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Augusta, GA – For the third straight year, the Elite Series will return to Clarks Hill Reservoir, and for the third straight year there will be a challenge with keeping the name straight. Officially named the Strom Thurmond Reservoir, Clarks Hill has been the lake’s name for years and, so, it’s stuck. Regardless, the bass boys (and girls) are back in the Peach State as the Elite Series makes its fifth stop of the regular season – The Pride of Georgia – this week at Clarks Hill (sorry Senator).
Clarks Hill, just 22 miles north of famed Augusta, Georgia, boasts over 71,500 acres. The lake is loaded with baitfish, and, like many lakes in this part of the world, the Blue-back Herring is a high-protein-staple-of-choice for the lakes abundant bass population. Threadfin shad are also abundant in the mountain reservoir making the lake a virtual buffet of choice selections from which the bass may forage.
Mike McClelland, last year’s Pride winner, comes in as the perennial favorite – not simply due to the fact that he won here last year, but because he’s fishing lights out right now and is leading the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year race. McClelland, and many of the other pros we’ve spoken with pointed out, however, that with a veritable triple-threat of possible patterns (pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn), there are a myriad of ways to win this week.
Traditionally, the lake plays well for jig fishermen, as evidenced by McClelland’s win; however, with fish in all phases right now a variety of top water baits, blades, soft plastics, and deep cranking will likely come into play. Predominantly thought, it’s not necessarily what you’re fishing but where you’re fishing this week. This is a tournament where the real estate axiom of, “Location! Location! Location!” will be a key to success.
To get the lowdown, The BASS ZONE caught up with a sampling of the field for their take on how the lake is fishing, and what it will take to win this week.
Kenyon Hill
The man that had a final day appearance at
the Hill in 2006 is optimistic about this
week in Georgia. “Everything is going on out here this week it seems. There are fish spawning, there are fish post-spawn, and there fish schooling. You really just have to figure out what suits you best.
“I’ve been concentrating mainly on post-spawn fish because they’re a little more dependable. So far, I’m getting a lot of bites on jigs and Carolina rigs, but I’ve been shaking them off so I don’t really know how big they are.
“The lake is about eight feet low, so everything looks different. A couple of years ago I caught them real good on top water, but it was a little later in the year and the fish were a little further along. They’re not quite there just yet, but hopefully I’ll be able to catch them pretty good again this week.
“It’s possible though, that I might be on the wrong deal all together because with the new moon coming up this weekend, and sometimes a new moon is better than a full moon to get fish to go to the bank. Saying that, there will be some guys who survive to the weekend fishing beds. I don’t know that you could win doing that, but I think you could definitely do pretty well sight fishing this week.”
Ish Monroe
“There are a lot of fish on beds, and a lot of fish cruising around trying to figure out what they want to do. With the water as low as it is, it seems like they’re a little scattered and it’s been tough to put together a definite pattern so far.
“The jig bite has been a little slow out on the points, and there aren’t enough big fish on beds to pull a win sight fishing, so it’s kind of a junk fisherman’s dream right now because you can literally catch them doing just about anything right now.
“There will be some guys who will catch them on top waters, and there will be some guys who catch them real well on jigs or cranking. There’s definitely something out there that a handful of guys have found, but I don’t know what it is. There’s something going on, and someone has some knowledge of what to do when the fish are like this. Unfortunately, it’s not me.”
Jeff Kriet
“The first day we got here, it was real warm and they were biting real well so you could catch them at will. A big front came in and really slowed everything way down. I still think the fishing is going to be pretty good because there’s just so many ways to catch them.
“At any lake where there’s Blue Back (Herring), it’s all about being in the right place at the right time. I’ve practiced a lot differently this time than I have in the past three years by fishing for fewer bites but going for the quality. I feel alright about my chances right now.”
Bill Lowen
“It’s been extremely tough for me. I can catch a lot of fish, but I’m struggling with quality. I have caught a four and a five, but that’s about it as far as big bites go.
“From previous years, it’s been extremely hard. With the lake as low as it is right now, that’s not making things any easier. I’ve had the bites to do well here in the past, but again, you can’t fish from history because of the water level so I’m basically starting over.
“I’ve been from one end to the other this week trying to piece something together, but I haven’t been able to catch anything in the boat. I’m frustrated, but it is what it is.”
John Crews
The bite is kind of in between. The Herring bite isn’t fully on just yet, but it’s a big lake so pinpointing things and being in the right spot at the right time is going to be key.
“The water level adds another factor to it, but it’s kind of funny how we’ve been here for four years in a row and the bite has been so much different each time. This week, it’s just all over the board in terms of what’s working and what’s not working.
“Me and Ish are working together and have something really similar going on. Hopefully we can learn from each other this week and get something figured out. I know that it’s not going to be sight fishing because they’re just not up in abundance.”
Mark Menendez
“I think we’ve kind of hit it in between cycles. By that, I mean we’re in between bass spawning cycles and the herring spawn. If you can find a place or two were there are wads of herring you can load the boat, but this is a big lake.
“I’ve pecked around finesse fishing, and you can catch a limit doing that fairly easily. That’s not going to win it though. I’ve also spend a lot of time with a (Carolina) rig in my hands out in 10- to 15-feet of water. That’s actually where my better bites are coming from.
“I don’t like fishing on days where the moon is above your head. I’ve always felt that that prohibits things from happening, and that’s what’s happening right now. I don’t understand why there are so many fish suspended out there right now – it just doesn’t make any sense, and it’s making for a real soft, almost deceptive, bites.”
Dave Wolak
“It’s kind of strange because the water temperatures are quite high, like in the low 70s. That would typically mean that they’re post spawn, but you have fish in all stages. It’s kind of going to be a little bit of everything for me, and I don’t really like it that way.
“It gets frustrating because every time I go out to fish around this time of the year, I think I should be in looking, but then convince myself that they bedders are too skittish so I should be out on a point fishing post-spawn. It just wears on you mentally.
“The other frustration is the Blue Back (Herring). The same thing is going on for them as well because they’re in between cycles. I’m just not finding the concentration that you expect to see, so that makes it more about location than anything. If you can find the particular shoal or drop that is holding the herring, you will find the bass.
“The person that establishes themselves with a strong pattern on a good spot will be the winner. That’s easy…right?”
The BASS ZONE will be on the water for
LIVE CHAT at 10:00am EST on
Thursday. Just remember, you can't
get the real story without being
there. It's all about being there..
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