Clarks Hill, Ga / Strom Thurmond, Sc Report

[BrownBear]

Thought I would have a posting of my experiences on Clarks Hill/Strom Thurmond lake. Feel free to post your own report here, or keep it a secret...lol.

 

10/3/2014

Evening bite is excellent, top water bait in the shallows and a drop bait off the points. Buddy pulled in 2x 5+lbs, I was at work, about killed me not being out there. Attached are his fish, not mine.

 

10/4/2014

Morning slow action but were schooling well after the sun came up in the coves where the wind was blowing into. Top water rattles about 50yrds off of the shore caught some smalls. Watermelon lizard in the shallows caught some more smalls. Water is very low and clear, be cautious of just under the water between the islands, many trees and stumps.

[Kevin Beachy]

nice fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BrownBear]

6OCT2014

Went to Keg Creek did some bank fishing. Hitting on top mid-day, not on anything I threw at them though (White Fluke, Spook, transparent popper). So I decided to go for the deep with a blue worm, 3 feet from shore got hit hard, thought I was hung up at first then the line started moving, I lifted up gently to set hook, but the line and pole I was using was all wrong, line snapped and I saw the big one swim away. Yes i cussed a little, but a little while later as I was running a shaky head with a white grub, I snagged my line that broke earlier. Found my worm and hook that the fish had earlier. Beautiful day out with a little bit of wind. Other anglers out there too, didn't see them catch anything either.

Other baits used today: Watermelon lizard, Lipless silver/blue crank, and silver spoon.

 

Lesson learned today: Don't fish for big fish on a light line and pole, and ease up on the drag setting if you do.

[BrownBear]

nice fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah my friend caught them.

[BrownBear]

10OCT2014

So hit up Keg Creek after dropping son off at school. Saw very little top water action, no hits on poppers or baby bass fluke. Went for dark worm, 3rd cast about 10 feet from shore, bam, fish on... As I was reeling in my new friend, I started thinking, I am so glad I was fishing with a heavier pole and line... wait did I reset the drag? Snap goes the line...nope guess not.

 

Moved to the other side of the road.

So there I was.. bluegills to the front of me, bluegills to the right and left, gotta be some bass around here. So I pull out my bluegill soft plastic and I go to work. Worked a fan area...walk down about 10 feet, repeat. Bluegills still just hanging around, looking at me looking at them. A few fish jumping every once in a while, tossed out fluke...nothing. Well it was a nice day out and I did at least have some excitement. Maybe next time.

[BrownBear]

11OCT2014

Cherokee Creek was good today, a bit windy as the day went on. Early morning poppers caught a few small ones in the coves, but the big ones are hang out at the bottom of the points. Used purple lizard and drug and bounced it off the bottom, caught quite a few more, biggest caught of the day is the attached picture. Finally got setting my drag down...lol.

[BrownBear]

17OCT2014

Keg Creek had action on top early morning, fished both sides of the bridge area from the bank, caught a small one on a popper and lost a lizard. Lizard was getting some hits, just no good strikes. After someones dog came by and started swimming, I decided it was time to go. Beautiful morning with light wind around 930.

[BrownBear]

18OCT2014

Another great day out on Cherokee Creek! First fish on for me was a 5 lber(caught on blue/purple lizard), followed by a 2lber(caught on blue/purple lizard), and finally a 4lber(caught on a rattle crank bait); all of these where about 50+ft off shore line. Very little top water action, most of these were small and got off quick. Wind was a little rough starting out but finally settled down some. My friend has been going out in the evenings too, and has caught some big boys as well. 

[robery82]

I normally fish towards the middle/upper part of the lake. Lately it's been hit or miss, and the hydrilla is terrible. Is the hydrilla really thick in the GA little river also? Whenever I get around the hydrilla, i am almost guranteed to catch a jack fish. I plan on heading up to the lake tomorrow morning (10/23).

[BrownBear]

I normally fish towards the middle/upper part of the lake. Lately it's been hit or miss, and the hydrilla is terrible. Is the hydrilla really thick in the GA little river also? Whenever I get around the hydrilla, i am almost guranteed to catch a jack fish. I plan on heading up to the lake tomorrow morning (10/23).

Yeah with the water level being down the hydrilla is pretty bad in almost every flat and cove I have been in.

[robery82]

fished from around 8:30am - 12 today. Caught my first fish before I got the boat off the trailer (they were feeding on shad behind the boat ramp. Ended up with 4 decent sized bass, several babies, and more than a handful of jackfish. once 11am rolled around, the bite seemed to turn completely off. Some were caught on a hula popper, some on a lipless crankbait, a small square bill, and a plastic lizard carolina rigged, frog patterned color. something pretty large took a lunge at a buzzbait in a foot of water, but it missed the hook. I frantically threw back and around the area with the buzzbait and other baits, but that big one didn't care for any more excitement i guess 

[BrownBear]

23OCT2014

Chilly morning starting out, went to Points West today to fish the banks, never have caught anything there...until today. Used my best buddy Mr. Lizard and caught a good size one, I had some issues getting this bass up on shore so he got a little dirty. Then I tried the peanut crank and caught the second one, really small. Thought it was funny so took a picture of it. So same indicators as the days before, very little top action, bigger fish in the deep, small ones on top and in shallows. Turned out to be another beautiful Georgia morning!

 

1st one

 

2nd one

[BrownBear]

fished from around 8:30am - 12 today. Caught my first fish before I got the boat off the trailer (they were feeding on shad behind the boat ramp. Ended up with 4 decent sized bass, several babies, and more than a handful of jackfish. once 11am rolled around, the bite seemed to turn completely off. Some were caught on a hula popper, some on a lipless crankbait, a small square bill, and a plastic lizard carolina rigged, frog patterned color. something pretty large took a lunge at a buzzbait in a foot of water, but it missed the hook. I frantically threw back and around the area with the buzzbait and other baits, but that big one didn't care for any more excitement i guess 

Sounds like you had a pretty good day then. Where did you go to?

[robery82]

I put the boat in the back of Landam Creek, and went over to Wells creek first. Then back across and into Bennington creek before returning to Landam. fished the points in Landam and didn't have a bite. found some small ones schooling in the back that provided a little entertainment before heading home. 

[BrownBear]

Black and Blue anything have been working very well for me, whether worm or lizard, will try my jig tomorrow morning though.

[robery82]

I was marking an awful lot of fish lingering in the 20-25ft range in 30-45ft of water, in the middle of every creek i went in. I assumed they were hybrid/striper. I decided to tie on a couple of deep diving crankbaits and see if i could get one anyway. It didn't take 10min to have a white perch on one of lines, so I didn't bother trying that again (where there is one, there's always a lot more)

[BrownBear]

25OCT2014

Cherokee Creek

It was a VERY foggy morning, couldn't see but 5 foot in front of the boat. Had to use GPS to navigate, had to listen for the bait to hit the water, couldn't see nothing. Once the sun came up and burned off the fog we hit the points, coves, and the creek channels, got 3 small ones on lipless cranks. Nothing on the blue and black jig, lizard, chatter, cranks, worms, flukes or craws. One of the fish that was caught still had a craw in its mouth, tried that for a while, but nothing. Slow day at the lake for me and my fishing partner for sure.

 

Side note: For the top water the fish were bumping the baits, mind you it wasn't strikes, it was bumps, don't know what this means or if anyone has see this before, just thought it was strange. Maybe the fish were trying to scare of what they thought were intruders? IDK.

[robery82]

when i've had fish "bumping" my topwater baits, i realized it was my fault that I wasn't getting hooked up. I was making the bait move too much. when they would go to strike, I would already be in motion to make the lure move out of the fishes way. switched to a frog colored hula popper that doesn't move side to side, and have had much better luck with the topwater bite.

[BrownBear]

Good to know, thanks rob, will give it a try if it happens again.

[BrownBear]

29OCT2014

Points West

Get a late start to lake, check.

Step in a lot of mud on the bank and almost lose shoe, check.

Get one of your favorite lures stuck on tree sticking out of water, check.

Brake the line trying to retrieve lure, check.

Don't get a bite all morning because you are furstrated trying to catch a fish, check.

 

Something told me to stay home today. Guess I just had a bad day, got in a lot of practice though, pitching and flipping are going to take a whole lot more practice, I so suck at it...lol. Saw some top water action going on, but that about it.  But you know, about half way through my fishing day, I took a moment to just look around. Looked at the trees starting to turn colors, seeing the bait fish swim just a few feet in front of me, taking in a deep fresh breath of air, and really just enjoying my surroundings to remember why I love the outdoors so much.

 

Saturday has to be better!!!

[robery82]

so what's the latest news, BrownBear? I've been working 6, 9 & 10 day stretches. Haven't had any time to get out there; all I can do is imagine what it would be like to be fishing while i'm at work.

[BrownBear]

15MAR2015

It was sooo nice to be back out on the lake after the cold weather has gone! Weather was great, slight chilly in the morning moved into 70s by midday. Water temp ranged from 50-68 degrees, fish were hard to locate, majority caught were even on the sonar. Caught a few bass off of my new Fat Free Guppy crankbait out of the $2.99 box at Academy, love discount bait! Don't have pictures right now, but they weren't that big only a 1-2lbers, still fun though!    

 

Baits used: Rubber Worms w/bullet weight - worked

                   Blue craw w/weight - not worked

                   Fat Free Guppy crankbait - worked best

                   White and Green jig w/ and w/o trailers - not worked

                   Pumpkin jig - not worked

                   Baby Bass Fluke - not worked

[BrownBear]

so what's the latest news, BrownBear? I've been working 6, 9 & 10 day stretches. Haven't had any time to get out there; all I can do is imagine what it would be like to be fishing while i'm at work.

Me either Rob, sorry was in hibernation...lol

[robery82]

Same here. I've never been a fan of having to bundle up and struggle to stay warm while fishing. A buddy and myself are heading out first thing in the morning to try the savannah river, Jackson SC area.  I haven't heard of the stripers making their annual run up the river yet, but that should be happening within the next few weeks. The plan is to start out with a square bill, a white/chartreuse spinner bait and maybe a big creature bait.  

[BrownBear]

Same here. I've never been a fan of having to bundle up and struggle to stay warm while fishing. A buddy and myself are heading out first thing in the morning to try the savannah river, Jackson SC area.  I haven't heard of the stripers making their annual run up the river yet, but that should be happening within the next few weeks. The plan is to start out with a square bill, a white/chartreuse spinner bait and maybe a big creature bait.  

Cool, tight lines to ya!