One of nature’s great coincidences is the cause of some great fishing on Lake Hartwell.
Hybrid bass and striped bass are making their spring spawning runs up into rivers and major creeks all over the lake – at just about the same time that blueback herring are starting to spawn in many of the same areas.
“What’s happening is, these herring are getting ready to spawn, and they’ll pull up on points, and the hybrids and stripers are pulling up on those points to feed,” said Rick Owen of Rick’s Guide Service. “My partner (Brian Kelly) and I have limited out every morning this week; the female fish are just busting with eggs.”
Owen said fishing has been simple. Find a major point in any of the tributary rivers and creeks, look for schools of nearby baitfish, then put out a spread of live baits on the bottom on Carolina rigs.
“We’re doing that before daylight, and when day breaks, we’re freelining live bait on those same points,” said Owen (864-356-7271). “And if you mark any fish out in the main parts of the creeks or rivers, put out downlines for them.”
Owen said that large gizzard shad have been the most productive live bait, but herring will work as well. For trophy-sized fish, he advises fishermen to head well up in the Keowee or Tugaloo rivers, where they should free-line live shad.
“The fish have been very aggressive. They’ve really been feeding heavily,” he said.
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