FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 · CLARKS HILL (J. STROM THURMOND LAKE)
Early fall jerkbait and point pattern heating up as water cools and bait starts moving.
WATER 76°FAIR 63°FWIND 3 MPH ENESEASON FALLPOOL -4.7 FT
October on Clarks Hill means cooling water after summer heat, and that switch flips the whole picture. Right now at 76 degrees you are sitting in the sweet spot where bass are fired up and baitfish are on the move out of the deep creeks and back toward main-lake structure. Pressure is dropping ahead of weather, which means fish are chewing aggressively right now. The water is still clear, which keeps bass relating to defined structure and edges. Fall means points and humps become primary again after summer's deep-brush routine. Light is shortening fast, so first light and last light stretch the bite longer than it did in July and August. This is one of the better weeks of the year if you can get them while they're active.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Main-lake points in 8 to 15 feet, especially where the point crown drops off to deeper water. Rock and brush on the point are plus factors.
Rapala DT10 or DT16 crankbait in chrome or natural shad. Cast and crank steady, letting the bait deflect off structure. Start shallow on the crown and work progressively deeper as the sun climbs.
Cooling water pulls bass out of summer deep-brush mode and back into more active feeding. Points concentrate migratory bait and give bass an easy feeding lane. Jerkbaits and crankbaits trigger reaction strikes early when light is low and fish are less cautious.
MORNING · 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Secondary points inside creek arms, 6 to 12 feet. Fish the channel-facing edges where the point slopes toward deeper water access.
Zoom Super Fluke in pearl or natural shad, worked with a 1/4-oz jighead. Cast beyond the point and let it flutter down, then twitch it back with pauses. Keep it around the 8 to 12-foot band where bass transition.
As the sun climbs and light strengthens, bass move from the shallower crown edges into slightly deeper staging water. Shad are pushing from the rivers toward main-lake structure, and these secondary points are natural funnels. The fluke matches the forage and allows you to work the depth where bass are positioning mid-morning.
MIDDAY · 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Main-lake humps and brushpiles in 18 to 25 feet. Use sonar to confirm fish on the structure before you commit casts.
3/8-oz football jig with a craw trailer in brown or junebug. Hop it slowly along the bottom of the hump, pausing between hops. Keep contact with the structure and let the lure work vertically as much as horizontally.
Sun is high and brightness peaks. Active fish retreat to defined structure where they can relate to bottom and cover. Humps and brushpiles hold concentrations of bass and hold the bigger ones once the light gets harsh. The football jig works slowly enough to trigger deep fish even though they are less aggressive in bright conditions.
LATE AFTERNOON · 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Points and point-adjacent flats in 10 to 18 feet. Rotate back to the primary main-lake points you worked early.
Jerkbait in pearl or chrome. Fish it with longer pauses than early morning, letting the bait hang for 3 to 5 seconds between twitches. Work the middle zone between shallow crown and deep breakline.
Light begins to soften but sun is still strong. Bass that retreated deep at noon start moving shallower again as shadows lengthen and light intensity drops. Points become active feeding zones again. Longer pauses trigger fish that are more cautious than they were at dawn but still willing to feed.
EVENING · 5:30 PM to 6:45 PM
Shallow main-lake structure: points, shoals, and rockpiles in 6 to 12 feet. Emphasize areas with brush or rock.
White or black buzzbait. Work it fast over the structure, covering water efficiently. Let it wake across the shallows rather than grinding it slow.
Approaching dusk compresses light into a brief high-activity window. Bass that have been deep all day slide shallow to feed. Baitfish visibility drops as light fades, which triggers reaction feeding. Fast-moving topwater baits match the aggression of fish that know they have limited feeding time before dark.
DUSK · 6:45 PM to 7:15 PM (sunset 7:03 PM)
Points and shallow creek channel bends in 8 to 14 feet where current breaks occur.
Walking topwater or Zoom Super Fluke on a 1/4-oz jighead. If you are throwing topwater, work it with short walks and pauses. If on the fluke, work it faster than midday, with more aggressive jerks and shorter pauses.
Last-light window before sunset. This is peak feeding time for cooler-water bass. Main-lake structure and points are still active, but fish have moved to where they hold overnight, typically near deep water access. The major solunar period hits near sunset, which amplifies the already strong last-light bite.
NIGHT · 7:15 PM to 10:00 PM
Creek channels and points with immediate deep water access. Stay in the 12 to 20-foot range. Structure less critical than proximity to deep refuge.
Zoom Super Fluke in pearl or smoke color on a 1/4-oz jighead, fished with slow, methodical twitches. Keep the retrieve deliberate and keep the bait in the strike zone longer.
Bass move to overnight positions as dark falls. They position on structure that lets them access deep water quickly. Feeding slows but does not stop entirely for active fish. Soft baits with subtle action work better than fast presentations when light is gone. Night feeders are typically bigger, more cautious fish that strike slower-worked forage.
Where to fish
- Main-Lake Points (Primary) — 8 to 18 feet, drop-offs to 20+ feet nearby · Rock, clay banks, and brush. Points with hard bottom are better than clean sand.
Fall migration pulls bass back toward main-lake structure. Points funnel movement between deep and shallow water. Baitfish concentrate here as they move, and bass set up to feed. - Main-Lake Humps and Brushpiles — 18 to 25 feet with sonar confirmation · Submerged brush, rock, or hard bottom. Isolated humps that rise from deeper flats are best.
Midday deep refuge when light is harshest. Brushpiles hold concentrated groups of bass. Sonar is essential because not all good-looking map spots hold fish. Electronics let you avoid empty water. - Secondary Points Inside Creek Arms — 6 to 15 feet, with access to deeper channel water · Any point facing the main channel, especially with brush or rock.
These are staging areas where bass hold before moving shallow to feed. Shad are pushing from the rivers toward the main lake, and secondary points intercept them. Morning and late-day transition fishing. - Shallow Shoals and Rockpiles — 4 to 12 feet, no deep-water prerequisite · Rock, clay outcrops, and vegetation. Any cover visible or detected.
Evening topwater window. As light fades bass slide shallow aggressively. Shoals and rocks concentrate bass and trigger reaction strikes. Shallow coverage hunting when bass are most aggressive.
What to throw
- Rapala DT10 or DT16 Crankbait — 2 to 3 in · Chrome or natural shad · n/a (Early morning and late afternoon on points in 8 to 15 feet)
Cast and crank steady, deflecting off structure. Start shallow and step deeper. - Zoom Super Fluke — 4 in · Pearl, natural shad, or smoke · 1/4 oz (jighead) (Morning through late afternoon at all depths, secondary points and midday humps)
Cast and flutter with 1/4-oz jighead. Let it fall, twitch it, pause, repeat. Work with longer pauses early and shorter pauses as light strengthens. - Football Jig with Craw Trailer — Jig 3/8 oz, trailer 3 to 4 in · Brown, junebug, or peanut butter and jelly · 3/8 oz (Midday on humps and brushpiles in 18 to 25 feet)
Hop along the bottom with 1 to 2-foot hops. Pause between hops and maintain bottom contact. Let the bait work vertically more than horizontally. - Buzzbait (white or black) — n/a · White or black · 1/2 oz (Evening from 5:30 PM until dark on shallow points and shoals)
Cast and burn it. Cover water fast with constant blade rotation. Work it over shallow structure, rock, and brush. - Jerkbait (unweighted soft plastic or hard bait) — 3 to 4 in · Pearl, chrome, or junebug · 1/4 oz (jighead if soft plastic) (All light periods, especially morning and dusk on points)
Twitch and pause. Early and late in the day use shorter pauses. Afternoon switch to longer pauses of 3 to 5 seconds between twitches.
How to work it
- Point Rotation — Early morning (7:30 to 9:00 AM) and late afternoon into dusk (3:00 PM to 7:15 PM) · Primary points on the main lake with clear drop-offs to 20+ feet and secondary points inside creek arms
Run a planned rotation of 4 to 6 main-lake points. Hit each point early, skip it during midday, and return late afternoon. Cover the shallow crown with topwater or crankbait, then work deeper edges. - Sonar-Verified Structure — Midday when you transition to deep-water hunting · Main-lake humps and brushpiles in 18 to 25 feet
Before fishing any hump or brushpile in deep water, use forward-facing or traditional sonar to confirm fish and bait are actually there. Don't rely on map spots that look good but show no marks. - Depth Stacking — Morning and early afternoon when fish are in transition zones · Points with gradual to moderate drop-offs into 20+ feet of water
Start shallow on a point (6 to 8 feet) and make progressively deeper casts, stepping down to 15 to 18 feet. Repeat the same path three times, adjusting your retrieve speed and pause length as you go deeper. - Fluke Hover Technique — Morning and early afternoon when bass are staging at mid-depth · Secondary points and channel-facing structure in 8 to 15 feet
Cast a fluke 10 to 15 feet beyond your target, let it sink to the desired depth, then work it with short jerks and extended pauses. Count it down to match the depth of fish marks on sonar.
Pro tips
- Drop-shot your fluke on critical secondary points and creek-channel ledges. Use a 1/4-oz dropshot weight about 12 inches below the hook and fish the fluke just above bottom. This setup catches suspended fish that crankbaits miss and is deadly from 9 AM through 2 PM when bass are reluctant strikers.
- Watch for baitfish activity. If you see shad pushing in the creek arms or herring schooling on a main-lake point, that is your signal to reset there immediately. Bass will be nearby. Early fall is when bait migration becomes visible, and following the forage pattern beats blind structure hunting.
- Use a long leader on crankbaits in clear water. A 2 to 3-foot fluorocarbon leader from your mainline will reduce visibility and improve connection rate on points where bass can examine your bait closely. Fall clarity is still high, so leader choice matters.
If conditions change
If the pressure continues to fall before a front and clouds thicken, fishing should only get better through midday. Extend your morning window an hour later and fish more aggressively all day. If the front arrives and pressure rises with clearing skies and cold air, downsize immediately to 1/4-oz jigs and drop shots on deep structure. Fish slower and tighter to cover, picking apart brushpiles vertically. The topwater window will compress to early morning only. If a strong wind arrives from the north, shift to wind-blown main-lake points and shoals where bait gets pushed and bass feed more aggressively. If water clarity drops from stain or runoff, switch to darker jerkbaits (junebug, black) and wider-thumping crankbaits, and stay shallower where visibility helps bass find your bait. If clarity stays high and sun is bright, fish deeper and use smaller baits with longer pauses.
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