Clarks Hill Fishing Report – June 2006

Level: 2.0 feet below full. Temp: 69 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Great. Between the Top Six and BASS tournaments, the lower end of Clarks Hill has been hammered with pressure this spring. However, Larry Gilpin said the blowthrough bite is just now firing up, and it’s stronger and later than it was last year. “The water temperature is right around 69 degrees, and normally it’s up around 80 this time of year,” said Larry. “The water level is down about a foot, so most of the schooling we’re seeing is on points. We’re catching them on Spooks and flukes, and when they go down they’re throwing jigs.” Some bass bedded on the last full moon, so some of those fish are just now getting to school. Larry expects good schooling until the middle of June. After that fish will begin to pull out to the deeper brushpiles and can be caught on Carolina rigs and jigs. You’ll also find a good bite in the back of any pockets where a ditch runs in.

Linesides: “This is the coolest spring I’ve seen in I don’t know when,” said Dave. “The water is just now back into the 70s, and it’s supposed to be 90 here this week, so it should push some fish down and congregate them.” For “teenage” stripers, expect them to start biting in the 18- to 22-foot range, and you can catch them off humps and ledges on cutbait, specifically threadfins. “I like the mouth of the feeder creeks, Gray and Germany on the Little River Georgia side, and for Little River Carolina I like Baker and Buffalo creeks.” You can buy threadfins or catch them before daylight around dock lights and bridges. Double anchor and fish right off the bottom. A standard 1/0 kayle or circle hook will suffice. For 3- to 5-lb. hybrids and stripers, look for them in 24 to 35 feet of water in tighter groups. Dave fishes for them with live bait, and he’ll find them at the mouth of Little River (Georgia) in June. Anywhere you can find early morning schooling, those are good places to back off and look on your depthfinder. Points, humps, ledges all can hold fish, you’ll just need to burn some gas looking. “I hook threadfins in the nose and fish it two to four feet above the fish,” said Dave.