Lake Hartwell Fishing Report November 2013

Hartwell: Level: 0.5 feet below full pool. Temperature: 62-68 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The fishing has been a little tougher the last couple weeks, especially for the bigger largemouth, but the spotted bass seem to be abundant. There seems to be more largemouth in the shallow grass, especially in the creeks as the bait is in fall transition. The most reliable baits for catching the grass bass are the Zoom Super Fluke and Trick Worm. If the sun is shining, the spotted bass are easier to catch, and you can catch a lot of them fast. Most of the spotted bass are still on the main-lake points and secondary points and humps at the mouths of the creeks, and you can catch them on a drop shot or shaky-head worm. There is some schooling activity going on, but good luck getting them to hit topwater. The best bet is to stay around areas where they are schooling and keep an eye on your electronics, so when you see them on the screen, you can drop the drop shot or shaky-head worm down on them. As we move into November, the bait and bass should begin to bunch up more in the creeks and ditches and be a little easier to catch as the water stabilizes from the fall turnover.”

Linesides: Guide Preston Harden reports, “Striper fishing has been tough for a few months. They have not been eating herring very well. You can put herring down in lots of fish and catch only a few. They have not been eating the bait like normal. They just seem to barely strike, and most strikes end in a miss. The fish have been schooling for a few weeks, but they are eating 1/2-inch threadfin shad and don’t want a large bait. If you see fish knocking water 2 feet in the air, they will eat a topwater plug. If they are barely breaking the surface, try something very small. The water is starting to turn over, and that will make fishing even tougher. Look for greener water. Turning water will be a dark brown. The turnover completes in the creeks first, and by mid November the creeks will be the places to go. By December, the turnover will be complete. The water will turn a pretty green, the seagulls will arrive, and the fish move shallow and feed very well. The long-term effects of all the rain and high water this summer will be very good. The baitfish population will boom with all the cover and food. This will make all fish species spawn well and grow fast. The fishing should get better for years to come.”