Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – September 2006

Hartwell: Level: 5.8 feet below full pool. Temp: 85 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Hartwell guide Steve Crenshaw said he has seen some bass schooling on main lake points and humps, and the typical summertime pattern of Spooks and Flukes on points, humps and reef markers continues. If the fish aren’t hitting on top, try a suspending jerkbait like a Pointer 100, and a Carolina-rigged green pumpkin lizard is another fall-back bait on the points.

Stripers/Hybrids: Steve Crenshaw said that he has been catching either small fish or big fish, but little in between. “The fish are either two to four pounds, or 10 to 12 pounds but with little inbetween,” said Steve. “I am not catching any hybrids in the 5- or 6-lb. range.” Creek channels are the key to catching fish in the mornings, said Steve. “In the mornings on the lower part of the lake they are on the creek channels from the mouth of the creek to about three-quarters of the way back in the creek. They have been generating some in the afternoon, and the fish are moving out into the river channel. The guys pulling lead-core line along the river channel with things like Road Runners, have been doing well. And the guys fishing at night over the river channel with sodium lights have been catching fish.” Steve has been mostly downlining live bluebacks, and he says the best depth has been the 40-foot range over creek channels. The linesides are schooling most afternoons, if there isn’t a thunderstorm on the lake.

Crappie: Steve said he wouldn’t start fishing for crappie until early September. That time of year he expects to find the fish still holding in brush and around bridge pilings. The crappie fishing on Hartwell is usually very good in the fall, he said.