Guide said blue catfish will take off very soon
Fishermen targeting catfish are picking up more fish on Lake Hartwell, and according to Bill Plumley of Capt. Bill’s Fishing adventures, the fishing is only going to get better.
“We’re catching good numbers on the channels, and the blues are doing pretty well,” said Plumley (www.lakehartwellfishing.com) “The lake’s beginning to turn over, so the fish are getting harder to find. When the lake starts turning, food seems to take second place to good water.”
Plumley recommends fishing in 18 to 24 feet of water using dip bait, cut shad, herring or nightcrawlers on the bottom.
“The fishing seems to be better a little later in the morning,” Plumley said. “Water’s cooling down and is on the verge of turning. Once the lake turns, it’ll pick up even more.”
For gear, Plumley suggests a half-ounce sinker and No. 2 hook on 10- to 12-pound test line. He prefers an 8-foot Ugly Stick for his rod and Penn Slammer reels.
Even though the channel cat bite has been off-and-on, Plumley said we’re not far away from the blue catfish bite to get hot.
“Blues are going to get started before long,” he said. “They’re coming on strong. Earlier this year we probably caught 60 fish around 30 pounds. I had never seen a 40-pounder until this year, and (now) I’ve seen three 45-pounders. Around the first of the year, we’ll be on them hot and heavy. Hartwell has so much timber, and when it gets hot, the big fish get in that timber, and they’re hard to catch. But when it starts getting cold, you can catch them in the creeks.”
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