Clarks Hill Fishing Report September 2012

Clarks Hill: Level: 11.6 feet below full pool. Temp: 82 and up to 87 degrees in the afternoons. Clarity: Clear in Georgia Little River and on the Savannah arm up to Highway 378.

Bass: “Water temps will be falling, and the largemouth fishing will be improving this month. As water temps drop, bass will be schooling and feeding more frequently instead of just early morning or late evening. Small spinnerbaits and Shad Raps around scattered hydrilla are excellent choices. Lloyds, Cliatt, Grays and Rousseau creeks will produce well in September. For schooling fish, Lake Springs and Parksville areas are good choices to try. Super Flukes, Spook Puppies and small plastic swimbaits will work on the schoolers. Also, the Powerteam Lures 4.5 Bully Grass Devil or the 3.5 Texas-rig jig rigged on 3/16-oz. weight fished around hydrilla edges will produce well.” Capt. Dale Gibbs reports, “Fishing for largemouths has been hit and miss this month, but it should get better in September on buzzbaits and floating worms. Try this not only early but throughout the day. Look for flats and points that have abundant hydrilla on them. Next, try looking for schooling fish, on and around humps. The key to this pattern is also hydrilla. Baitfish will try to hide in the thickest clumps of grass around these places, and bass will feed all day. This pattern is usually better after the sun has gotten over the trees. Use chrome Lucky Craft Sammys and Gunfish lures on top. If this fails, try a Zoom Super Fluke in any shad color. Look for these fish to be suspended most of the day. If topwater doesn’t work, try fishing a drop-shot or shaky-head worm in the same areas. Slow-rolling a spinnerbait around these places can be good also. This time of the year can be tough, but not always. Find the right area, and 50 fish a day can be very possible.”

Stripers: Good. Guide William Sasser said in September the fish will still be at the lower 5 miles of the lake at the beginning of the month. “Fish live herring 50 to 70 feet deep off of points,” William said. “Later in the month, they will start moving up Georgia Little River and toward Russell dam. The threadfins will be on the surface, so schooling hybrids and largemouths will be feeding on them. Any type of topwater lures will work.” Guide Wendell Wilson reports good early morning schooling activity from hybrids and stripers on the north end of the lake just below the dam in the Savannah River channel. They will hit a freelined herring, and they’ll also eat a Zara Spook plug “walked” on top. There are also some good largemouths mixed into these schools.

Crappie: Fair. Wendell reports a pretty good bite early and late up in the creeks. He’s catching them trolling 1/16-oz. curly tail jigs on the 10- to 12-foot flats. He hasn’t found a magic color. William said in September the crappie start back into a “spring-like” pattern. “They will move back on top of brushpiles in the backs of coves. Pulling jigs by the trees or fishing small shiners down on top of the brush will work. Try the South Carolina Little River area or the Raysville area of the lake,” William said.

Perch: Good. White and yellow perch are biting well, and they’re taking medium minnows fished just off the bottom on the 10- to 12-foot flats, Wendell said.

Catfish: Good. There’s a good catfish bite on cut herring on the bottom up the Broad River in 15 to 20 feet of water.