Clarks Hill: A windy first practice day

It’s Monday, first day of practice at Strom Thurmond Reservoir on the South Carolina-Georgia line, better known as Clarks Hill. Boy, what a day it was. It was cold and the wind was blowing gusts 30 to 40 miles an hour. If you want to try to keep your hat on in tough conditions, try fishing when the wind’s blowing 30 or 40 miles per hour.

But we only get two and a half days of practice on this Elite Series tour, so you have to put in the practice time.

I did find a few fish. The weather’s been cold, and they’ve kind of been knocked back off the beds. Of course, some of them might still be there, but as windy as it’s been it’s hard to see.

I found a couple of bucks, no females. Caught some cruising in the center of the pockets. Caught those on a rattletrap, small crank bait. Really, that’s about the best thing I’ve got going now.

I’m hopeful the weather will straighten out and it’s supposed to. Maybe we can catch some fish on those long clay points. Clarks Hill is kind of famous for fish schooling up post-spawn. They’ll get out on those long, clay points and chase blueback herring.

It seems like a large portion have spawned, but there’s another big group that hasn’t. I haven’t caught any post-spawn, but there are some out off those points. They seem weary, that could be the post-spawners.

All-around it was just a tough day. I found a little, but that’s what it’s all about. You got out and try to figure things out, they you put together a plan and try to execute it on tournament days.

Clarks Hill, Strom Thurmond, rattletrap, crank bait