Lake Hartwell Fishing Report February 2015

Hartwell: Level: 3.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 46-48 degrees. Clarity: Stained to clear.

Bass: The Bassmaster Classic is on Lake Hartwell Feb. 20-22. For more information, turn to page 14. Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “When it’s cold like this, bass tend to be in channels and deep banks. If you get a warm spell, though, they might go a bit shallower, and you can look for rocks and blowdowns. A favorite seasonal bait is a 4-inch Zoom Z Drop worm on a drop-shot rig, which can be particularly effective on stubborn, stationary largemouth. Another effective bait is a football-head jig fitted with a Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler.” For a full feature on how Kerry tackles Hartwell in February, turn to page 80.