Expect productivity to pick up

Water, water everywhere, or almost everywhere in Thurmond Lake. So what's a 5-foot-plus burst of fresh water going to do with the quality of fishing?

Noel Brown, of North Augusta, longtime CSRA Bassmasters member who has been fishing the lake for more than 40 years, figures largemouth bass fishing will be productive.

His muddy water option: Fish a spinnerbait (green and white skirts are favorite colors for this lake). If the water is slightly stained, fish a Rat-L-Trap. If it's clear, fish a weightless Zoom Super Fluke. Best areas probably will be around pockets along the bank in the backs of coves.

If you catch one bass, don't leave the area because there may be a school of 'em present, all feeding on fresh food brought in by the fresh water.

Meanwhile, this is the time of the year when hybrids and stripers move into the shallows. Using planer boards and free-lining live herring in 3-5 feet of water has been productive this week.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Several bass clubs and some striper nuts fished during last Saturday's deluge, many winding up as wet as the fish they were catching. Chicken me stayed home.

The big news from that wet, wild and woolly day was the four-fish, 96-pound catch of stripers (big fish of 45 pounds) caught by Chris "Catfish" Hagan and Brad Moseley, both of Aiken. They were competing in the Christian Anglers Striper Trail (C.A.S.T.). Upcoming events can be found in the tournament report.

Fishermen should have little trouble in locating usable boat ramps along the lakeshore, and even some courtesy docks have been reported floating.

- "We can use more ablebodied volunteer boat captains and their boats" for the 15th annual Southeastern Paralyzed Veterans Association tournament, said tournament coordinator Kurt Glass.

The event will be held out of Wildwood Park on March 28-29. Mobility-impaired anglers, who do not have to belong to the PVA, also are invited. For more information, contact Glass at (706) 796-6301. Applicants also can go online at pva.org.

THURMOND LAKE

Capt. David Willard, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed full-time professional fishing guide specializing in hybrids and stripers and trophy largemouth bass. Boat phone: (706) 214-0236. (803) 637-6379 (crockettrocket@bellsouth.net) -- We've had a great week despite some rough weather. I really appreciate my parties' enthusiasm. I usually have to encourage them, but this time they encouraged me to fish in somewhat less than ideal conditions. I was glad they did and we ended up with some nice catches. We fished during the downpour last Saturday with water temperatures in the low 50s. We all field-tested our rain gear and except for one poor fellow who wore a poncho, everyone stayed dried. The lake rose a bunch after the weekend and the water temperature dropped to the upper 40s with lots of floating debris. We still caught a bunch of 4-6-pound largemouth, 3-4-pound hybrids and 5-12-pound stripers. All our fish were caught on live herring below planer boards and free-lined close to the bank in 3-5 feet of water. Word of caution: Prepare for floating logs and a lot of trash.

Capt. Mark Crawford, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in hybrid and striped bass. (706) 373-8347 (www.teamsaveone more.com) -- I fished with friend Ray Price in the middle of the lake and caught some 8-10-pound fish pulling planer boards with small gizzard shad and blueback herring.

Capt. William Sasser, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in crappies, hybrids and striped bass. (706) 589-5468 -- There have been both good and bad days, all controlled by the weather. Charlie Brinson, Joe Miglionico, Patrick Blewett, Randall Hill and Carl Minenna, all from the Augusta area, went with us on what was supposed to be a 70-degree day. Instead, it made it to 50 degrees and rained. They toughed it out, but caught only a few fish. On another trip this week, we couldn't get the bait into the water fast enough. I think 10-pound stripers were trying to jump into the boat. All our fish were caught on live blueback herring beneath planer boards in 20-50 feet of water. Check out my Web site at www.william sasserfishing.com.

Capt. Tommy Dudley, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in stripers and hybrids. (706) 833-4807 -- Water is pretty trashy up my way. I found scattered fish and big schools of bait. I can find downline fish, but can't get 'em to bite. My phone has been ringing from potential clients. I think the best fishing is going to be in the lower end of the lake where there is a minimum of trash.

My VHF radio handle is Boat Racer and I can be reached on Channel 68. My Web site is www. fishlakethurmond.com.

Albert Moody, Clarks Hill Herring Hut, Clarks Hill, S.C. (864) 333-2000 -- Ted Boileau, of Evans, and O.G. Penner, of Grovetown, have been trolling live herring beneath planer boards and catching nice messes of hybrids and stripers in the lower end of the lake near the dam. Boileau said they're running the boards into fairly shallow water. The rain storm last Saturday was wonderful, but it muddied up the Savannah River, Stevens Creek and Bettys Branch. One man said the branch was so muddy, "there are coon tracks crossing it!"

SAVANNAH RIVER

New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam

Lock and Dam Bait and Tackle (Bob Baurle). (706) 793-8053 -- The river is muddy, as could be expected, but fishing for catfish and white perch remains good. The smaller catfish are feeding on pink worms and chicken liver, while the larger catfish are hitting cut bait off the fishing platform in the main river. Some American shad are being caught, but fishing for that migratory species ought to heat up after warmer temperatures arrive this weekend.

MERRY LAND

BRICKYARD PONDS

Harrison Sears. (706) 722-8263 (www.brickyardponds.com) -- Joe Thompson won our big fish of the month contest with a 6.84-pounder and $50. Our bass tournament starts on Friday, March 13. It runs from 6-10 p.m. Entry fee is $20 per fisherman.

A fishing license is not required to fish in our ponds.

SAVANNAH

Miss Judy Charters, Capt. Judy Helmey. (912) 897-4921 (www.missjudycharters.com.) P.O. Box 30771, Savannah, GA 31410-0771 -- We've had good and bad days in trying to catch some spotted sea trout and red fish. The bites are stronger just before weather fronts hit. Mud minnows remain the best bait because they adapt better to cold water than shrimp. All that could change with the promised warming trend coming this weekend. Berkeley's artificial scents baits work well suspended beneath popping floats. Hook them as you would a live shrimp, just behind the head.

Nearshore artificial reefs are producing good catches of black sea bass, bluefish, flounder and perch, using plain cut fish, squid and dead shrimp as bait. Bring some large mud minnows and cast them out and away from the black sea bass bite zone. Flounders hide up current waiting for a live kill and they don't like to fight with black sea bass for their dinner. The big bottom bite at the Savannah Snapper Banks has started.