Clarks Hill Fishing Report – May 2009

Clarks Hill: Level: 3.8 feet below full pool. Temp: 68-70 degrees. Clarity: The upper lake is heavily stained; the lower lake is a perfect color.

Bass: Dale Gibbs reports, “I fished last week in the howling wind and did pretty well. I caught eight largemouths and lost two, with my largest fish weighing 5 pounds. The catch was made on three lures, two fish on a Zoom pearl-white Super Fluke, three fish on a Team Daiwa Minnow jerkbait, and three on a Buckeye Lures 3/8-oz. chartreuse-and-white spinnerbait with gold blades and a pearl-blue flake YNOT trailer made by Tony Postell in Appling. The spinnerbait enticed the largest fish of the eight, and my best five weighed almost 16 pounds. The YNOT shad seemed to give the spinnerbait a better profile, while adding a little weight to the lure helping it cast better. Look for the schooling bite to pick up this week as the bluebacks come in to spawn during this moon phase.”

Linesides: Excellent. Guide William Sasser reports, “Linesides in May are going to be eating the bottom out of the boat. We’ll pull planers in blow-throughs and flats for larger fish and live herring on downrods for hybrids. Whatever part of the lake you’re at, you have to find schools of bait to be really successful. The area around the dam will be covered in fish and fishermen this month. Cut bait on flats in the stained water will also be productive for larger fish this May.”

Crappie: Good. “The Raysville area as well as Little River South Carolina will produce a lot of fish caught on jigs trolled anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water, ” William said. “Brushpiles in 20 to 40 feet of water, with 30 feet being the magic number, fishing small shiners on the bottom will catch the larger fish. Cherokee, Greys and Lloyds are my favorite creeks.”

Shellcrackers: Good. William said with the lake almost full it will be a lot easier to find the beds. “Every shellcracker bed that I have fished in the past has been close to some sort of blow-through.” Fish worms.

Catfish: Very good. “This is the month that the catfish spawn in the rip-rap around the bridges. Cut herring fished beneath corks up against the rocks work great,” William said.