.
The striped bass fishing is a little sporadic, and some days they are getting 7 or 8 while other days they are lucky to get two or three.
All of that is in the middle and lower lake, but Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that his boat has also found some striper on the upper end in the cooler water below the Hartwell Tailrace. The areas he is fishing are less than 15 feet deep, and for these fish he is pulling free-lines. At times they are schooling and then you can pitch topwater lures to them.
Down the lake Wendell is also fishing for crappie and perch, and picking up some bass and catfish, and he continues to target long coves off the main channel. He is getting in 15-25 feet and dropping minnows on drop shot rigs. When there is brush he is catching more crappie and less perch, and when there is a clean bottom he is catching more perch.
Small catfish are still stacked up in 8-15 feet of water in coves and off points, and cut herring is working very well.
July 22
Lake Russell water levels are around 474.4 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is still pretty clear on the main channel. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 or 85 degrees.
The fish are starting to group up more on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that in addition to bass he is catching striped bass, some perch, and catfish in the same areas. While they can be a little shallower early, fish are generally off main lake points in 25-40 feet of water. He is also catching them in the center of coves just off the main lake at the same depth. Points with brush are holding more fish, and most of the fish are usually related to the bottom. Live bait is hard to beat but crankbaits and drop shot rigs will also work for bass.
While Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is on a similar pattern for similar species, his boat is fishing coves off the main channel in about 20 feet of water around brush. By fishing shallower and using minnows he is also getting crappiebut excluding striper. Perch and catfish are on the bottom, crappie can be on the bottom or suspended, but most of the bass he is targeting are suspended by now. In some ways the graph is looking like fall more than summer, and the fishing is far better than usual for this time of year!
Wendell does note that he is marking some striper deeper but they are extremely tackle-shy right now.
Small catfish are still stacked up in 8-15 feet of water in coves and off points, and cut herring is working very well.
July 14
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.53 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is still pretty clear on the main channel. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 84 degrees.
One pattern is still stable with the bass on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that his boat is still catching fish off points in the main lake in 20-30 feet of water. In the morning they may be as shallow as 15 feet on the same points, and they are just sliding deeper as the day goes on. Points with brush are holding more fish, and the bass are usually related to the bottom. Live bait is hard to beat but crankbaits and drop shot rigs will also work.
However, Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is doing something different to catch bass on Russell, and he has discovered that there is another group of fish that is suspended over the tops of trees in 50-60 feet of water. In large areas of Russell the timber tops out only 12 or so feet below the surface, and in these areas the spotted bass are setting up about 10-12 feet down. The most effective way that they have found to target these fish is trolling Shad Raps, but of course you can cast the same bait or others like swimbait – or even flip soft plastics.
In general these are spotted bass and the fish that are around points are often a little bigger.
The striped bass fishing is pretty good right now, and Jerry’s boat is catching at least a few fish in the 8-20 pound range every time they go after them. In general the fish are holding deeper than the bass around similar points, and they have been about 20 feet down over main lake trees in 30-35 feet of water. Herring on down-lines have been the best way to catch them, and when a school passes through the action can be fast for a few minutes. Of course, Russell is a trophy striper fishery and it does not have the numbers that other lakes have.
There are probably crappie back in the creeks, but Wendell reports that with water temperatures 90 or 91 back there he just isn’t looking thee. Instead, he is fishing large coves off the main channel at the northern end of the lake, and he is looking for brush about 15-20 feet down. Some of the fish are on the bottom and some are about halfway down. They have pretty much been exclusively using minnows.
Small catfish are still stacked up in 8-10 feet of water in coves and off points, although Jerry has started to catch some out as deep as 15 feet. Cut herring is working very well.
July 1
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.56 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is still relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 84 degrees.
With a mild week the bass still haven’t gone much deeper on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that his boat is still catching fish off points in the main lake in 20-30 feet. In the morning they may be as shallow as 15 feet on the same points, and they are just sliding deeper as the day goes on. Points with brush are holding more fish, and the bass are usually related to the bottom. Live bait is hard to beat but crankbaits and drop shot rigs will also work.
In general Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is fishing a similar pattern, but today the weather was so cloudy that the fish were moving around a lot and they actually found them schooling on bait repeatedly. They were in that same depth range of 20-25 feet on main lake points and they caught them on topwater lures. When the fish were not up they caught them on herring.
While Wendell isn’t picking up very many striped bass right now, Jerry’s boat has been catching striper up to 12-14 pound and hybrids as big as 8-9 pounds on the same main lake points. With a smaller population of striper in Russell, some points are holding schools of fish while others are not.
When they aren’t chasing bass Wendell’s boat has been after the crappie, and they have found a surprisingly good bite on the right brush piles. Wendell notes that usually brush which holds crappie will also hold bass, but just because brush piles hold bass does not mean they will hold crappie. Russell crappie generally prefer brush that is in the middle of coves, while spotted bass will be on brush off points or in coves.
Today Wendell found the best action 15-18 feet down off brush in about 23 feet of water, and in about a half hour they had a limit of medium and larger fish. The fish seem to be moving out of the backs of the creeks and today they were close to the main channel but still in the creek.
Minnows are working very well.
Small catfish are still stacked up in 8-10 feet of water in coves and off points, although Jerry reports that soon they should move a bit deeper. Cut herring is working very well.
June 23
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.11 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear with no recent rain. Morning surface water temperatures range from 85-87 degrees, rising to about 90 in the afternoon.
Fish are getting into a true “mixed-bag” summer pattern on Russell, and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that on his last trip out they started out targeting crappie and ended up catching eight species also including largemouth bass, spotted bass, white perch, yellow perch, catfish, breamand warmouth. The fish are all starting to group up on brush in the backs of main lake coves in about 15-25 feet of water. As the summer progresses they will shift towards the deeper end of that range and some will go even deeper, but there should continue to be fish on the brush that is currently holding them all summer long.
While he has been targeting catfish a lot this week, Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) is also finding bass and other species on a similar pattern.
The striped bass are still deeper on main lake points around timber, and in the morning they are still about 20-30 feet down while after the sun gets up they move to 40-50 feet. At both times the fish are suspended in about the middle of the water column and so down-lines have been the best way to target them.
Out on the water right now Jerry reports that small catfish are stacked up in 8-10 feet of water in coves and off points, and he is finding cut herring hard to beat.
June 17
Lake Russell water levels are down to 474.24 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from 85-87 degrees, rising to about 90 in the afternoon.
While he would have expected super warm water temperatures to have pushed the fish very deep, Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that in fact they are finding fish just off the bottom on the main lake in only 20-25 feet of water. They are relating to brush, and in addition to bass they are also picking up striper, catfish and even crappie on live herring. Perhaps the surface temperature has warmed very fast but deeper water is still relatively cool, and perhaps there is something else going on. Besides bait you can also target bass with big crankbaits and worms.
To specifically target largemouth Jerry half-jokes that you should head over to Clarks Hill, but there are more largemouth in the creeks than on the main lake. However, they did pick up a five-pounder mixed in with the other species this week.
With the extreme heat Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that the bass fishing has gotten tougher and he is just picking up a few fish around brush and on points, but they are doing pretty well with the striper on main lake points. The fish want to run into the timber and so you have to have stout tackle and react quickly in order to hoist them out.
Early in the morning they are about 20-30 feet down, and after the sun gets up they move to 40-50 feet. At both times the fish are suspended in about the middle of the water column and so down-lines have been the best way to target them.
Both guides are still catching way more catfish than normal without even trying, and Jerry reports that when you do actually target the catfish it’s easy to fill a cooler. 8-10 feet of water has been the magic depth, whether in coves or off points. Cut herring are very effective.
The crappie fishing is still really good on Russell, and even though they have been leaving the standing timber alone this week Wendell’s boat has been catching fish 6-10 feet down around brush in about 20 feet of water. Perhaps because of the heat coves off the main lake have been more effective than the backs of creeks.
Both minnows and jigs are effective.
June 9
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.90 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 80 degrees.
The bass on Lake Russell have now transitioned into early summer patterns, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that his boat is catching them in 25-30 feet of water around brush piles. They are close to the bottom most of the time, although some days they will suspend a little more. Jerry is fishing on the main lake right now, but he suspects that you could fish a similar pattern in the creeks. With better breezes on the main lake he’s not looking, though!
Live herring are hard to beat and they are also catching lots of catfish and occasional striped bass this way. Drop shot rigs, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits and more could also work.
While Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is targeting a very similar depth range at 20-30 feet, and is also concentrating on the main lake, instead of keying on brush he is looking for bait schools. Sometimes they are over some obvious structure like a road bed, while at other times they are merely related to a big flat. The fish he is targeting are also more likely to be suspended, and most of the fish are about 16 feet down.
He is finding some good spots in the 3-pound range, largemouth up to about 4 pounds, occasional striper and lots of catfish.
Both guides are catching way more catfish than normal without even trying, and Jerry reports that when you do actually target the catfish it’s easy to fill a cooler. Sunday they fished down the center of a cove into the back of a pocket and caught fish in 8-10 feet of water. They also caught them at the same depth casting up onto the point. Cut herring are very effective.
Last but not least is the crappie fishing on Russell, and after saying all year that the best fishing is over on Clarks Hill Wendell is having to reconsider. Instead of targeting isolated brush they decided to fish the standing timber this week, and on the last trip out they had 110 fish! The school was so thick that it blocked out their electronics from accurately recording the depth!
These fish were from 3 feet down to the bottom in just 15 feet of water, and the best bite came at about 7 feet. For fishing normal brush piles look in the creeks in 15-20 feet of water and fish about halfway down.
Both minnows and jigs are effective.
May 25
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.93 (full pool is 475.00) and even after a bunch of rain this week the main lake and fronts of creeks are still clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 75-78 degrees.
The bass fishing on Lake Russell is getting a little tougher, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that there are only a few places left where you can fish for them relatively shallow first thing. The herring spawn seems to be mostly done but there are still some isolated spots in about 10 feet where the fish will come up to eat a free-line or topwater bait early.
However, the bulk of the fish seem to have moved out to brush piles in the mouths of creeks and on the main lake. They are 12-18 feet down in water up to 20 feet deep, and some of the fish are suspended while others are on the bottom. They will take drop shot rigs with plastic worms or herring.
While Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is also finding the spotted bass moving deeper, he has been surprised to find a decent number of largemouth still hanging around shallow water in the creeks. They are up there following bream, even in areas where bream are not spawning.
However, Wendell is finding that the striped bass have definitely gone deeper this week, and with only a tiny trickle of herring up shallow – and temperatures warming – they really have no reason to stay shallow. His boat is still finding them in 15-30 feet of water off points in areas where there are suspended schools of herring.
There continues to be pretty good crappie fishing on Russell, but it’s still about half as good as the bite on Clarks Hill. Yesterday they caught 70 crappie on Clarks Hill, and each trip on Russell they have had about 30-40. The fish are still ganged up on brush in 14-20 feet of water in the creeks. They have dropped a little deeper into the 7-10 foot range and he is catching them casting jigs as well as fishing minnows under a cork.
Jerry’s boat is still targeting the catfish, and he is finding the biggest concentrations in 8-10 feet of water. The bite is pretty good around points and back in coves in that depth range both in the creeks and on the main lake, and anchoring cut herring on the bottom is the best technique. The spawn is underway but fish are still eating.
May 18
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.63 (full pool is 475.00) and with almost no rain in the past three weeks the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 77-79 degrees.
The bass fishing on Lake Russell is still in a late spring pattern, but Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that fish are starting to transition deeper. In a few weeks, if not days with the heat, he will have to look for them on brush in 18-20 feet of water. This is all happening faster than last year, and in 2021 he was still able to find shallow bass on herring through the first of June.
While he is not seeing many herring spawning, for now there still seem to be some up there early in the morning. Regardless there are still shallow bass each morning, and he is catching fish throwing flukes or topwaters as well as fishing free-lines with herring in 10-12 feet of water or less.
The report is similar from Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336), and Wendell reports that the herring spawn seems to be mostly done outside of some areas in the lower lake where there is the most bait. Still, the bass are coming up shallow even in areas where there are no spawning herring first thing. They can catch them on lures or pitching free-lines. During the day you have to look deeper.
His boat has also had success with the striped bass this week, which will also come up shallow early although not as shallow as the bass. They can be caught in 5-10 feet of water at daybreak.
Once the sun gets up they are backing off into 15-20 feet of water and eating suspended schools of herring. Each day this week Wendell’s boat has caught a handful of hybrids and striper (along with lots of spotted bass), topped off with a 22-pound fish caught in the mid-lake area. It came on a herring free-lined over about 20 feet of water.
Wendell notes that you can catch bass in any section of the lake right now, and so he is targeting areas where he knows there are also striper. They can be found from one end of the lake to the other but in particular spots.
There continues to be pretty good crappie fishing on Russell, and Wendell reports that they are ganged up on brush in 15-20 feet of water in the creeks. The fish are generally 4-6 feet down and he is catching them casting jigs as well as fishing minnows under a cork.
Jerry’s boat is still targeting the catfish, and he is finding the biggest concentrations in 10-12 feet of water. They are around points and back in pockets on both the main lake and in the creeks, and it seems like they are in a pre-spawn feeding mode. When they get ready to spawn they should move shallower.
Cut herring has been hard to beat although catalpa worms are also very good if you can get them.
May 12
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.95 (full pool is 475.00) and with no rain in the past two weeks most of the lake is very clear, with only a slight stain in the very backs. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 70-72 degrees.
Even though Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that he is not seeing as many spawning herring or catching as many bass feeding on them as last week, indicating that the herring spawn may be dying off, he is still catch plenty of fish in the same areas around shallow points and humps. He is catching bass throwing flukes or topwaters at the points, but they are still having the most success free-lining herring off the points. Still only one or two out of every 100 fish is a largemouth and so it is almost exclusively a spotted bass pattern.
The big largemouth that anglers are weighing in tournaments seem to mostly be caught on buzzbaits fished around the banks in the creeks right now.
Another sign that the herring spawn is winding down is that Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports he is catching both bass and striped bass together around main lake points early, but then they are together backing off when the sun gets up instead of continuing to feed shallow into the day. He is having to move the boat into 15-20 feet of water.
Early topwater lures and free-lined herring pitched to the fish are both working well, and then later they are either fishing herring on down-lines or flukes on underspins.
There continues to be pretty good crappie fishing on Russell, and Wendell reports that they are ganging up on brush in 15-20 feet of water in the creeks. The fish are generally 4-6 feet down and he is catching them casting jigs as well as fishing minnows under a cork. On Clarks Hill Wendell recently caught 100 crappie in a morning, and while that is not possible in the clearer water on Russell you can get 30 or 40.
Jerry’s boat is still targeting the catfish, and he is finding the biggest concentrations in 10-12 feet of water. They are around points and back in pockets on both the main lake and in the creeks, and it seems like they are in a pre-spawn feeding mode. When they get ready to spawn they should move shallower.
Cut herring has been hard to beat although catalpa worms are also very good if you can get them.
May 4
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.83 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake has mostly cleared. Morning surface water temperatures are about 74-76 degrees.
It’s been a pretty good herring spawn bite for bass on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that for now the fishing is still strong around shallow point and humps all day long – even though the morning is still the best time. However, from what he is seeing it doesn’t seem like the action is going to last as long as last year and some fish already seem to be moving a little deeper.
You can catch bass throwing flukes or topwaters at the points, although they are having the most success free-lining herring off the points. One or two out of every 100 fish is a largemouth and so it is almost exclusively a spotted bass pattern.
The big largemouth that anglers are weighing in tournaments seem to mostly be caught on buzzbaits fished around the banks in the creeks right now.
They are also catching some striped bass off the same points, and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in addition to bass they are picking up a few good striper in the high teens. At least so far there aren’t as many striper on the points as last year, but that could certainly change. Wendell notes that he frequently finds a lull in the middle of the day and for his boat early morning is definitely fishing best.
Wendell is finding the most striper on the lower end and around Russell State Park.
There is also some pretty good crappie fishing right now, and Wendell reports that they are ganging up on brush in 15-20 feet of water in the creeks. The fish are generally 4-6 feet down and he is catching them casting jigs as well as fishing minnows under a cork.
Jerry’s boat is also back on the catfish, and he is finding the biggest concentrations in 10-12 feet of water. They are around points and back in pockets on both the main lake and in the creeks, and it seems like they are in a pre-spawn feeding mode. When they get ready to spawn they should move shallower.
Cut herring has been hard to beat although catalpa worms are also very good if you can get them.
April 21
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.74 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still pretty clear while you can find stained water in the creeks. Morning surface water temperatures are about 62 degrees on the main lake and 65 in the creeks.
The herring spawn has gotten underway on Lake Russell, but Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that the bass aren’t really keying on the herring just yet. The herring also aren’t really where they are “supposed” to be. While there are some baitfish on the points and riprap, a lot of the herring (and the birds feeding on them) are back in pockets – perhaps because of the very high water levels.
As a result Jerry is still mostly concentrating on deeper points in the 10-20 foot range, both in the main lakes and the creeks. He is fishing a lot of live bait with guide parties, but the spots will come up to take a fluke or even a topwater lure.
While Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is catching some bass shallower around the banks, he notes that these are mostly smaller males. He is also catching the most good fish in the same depth range as Jerry, concentrating on 12-14 feet. Wendell believes most of these fish are pre-spawn, but with spotted bass usually spawning out of sight they are always a bit of a mystery.
Wendell notes that you can catch smaller fish going down the bank throwing a Shad Rap or a paddle-tail swimbait.
While the herring spawn doesn’t seem to have the bass concentrated up shallow yet, it has made the striped bass much more predictable. This week Jerry caught a 30-pound striper that came up at the boat to hit a fluke over 15-20 feet of water, and Wendell has caught some fish in the high-teens off points in 14-15 feet on herring.
Although they are relating to points the striper don’t seem to be concentrated anywhere, and so the best way to target them is pulling big herring on free-lines and planer boards off main lake points in the 10-20 foot range.
The crappie are pretty much in a post-spawn phase by now, and Wendell reports that they can be caught trolling in the creeks in 10-18 feet of water. His boat has found the best numbers in about 15 feet, but they are only about 4-6 feet below the surface. Jigs are working very well.
There are also post-spawn fish that are starting to stack up on shallow/ mid-depth brush.
There are still plenty of catfish that can be caught halfway back in the creeks in 10-15 feet of water. They are sitting out in the channel and they will take cut herring.
April 8
Lake Russell water levels are up to 475.36 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still pretty clear while the creeks are muddy in the backs after almost two and a half inches of rain Tuesday. Morning surface water temperatures are about 60 degrees on the main lake and 62 in the creeks.
The crappie fishing has turned back on again, and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that two days ago they caught 60 fish long-line trolling with 1/16th ounce jigs down the center of coves off creeks. The boat was in 12-16 feet of water, and the fish were 4-6 feet down. Yesterday the front slowed the numbers down, but the pattern should still hold once things stabilize.
Most of the fish were medium-sized females, as most of the better females seem to have already spawned. In contrast they are still catching a wide array of sizes of males around the banks casting a 1/32 ounce jig or fishing with minnows.
The bass fishing continues to be strong on Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that they are still having the most success fishing pockets and points in the 15-20 foot range, both in the main lakes and the creeks. Some fish also seem to be starting to spawn and they have caught them throwing at the bank. From what Jerry has seen the herring spawn has not really gotten underway – he has only seen them shallow in one place – because cold fronts keep knocking them back.
Wendell is also catching bass with drop shot rigs on man lake points in 8-14 feet of water. He believes males are getting around the banks while the females are waiting to move up.
The striped bass seem to be just starting to improve, and Jerry has caught occasional fish up to 12 pounds recently. When the herring spawn gets underway they will see more again.
There are still plenty of catfish that can be caught halfway back in the creeks in 10-15 feet of water. They are sitting out in the channel and they will take cut herring.
April 1
Lake Russell water levels are down to 474.41 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is pretty clear while the creeks are dirty in the backs. Morning surface water temperatures are about 58 degrees on the main lake and 61 in the creeks.
The consensus among Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is that the crappie fishing is terrible, with one guide actually speculating that all the crappie in the lake have died! Joking aside, Wendell attributes the bad fishing to the fact that the Corps dropped the lake about 2 feet and ran all the fish off the banks, and then the cold also did not help. Fishing should get better again once temperatures stabilize and hit the mid-60s again, and then they should be able to troll and fish around shallow cover.
Luckily Jerry and Wendell also both agree that the bass fishing is really good on Lake Russell, although the spots have also moved a little deeper this week. Jerry has had the most success fishing pockets and points in the 15-20 foot range, both in the main lakes and the creeks.
Wendell has found the same pattern, and on one main lake point he found a huge group of 3-4 pound female spots all grouped up in 14-16 feet of water. He was fishing a drop shot rig as well as live bait and the fish would eat about anything.
His boat has also had a ton of success just going down the bank with a Shad Rap and at the same time dragging live herring behind the boat.
The striped bass are still very hard to find, but it won’t be long until they magically reappear when the herring spawn gets underway.
There are still plenty of catfish that can be caught halfway back in the creeks in 10-15 feet of water. They are sitting out in the channel and they will take cut herring.
March 25
Lake Russell water levels are down to 474.59 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is pretty clear while the creeks are a little muddy in the backs. Morning surface water temperatures are about 57-58 degrees on the main lake to 60 in the creeks.
The bass fishing has been extremely good this week on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that fishing off secondary points in smaller creeks they are catching fish on about everything they throw. The fish are mostly in 8-10 feet of water, and they will take spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, and of course herring.
While he is also finding a great bite, Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is fishing even shallower on flats inside the 8-10 foot range where the water slowly drops to about 3 feet. The best action has been adjacent to spawning flats, and they are fishing both coves off the main lake as well as the front parts of creeks where it is not too dirty. They are picking up a decent number of largemouth as well as lots of spotted bass.
While the crappie fishing has slowed a bit, Wendell reports that they are still catching some fish trolling jigs in the back of creeks and even fishing around shallow tree tops where the fish spawn. While the biggest fish may have already spawned, Wendell has been catching lots of fish in the one-pound range that are still full of eggs.
Jerry thinks the biggest fish have already transitioned out to deeper brush.
The striped bass are still very hard to find, and again this week they caught a single fish off a point. They will show up as soon as the herring spawn gets underway.
There are still plenty of catfish that can be caught halfway back in the creeks in 10-15 feet of water. They are sitting out in the channel and they will take cut herring.
March 17
After dropping about a foot Lake Russell water levels are back above full at 475.16 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is muddy in the backs of creeks. At least down the lake is still pretty clear on the main watever but even creeks that generally stay clean have now gotten muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are about 56 or 57 degrees.
There’s not much change in the bass from last week for Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860), who is still fishing for fish suspended about 15 or so feet off the bottom near points in 18-25 feet of water. He is catching some of them on a drop shot and others on live herring.
However, since he was targeting shallower fish last week the group of fish that Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is after has gone deeper, and instead of casting along the banks into 6-7 feet of water he is now fishing in more like 14-18 feet on the main lake. These are not flat or steep banks, but instead gently sloping banks of the type that spotted bass like to spawn on. As the fish have moved deeper a drop shot is now working better than a jerkbait.
Even as fish have moved out the bite is still very good.
While crappie don’t generally prefer clear water, the water got so muddy in the areas that he was fishing that Jerry had to move out to find new areas. He is still picking up a few fish around the banks but that bite has slowed a bit.
Wendell thinks that is because we are in between different waves of the spawn, and from what he is seeing there is a large group of fish staging in the creeks in about 8-12 feet of water. This is generally the one-pound range fish, and the very biggest females seem to have largely already spawned.
The striped bass are still very hard to find, and except for the random fish picked up trolling for crappie or targeting bass no one is seeing them. Jerry’s boat did lose a very large one that they could not turn on bass tackle this week.
There are still plenty of catfish that can be caught halfway back in the creeks in 10-15 feet of water. They are sitting out in the channel and they will take cut herring.
March 10
Lake Russell water levels are above full at 475.21 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is getting muddy in the backs of creeks but still clear on the main lake. Morning surface water temperatures are about 57 degrees on the main lake but were warmer in the backs.
Proving that not all the fish are doing the same thing at the same time, Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) are on completely different patterns for bass. Jerry is fishing for fish suspended off points in 18-25 feet of water, and they are generally about 15 or so feet off the bottom. This group of fish moved out when temperatures started to drop, and he is catching some of them on a drop shot and others on live herring.
Meanwhile, Wendell is still fishing in the same areas along the banks where the spotted bass will ultimately spawn. His boat is in 10-12 feet of water and he is casting into 6-7 feet, and he is fishing with a shallow-running jerkbait that goes about 3 feet down.
In contrast, with the crappie both guides are doing pretty much the same thing. While you can troll for them, they are pretty much fishing shallow with a jig and minnow under a cork. Wendell is trying to let the bait really sit in one place so he prefers a minnow right now, and he is having the best luck at the very back of coves with steeper banks. While there could still be some good ones to come up, the consensus seems to be that some of the biggest fish may have already spawned. For some reason Clarks Hill seems to be running behind Russell this year.
The striped bass are still very hard to find, and except for the random fish picked up trolling for crappie no one is seeing them.
There are still plenty of catfish that can be caught halfway back in the creeks in 10-15 feet of water. They are sitting out in the channel and they will take cut herring.
March 1
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.73 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is stained in the backs of creeks but generally clear on the main lake. Morning surface water temperatures are about 55 degrees on the main lake and 60-61 degrees in the backs of creeks.
In a sure sign of spring the bass have pretty much left deep water, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that they have started to scatter out on the points. Most of the fish are in 10-20 feet of water, and points with brush are holding the most fish.
This week Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) has seen the same thing, and he has caught fish from 6 feet to 28 feet. Jerkbaits are working very well, and of course the fish will also eat medium minnows. In addition to points he has found them holding just off the same banks where they will spawn later.
The star of the show this week on Lake Russell has been the crappie, and both guides report a really good bite. For the month of March Wendell says that he will be carrying both trolling rods as well as long poles for fishing around the banks.
Pulling 6-8 rods with small jigs is a preferred tactic, and Jerry reports that he has caught good numbers fishing this way. He has also caught equally good numbers casting the same small jigs at the banks, targeting small points and irregularities. However, basically the fish are just related to areas where they will spawn.
The only really big crappie anyone has caught came on Wendell’s boat on a day where water temperatures hit the mid-60s and he found some big males and females well over 2 pound very close to the bank over gnarly brush and flooded beaver huts. A minnow 18 inches under a cork would get these fish to come up out of the cover, but this pattern has not been repeated since water temperatures dropped. Both guides hope another round of big fish will come to the banks.
The striped bass are still very hard to find, but there are plenty of catfish that can be caught halfway back in the creeks in 10-15 feet of water. They are sitting out in the channel and they will take cut herring. Wendell picked up one trolling a crappie jig yesterday!
February 18
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.62 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is clear except for the very backs of creeks where there is a slight stain. Morning surface water temperatures are about 52-53 degrees on the main lake and 54-55 degrees in the backs of creeks.
It was a good winter for striped bass fishing on Lake Russell, but Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that in the last few days they have almost completely disappeared. He knew the bite was about to taper off when instead of groups of fish he started seeing singles rolling on the surface, and with the relatively small population of striper on the lake once they scatter out it gets very hard to target them.
Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) agrees, and he points out that some of the striper move into the creeks and some of them will be in the main lake. For a while the striper they catch will be essentially accidental.
As a result both guides are turning to the crappie. As they transition out of deep water the crappie are starting to suspend in the channels, and the biggest groups that Jerry has marked have been 7 or 8 feet down in 18-20 feet of water. Trolling hasn’t gotten hot yet, but it should turn on any day.
As proof of that Wendell notes that in the last five days he has caught crappie in 60 feet of water and on the bank in less than 5 feet! A very few males have already moved up, but there will be more very soon.
While both guides acknowledge they have been trying to force the crappie before the fish were quite ready, Wendell points out that with the perch also seemingly vanished the best thing going is the spotted bass. Bass are on the sides of points, and they are picking up a bunch of them while crappie fishing with jigs and minnows. Jerry notes that you can target them with a drop shot, shakey head, or underspin, and he will start out looking in 15-20 feet.
February 10
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.13 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is clear on the main lake and at the front of creeks. Morning surface water temperatures are about 49-50 degrees, hitting 52 in the afternoon.
The striped bass fishing has been strong recently on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that while they haven’t caught any fish that would be considered monsters on Lake Russell they have gotten fish up to 20 pounds recently. The fish are still deep in 40-50 feet of water in the mid-lake area, but now they are mostly suspended 20-25 feet down. They are catching them on jigging spoons as well as casting bucktails. They are still catching bass in the same areas, but the trend is accelerating where the bass are starting to leave. Instead of 30 or 40 bass they are catching 10, and from what Jerry has seen the bass are starting to move into the creeks.
Both types of perch have almost totally disappeared after hanging with the striper for so long, but Jerry is starting to catch a bunch of crappie mixed in with the striper. They prefer minnows but he has caught a couple of crappie in the three-pound range on spoons!
February 1
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.05 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is fairly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 49-51 degrees.
It’s been a pretty good bite for striped bass recently on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that they have been catching fish in 40-50 feet of water in the mid-lake area. Most of the fish are on the bottom but there are some that are suspended in that range. A jigging spoon has been working really well, but they have also caught some fish on Alabama rigs.
There are also bass in the same areas, but Jerry is beginning to notice the number of bass thinning as they start to move into the 30-foot range. This move is clearly because of the upcoming spawn and not because of water temperatures, as temperatures have not yet started to rise.
In another normal, seasonal change, all of a sudden Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) has started to catch more crappie – like every late January. He is still getting a mixed bag of fish including bass and white perch (the bigger yellow perch have been hard to find right now), but on deep flats on the main lake they are also starting to get a bunch of crappie. The fish are on the bottom generally in about 30-50 feet of water, but they have found schools as shallow as 28 feet and as deep as 58. Minnows have been working very well.
Jerry notes that he caught a couple of nearly 3-pound crappie on Alabama rigs, another sign they are getting more aggressive!
A fair number of 2-4 pound largemouth have been mixed in with the other species, one to three per day, and the dink spots are right beside the better fish up to 3 plus pounds.
Wendell has also been concentrating on the mid-lake where the bulk of the birds and fish seem to be right now.
January 20
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.63 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is stained with the recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are around 50 degrees.
Water temperatures are cold but not yet in the range where there is the danger of a major shad-die off, and as a result Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that the fishing has been very good recently. He has been fishing in the lower lake on the bottom in about 50 feet of water, and there have been some really good schools of striped bass and bass. Each trip he has caught at least half a dozen striper, usually in the 15-18 pound range as well, as 30 plus bass. Artificial lures like spoons, bucktails and Alabama rigs have been working very well.
It’s been a similar story on the boat with Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336), and Wendell reports that on the bottom in a clean spot in the river channel he got into a school of crappie in about 45 feet. Birds were diving on bait and eventually the bass and white and yellow perch showed up. Both live bait and jigging spoons were working.
While the clean spots are more fishable than the areas with timber, they also seem to concentrate the fish – even though there are certainly fish down in the trees.
January 6
Lake Russell water levels are right at full (full pool is 475.00) and the upper end is murky while the lower end is pretty clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 57 degrees.
Once again water conditions have changed the bite on Lake Russell, and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that he has moved down to the lower end where they are picking up very good numbers of white perch, yellow perch, some striped bass and spotted bass in 50-60 feet of water on the main lake. The fish are relating to schools of bait and they are biting very well on jigging spoons and minnows fished just off the bottom on a drop shot. In the mid-lake area there are more spotted bass, but the bite has also slowed as it got murky.
They have picked up several teenage striper fishing around deep bait schools with spoons or minnows, but you can also follow the gulls and find them rolling on the surface. They won’t take surface baits but Alabama rigs, bucktails and swimbaits will all work. There are a good number of birds right now and as usual the bite is much better on cloudy days.
Before the cold snap Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) was still finding the fish scattered and too-often suspended, but he is very optimistic that the next few weeks will be some of the best fishing of the whole year once it gets and stays cool.
December 22
Lake Russell water levels are at 475.27 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 56 degrees.
The fish are following the exact patterns they are supposed to follow in the winter on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that before the cold snap the fish were still very suspended and numbers were down. That’s not to saying they weren’t catching fish, but instead of catching 70-90 spotted bass, white and yellow perch, occasional crappie and striper, and catfish they were managing 30 or 40 fish on each trip. Fish were still in the main river channel and the front of creeks in 20-45 feet, and they were still marking excellent numbers, but the bite wasn’t hot.
All that changed with the cold snap the last few days, and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that every spot they fished yesterday was on fire. They caught 95 fish including a good striper in the 12-15 pound range and a bunch of largemouth (released). The fish were back on the bottom and the best places were in 30-38 feet of water.
Both jigging spoons and live bait were equally deadly.
While he didn’t target them specifically yesterday, over the last week the striped bass fishing has still been strong and sea gulls are pointing the way to the fish. In the mid-lake area striper are rolling on the surface and they have caught some good ones casting Alabama rigs at them. They won’t take surface baits but Alabama rigs, bucktails and swimbaits will all work. With plenty of bait in the area the mid-lake area should continue to hold fish.
December 16
Lake Russell water levels are at 475.24 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 58 degrees.
With water temperatures extremely stable, Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that there are only minor changes in the pattern he is fishing. They are still catching a bunch of spotted bass, perch, occasional crappie and striper, and the fish are mostly still suspended in about 20-45 feet of water on the main river channel and in the front of creeks. There may be a few more fish on the bottom than last week, and the depth range has moved a little deeper.
While live bait is still working, the most exciting catch this week was a giant 54-pound flathead catfish which came on a jigging spoon in 43 feet of water! There are plenty of catfish deeper and shallower as they are scattered all over, but this fish was a reminder that Russell has some giants.
The catches have also been strong for Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336), who is catching a similar mixed bag of fish. However, he has found a flat inside Coldwater Creek where the fish are set up on the bottom. It’s basically an even mix of spotted bass, white perch and yellow perch, and even though the giant yellow perch haven’t showed up yet they have caught a few over 12 inches.
While it was slow getting started this year Wendell is most excited about the striped bass fishing, and the sea gulls have now gotten thick enough that they are pointing the way to the fish. In the mid-lake area striper are rolling on the surface and they have caught some good ones casting Alabama rigs at them. They won’t take surface baits but Alabama rigs, bucktails and swimbaits will all work. With plenty of bait in the area the mid-lake area should continue to hold fish.
December 2
Lake Russell water levels are above full at 475.39 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 60 degrees.
It’s unclear what effect the warm spell will have on the fishing, but Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that up until now it is has been an outstanding period for fishing as long as you could find bait in 30-40 feet of water. The spotted bass, white perch and yellow perch are all stacked up in these areas, and dropping a jigging spoon or live bait down to the bottom pretty much guarantees good catches.
The crappie are still a little tougher to target, and it seems that they are roaming around in deep water following bait schools. About the only way to target them is to have very deep brush or to chase them with electronics.
Wendell still isn’t on the striped bass, but that’s as much because he hasn’t targeted them as anything. With birds showing up it won’t be long now.
November 19
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.90 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 64 degrees.
This week Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that the bass fishing has slowed down a little on Lake Russell, and he suspects that the warm temperatures are the reason the fish are more suspended than they have been. He is marking absolutely incredible numbers of fish on his graph in 20-30 feet of water at the mouths of creeks and on flats, and he suspects that when temperatures drop and fish get flat on the bottom catch numbers will match what he is seeing.
Live bait is the easiest way to catch fish, but in addition to a drop shot bite he is now also catching them on spoons.
Even though it was still warm yesterday Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) saw some signs that fish were starting to get on the bottom more, and in a day of fishing they caught 77 with the vast majority spotted bass. He was in 28-34 feet of water and it was all live bait fishing.
The fish that weren’t spots were a mix of white and yellow perch, and this is the time every year when the big perch start to show up. They are on the bottom and fishing with minnows is the easiest method.
The crappie are still a little tougher to target, and it seems that they are roaming around in deep water following bait schools. About the only way to target them is to have very deep brush or to chase them with electronics.
Both guides have picked up the occasional striped bass, but as gulls start to show up again they are very optimistic that striper fishing will improve soon as the fish will get easier to located.
While he has not been after them much, Jerry reports that the catfish are still around main lake points 20-25 feet deep or in pockets at about the same depth. Cut herring is hard to beat.
November 11
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.66 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is clearing as the turnover winds down. Morning surface water temperatures are about 64 degrees.
Even though he usually finds the best action in the winter, Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that right now it continues to be an outstanding bass bite on Lake Russell. Fish remain in 15-20 feet of water on the bottom at the mouths of creeks and on flats. Live bait is the easiest way to catch fish, but in addition to a drop shot bite he is now also catching them on spoons.
Even though he is fishing a slightly different pattern for suspended fish back in the creeks, Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) also reports wide-open action that if anything has also improved from already-very good last week. He is still fishing in the creeks in about 20-30 feet of water around schools of threadfin shad, and most of these fish are suspended about 12-14 feet down although they will sometimes run bait up to the surface. The best way to locate these roaming fish is to get in the middle of the coves and look for surface activity then run over them with your depth finder. With minnows on a drop shot you can usually catch 3 or 4 before they move, and you can also target them with a #5 Shad Rap, 2.5 inch paddletail swimbait or ¼ ounce lipless crankbait.
It’s still about the same word on the striped bass, and Jerry says he has only picked up one in the past week. According to Wendell this is not unusual for November, when the fish usually get extremely scattered. It probably won’t be until the gulls really arrive in December that the fish are accessible again.
This past week Wendell reports that crappie have gotten a little tougher to target, which also isn’t unusual. They have slid off into 18 plus feet of water following deeper bait schools, and there they are difficult to fish without very deep brush.
At the same time the white perch and yellow perch bites are starting to improve in about 25 feet of water on the bottom in the same areas where the spotted bass are feeding, and so for a while Wendell will spend more time targeting them instead of crappie.
While he has not been after them much, Jerry reports that the catfish are still around main lake points 20-25 feet deep or in pockets at about the same depth. Cut herring is hard to beat.
November 4
Lake Russell water levels are right around full (full pool is 475.00) and the water has gotten much cleaner again. Morning surface water temperatures are about 67 degrees.
It’s an outstanding bass bite right now on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that fish have moved a bit shallower into 15-20 feet of water at the mouths of creeks and on flats. He is killing them with a drop shot worm, catching more than 60 fish in just a few hours yesterday – including a bass on 38 straight casts!
It’s been a similar story on the water with Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336), but he reports that his boat is catching spotted bass back in the creeks in about 20-30 feet of water around schools of threadfin shad. Most of these fish are suspended about 12-14 feet down, although they will sometimes run bait up to the surface. The best way to locate these roaming fish is to get in the middle of the coves and look for surface activity then run over them with your depth finder. With minnows on a drop shot you can usually catch 3 or 4 before they move, and you can also target them with a #5 Shad Rap, 2.5 inch paddletail swimbait or ¼ ounce lipless crankbait.
At the same time that the bass have gotten really good both guides agree that the striped bass have basically disappeared, which Wendell says is not unusual for November. In November the fish get extremely scattered and it won’t be until the gulls arrive in December that the fish are accessible again.
The crappie are generally in the same areas of the creeks as the spots, although Wendell reports that they are around brush piles a bit shallower 8-10 feet down in 15-20 feet of water. They are pretty much on a minnow bite right now. White perch are starting to show up just a little deeper on the bottom in 25 feet of water under the spots, while the yellow perch have not really appeared yet.
While he has not been targeting them much, Jerry reports that the catfish are still around main lake points 20-25 feet deep or in pockets at about the same depth. Cut herring is hard to beat.
October 20
After being more than 4 feet above full, Lake Russell water levels have dropped down to a few inches above full pool at 475.33 (full pool is 475.00). Pretty much the whole lake is stained but it’s much better than it was, particularly in terms of floating trash, and morning surface water temperatures are about 74 or 75 degrees.
The net result of up-and-down water levels is that the bass have decided the best place to stay is suspended in about the same range where they have been for over a month now, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that he is still catching them on drop shot rigs or bait 15-20 feet down over 20-25 feet of water on the main lake. Some fish may have thought about moving shallower when water levels shot up, but they dropped again so fast that it pulled fish back off the banks.
Jerry’s boat is mainly catching spots (and a few striped bass) this way, although the occasional big largemouth is mixed in. However, if you are a tournament angler or otherwise looking for largemouth his best advice is to throw a buzzbait back in a creek early – or head to another lake!
Even as water conditions got really crazy with floating logs and the like, Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) has continued to be able to target striper fishing down-lines on the lower end. He has found the fish suspended about 20-50 feet down over deep water and the bite has been pretty good.
The crappie fishing on Russell continues to be pretty strong, and Wendell reports that the action continues to improve in the creeks. The fish have moved a bit shallower and they are generally holding 12-14 feet down over brush in 18-20 feet of water.
Most of the catfish still seem to be on the bottom, and Jerry reports that the best place to target them is around main lake points 20-25 feet deep – or in pockets at about the same depth. Cut herring is hard to beat.
October 6
Lake Russell water levels are well above full pool to 474.49 (full pool is 475.00) and rising fast after recent rains. They have had 5 inches of rain already and are expected to get 3-4 more inches, and so water clarity is dropping fast. In the backs of the creeks to about halfway out it’s already getting pretty bad. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s.
Monsoon conditions are unlikely to put the bass on the bottom, and so Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that he expects the fish to stay on the same suspended pattern for a while longer. They are catching them about 15-20 feet down over 20-25 feet of water. Particularly when the sun is out they are starting to pick up more fish tight to brush, while on cloudy days the fish roam more.
While Jerry continues to find some striped bass mixed in with the spots, Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is targeting the striper and getting some good fish up to the low teens fishing down-lines on the lower end. For right now he is finding the best fish suspended about 40 feet down over deep water.
There should also still be some striper at the top of the lake that can be caught on free-lines below the Hartwell Dam.
Even though he has targeted them more on Clarks Hill recently, Wendell reports that the Russell crappie fishing is still pretty good back in the creeks. They are generally holding 12-15 feet down over brush in 20-25 feet of water.
Most of the catfish again seem to be on the bottom, and Jerry reports that the best place to target them is around main lake points 20-25 feet deep – or in pockets at about the same depth. Cut herring is hard to beat.
September 30
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.98 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still clear. However, in the backs of creeks there are signs that the water is starting to turn over and you can already see brown water and bubbles on the surface. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the upper 70s.
Even though it would be customary to expect the bite to fall off a bit when the lake starts to turn over,Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that he is still doing pretty well for spotted bass fishing the same suspended pattern he has been on for some time. However, they are now catching less other species on this pattern and the fish are starting to move a bit shallower chasing bait. They are catching them about 15-20 feet down over 20-25 feet of water. Particularly when the sun is out they are starting to pick up more fish tight to brush, while on cloudy days the fish will roam more.
Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) is fishing a similar pattern for bass, and for him the key is just finding the bait. In addition to live bait or a drop shot he is also targeting fish with a swimbait or topwater, particularly when he can find them feeding on the surface. The fish are starting to run bait up the top a little bit, and get more ganged up, but that pattern is not wide open yet.
Jerry is picking up somestriped bass fishing for relatively shallow suspended fish, but the best numbers of striper seem to be coming in the lower lake targeting them 40 feet down over 100 feet of water with down-lines. You will catch a few spotted bass on this pattern but not as many as shallower, and the striper are generally running a good 10 plus pounds.
There are also some striper at the top of the lake that can be caught on free-lines below the Hartwell Dam.
Even though he has targeted them more on Clarks Hill recently, Wendell reports that the Russell crappie fishing is still pretty good back in the creeks. They are generally holding 12-15 feet down over brush in 20-25 feet of water.
Most of the catfish again seem to be on the bottom, and Jerry reports that the best place to target them is around main lake points 20-25 feet deep – or in pockets at about the same depth. Cut herring is hard to beat.
September 17
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.54 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still clear. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 82 degrees.
It’ll take temperatures dropping a few more degrees before patterns really change, andGuide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports he is still catching a mixed bag of bass, striper, white perch and catfish suspended 15-25 feet down over 30-40 feet of water. He is still sticking to the main lake off points and the mouths of pockets. All of the fish will take live herring, although the perch are a little harder to hook on big baits.
Jerry suspects that the fish never got on the bottom this summer like they usually do because of all the rains, and with a lot of rain in the last 48 hours that is probably not changing.
The bass catch is heavily spotted bass, and if you want to improve your chances of catching a largemouth you should still head into the back of a creek and throw a buzzbait. You won’t get many bites but the ones you get should be good ones.
Jerry has caught striper up to 15 pounds mixed in with the other species, but if you want to target just striped bass Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that the biggest groups are still on the ends of the lake. On the lower end fish are about 30-50 feet down over 70-100 feet of water, while in the Hartwell Tailrace you can pull herring or trout in the river channel in 20 feet or less.
It’s been a better week for crappie again, and Wendell reports that even though they aren’t catching monster spring crappie the numbers of 9-12 inch fish are really good. Brush in about 15-20 feet in the backs of creeks is loaded up with crappie, and they are generally fishing minnows about 10-14 feet down.
The crappie that are holding on brush are just waiting for shad to swim by to ambush, but there are also some crappie that are out in open water chasing bait at about the same depth. To catch these fish you pretty much have to rely on electronics.
Finally, while Jerry is still catching suspended catfish, if you want to really target them then fishing on the bottom around main lake points 20-25 feet deep is probably the best pattern. Cut herring is hard to beat.
September 2
Lake Russell water levels are at 474.35 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still clear. Morning surface water temperatures are 85-87 degrees.
Even with recent rains there is very little change in the patternGuide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) is fishing, and he reports still catching a mixed bag of bass, striper, white perch and catfish suspended 15-25 feet down over 30-40 feet of water. He is sticking to the main lake off points and at the mouths of pockets. All of the fish will take live herring, although the perch are little harder to hook on big baits.
Jerry suspects that the fish never got on the bottom this summer like they usually do because of all the rains.
The bass catch is heavily spotted bass, and if you want to improve your chances of catching a largemouth you should still head into the back of a creek and throw a buzzbait. You won’t get many bites but the ones you get should be good ones.
If you want to target just striped bass, Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that there are basically two places to look. One is still the lower end, where fish are about 30-50 feet down over 70-100 feet of water.
The other place to look is in the Hartwell Tailrace, where you can pull herring or trout in the river channel in 20 feet or less.
The crappie fishing has dropped off a little, but Wendell has found fish 12-14 feet down in the creeks over brush in 17-22 feet of water. He never really found fish both stacked up and biting really well, but you can catch a couple off each brush pile before you have to fish elsewhere. Minnows have been working the best.