Area of lake teeming with bass

The outside air might be frigid, but the Raysville area of Strom Thurmond Lake is red hot for anglers pursuing hybrid and striped bass.

Just check with Albert Moody of Augusta and friends Ed Luckey and Jerry "Bubba" Page. The latter might be considering moving to this area from his Florida residence. All three wound up with 17 hybrids and stripers, caught on Zoom Super Flukes with chartreuse tails and threaded onto the hook of three-eighths-ounce lead-headed jigs, during a Wednesday afternoon trip.

"This is a lot better than Florida fishing," Page said.

The writer caught and released most of his 11 hybrids and stripers, while his last cast in the day's fading twilight netted a hybrid estimated to weigh between 10 and 12 pounds.

All came on the Super Fluke.

The fish were schooling beneath gulls and terns diving onto schools of bait fish that were being chased to the surface by the hybrids and stripers. Main action areas were the mouth of Big Hart Creek and Little River above Red Bank Island. No fewer than six separate flocks of the birds were active for most of the day.

While the action might be taking place during the early morning hours, many anglers opt to fish during the warmer afternoons rather than be uncomfortable in the cold.

Even so, goose down jackets and fleece or wool caps are a must-wear – the s urface temperature on the lake Wednesday was 55 degrees.

The Raysville bite will continue through February and on into March until temperatures begin to warm.

l Thomson's Milton Keene , director of the American Bass Anglers Tournament, said a member of the College Angler Scholarship Trail was the first of his group to compete in his event.

"It's a new program that allows college students to fish and compete for $10,000 in scholarships," he said. "They fish for free as non-boaters and do not earn any money in the local tournaments.

"To participate, a college must establish a CAST team of at least five anglers. Cole Winn, of Aiken, a member of the Palmetto Tech (Greenwood, S.C.) team, fished with us last Saturday."

STROM THURMOND LAKE

Raysville Marina, near Thomson, Ga. (Doug Pentecost, Leon Buffington) (706) 595-5582 – Scott Stephens of Grovetown, Jeff Slack of Martinez and Kyle Baxley and Jose Olero of Augusta caught 30 hybrids and stripers on live herring. James McZilkey of Evans caught 18 crappies in the fish house.

Ralph Barbee, professional guide, (706) 860-7373, 957 Windmill Lane, Evans, GA, 30809 – I fished by myself Monday about 9 a.m. and caught four hybrids and stripers in the back of Keg Creek. I caught them on the Super Fluke on a Super Bass Jig and Spin. I fished Tuesday morning, too, and caught three stripers and hybrids, three largemouth bass in the back of Chigoe Creek, fishing Super Flukes on the Jig and Spin.

Ron Figueroa, professional guide specializing in largemouth bass, hybrid bass, (706) 832-7230 (ronfig@comcast.net or buckeyelures.com/figs) – I did pretty good on Monday, staying out three hours because that's all I could take of the wind and the cold. I threw the Buckeye Blade and caught five largemouth bass, the smallest 2 pounds and the largest 5 pounds. I also fished on Thursday, casting the Blade and a jig-headed grub. I caught a mixed bag of 14 fish, including a 16-pound striper, two or three hybrids of 4½ pounds, and a couple of bass 2 to 3 pounds. The fish are in the ditches in Bass Alley and Hamilton Branch.

SAVANNAH RIVER

New Savannah Bluf

Lock & Dam

Lock and Dam Bait and Tackle (Bob Baurle), (706) 793-8053 – The yellow perch spawning run has begun. The fish can be caught off the dam and at the mouth of Butler Creek, with small shiners on thin gold hooks the main bait. Jacks (chain pickerel) will hit spinnerbaits around the grass beds below the Sand Bar Ferry Bridge upstream, as well as where Plant Urqhuart's thermal emissions come into the river. Crappies and largemouth bass are hitting shiners and artificial baits in the dead lakes downstream.

MERRY BROS

BRICKYARD PONDS

Harrison Sears (706) 722-8263 (www.brickyardponds.com) – Shawn Clemons and Mickey Clark caught 30 nice crappies and bream in the Shack Pond. Mike Wilson, Lindsey Fielding, Ed Ables, Bill Gibson, James Moore, and David Scott all have been catching lots of crappies, most of them in the Membership Pond at night. We're going to open the Membership Pond to the general public today through next Thursday. The regular fee of $7 will apply. We're going to be closed on Christmas day, but Bill Gibson will be on the grounds in case anyone feels like coming.

ATLANTIC OCEAN

BEAUFORT, S.C., & VICINITY

Ralph Goodison, Fripp Island, (843) 838-2530, and Doug Gertis, professional guide, (843) 524-5250 – Lots of trout are being caught in the creeks by folks trolling Blue Chicken and other grubs, according to Gertis. Redfish continue to bite as well. We've got some high tides coming, thanks to the moon, but trout are beginning to move into deep holes in the creeks. Shrimp have grown too big to fish with (except the cut variety), but mud minnows will catch fish, too.

SAVANNAH AREA

Miss Judy Charters, Capt. Judy Helmey, (912) 897-4921 (www.missjudcharters.com.) P.O. Box 30771, Savannah, GA, 31410-0771 – The trout bite has been pretty good, with reports of some fine catches. As usual, there were some fishermen who couldn't find them, and this might become a common occurrence as water temperatures fall. Look for trout to occupy deep holes in the creeks. The Savannah Snapper Banks have been hot lately. We went out last week and had a great time, and the bite should continue to be good for the next few weeks. The k ey to a good catch is to watch your depthfinder screen once you arrive at the banks. Fish are migrating this time of the year, and you're likely to find them on live bottoms as well as plain sandy bottoms.