Lake Hartwell Fishing Report November 2011

Hartwell: Level: 8.3 feet below full pool. Temp: High 60s. Clarity: Light stain.

Bass: In November, fish a drop shot rigged with a Zoom Swamp Crawler, a Buckeye Lures Pulse Jig rigged with a Zoom Fluke Jr., a Lucky Craft Pointer 78 and a Lucky Craft Sammy. Concentrate on the offshore areas with all of these baits. Use the drop shot along with your electronics to find the schools of bass holding on the points and humps close to brush and deep timber. If you see fish suspended in the water column, you can cast the Pointer and the Pulse Jig to try and draw them up. Keep your Sammy ready in case you see schooling activity. The other option is to head to the backs of the major creek arms and fish shallow. Expect to see more activity in the backs of the major creek arms as we get into November. Try a lipless crankbait like a Lucky Craft LV 200 and a Buckeye Lures Flat Top Finesse Jig when fishing shallow. Use the jig to skip under any docks that are sitting near the creek channel, and cast the LV 200 between the docks and on the shallow flats in the backs of the creeks.

Linesides: Fair. Preston Harden reports. “The topwater action has been slowing for the last week. It was really good from mid-September to mid-October. It started in the lower lake and moved up the lake as the water cooled. The lake is starting to turn over, and fishing normally gets tough until late November. The backs of creeks will complete turnover first, and the fish will migrate to the creeks this month. If the water has a dark-brown or black color, look for water with a greener color. Fish will move away from turning water. Sometimes the color will change as you ride down the lake. Look in the green water near the dark water. This migration holds true for bass and stripers. The Kentucky spotted bass population is exploding with schools of them everywhere. By the end of November, turnover will be complete. The seagulls will lead to active fish that will eat freelined and downlined herring. For those who prefer artificials, try flukes and bucktails early and late. Try a jigging spoon under the bright sun. Work the spoon up and down off the bottom in the creek channels, usually at 30 to 50 feet deep.”