Large Schools in Lower Lake
Capt. Preston Harden
August 16, 2012
Lake Hartwell - Freshwater Fishing Report
Water temp-upper 80's
Water level-11 feet low
Fishing is as hot as the weather. The fish are schooled up in large schools in the lower lake. The afternoons seem to be better than mornings. This is probably because of the generation schedule. The water release at the dam usually starts at 1:00 p.m. during the week with no generation on the weekends.
Weekday afternoons are primetime. Look for schooling fish, ospreys or small black terns to get on top of the schools. Most schools are in deep water. Be patient and have a good graph. Live herring will work but you need to reel up and down through the fish marked on the graph. Trolling big jigs on lead core line is working for people that like to troll.
My best success has been to cast 1 ounce jigs. I like to let them free fall for 20 to 40 seconds and feel the line for a hit on the fall. If I don't get hit or miss a hit then I reel the jig and 5 inch swimbait back up at a fast pace. Don't be afraid to reel fast as this will trigger a hard strike.
Preston Harden
Lake Hartwell Fishing Forecast:
This pattern will last through September. By mid- September, the topwater bite will get better. The surface temperature will start to fall and the fish will stay in the surface longer.
More Fishing Reports:
