By Preston Harden
Water Level-4 feet below full pool. Water Temp.-51 degrees
February can be a tough month. Most game fish don’t eat much as their metabolism slows. When the water temperature drops below 48 degrees, the only good option is crappie. Crappie will eat, no matter how cold the water gets. There are many ways to catch crappie. First, you have to fish where the crappie are which is sometimes 15 to 30 feet deep. Small crappie minnow work great and a slip float works to get the minnow to the depth the crappie are holding. Slow trolling small crappie jigs also catch lots of crappie. I like to work a 1/32 oz. Jig in the shade of a dock or a bridge. I work the jig very slow on 4 lb. Test line. The bite will be subtle and hard to detect. Sometimes the line goes slack as they feed up. Crappie are my favorite fish to eat in Lake Hartwell. They taste best when the water is cold.
As we get toward late February, the water can get warmer in the backs of the creeks and, usually, the biggest stripers get active first.
If you fish in February, be mindful of hypothermia. I always wear a PFD when I am alone. Hypothermia will set in quickly so have a plan to get back in the boat with wet clothes that may feel like you are wearing weights.
Preston Harden / Bucktail Guide Service / 706-255-5622 / bucktailguideservice.com