Find the depth, find the fish
When the calendar turns to August and the air temperature hits triple digits, Sam Jones of Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) said some anglers turn to fishing at night in 60 to 80 feet of water near the dam with worms and herring. But trolling during daylight hours is still productive.
“You can catch them at night, but if you prefer fishing the day shift, you can catch them trolling,” he said. “The trick is finding water that’s between 55 to 65 degrees.”
The surface water gets into the mid-80s this time of year. Jones finds the right depth with that temperature range by using a sensor on his downriggers. Once he finds the right depth, it’s just a matter of trolling with Sutton spoons at the right speed.
The right speed can change slightly from day to day, but Jones said 1.7 mph is always a good starting speed.
During August, Jones will troll in water as deep as 115 feet to find that cold water trout need to survive.
“No matter how hot we are on the surface, the trout are nice and comfortable at the depth they find their preferred temperature, so the heat isn’t as big a factor for them as it is for us,” he said. “When they get hungry, they’ll eat, so you just have to present it to them at the proper depth. ■
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