 Fishing the Savannah River Taylor Hudson caught a 34 lb. striper. Photo courtesy Hootie’s Outdoors. |
Clarks Hill Thurmond Lake |
 With bait from Clarks Hill Herring Hut Albert Dillard had a good days catch. |
May 08
The fish are biting reports
CLARKS
HILL HERRING HUT located on Hwy 28 just below the 221
turn off near the dam in the town of Clark Hill. Crappies are
being caught with small minnows and mini-jigs near the bank in
the lower part of the lake. Hybrid and stripers can be caught
fishing between 15ft and 24ft on down lines and cut and live bait
off points and shallw humps. Our bait is seasoned to help you
catch more and bigger fish. Lottery tickets are available.
The crappie fishing is
hot in the shallows in secondary creeks like Soap Creek reports
PALMETTO ANGLER
and Convenience, located on Hwy 378 in McCormick. Large numbers
of stripers and hybrids are being caught using live and cut bait
in the river section. They have a huge selection of fishing tackle,
live bait, minnow, worms, herring and plenty of snacks, cold drinks,
including cold beer. Guide service for stripers and hybrids can
be booked through this store. 
I am Captain Daniel LaDow of ACE
STRIPER GUIDE. I am a full-time USCG licensed guide. We
have caught some really nice spawning stripers recently. The hybrids/stripers
in late April and May are always great, catching limits of 2 to
8 pound hybrids fishing down lines in 20 to 30 feet of water.
No one catches fish at home, so book a trip soon while the fishing
is hot.
88 MART is located on Hwy 28 only miles from the dam. They
have gas, live bait including blueback herring, beer, gas, ATM,
snacks and much more. They report that some really nice striper
can be caught free lining herring in dam area. Try using slip-shots
to get your bait at different depths. You can also fish cut bait
from the bank near the dam and catch striper, hybrids and catfish.
At PARKSVILLE STATION they have live herring. You can put
in your boat and fish for stripers and hybrids in the Parksville
area of Clarks Hill this time of year. They suggest using cut
bait on shallow humps and near the bank. The boat ramp area also
has a restroom and fish cleaning station. They have live bait,
beer and tackle and a kitchen serving the best BBQ on the lake
for lunch.
The fish are biting and the weather is great, so come see us at
CLIATT CROSSING located only a few miles pass the Lincolnton
Bridge at the intersection of Hwy. 43 and Hwy 220. We have diesel,
gas, hot food, ATM, large bait and tackle selection and more.
Spring fishing is extremely good in our area of the lake with
crappie being caught on mini-jigs shallow and at night under bridges
using minnows under lanterns. We have a great selection of crappie
mini-jigs and minnows. Most of the hybrid/stripers are being caught
up the lake on live herring fished off points in the main river
channel in seventeen to twenty four foot of water.
MARINE RECONDITIONING SERVICE is a boat shop on wheels.
Michael and John Mc Carthy will be glad to come to your boat.
They can full detail it with buffing, do bottom repairs and painting,
fiberglass and gel-coat repair, fix trailer dents, fix jet skis
and repair or replace interior and canvas. They are licensed and
insured and guarantee their work. Give them a call and let them
solve your boating problems.
CAPTAIN TOMMY DUDLEY is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed full
service striper and hybrid guide on Clarks Hill/Thurmond lake.
Tommy told us the red hot month of April is hard to follow, but
May will produce some great hybrid/striper fishing on Clarks Hill
with increasing numbers but fewer big fish. This month they will
still pull boards, but they will do more down lining, cut baiting,
trolling and night trips. The middle to upper sections of the
lake will produce great catches at major creek and river junctions
and primary river points. Call to book before the summer rush.
Corporate and large parties should book early because summer gets
busy fast.
B&E GROCERY & CAMPGROUND is located half way between
Abbeville & McCormick. Lucy and Willy have good hot food in
the snack bar and on Saturday, they have a buffet from noon to
2 PM. They have camping sites available in the campground. They
also have weekend campers for rent. They have a good selection
of hardware and parts for repairing campers, trailers or anything
else, which needs fixing. Fishing is good, so stop by get some
live bait and go catch you a cooler full of crappie, bream, catfish,
stripers or hybrids on Clarks Hill.
MC CORMICK FARM & BUILDING SUPPLY is located on S.
Mine Street in McCormick. They are stocked up with all your hardware
needs. It is time to start thinking about your summer crop, seed
and fertilizer or a repair on the shed or barn. They have insulated
bait tanks for the live bait fisherman, Magic Brix Meal Cake,
camping equipment, coolers and plenty of Slider Jigs and Bream
Buster Deluxe rods.
In Aiken on Hwy. 1 at NORTHSIDE BAIT & TACKLE Lindsey
stated that he has been selling plenty of crickets, minnows and
Louisiana pink worms. May is the time to catch bream in the local
ponds using crickets and worms. There are good reports of crappie
being caught in local ponds using minnows and Slider crappie jigs.
Catfish and bass are being caught on worms and big minnows. Stop
by the store for all types of live bait and check out the huge
selection of slider crappie jigs. We have “Tuffie” minnows.
The turkey hunters have been in the campground during April reports
Burl at DEARFEATHERS STORE AND CAMPGROUND. Some really
big spring gobblers were taken. Fishing is picking up in the area
for all species. So now is the time to get the kids out and let
them enjoy the fishing action around the banks for bream and catfish.
HOOTIE’S OUTDOORS stated that their indoor archery
range is very busy and they are having a great time in the shooting
leagues. They invite you to come join their archery shooting leagues
for both adults and kids. They also offer bow repairs, bow tuning
and service and have bows by Mathews, PSE and Bow Tech. They have
90 days same as cash. On the fishing side, May is a great time
to go to Clarks Hill and catch hybrids, stripers and black bass
off main lake points and in blow through around islands early
and late in the day on Zara Spooks, Sammys, Sebile lures, Flukes
and rattle traps. We have many NEW fishing supplies with plenty
of Lucky Craft and Sebile lures for the bass fishermen.
NUMBER ONE MARKET BAIT & TACKLE located in the Clearwater
area of North Augusta is stocked up with all types of fishing
tackle for the bream, crappie, striper, bass and cat fishermen.
On Clarks Hill most of the hybrid and stripers are being caught
up the lake on live herring fished off points in the main river
channel in seventeen to twenty four foot of water. Dean suggests
you stop by the store and check out the spinners, which he is
custom making for catching big shellcrackers in the Savannah River
and see the beautiful mount of shellcrackers caught in previous
years in the river.
Near I-20 on Hwy 1 in Aiken at OUTDOORS UNLIMITED they
tell us the area ponds, lakes and rivers are a great place to
catch bream using crickets and worms especially around the full
moon ( May 20). Crappies have moved into the shallows and can
be caught trolling mini-jigs or drifting minnows in the backs
of the creeks. Largemouth are shallow and can be caught using
worms, lizards and spinnerbaits in the backs of the coves around
structure and grass or off the points early in the day on top
water plugs. Most of the local hunters had a good time in the
fields in April turkey hunting. Plenty of hogs are being killed
in local hunts. Stripers continue to be caught on Lake Murray
and in Clarks Hill/Thurmond on live bait.
Over in Belvedere at QWICKIE JACKS they have been busy
selling worms and have heard of good reports of bream and catfish
being caught in the local ponds and rivers. This is a great place
to stop and get your live bait and beverages before you go fishing.
They also serve hot dogs and have plenty of cold beer.
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("Strom Thurmond Lake") For Infomation About J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clark Hill) Contact: Natural Resource Management Center Rt. 1, Box 12 Clarks Hill, SC 29821-0010 (706) 722-3770 (803) 333-2476
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 [Located North of I-20, on SC - GA State Line.] |
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