Wagner Says Clarks Hill Should be a Power Fishing Beatdown

By Pete Robbins 

 

Since moving the Big Bass Tour event on Clarks Hill consistently to March in 2019, the results have been nothing short of spectacular. It hasn’t taken less than 7.60 pounds to take top honors, and in 2023 it took a whopping 9.49 pounder. Last year there were two in the 8+ class, which pales in comparison to 2021 when there were five of them. Get your heavy line ready, because Elite Series rookie Emil Wagner said that this year’s event will likely be won with shallow water power fishing techniques. 

 

“You could win it with a spinnerbait or a Slobberknocker or a shallow running crankbait,” he said. “Really, just go with whatever your confidence bait is – you don’t have to go crazy thinking about it.” 

He said that by the time the tournament arrives there’s a chance a few bass will be on beds, but most of them should be in a full-blown prespawn pattern. 

 

“The biggest largemouths will typically be shallow, on channel swings heading into spawning bays, or isolated docks next to spawning flats. Look for any shallow hard cover – really anything, including brush, rockpiles, and docks.” 

 

Around docks, he loves to fish Berkley’s Cull Shad swimbait because he said it tends to attract a better class of fish. 

 

He also really likes the Berkley Frittside on those shallow channel swings, as well as the Squarebull when he needs a little more thump. 

 

He believes that the majority of the field will spend the majority of their time in the lower third of the lake, and that anglers shouldn’t be dissuaded by that fact – there’s plenty of water. Nevertheless, he knows that it’s possible to think outside the box, perhaps run far up the river, and catch more unmolested populations of fish. 

 

“The X Factor to think about is if we get a little bit of warm rain,” he added. “That’s when you can really smash ‘em. It can get so stupid. Look for that little bit of color in the water, kind of a milky green color. If you have wind, you can stay in the clearer water, but otherwise that little bit of stain will help.” 

 

He’d also watch the weather trends leading into the tournament carefully – assuming the water temps will be in the mid- to upper-50s, continuous warming would cement his resolve to look shallow. 

 

No matter what happens, be sure to pay attention to the live leaderboard, because Clarks Hill is chock full of 3- to 5-pound bass, and the difference between a good check and a great one is often a simple matter of timing. Furthermore, expect there to be windows of opportunity, so don’t leave a good bite to check on a captured bass that’s not worthy of the effort.