SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2026 · CLARKS HILL (J. STROM THURMOND LAKE)
Fall shad movement firing the creek bite, points and main-lake structure holding the better fish in 72-degree water before the front rolls in.
WATER 72°FAIR 74°FWIND 7 MPH SSEASON FALLPOOL -4.8 FT
October is transition month on Clarks Hill, and right now the lake is in its sweet spot. Water sitting at 72 degrees is comfortable and bass are feeding with purpose. The shad are moving up into the creek arms as they start their fall migration, and that bait pull is dragging largemouth shallow and deep depending on the time of day and the light. Pool is down 4.8 feet, which means every creek is compacted and easier to read. The pressure is dropping ahead of some weather, so they're chewing now, and the full cloud cover keeps the light soft all day, which can stretch the bite. When the front blows through later tonight, that bite will shut down hard, but today you want to be on the water and covering water.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:31 AM to 9:00 AM
back of shallow creeks, 4-8 feet, focus rock, wood and any irregular bottom where shad collect
Crock-O-Gator buzzbait in white or black, 3/8 oz, cast tight to cover and rip it over the surface with fast, steady retrieve. Once schooling stops, switch to a Zoom Super Fluke in pearl or herring color, 4 inch, on a 1/8 oz jighead, work it slow and let it fall through 6-10 feet.
This is when shad push shallow in the creeks and largemouth chase them to the surface. The dark sky and overcast conditions keep the bass willing to hunt in shallow water longer than bright sun would allow. Buzzbaits cover water fast and trigger reaction strikes. When the surface bite fades, the fluke picks up fish that are suspending and feeding below the schoolers.
MORNING · 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
mid-creek points and inside bends, 8-15 feet, work the channel swings where creeks bend and drop to deeper water
Rapala DT10 crankbait in shad colors, 10 feet, cast across the transition and retrieve steadily with a pause and twitch on the fall. Follow up with a Texas-rigged Zoom Trick Worm, 6 inch, dark green pumpkin or black, 1/4 oz, dragged through the same zone tight on the bottom.
As the sun climbs the bass slide out and hold on structure that has good depth access. The jerkbait covers suspended fish and those just off bottom. The crankbait depth matches where the shad funnel as they move in and out. The cloud cover means they stay a bit shallower and more aggressive than a bright-sky morning would.
MIDDAY · 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM
main-lake points and rock humps, 12-22 feet, target anywhere with hard bottom or brush adjacent to deep water channel
Greenfish Tackle football jig with a 3/8 oz head, peanut butter and jelly or junebug color, paired with a crawdad trailer, hop it along the bottom with short lifts and pauses. Alternate with a Zoom Ol' Monster 6 inch worm, plum and apple, rigged Texas style, 1/4 oz, dragged and shaken slowly.
Once the sun gets high, largemouth pull out to deeper structure even on an overcast day. Points and humps are where the shad school up and where the bass congregate to feed. The football jig handles bottom contact and irregular terrain better than a round head. The slow, deliberate presentation works because the fish are grouped up and feeding but not chasing. The two-hour solunar minor at 2:02 PM can lift the bite, so stay on these deeper spots through the window.
LATE AFTERNOON · 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
mid-creek flats adjacent to channel, 6-12 feet, work transitional areas between shallow pockets and main creek body
Zoom Super Fluke, 4 inch, pearl or white, 1/8 oz jighead, cast and let it fall on semi-slack line through the water column, working it with subtle twitches. Follow with a 4 inch Trick Worm on a shaky head, 1/8 oz, if the fluke doesn't connect.
The fluke imitates small herring or shad, and this time of year that's the primary forage. As the afternoon wears on, more shad are pushed into the creeks by larger forage chasing them, and the largemouth follow. The water clarity stays reasonable, so natural colors work better than dark or bright profiles. The cloud cover and the two-hour solunar minor at 7:25 PM starting near dusk mean the bite can stay decent through this window if you stay methodical and work structure.
EVENING · 4:30 PM to 6:15 PM
back into shallow creeks, 3-8 feet, any wood, brush or rock cover in pockets and along banks
Crock-O-Gator buzzbait, white or chartreuse, 3/8 oz, thrown around all cover and fished with a steady retrieve and occasional pause. If the buzzbait produces, stay with it. If not, switch to a walking topwater like a Rapala Skitter Walk, black or white, 5.5 inch, fished with a side-to-side twitch over the same areas.
The shad are moving back up into the pockets during the afternoon and early evening as they settle for the night. Largemouth follow them shallow to feed. The overcast sky and the approaching evening mean the light stays soft and the bass stay aggressive shallow longer than they would on a bluebird day. The buzzbait is a covering-water bait that lets you hit multiple pockets fast.
DUSK · 6:15 PM to 7:00 PM (sunset)
creek channels and banks with shade, 4-10 feet, position near timber, docks or shaded steep banks
Texas-rigged Zoom Trick Worm, 6 inch, dark green pumpkin or black, 1/4 oz, cast and worked slow along structure edges with steady bottom contact. Work the banks methodically.
As light fades, largemouth in the creeks become bolder and hold tighter to cover and structure edges. The dark lure profile is easier for them to track in low light. The pressure is dropping before the front, so they're still feeding but becoming more selective about staying right on something tangible. This is often the last solid window before the bite gets complicated.
NIGHT · 7:00 PM onward
stay on main-lake structure or creek channels in 15-25 feet, suspend off bottom with electronics if available
If continuing after dark, switch to a 1/2 oz blade bait like a Hopkins, silver or chartreuse, worked vertically with lift and drop on the bottom in creek ditches, or a Zoom Trick Worm on a jig fished in the same manner. Retrieve slowly and work the same depth band.
After dark, bass relating to baitfish can continue to feed, but the pattern becomes more technical and electronics matter. The approaching weather front means conditions are already changing, and night fishing requires electronics to stay efficient. If you choose to fish night, focus ditches or deep creek channels where baitfish hold and bass position. Most anglers will call it and prepare for tomorrow after the front clears.
Where to fish
- Back-creek pockets and shallow banks — 3-8 feet · wood, brush, rock, shaded banks and any irregular bottom where shad collect
Shad push shallow in fall to feed and rest, and largemouth chase them here at dawn and dusk. The lower water level concentrates bait and fish in predictable pockets. - Mid-creek points and channel transitions — 8-15 feet · inside bends where the creek channel narrows, hard-bottom transitions, rock and brush adjacent to the deeper channel
Largemouth stage here mid-morning through late afternoon as shad move between shallow pockets and deeper water. The structure funnels bait and creates natural ambush zones. - Main-lake points and rock humps — 12-22 feet · hard bottom, rock, brush piles, anything with vertical relief adjacent to the main channel
This is where the bulk of the largemouth school in fall as water cools into the comfortable feeding range. Points and humps intercept shad and hold larger concentrations of fish. Main-lake structure is more reliable for consistent numbers and size than creek fish.
What to throw
- Crock-O-Gator buzzbait — n/a · white or black · 3/8 oz (Early morning and evening when shad are shallow in creeks and bass are chasing.)
Cast tight to cover and rip fast over the surface with steady retrieve and occasional pauses, or slow it through brush. - Zoom Super Fluke — 4 in · pearl, herring, or white · 1/8 oz (on jighead) (Morning through afternoon, when bass are suspending in creeks and on main-lake structure.)
Cast and let it fall on semi-slack line with subtle twitches, or work it with slow drag on the bottom. - Rapala DT10 crankbait — n/a · shad, chartreuse, or pearl · n/a (Morning and midday on mid-creek points and channel transitions.)
Steady retrieve with occasional pause and twitch on the fall to work transitions and drop-offs. - Greenfish Tackle football jig — n/a · peanut butter and jelly or junebug · 3/8 oz (Midday on deep main-lake points and rock humps.)
Hop along the bottom with short lifts and pauses, or drag it slowly with occasional shakes over irregular bottom. - Zoom Trick Worm — 6 in · dark green pumpkin or black · 1/4 oz (Texas rigged) (Morning, midday, and dusk on all structure types.)
Drag along the bottom with steady contact and occasional lifts, or twitch it slowly along edges and cover.
How to work it
- Creek coverage rotation — All day, following the predictable shad movement cycle and light intensity. · Shallow creek pockets to mid-creek points to main-lake structure and back.
Start shallow at first light with buzzbaits and surface baits in the backs of creeks, then follow the shad movement out to mid-creek points and channel transitions as light increases, then rotate back shallow in the evening. - Bottom contact dragging — Midday through late afternoon when bass are grouped on deeper structure. · Main-lake points, rock humps, and channel transitions in 12-22 feet.
Cast a football jig or Texas-rigged worm and work it slowly along the bottom with steady drag punctuated by pauses and short lifts to trigger strikes from bottom-oriented fish. - Fluke fall technique — Morning through late afternoon when suspended fish are feeding on falling baitfish. · Mid-creek points, channel swings, and transitions in 8-15 feet.
Cast the fluke to structure, engage the reel and let it fall on semi-slack line, working it with subtle twitches and pauses as it descends through the water column.
Pro tips
- The pressure is dropping into the front, which fires up the bite right now, so prioritize depth and don't waste time on shallow flats during midday. The bass are aggressive and feeding heavy before the cold air and rising pressure arrive.
- Keep two rods rigged at all times: one buzzbaits or topwater, one fluke or jig. When you sight-cast to schooling fish or working cover, you can switch instantly without fumbling. Fall shad schooling is visual, so eyes in the water matter as much as the rod.
- The full cloud cover is a gift today. It keeps the light soft and the bass willing to hunt shallow and aggressive all morning. Once the front clears tonight and the skies brighten, the pattern shifts hard to deeper structure and slower presentations.
If conditions change
If the front accelerates and cold air moves in faster than expected, abandon shallow creeks and drop straight to deep main-lake points in 18-25 feet. Downsize to a 1/8 oz shaky head with a dark worm and crawl it slowly. If clouds break and sun pours through mid-morning, the bite will contract deeper than planned, so accelerate your rotation to main-lake structure and stay bottom-focused. If the wind picks up and shifts north or west, look for wind-blown banks on the north shore where bait gets pushed and accumulates. If water clarity drops from rain runoff in the upper creeks, switch to dark silhouette lures (black, junebug) and maximize vibration with blade baits and wide-blade spinnerbaits instead of finesse baits.
FISH THIS REPORT ON CLARKS HILL (J. STROM THURMOND LAKE)
Find more fish. A fresh guide report like this for covered lakes every day · free account