Clarks Hill Fishing Report – January 2007

Clarks Hill: Level: 8.6 feet low. Temp: 55-60 degrees. Clarity: Clear for the most part; the upper ends of the lake have a little stain.

Bass: Good. Craig Johnson said the fish have finally got in the ditches, but they’re still pretty scattered. “You can catch them in two feet or in 22 feet,” said Craig. “The ditches have to have grass in the back of them.” On December 21 Craig was catching ditch fish in Little River between Grays Creek and Fort Gordon. He’s throwing a white-ice Super Fluke for any fish he sees on top, and he’s working a 5/8-oz. Buckeye Mop Jig down the middle of the ditch. “I’m going to mention a bait we’ve been catching them on for a few years; I’ve never mentioned it before. We’re throwing a Buckeye Ditch Witch. It’s a 1/2-oz. bait with a bladed jig head. It’s got a little different weight system. You can burn it as fast as you want, and it’ll swim straight as an arrow. I’m putting an albino fluke on it. I’ll count it down about five and then reel.” This month the bite will be best at daylight and will last for about an hour. Cloudy days are great for all-day fishing. “I like to start in the mouth of the ditches in 28 feet of water and work all the way to the back,” said Craig.

Linesides: Excellent. William Sasser was on the lake with his step-son Austin Hopson on December 20 when groups of big hybrids starting schooling. “They were schooling from Grays Creek to Chigoe Creek,” said William. “They were big fish, 5- and 10-lb. hybrids.” William said they caught fish on weightless, white-ice-colored flukes. Thing Poppers are good baits, too. This schooling should continue into January. “Schooling activity seems to be much later this year,” said William. “We’ve had some schooling, but not what I’ve seen in the last week.” The Raysville area will start really producing this month. “There will be a ton of big stripers caught,” said William. “I’ll stay at home when the water is slick; I like to go when there’s some clouds and wind.” William will pull planer boards with herring around the main-river points in Raysville. Fish all day if conditions are right. Check the Little River S.C. area, too. “Hybrids will be mixed in with those stripers, but later in January people will start fishing for them at the dam in 50 to 100 feet of water. They’ll downline herring about 30 feet deep. I’d look for the balls of shad.”

Crappie: Fair. William said the quality bite is great, but the quantity of fish going in the box is pretty poor. “We’re still catching them 20 to 30 feet deep in brush,” said William. “As the water cools, start looking in 30- and 40-foot brush.” With the lake down it should be easier to find brushpiles; a lot of water has been eliminated. Work around points and coves. Fish minnows and jigs. William said he’ll be concentrating in the Raysville area of the lake. If the water is stained concentrate more on chartreuse colors.