September Fishing Forecast for Lake Hartwell

Water temperature is in the upper 80s Water level is 3 feet below full pool September starts out like August with stripers and hybrids in the lower Lake feeding deep. We are catching fish from 30 to 100 feet deep. The larger fish seem to be coming from 70 to 100 feet deep and the smaller fish are coming from 30 to 60 feet deep. When you mark fish on the graph, drop a Herring or a big jig and soft plastic swim bait down to the fish. Reel the bait up and down through the fish marked on the graph. The moving bait will draw more strikes than just holding the bait still. By late September, as the water starts to cool, some top water schooling should start. I like to have a lucky craft Sammy in ghost minnow ready to throw. Like a Zarra spook, I like to walk it by reeling steady and twitching the rod tip. Remember to not yank when a fish explodes on the plug. Keep working it till you feel the fish and then swing the rod tip to set the hook. Bass are also deep. The bass bite has been tough as they are scattered over deep structure. They will migrate back to shallow as the water starts to cool later in September. They also love to hit top water plugs worked fast off points and Shoals. Capt. Preston Harden 706-255-5622 www.bucktailguideservice.com Lake Hartwell, GA