Lake Hartwell Fishing Report October 2014

Hartwell: Level: 4 feet below full pool. Temp: 73-77 degrees. Clarity: Clear in most areas and off colored in others.

Bass: Tournament fisherman Kerry Partain reports, “The bass fishing has improved as the cooler weather has the shad moving in the creeks, and the spotted bass are feeding up. The schooling activity has also really improved, and I expect it to continue for several weeks. A lot of the activity I am seeing is from the mouths of the creeks to about half way back, and most of the fish are in 15 to 20 feet on the main and secondary points. If you see fish feeding on the surface, you can catch them on a Zoom Super Fluke. When they are not schooling, keep your eye on the electronics, and when you find a school of bass, you can catch them on a drop shot rigged with a Zoom Shakey Tail Worm. As the weather continues to cool, more shad will begin moving back in the creeks, and I will start throwing a crankbait and spinnerbait along with the fluke.” GON Publisher Steve Burch reports, “Bass fishing is fair and improving. Both largemouth and spotted bass are in big water and biting from the bank to 30 feet deep. Spinnerbaits on windy points are working well. Schooling activity on high spots near main river and creek channels is improving, and bass will hit Spooks, Sammys, Sebile swimbaits, a double-fluke rig, Pencil Poppers and Chug Bugs. Fish them fast. On these same locations, Carolina rigs work, and drop shotting on any brush on these points is working well for numbers of bites. All of this type of fishing should continue to improve through October. There just isn’t much in the backs of pockets right now, and there was a good bite in such locations two weeks ago. Go figure.”

Linesides: Guide Preston Harden reports, “October is the best month of the year for schooling fish. Big schools of hybrids and stripers can come up for long periods of time. I will have a Lucky Craft Sammy or Gun Fish in ghost-minnow color tied on. I like a Sammy on calm days and a Gun Fish when the water gets choppy. October brings the fish back shallower with cooler water. Schooling is not guaranteed but somewhat predictable. Early mornings, late afternoons and overcast calm days are better for schooling activity. A good pair of binoculars are a big help seeing the action from afar. Try to not run into the middle of the action with your outboard. Try to get upwind and drift into the action. Hybrids and stripers are not the only fish moving shallower. Bass and crappie move back shallow and start to feed better.”