Fishing Forecast for July 2019
Capt. Preston Harden
June 26, 2019
Lake Hartwell - Freshwater Fishing Report
Water temperature: 82 degrees
Water level: full pool
July fishing is going to be hot. The hybrids and stripers are going to be grouped up and congregating in the lower Lake. This is the year of big numbers. Lots of bigger fish died last fall. With all the rain last summer and fall, the oxygen got low and most big fish died in the fall. The Georgia and South Carolina DNR have stocked lots of hybrids and stripers. We are catching some 8 to 10 pounds stripers and lots of 3 to 5 pound hybrids. There are still some big fish in the Lake. A friend of mine caught a 30 pounder last week. If I get on a school of small fish, I will move and look for bigger fish. Hybrids only live 4 to 6 years. So the 3 to 5 pound hybrids are growing fast. In July, the hybrids and stripers go deeper. I look in at least 30 to 40 feet deep. A good sonar unit is a big part of fishing in the summer. I am hunting till I find the school. Then I send a lively Herring down to them on a Carolina rig. A swim bait on a 1 ounce jig head reeled through them works. A big teardrop Spoon will also work.
Bass fishing will get better as most bass boats quit fishing. The bass get lots of pressure in the spring with the bass close to the bank. As the water warms, the bass move off the bank to deeper cover. This is usually brush piles and 15 to 30 feet deep around points and humps. This brush is put out by fishermen. Most good locations already have brush piles and they are yours to fish if you can locate them with your sonar. The spotted bass are taking over. We catch mostly spots now. They are more aggressive than the largemouth and are easier to catch. They are prolific spawners and out compete the largemouth. They are here to stay. A 2 pound spot will fight harder than a 6 pound largemouth. They also taste like a crappie without the fishy taste of a largemouth. As the water gets warmer, they group up like stripers. If you find them, you can catch a bunch.
Capt. Preston Harden
706-255-5622
www.bucktailguideservice.com
Lake Hartwell, GA
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