Hi folks, Im back home in my new neck of the woods in GA (originally from Columbia) but now Im only 30min from Lake Hartwell Dam…I fished there a few trips back in December, but only to catch some spotted bass.
I hear theyre biting around the dam…any locations or technique advice??
I think I found 1 local bait shop just up the road in Hartwell, but Im all ears for boat ramps and tackle shops too.
If anybody wants to go out this week and show a rookie the ropes, let me know…I got room!!!
I eat them all the time and then only thing is that I glow when outside after dark:smiley:
Seriously I do eat some of them but I am carefull not to eat a lot of them from hartwell.
Lately, I have not been in 3-4 weeks but we were catching them on leadcore line aound the dam in the main channel. Most were good fish anywhere from 8lbs up to 15lbs. Most I caught were on 8-10 colors which is around 40-50’ deep and we used roadrunners whith different colored trailers. They seem to like chartruese or blue and sometimes pearl.
Dec thru May is my favorite time and then we do well with feelines and live herring.
Good luck and let me know what else you need to know, I do not mind giving tips or locations to help out. There are plenty of fish in the lake.
You are welcome to go with me but right now boat is in the shop and deer season is here so it will be late Nov or early Dec before I start fishing again. I will be glad to take you then and show your the ropes on freeling live bait.
Man what a crappy experience today…I went into Hartwell, just to find the only bait shop I know of CLOSED…Tugaloo Fishing Hole…??? So I drove up and down Hwy 29 trying to find a shop that would sell Live Herring, NOTHING…NADA…(most places didnt even know what a herring was!!!)
So I drove all the way into Anderson, hoping to find SOMETHING…but ofcourse my cell phone had no reception, until finally in the middle of town (on Hwy 29) so information was ZERO help for Fishing, Bait, Tackle even sporting goods…NOTHING popped up in thier search??
I couldnt even find a gas station with a phone book to look up either. Finally after I was just about to drive my truck and boat over a cliff, i decided to call it a day and headed home…round trip was 120miles with absolutely NOTHING to show for it…Tugaloo’s Fishing Hole doesnt show any hours of business times, so Im hoping they were just closed on Tuesdays.
If any one has any specific tackle shop locations that sell herring, Id love to hear em…espcially if theyre closer to the Dam.
There aren’t a whole lot of bait shops that I know of around the dam, most of them are farther towards georgia. I don’t really fish any live bait besides worms and crickets, but if you go to grady’s in anderson (it’s a sporting good store) on 76 about 4 miles on the left after you cross 85, I’m sure there’s someone who can point you towards a backcountry bait shop near the lake. There are two gas stations on 76 that sell nightcrawlers and crickets, but it looks like you’re looking for herring. good luck.
Dont know much around the GA side of the lake but know in Anderson on Hwy 24 you can get them at the Gas Station/Tackle shop by Portman Marina and also up 24 more towards Anderson there is a big bait shop with them. Its a big metal building with no sides and a bunch of tanks that you can see from the road if you are watching for them. As far as striper fishing I am just getting into it my self. Was down that way on Sun and only got on about 2.5 lbs. But was good eating. I theink they say not to eat fish over 3 lbs from the south end of the lake.
The Bait Shop is on Hwy 24 right off of the Interstate near the entrance to Broyles Landing. Also Lake Hartwell Marine(old Garretts) is located on Hwy 24 where you turn to go to Portman Shoals Marina. Both should always have great bait. The Bait Shop has just changed locations to it’s present spot. The old bldg was across from Ingles on 24 but is being torn down. Several new stores going into that area.
Sorry you had a problem but these 2 places are always ready with bait
