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35 pound striper landed on Lake Hartwell, Fishing Gear at Basspro.com

Fishing Report (Updated 9.2.2010)

Lake Hartwell is at 657.

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good.  Captain Bill Plumley (864-287-2120) says the best fishing seems to be on the lower end right now, with two predominant patterns most common.  Lots of people are trolling lead core line 10-12 colors out (100-120 yards back) and pulling swimbaits, Road Runners and bucktails.  They are covering a lot of water and generally sticking to the main river channel, trying to avoid the trees.  The afternoon has been the best time for this technique.  The other major pattern is down lining live herring in 50-70 feet of water.  Sometimes fish are following the river channels, and sometimes they are over the trees – the constant is looking for bait and feeding fish on the graph before putting out lines.  Fish can be on the bottom at that depth, or suspended over deeper water. 

Captain Steve Pietrykowski’s (864-353-3438) reiterates that a lot of guys appear to be trolling lead core and downriggers.   However, live bait on down rods is still producing best for him, and he is averaging 15-35 striper and hybrids per trip. He has been finding fish in 70-110 feet of water 45-60 feet down in the main lake. 

Largemouth Bass: Fair to good.  Guide Brad Fowler (864-934-5813) reports that when water temperatures got super hot this summer the topwater bite slowed down.  The combination of heat and mid-summer boat traffic - even on weekdays there were a lot of pleasure boaters out on Hartwell - meant that fish stopped "looking up."  Now that water temperatures have dropped a few degrees to around 86 or 87, and particularly weekday boating activity has dropped off, the topwater bite is improving again.  Sebilles, Spooks, Sammys and flukes will all catch fish on top off deep points.  Working deep running crankbaits and 10-12 inch worms around the tree tops in the same areas will also produce. 

There has also been some good shallow water activity, and even in the heat of summer fish could be found lying in ankle deep water in the backs of creeks.  Big 10-12 inch worms and buzzbaits fished early and late will work for these bass.  Schooling activity is just getting started, but it should take off in earnest in a week or two as water temperatures continue to drop and nights get cooler.  For now a lot of bait is in the mouths to about 1/2 way back in the creeks, and they can already be seen busting on top at times.  The first Fish the Fall tournament of the 2010-11 season will be Friday and Saturday, September 10-11.

Catfish: Fair to good.  Captain Bill Plumley reports that catfishing is a little slow on Lake Hartwell, with the best bite for channels, then flatheads and then blues.  For channel catfish fish on the bottom off deep points in 30-40 feet of water using cut herring or nightcrawlers.  The best flathead fishing is at night; look in 15-25 feet of water and anchor a live bream or perch near a brushpile.  Blue catfish are very tough to catch right now, as most of the big fish have headed out to deep timber. 

Crappie:  Slow to fair.  Captain Bill Plumley reports that some crappie are being caught at night around bridges.  Tie up in 15-25 feet of water and put out a light, then fish with live minnows. 

DHEC Fish Advisories: Due to PCB advisories visit http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/water/fish/Advisories/hartwell.htm before consuming any Lake Hartwell fish. 

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