Clarks Hill Fishing Report – October 2007

Clarks Hill: Level: 8.8 feet low. Temp: High 70s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: October will provide cooler temperatures, and fishing conditions will improve as bass begin schooling on giant pods of blueback herring — the lake’s primary food source for predatory fish. “There are some shad in the lake, but the bass really key on bluebacks, and we have a good population of fish that are very healthy,” said Bill Crompton. This month Bill will rely on several key techniques for targeting bass, including throwing a weightless Trick Worm on wind-blown banks and fishing flukes, Spooks and Sammys offshore when he locates big schools of aggressively feeding fish. For more on how Bill will catch bass this month, turn to page 28.

Linesides: “October is one of my favorite months, as the lake is very picturesque with the fall colors,” said Capt. Dave Willard. “And the fish bite is good, too. By this time of year, the oxygen levels have improved, and the larger fish are starting to congregate and move up river. One of the largest migrations of stripers in Clarks Hill is up Little River Georgia toward Raysville Marina. October will be good up in that area all the way to Holiday Park, with the peak around Thanksgiving. Some huge stripers and hybrids are usually landed this time of year on crankbaits cast in to the shallows. Of course the livebait fishermen also do well, fishing live herring 20 to 30 feet down, and also free lining.” Dave said another great area to fish is up Little River Carolina in the Buffalo and Baker creeks areas. Be careful in this area. Boaters are advised to use caution as the lake is 8 feet low, and it could be 12 or 14 feet low by Thanksgiving if we don’t get any rain. “There are a lot of submerged trees in both these areas, and when the lake is this low, they are not submerged very deep,” said Dave. Capt. William Sasser said he looks for schooling fish around Parksville and Plum Branch. “Thing Poppers and Sammys usually work well, but some days you just have to experiment. Live blueback fishing will also be great this month with most of our fish coming from 40 to 70 feet of water fishing 30 feet deep along the river channels and secondary creek channels. Trust your electronics if you don’t see fish on it; keep looking until you do. Last October was our most-consistent fish-producing month.”

Crappie: Great. William said October is one of his favorite months to minnow fish for slabs. “We’ll fish tree tops in 20 to 40 feet of water,” said William. “Fish 15 to 20 feet deep with No. 1 gold Aberdeen hooks and No. 5 split shots. Good electronics are key to finding creek beds in the right water depth that hold large numbers of crappie. Soap Creek and Amity are great places to start looking. Limits of fish are normal for October.”