Clarks Hill Fishing Report – December 2007

Clarks Hill: Level: 12.1 feet below full pool. Temp: 58-63 degrees. Clarity: Very Clear.

Bass: Great. Guide Ron Figueroa said humps and trees are popping up everywhere. “This time of year I like to throw a buzzbait or a Bang-O-Lure above the grass,” said Ron. “A Buckeye Lures 1/8-oz. blue-glimmer spinnerbait above the grass does great. The Buckeye Lures Fig Jig in 1/4- or 3/8-oz. on rocky humps and brushpiles will work good. There are some schooling fish, but most are small, and the bait they are chasing is very small, so a Sammy 65 or Zara Puppy can work. Most of your schooling fish will be found from the dam to Shriver Creek. Church Cove, Bass Ally, Trade Winds, Fort Gordon Recreational and Beach, Mistletoe State Park and Horse Shoe Island are some of the better places to start.” Bill Crompton said the bass have started moving into the creeks and ditches, and they can be caught on a variety of baits. Bill recommends either an ice- or pearl-colored Zoom Super Fluke on a 1/4-oz. lead head, a No. 5 firetiger Shad Rap and a small, sinking Little Earl in firetiger. Fish the baits in the ditches and along the grassline edges. A slow-rolled spinnerbait fished next to the grass is also likely to get hit as is a jig ’n pig.

Stripers: Good. “With the low water levels, I look for the fish to congregate at the mouths of the feeder creeks and spend much of the winter there,” said Capt. Dave Willard. “Germany Creek should be a great spot in the Little River Ga. area, and Buffalo Creek on the S.C. side will be good. Freeline live bait into the shallow water early and late. Midday we’ll be downlining live bait 24 to 30 feet deep in the river channel.” Capt. William Sasser will fish herring and gizzard shad on planer boards. “We’ll concentrate in the Raysville area as well as the Soap Creek area,” said William. “Most of the big fish will be feeding off points and underwater islands. Just slow your trolling speed way down, and hit numerous places. We’ll also fish downlines during the middle of the day in 30 to 60 feet of water for hybrids with bluebacks.”

Crappie: Good. William said the Raysville and Soap Creek areas are great places to troll jigs this month. “I’ll fish shallower in the morning and deeper in the middle of the day,” said William. “I like tipping the jigs with small minnows for more fish. Crappie will be concentrated in large numbers, so move around until you find them. Brushpiles in 20 to 40 feet of water will produce nice fish with minnows. Experiment with colors on jigs. Sometimes the craziest colors work best.”

Bream and Yellow Perch: “December is a great time to fish below the dam with crickets, worms and jigs tipped with minnows,” said William. “The deep holes in the river below the dam hold a lot of fish in the winter.”