SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026 · CLARKS HILL (J. STROM THURMOND LAKE)
Fall transition bite on points and brushpiles as the pressure drops and water cools into the comfort zone.
WATER 76°FAIR 65°FWIND 11 MPH ENESEASON FALLPOOL -4.8 FT
October on Clarks Hill is when the summer deepwater pattern starts to fracture and bass begin their slide back to shallower fall structure. The water's still warm enough to support aggressive feeding but cool enough that fish are willing to chase, and the pressure dropping ahead of weather pushes them to feed harder right now. Lake's sitting about five feet low, so every piece of structure you see on the map sits shallower than it's charted. The water's clear, which means they'll see your lure from farther away but also means they'll scrutinize it, so match the natural baitfish profile and don't oversell it. With full cloud cover and a breeze, the shallow bite can stay active longer into the day than it would under bluebird sun. This is a rotation pattern: hit the points early with reaction baits while there's still low light, then work the offshore brushpiles as the sun climbs and fish slide deeper seeking comfort and oxygen.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Main-lake points 8 to 15 feet deep, especially those with hard bottom and adjacent brush or rock
Rapala DT10 or DT16 crankbait in shad or chrome, cranked steady so it ticks bottom and rock; cast from 20 feet out and work it across the point crown and down the slope.
The first light window before the sun climbs high gives you the best reaction bite on the point. Bass are still positioned shallow from overnight feeding and the crankbait triggers them before they think too hard. Chrome and shad work because they match the herring and shad bass have been chasing, and the ticking on bottom keeps fish interested even when they're not hungry.
MORNING · 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Same main-lake points, working deeper: focus on the 12 to 20 foot band off the point slope.
Zoom Super Fluke in pearl, natural shad, or smoke rigged on a light jighead, pitched to any brush or rock and worked with a flutter-drop cadence.
As the sun gets higher, fish slide off the shallow crown and suspend or drop to structure below. The fluke matches the herring they've been feeding on, and the flutter-drop mimics a dying or injured baitfish falling. This is a covering-water game, so work through multiple brushpiles on the same point rather than sitting on one.
MIDDAY · 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Offshore brushpiles and humps in 18 to 25 feet, located via sonar on the main lake or the mouth of creek systems.
Greenfish Tackle football jig with a peanut-butter-and-jelly or watermelon trailer, 3/4 oz, worked with a slow drag and controlled hops right on bottom.
By midday the sun is bright and the better fish have dropped to the comfort of deeper water and shade. The football jig holds bottom in the breeze and keeps the bait in the strike zone. You are fishing deeper now because the structure that held fish shallow this morning is now too exposed. Offshore brushpiles near the river channel are your best bet. This is a patience game, not a covering-water game.
LATE AFTERNOON · 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Creek mouths and secondary points inside the creek systems, 10 to 18 feet, looking for any brush or hard-bottom staging areas.
Zoom Super Fluke in pearl or natural shad, lighter weight 1/4 oz jighead, cast and let it glide through the zone with minimal retrieve.
As the afternoon builds, baitfish start migrating into the creeks, which means bass follow. The creek mouths become staging areas. The lighter fluke fishes shallower and slower than the midday jig, matching the more cautious bite as midday pressure sets in. Fish are less aggressive than morning but still willing to chase if the bait is easy.
EVENING · 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Shallow flats and first-drop banks inside the creek arms, 6 to 12 feet, where cover like docks, overhanging trees, and timber meet open water.
Crock-O-Gator or Rico popper in white or black, cast to cover and worked with sharp pops and pauses to create disturbance.
As the sun angle drops and cloud cover holds the light softer, the shallow bite can extend. The pressure is falling and bass feel more willing to move shallow. Poppers trigger reaction strikes because of the commotion, and the white and black silhouettes stand out even in the reduced light. Focus on any piece of overhead cover or a hard edge between shallow and deep water.
DUSK · 6:30 PM to 7:02 PM (sunset)
The shallowest you found fish all day: flats, dock pilings, weedy banks, and brush edges in 4 to 10 feet.
Zoom Horny Toad in watermelon or green pumpkin, worked slowly across the flats with a steady retrieve, or a Berkley Choppo buzzbait in black, run shallow and fast through any cover.
The last 30 minutes before dark is when aggressive bass make their final move shallow to feed before settling in for the night. The Horny Toad imitates a bluegill, and the buzzbait creates disturbance. In low light, bass hunt more by feel and vibration than sight, so movement matters more than exact color matching. A solunar minor occurs at 6:56 PM, right at the tail end of this window, which can trigger one last feeding push.
NIGHT · 7:02 PM onward
No targeting after dark on Clarks Hill; move to location, rest, or prep for the next morning.
N/A
Night fishing for largemouth is not a standard pattern here. If you are staying over, use the evening to scout sonar on tomorrow's points and brushpiles so you arrive with a game plan at first light.
Where to fish
- Main-Lake Points — 8 to 20 feet · Hard clay or gravel bottom with adjacent brush, rock, or timber. Points adjacent to river channels are best.
Points are natural highways for bass moving between shallow and deep water. In fall, they stage on the point slope as they transition from shallow overnight feeding to deep midday comfort. The hard bottom and brush combination makes them prime holding spots, and they remain productive all day. - Offshore Brushpiles and Humps — 18 to 25 feet · Submerged timber, planted brush, or natural humps with hard-bottom composition. Located via sonar on the main lake and river mouths.
By midday when light is bright, bass retreat to deep structure where water is cooler and oxygen levels are better. Brushpiles on humps provide shade and ambush points, and the depth gives bass a sense of security. These are where the better quality fish stage, especially as the pressure drops and they prepare for an active afternoon bite. - Creek-Mouth Staging Areas — 10 to 18 feet · Secondary points and drop-offs inside creek arms where structure transitions from shallow flats to deeper channels. Hard bottom staging zones adjacent to creeks.
As afternoon progresses, baitfish (herring and shad) begin moving into the creeks, drawing bass behind them. Creek mouths are natural funnels where fish stage before committing into the creek arms. This becomes a prime spot in late afternoon as the migration accelerates. - Shallow Flats and Dock Areas — 4 to 12 feet · Flats with vegetation, dock pilings, overhanging trees, and brush banks. Any transition from shallow to deeper water is good.
These are dusk and low-light zones where bass move shallow to feed. The overhead cover and hard edges provide ambush points for aggressive feeding bass as light fades. In October with cloud cover and a falling barometer, this pattern can stay active longer than normal.
What to throw
- Rapala DT10 or DT16 Crankbait — 2.5 in (DT10) or 2 in (DT16) · Chrome or shad patterns · Typically 3/8 to 1/2 oz depending on model (Early morning light over shallow points (8 to 15 feet).)
Cast from 20 feet and crank steady so the bait ticks bottom and structure; cover the point crown and the slope methodically, not erratically. - Zoom Super Fluke — 4.5 in · Pearl, natural shad, or smoke · Rigged on 1/4 to 3/8 oz jighead depending on depth (Mid-morning through late afternoon as fish stage at different depths on points and drop-offs.)
Pitch to cover, let it flutter on the drop, then work it with a lift-and-glide rhythm. Pause and let it fall naturally between retrieves. - Greenfish Tackle Football Jig — N/A · Peanut-butter-and-jelly or watermelon · 3/4 oz (Midday over deep brushpiles and humps in 18 to 25 feet.)
Drag it slowly along bottom with controlled hops, working it through brushpiles and around structure. Feel for contact and work the cover methodically. - Crock-O-Gator Buzzbait — N/A · White or black · Typically 1/2 to 5/8 oz depending on blade configuration (Evening as light fades and bass move shallow (4:30 PM to dusk).)
Cast to cover and run it shallow with sharp pops and pauses. Keep the blade spinning just at or above the water surface to create surface disturbance. - Zoom Horny Toad — 4 in · Watermelon or green pumpkin · Typically fished weightless or on a small tungsten nail weight to control depth (Dusk over shallow flats and weedy banks (6:30 PM to sunset).)
Cast to shallow cover and retrieve slowly with a steady, gliding motion. Let it walk through the grass and around docks, pausing occasionally to create a disturbance.
How to work it
- Point-to-Deep Pattern — Early morning through midday. This follows the fish as they slide deeper throughout the day in response to increasing light and water temperature. · Main-lake points with hard bottom, brush, and rock, extending from 8 to 25 feet depth.
Start shallow on the point crown in early light with a crankbait, then shift to suspended presentations (fluke, underspins) as the sun climbs, and finish on deeper brushpiles and structure as the day progresses. - Sight-Fish Shallow Cover — Dusk as light fades, and any time clouds are thick enough to keep shade banks comfortable all day. · Creek arms, dock pilings, and shallow weedy banks in 4 to 12 feet.
Fish any overhead shade (dock pilings, overhanging trees, brush banks) with a popper, Horny Toad, or buzzbait. Cast to the edge and work the bait slowly with pauses to trigger strikes from bass holding in the shade. - Sonar Verification — Midday when fish are stacked on deep offshore structure. Electronics are essential in October because the fish schools are concentrated but scattered, so finding the right pile is faster with sonar. · Offshore brushpiles and humps in 18 to 25 feet, main-lake structure.
Use forward-facing or down-imaging sonar to confirm fish on the brushpiles and humps before committing casts. Once you spot a school, target it methodically with a jig or slow-fished presentation.
Pro tips
- The lake is five feet below full pool, so every piece of offshore structure sits five feet shallower than it's charted. A hummp that maps at 30 feet is actually at 25 feet. This compresses everything shallower, so adjust your depth expectations and watch your sonar closely.
- The pressure is falling ahead of weather, which pushes bass to feed harder and willingness to move. This is a genuine feeding window, not a normal October day. Don't waste time fishing dead areas. Work only structure where you've seen bait or fish on sonar or where bass staged in past falls.
- The full cloud cover extends the low-light bite. You can fish topwater and shallow reaction baits later into the morning and earlier in the evening than you would on a bluebird day. The Dusk and Evening periods can blur together if the clouds stay heavy, so don't shut down at normal dusk times.
If conditions change
If the front rolls in hard and the pressure rises sharply, abandon the point and creek rotation and focus entirely on the thickest brush on the deepest offshore humps. Downsize everything to a 3-inch fluke or shaky head on a light jighead and fish it slowly right on the cover. Stay in one location and milk it rather than covering water. If the wind picks up from the north and the temperature drops, the bite will slow and you may need to extend the morning window by starting earlier and staying on points longer before moving offshore. If the water clears even further, add longer leaders and use more natural colors and smaller profiles. If stain comes in from the upper rivers, switch to chartreuse and white, upsize your baits slightly, and rely more on vibration-heavy presentations like jigs with active trailers and spinnerbaits instead of finesse presentations.
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