I've been thinking about taking my son to Jocassee this week, renting some kayaks, and fishing for largemouth and smallmouth. Has anyone fished there lately? Any particular spots we should try?

 

We'll be launching from Devil's Fork State Park.

 

We are also considering Table Rock State Park (SC), Paris Mountain State Park (SC), and Croft State Park (SC).  These are the easiest places for us in the SC upstate to rent kayaks.

I have went twice in the last month. In the middle of June the fishing was great. The spawn was ending for largemouth at that time. My biggest was a 6-4 caught near the last set of ramps in Devils Fork. I went last week and it was a bit more difficult. There are still some fish out there but not as easy to catch numbers. I had the best bites in deeper water off of points. I would recommend putting in at the last of the day use ramps and fish that area. If you have to start at the kayak rental area. The stretch on the opposite side of the main ramp between “the villas” and what appears to be private residences was also productive. 

4 minutes ago, JS Patterson said:

I have went twice in the last month. In the middle of June the fishing was great. The spawn was ending for largemouth at that time. My biggest was a 6-4 caught near the last set of ramps in Devils Fork. I went last week and it was a bit more difficult. There are still some fish out there but not as easy to catch numbers. I had the best bites in deeper water off of points. I would recommend putting in at the last of the day use ramps and fish that area. If you have to start at the kayak rental area. The stretch on the opposite side of the main ramp between “the villas” and what appears to be private residences was also productive. 

Thanks for the info. One area that seems interesting is the three forks on the NW side of the lake. There are a lot of points in that area where bass may come up to feed from the depths. But it's 3.5+ miles from the launch and with a kayak rental I'd like to spend more time fishing than paddling.

One of my most favorite lakes EVERRRR! And one awesome hidden gem in the southeast. 

 

Just up from the rental shack and past the campground, fishing is excellent! Bad Creek pushes and pulls often, that current turns the fish on and off like a switch. Paddle out to the bigger water and fish the blowdowms near deep water and look for the natural current breaks.

Blowdowns with green on them are your better option. Use Wacky, Neko, Ned and Dropshot technique. Watermelon red flake work great. Add some Chartreuse to trigger more of the smallmouth bite.

My favorite is a 1/8oz. Lifted Jigs EWG Ned with a Strike King NED Cut-R with a chartresuse dipped tail. Toss around the blowdowns/cover paying attention to direction of current based on Bad Creek pumping or dam pulling. They destroy it on the fall in 8-15'. Watch your line. Dropshot on the points and shear contours in 15-40'. I like nose hooked Fluke Jr. in Baitfish color on drop shot. Yum Warn Shot in watermelon red work great too. Great large and smallmouth just around the corner on the Bad Creek arm. Good and close for kayak work.

 

A small Keitech 2.8" in Electric Blue/Chartreuse, Sight Flash or Morning Dawn on 1/8oz. Megabass Okashira Screw Head or 3/16oz Dirty Jigs Guppy head, both with 3/0 hooks also work great. Very versatile and will catch ALL species of fish from 1' to 40'. 

If I could only carry one spinning rod and limited tackle, this would be my #1 for that impoundment. 

 

HAVE FUN!

23 hours ago, 00bullitt said:

One of my most favorite lakes EVERRRR! And one awesome hidden gem in the southeast.

 

Thanks, I may give that a try in the future. We passed on Jocassee and fished Croft and Table Rock State Parks instead. Fished the SC Lowcountry this weekend and will be kayaking on Lake Robinson later this week.

On 7/27/2020 at 5:27 PM, Koz said:

 

Thanks, I may give that a try in the future. We passed on Jocassee and fished Croft and Table Rock State Parks instead. Fished the SC Lowcountry this weekend and will be kayaking on Lake Robinson later this week.

Went again yesterday and had a good day. Water temps are up to 78-82 now. Still cool considering surrounding lakes are 89-92. Started the day up the Taxway (big river arm) and got into some good Largemouth on buzzbaits, popping frogs, fluke and a 6th Sense Catwalk and then big football jigs and magnum shaky heads with Magnum Trick Worms when the surface bite quit. The LM were all something you would want to weight in for a tournament! The bite slowed and I got hungry. Found some shade and ate lunch then rode around and graphed some new stuff and marked some new waypoints to try. Then headed back towards Bad Creek. Jocassee is just absolutely amazing! Having the gas power to get around and see what the entire lake has to offer is unreal!

I learned something yesterday about Bad Creek that may be consistent every time they generate; I've just never spent the amount of time there that I did yesterday. They sound a loud 20 second horn before moving water, so its audible and heard far off. So it seems they pull from Jocassee/pump up to Bad Creek first for about 2.5 hours and then they reverse and release back into Jocassee. If you fish near the station long enough, you actually see the current change directions unannounced. Never knew this. I could not fish some of my normal favorite spots due to all the kayak and SUP traffic near the bank up towards Devil's Fork so I moved down closer to Bad Creek starting just off the big point for the arm in. Glad I did, fishing was good. I did not get a single fish out of the blow downs and mind you there are a ton. I pulled fish out mere feet off the bank where trees overhung 15-25' of water. The key was rocky transitions under those trees and anywhere water flowed in from the hills (you can hear it when you get close). I was skipping Ned Rigs and finesse jigs under the trees and slack lining for a straight fall. Watching my line for subtle changes. I will tell you, you will feel a ton of bites; its the aggressive bream attacking your lure. They have little man syndrome and will annihilate your plastic. I was throwing the Ned rig but the bream were stripping the plastic off the hook, even with it super glued. I was catching some 12-13" spots pretty consistent on the Ned but the bream were becoming annoying. Bream peck and feel very erratic. Spotted Bass just sort of inhale the bait and hold it. sometimes they swim off and its easy to see and sometimes you just feel the weight and if you pull to hard without setting the hook, they spit it out.  Also got two small perch on the Ned; gorgeous fish. Might be fun to use an ultralight to fish for the bream. Some of them looked HUGE! I changed to a 1/2 ounce Keitech Tungsten Football Jig (Dark Green Pumpkin with a Morning Dawn Strike King Ned Bug as a trailer - nice contrast). The bite for bigger fish really turned on with this change and I was able to fish water faster. Size of the Spotted Bass were all 15" or better on the jig; biggest being 3#. Smallmouth were not hitting yesterday. Caught one small one on a 2.8" Keitech swim bait (Blue/Chartreuse) on an Okashira Screw Head in some large chunk rock in about 10' of water; that was it. When the current changed yesterday about 5pm, it seemed like the bite turned off in the pockets, so I got up closer to the generators and the current was kicking. Fish were lighting up the graph. The little Keitech fished just before the rip rap started getting crushed; granted nothing of any noteworthy size, but quantity. I would point the boat towards the generator and cast back and let out line to give it a bit of depth and then just held it in the current. Every now and again, a twitch of the rod tip and they would pounce on it. Now, granted, I was in a bass boat with a trolling motor, so this may not be as easy in a paddle craft. The current could move my 20' boat at 1.9mph. I was at 40% trolling motor power to hold the boat. 

Skies were blue and clear most of the day, but a front was moving in and the thunder was rocking so it was a comin! I took out at about 1900 and the storm was picking up and the lightning at the ramp was scary.  A bass tournament was blasting off as I was trying to take out at the main Devil's Fork ramp. Kinda surprised given the severity of the lightning.

 

Anyway, hope this helps. The baits mentioned are not a must. Many similar will work just fine. A tube or small jig worm or a small shaky head would all be worth trying. Seems sub 4" plastics do best near bad creek. The fall on the presentation is key. Heck, I kinda wish I woulda threw a nail weighted wacky rig (Neko) now.

 

On 7/13/2020 at 7:00 PM, Koz said:

Thanks for the info. One area that seems interesting is the three forks on the NW side of the lake. There are a lot of points in that area where bass may come up to feed from the depths. But it's 3.5+ miles from the launch and with a kayak rental I'd like to spend more time fishing than paddling.

With a kayak in the back of the truck, look for a place to launch that's closer. You don't have to worry about a trailer.

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

With a kayak in the back of the truck, look for a place to launch that's closer. You don't have to worry about a trailer.

That would be OK if I owned a truck instead of a Genesis Coupe. ?

2 hours ago, Koz said:

That would be OK if I owned a truck instead of a Genesis Coupe. ?

Have the kayak rental company meet you closer the the desired fishing spot. They may have some good ideas.

I appreciate the local insights.  I'm researching and thinking about potential seasonal retirement spots and this one's fairly high on the list.