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Lake Hartwell Fishing Report May 2016

GON Staff | April 27, 2016

Hartwell: Level: Full pool. Temp: Mid 60s. Clarity: Clear.

Linesides: Guide Preston Harden reports, “April fishing has been good with most fish hanging in very shallow water. Stripers and hybrids are around points, shoals and shallow flats. As we move into May, the herring will be shallow and spawning. The stripers, hybrids and bass will still be shallow chasing the herring around. Fish with herring imitations, such as a Zoom Fluke. My favorite color is white ice. My favorite lure is a white Sebille Magic Swimmer. By mid-May, I will switch to a topwater plug. My favorite is a Sammy in ghost minnow. Early morning is the best time to catch stripers around shallow water. As the sun gets high, the stripers move deeper. The bass will stay shallow all day. Pulling blueback herring on a freeline around points and shoals is a no-brainer and a sure way to put lots of fish in the boat.”

Catfishing: Guide Donnie Simpson reports, “Catfishing will be fair to good during May. Fish will be in all phases of the spawn and can be caught from 1 to 30 feet deep. I like to fish in 10 to 18 feet of water during the day and shallow at night. Fish can be caught on a variety of baits, with the bigger blues and flatheads coming on cut shad, perch and herring.”

Bowfishing: Donnie reports, “Bowfishing is in full swing, and with the water temps on the rise, the spawn will be over by mid May. My clients are shooting 50 to 100 fish a night, with some in the 35- to 40-lb. range.”

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