Clarks Hill Fishing Report December 2018

Clarks Hill: Level: Full pool. Temp: Mid 50s to lower 60s. Clarity: There has been some debris and stain due to the winds and rains, but this should clear up fairly quick.

Bass: Tournament angler Josh Rockefeller reports, “Clarks Hill is heating up. I have been catching a lot of fish up shallow cranking a shad-colored squarebill crankbait. These fish have been sitting in channel swing banks on rocky points. I have been using my Humminbird to find where the blueback herring are getting close to the bank. If I don’t see bait on the graph or popping on the points, I won’t stop. This pattern has produced some quality fish as well as a lot of fish. I have also been catching a good number of fish over the tops of what little hydrilla we have left. Fish a white Zoom Super Fluke in 3 feet of water or less. The grass is the biggest key, and the fish will absolutely choke it. As it continues to get colder, we will see these fish move down into the ditches and begin to catch them on the Buckeye Lures Jiggin’ Blade, as well as the Buckeye Lures Sled. We should see these patterns progress as the water temps get below 60 degrees.”

Linesides: Guide Bradd Sasser reports, “The weather may be cooling, but the hybrid, striper and crappie bite sure hasn’t. There are some fishermen who have swapped over to planer boards, but we have still been sticking with downlines. The fish have been feeding very aggressively mid morning. They have pushed away from the lower end of the lake and headed either north up near Shriver Creek or out Georgia Little River near Lloyd’s and even farther up toward Amity. They are holding off the edges of creeks in 20 to 30 feet of water. The biggest key has been to find a good ball of bait, and you will find the fish very close by. We have seen a few scattered shallower fish along the edges of shoals, which is perfect for those who enjoy pulling boards. The hybrids and stripers will begin to push farther on back in the creeks once we see the water temperature dip into the 50s. There has also been a little bit of bird activity indicating the location of the bait pods. The crappie are holding 8 to 10 feet deep in brushpiles that are in about 15 to 18 feet of water.” Capt. Eddie Mason reports, “The lake has finished turning over now, which is normal for this time of year. I’m still staying close to home here on the lower end of the lake. We’re fishing in 28 to 30 feet of water, dropping it to the bottom and bringing it up about three turns on the reel. We’re still using good-sized blueback herring. We’re fishing in the backs of ditches and on humps. Over all, we’re cold out there, but we’re still catching fish. Some fish are being caught on silver or gold spoons jigging on the bottom. We’re also using planer boards a lot more this time of year. If the water temperature gets down to about 48 degrees, smaller baits will be okay.”