Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – October 2006

Hartwell: Level: 5.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 78 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Terry Whitworth was on the lake September 22 throwing topwater plugs and in a couple of hours caught a 5-lb. largemouth and three other bass in the 2 1/2- to 3-lb. range. He was fishing down the lake with Spooks, Flukes and Sammys over humps, points and timber. “There are a lot of hybrids and stripers schooling, too,” he said. “I caught four of those.”

Stripers/Hybrids: Fair. Hartwell fishing guide Wayne White said he and his clients caught 16 stripers and hybrids September 22, with 10 of the fish coming within 30 minutes of daylight. He was fishing live bait just off the bottom in 30 feet of water near Portman Shoals. The fish are schooling some from the river split to the dam, he said. The trick for live-bait fishermen is to be there at the right time and to find a school that hasn’t been spooked by trollers pulling umbrella rigs or lead-core line, said Wayne. Bass fishermen are also targeting the schools because they have good-sized largemouths mixed in.