If the stained water is the result of a warm rain, then the surface and shallow-water temperature will also make a quick jump upward. This situation may be short-lived, and the fish may retreat again to deeper water once the water chills again, which typically happens after a storm that is followed by a cold front blasting through the area. But it can be a great way to catch some big fish in shallow water if your timing is right.

Typically, there are a good number of largemouths caught in the 4- to 6-pound class at Lake Hartwell. Plus, this is the optimum time of the year to hook into a 9- or 10-pound largemouth as well.

Granted those huge fish are not commonplace, but they aren't common at any time of the year. For whatever reason, even though winter is not prime time to catch large numbers of bass, it is prime time to hook a huge largemouth.

Later on in the spring, as the water does begin to warm steadily, there are other tactics you can successfully use. One is throwing deep-diving crankbaits early and late in the day around points and over humps. A consistent spinnerbait bite will typically begin in February and continues to improve through March.

A final technique that can be employed is the use of live bait. Some of the lake's striper-fishing guides will catch some hawg largemouths using live blueback herring over humps and points during this time of the year. It isn't a widely used tactic for largemouth fishermen, but if using live bait is an option for your style of fishing, it can be very effective. Focus on areas where largemouths congregate, away from the striper and hybrids if possible, and the odds of scoring on a big bass are pretty good.

If the water is clear -- as it usually is during winter -- most local anglers suggest using light line and light lures. A favorite lure of some, in addition to the jig-and-pig combo, is the slider rig. The swimming head jig with a 4-inch grub will entice even big largemouths during this time of the year. This rig will keep the bait close to the bottom and moving slow enough to trigger a reaction by otherwise lethargic largemouths.

LAKE GREENWOOD
There is a lot of diversity in the habitat at Lake Greenwood, from the larger, more open lower end through the more river-like and cover-oriented upper portion. The two major arms of the lake, the Reedy and Saluda river arms, both offer exceptional cold-weather fishing potential as well.

One favored pattern of local largemouth anglers occurs when the water color is slightly turbid. Specifically, they like to work the docks, brush, logs and tree cover in the upper third of the lake. The water depths in this part of the lake are moderate and can be effectively and comfortably fished with a wide variety of angling styles, another positive aspect. While the largemouths are often holding in 10 to 20 feet of water on the humps and points in the lower end of the lake, anglers on the upper end of the lake are more likely to find fish around the many docks and piers there. Since Lake Greenwood is very highly touted as a crappie fishing lake, the potential for finding brush and other woody cover around many of the docks is very high.