Clarks Hill Fishing Report October 2011

Clarks Hill: Level: 6.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 75 degrees. Clarity: Clear-green on the lower end; stained in the tributaries.

Bass: Good. Dale Gibbs said there has been a lot of surface chasing going on, and the fish are keying on small threadfins. The bite can go on all day, but it’s best from daybreak until about 10:30 a.m. and then again in the last 30 minutes before dark. The fish are suspended over 40 to 50 feet of water on humps and deep points in the mouths of the creeks and off the main channels. Dale said he’s catching them on topwater baits like Sammys, Gunfish and Super Flukes. The buzzbait bite hasn’t really turned on yet, and Dale hasn’t caught anything on a crankbait. This bite should continue to get better, with bigger fish starting to show up. The fish should pull up tight on the deepest side of the hunps with the best hydrilla. Mid-day, Dale said a shaky head is your best bet in the same areas. He’ll go with the lightest weight he can get away with, and he’ll rig it with a Trick Worm in green pumpkin, watermelon or redbug.

Linesides: Excellent. William Sasser reports, “The surface activity of the fish chasing threadfin and bluebacks is great right now and will continue through October. Sammys and Ice Flies on popping corks work great. We are catching stripers in the 10- to 14-lb. range on herring fished 40 to 60 feet deep under the schoolers. Most of the fish are within 4 miles of the dam on the lower end of the lake. Later in the month, we will fish below Russell Dam for larger stripers on cut bait.”

Crappie: Excellent. William reports, “October is one of my favorite months for crappie. It is almost a repeat of April. We will fish the Georgia Little River arm over trees with small shiners 15 to 20 feet deep. The Raysville area is full of willing fish now. Pulling jigs in 20 feet of water is a great way to locate them, and this time of year they are never alone.”