Lake Hartwell Fishing Report December 2017

Hartwell: Level: 2.3 feet low. Temp: 60 degrees. Clarity: Most the lake is clear with slight stain in the creeks.

Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The fishing is starting to improve with the cooler water temperatures. There is a lot of bait in the creeks and major pockets, and the fish are feeding on them pretty heavy. I look for either birds or schooling activity and then search around in these areas using my Lowrance electronics to find the bass. Once I locate areas holding fish, I use a variety of lures to determine what the fish are wanting. I start out using a Blade Runner with a fluke and a jerkbait while I am searching, and then I go to a drop shot or spoon after I find schools of bait and fish. We have been catching bass and hybrids in the same areas with an occasional striper mixed in. Later in the month as the water continues to cool down, the fishing should get even better as the bait concentrates more in the creeks and ditches, so a jigging spoon or a drop shot with a Zoom Finesse worm or a Swamp Crawler will be hard to beat.”