Lake Hartwell Fishing Report December 2013

Hartwell: Level: 1.2 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 50s. Clarity: Mostly clear.

Linesides: Guide Preston Harden reports, “December is one of my favorite months of the year. Turnover is complete by December. The water turns a pretty green color, the seagulls move in, and the fish go on a feeding pattern in preparation of winter. On cloudy days, I look for surface feeding. On the sunny days, I work a jigging spoon off the bottom. When working a jigging spoon, I look for fish and bait on the bottom in creeks 30 to 40 feet deep. When I see surface feeding, I throw a small fluke on a jig head or on a bucktail jig. The fish will eat herring either freelined or on a Carolina rig off the bottom. This fishing should go until early January or when the water temperature gets below 48 degrees. The fishing will then get slow for stripers, but the crappie will turn on.”