Photo by Ron Sinfelt

The 4 a.m. beeping seems intrusive for a moment, but it doesn't take long for an avid angler to figure out what the clock is saying. It's a spring Saturday, and the forecast calls for sunshine and high 70s. The bass should be shallow and active, eager to slurp down a chartreuse and white spinnerbait. The angler eagerly pops out of bed.

Bass bite year 'round, but the spring is special. The big bass move shallow this time of year, increasing an angler's opportunity to hook into a hawg. At the same time, fish generally become more aggressive. Because spring is prime time for bass fishing, it's logical to take a look at the state's bass-fishing picture and highlight some of the waterways that are likely to serve up the best action this year. These waters, which are scattered throughout the state, are widely varied in character and size and in the types of experiences they serve up.

LAKE TUGALO
Tucked between mountains in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, Lake Tugalo is a hidden gem. Most bass fishermen know little about this 600-acre lake, and some who do know about it never visit because of motor restrictions and challenging fishing. However, serious anglers should not discount this little lake, which produces some seriously big bass.

Year after year, when biologists conduct electrofishing samples on this beautiful lake, they bring to the surface a disproportionate number of heavyweight largemouths, usually with some 10-pound-plus fish in the mix. Traditionally, Tugalo has been strictly a trophy lake, with low numbers of bass overall and even lower catch rates because of challenges created by its mountainous character. However, recruitment has been good in recent years, and Tugalo now supports a good population of smaller largemouths to complement its big bass.

Impounding the Tugaloo River (seems a river and lake built on it would have the same spellings, but they don't) just downstream of the confluence of the Tallulah and Chattooga rivers, Lake Tugalo is clear and steep sided. In fact, the upper end of the Tallulah River arm is truly canyonlike. The lake's shores are completely undeveloped and boating traffic stays modest because of a 25-horsepower limitation on outboards. Hundreds of downed trees stretch into the lake, along the main channel and coves alike.

The best bass fishing, generally speaking, occurs in the upper third or so of the lake's Chattooga River arm. The sides of coves also yield good bass action at times. Small offerings that imitate blueback herring will produce big bass.

As a bonus on Lake Tugalo, anglers may hook into any number of species. In addition to South Carolina's typical warmwater mix, Lake Tugalo supports walleyes, yellow perch, redeye bass and rainbow and brown trout. Brown trout, which sometimes reach several pounds, serve up real surprises when they nab bass lures. The reciprocal licensing agreement between Georgia and South Carolina applies on Lake Tugalo, which straddles the state line.

LAKE HARTWELL
Flood conditions in 2003 following four years of low water on the Savannah River lakes created an abundance of freshly flooded cover in shallow water. One result on Lake Hartwell was an outstanding spawn. The fish that spawned in '03 are now 2 years old, so largemouth catch rates should be very high this year.

Making things even more interesting, the abundance of 3-pound fish in last spring's shocking samples was higher than it had been in recent years. That means anglers can look for a good mix of quality bass with the very abundant 2-year-old fish.