Thurmond Lake fishermen are hoping the high winds, cooler weather and whatever rain falls will eliminate the crisis facing the lake's hybrids, stripers and, to a lesser extent, largemouth bass populations.
A Savannah District Corps of Engineers spokesman said personnel are no longer netting dead hybrids and stripers above or below the dam.
"Lower numbers didn't justify the searches," he said. More than 1,700 dead fish were found in what m ight be the lake's worst fish kill.
Black bass fishing has been really tough. Check out the winning weights of the Summer Saturday Night Classic and other bass tournaments listed on this page.
Strong northeast winds and the full moon have kept this angler off the water. I need to have at least weather conditions on my side before I think about going.
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 (www.crockettrocket striperfishing.com) - Water temperature is 82 degrees and the lake is very clear. Surface school fish are breaking just enough for us to keep up with the main schools. The cooler weather and wind are helping with the oxygen levels and we hope we will get into the fall pattern. My parties have been doing well, catching limits of 11-to 3-pound stripers on Thing Poppers, live bait and occasionally trolling small dollflies and catching fish on ultralight tackle. One local group was Mike Konesky, James Childs, Bryan Fields and James Ditton.
James caught his first-ever fish and that always makes the guide feel good. Bryan started slowly, giving his fellow fishermen a chance to surge ahead, but came on strong and ended up the tou rnament winner. We're looking forward to a great fall.
Check out my Web site for some recent catches.
Billy Murphy, professional guide, (706) 733-0124 (Web site www.doubletroublefishing guides.com with twins Brad and Jim) - We chased schooling fish all last week. The schools have been small and mostly small fish. They just won't stay up. We are hoping cooler weather and rain will help put more oxygen into the water and help that situation. Fishing with me one day last week was Earle Robinson, of Augusta. We fished around the goose farm area above Raysville Bridge in Little River. He caught and released 51 stripers and hybrids, the biggest about 3 pounds. The next day, the fish were no-shows. We have seen schooling fish in Little River and the Savannah River, but schools are up and down so quickly we can't get close enough for a cast.
My VHF radio handle is doubletrouble on Ch. 68.
Capt. William Sasser, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in crappies, hybrids and striped bass. (706) 589-5468 - We caught a limit of 40 fish, fishing around Horseshoe Island and Dordon Creek. Brett Samuels, his wife, Veronica, and 9-year-old Jennifer and John, 6, of Alpharetta, Ga., were the beneficiaries of my only trip. We fished live herring on downlines 18 to 20 feet in whatever depth of water we found ourselves. Check out my Web site at www.williamsasserfishing.com.
Capt. Tommy Dudley, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in stripers and hybrids. (706) 833-4807 - We had a tough northeast wind on Thursday, and I had to anchor the boat in the Parksville area. We had plenty of fish come under the boat, but only 13 could be persuaded to bite. All the fish were 16 to 20 feet down in whatever depth we were in. It was my first day back on the water. J.W. Clayton, Jim and Jesse Crim and Danny Newton, all of the Sardis, Ga., area, braved a tough wind, serious chop and slow bite.
Biggest fish was about 5 pounds. My VHF radio handle is Boat Racer and I can be reached on Channel 68.
My Web site is www.fishlakethurmond.com.
SAVANNAH RIVER
New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam
Lock and Dam Bait and Tackle (Bob Baurle, Billy Hambrick and Russ Peyton), (706) 496-1173. - Pete Stodgel caught a 15-pound blue catfish downriver on rooster liver. Terry Gish caught a limit of redbreasts upriver on crickets. The mullet fishing has slowed down, but carp and catfish continue to post a strong bite.
MERRY LAND
BRICKYARD PONDS
Harrison Sears (706) 722-8263 (www.brickyardponds.com) - Gene Moyer won our bass tournament points race and $400 to boot. Jeff Richards caught 17 bream in the Shack Pond on big red worms. Amos Nichols caught 11 bream and three catfish in the Connell Pond on reds. Alfred Zimmerman caught 18 bream out of the Shack Pond on Reds. Last Friday's rain washed out what was to be the final bass tournament of the year. You do not need a fishing license to fish in our ponds.
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Beaufort, S.C. & vicinity
Ralph Goodison, Fripp Island, (843) 838-2530 - Coming up today and Saturday is the 19th annual Fripp Island Kingfish Tournament out of Fripp Island Marina. A captains' meeting and Lowcountry cookout will be held later today, and fishing starts Saturday at 6 a.m. More information: (843) 838-1517.
Spotted sea trout, redfish and flounder action has picked up. Spanish mackerel continue to school near the shore, with bluefish also close by and jack crevalle showing. King mackerel fishing has finally picked up offshore, with large wahoo and dolphin also active. We've also had some reports of sailfish being caught.
SAVANNAH
Miss Judy Charters, Capt. Judy Helmey, (912) 897-4921 (www.missjudycharters.com.) P.O. Box 30771, Savannah, Ga. 31410-0771 - Many fishermen prefer to catch their own bait shrimp, using a cast net to do so. During the full moon, smaller shrimp (the best size for bait) can be caught near the marsh grass line. Larger shrimp (the size found in shrimp cocktails) can be caught in 10 feet of water off the grass line.
For those of you with live wells in your boats: Shrimp are not swimmers. They just hover. When put into a live well without anything to hold onto, they just spin out of control and wear themselves out. Try this: get a piece of burlap and cover a standard brick. The shrimp will cling to the burlap (the brick will keep it in place) and fishermen will have hyper-active shrimp and not worn-out shrimp to fish with. It works. My dad taught me the trick many years ago.
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