Clarks Hill Lake Fishing Report January 2017

Clarks Hill: Level: 9.8 feet low. Temp: Mid to upper 50s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Jon Hair reports, “The fish are starting to get in the ditches, and using a spinner-head-type bait is good. Keep a floating fluke tied on for fish breaking the surface. Also, fish a Greenfish Tackle Creeper Head and a Greenfish jig. These are best used when fished around brush and rock.”

Linesides: Guide William Sasser reports, “Hybrid and striper fishing has been very good on downlines early in the day from sunrise until about midday. After midday, the fish have been breaking up out of their groups, and this is when planer boards are taking over. The downline fish are holding off of the sides of ditches in creeks in 25 to 35 feet of water. Once they break up, they are moving shallower and more toward the backs of the creeks. Right now it appears that all branches of the lake are holding good fish. As it gets cooler, the fish will push all the way back in the shallows of the creeks, and we will be pulling herring and gizzard shad in 5 to 15 feet of water. This produces some really nice-sized stripers.”

Crappie: William reports, “The crappie fishing has been really good with slabs coming from trolling around submerged timber with minnow-tipped jigs or anchoring directly over the timber and downlining minnows in 20 feet of water.”