Lake Greenwood is flooded and muddy, but that doesn’t mean that bass aren’t eating.  Veteran tournament bass angler Stan Gunter reports that even with the crazy water conditions some good fish are still being caught, and in fact the overall bite is pretty good.  Muddy water can often kill a winter bite, but since water temperatures are still close to 60 degrees that isn’t happening.  However, the key to getting bit is fishing shallow.  And not just shallow, but “dirt dirt shallow.”

On recent trips Stan has found that the best action is in 1-3 feet of water around shallow cover.  Fish can be caught around laydowns, but the best fishing has been around rocky banks and other hard cover such as boat ramps.  At times Stan has thrown practically up onto the dry part of the boat ramp and seen a fish boil at a bait with its back almost out of the water.  The best shallow areas have been in the back of creeks and coves, probably because of annual bait migration patterns that still have the bait in the creeks.

As would be expected in the muddy conditions, big white and chartreuse spinnerbaits are fishing well.  Jigs and crankbaits in highly visible colors such as chartreuse and black backs, or red, are also working well.

Stan predicts that the cold front might push fish a bit deeper, but with conditions still so muddy he doesn’t expect fish to go very deep. They might move onto slightly deeper docks but should probably stay in the same area.

While the cold front might knock the fishing off a little bit, once the water settles out and temperatures get colder some of the best fishing of the year should arrive.  Muddy water isn’t ideal for fishing an Alabama rig, and temperatures are still too warm, but when the conditions are right on Lake Greenwood in the winter Stan says bass will flat out eat an Alabama rig!

Overall Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.4, and while they have dropped a little from the peak flood the mud has not settled out.

Catfish: Slow.  Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that water conditions have made catfishing very difficult, and as a result he has spent very little time on Greenwood recently.  Before the most recent flooding the best action could be found drifting cut herring and white perch in 15-25 feet of water around schools of baitfish.  Bait was on flats and along the edge of the river channel, and since water temperatures hadn’t really dropped yet fish were not pushed into the channel.  Once water temperatures drop and it clears that should be the next move the catfish make.

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