Clarks Hill on the Savannah River is also a long-term producer for largemouth bass. The long-term drought has had an effect on the water level to be sure. That changed some of specific structures where largemouths have been caught, since some of those prime spots have been high and dry for a while. However, the fishery as a whole continues to be excellent. You'll just have to locate new areas until the lake returns to normal. With luck, it will get to full pool range and stay there this year.

One factor to consider here, and at many lakes, is until the water levels return to normal, there will be much more potential to run into submerged hazards. Some guides on the lake have had to re-learn travel routes because of the water.

But this also opens up unlimited possibilities for finding largemouth haunts that have not been fished heavily by others.

The basic patterns where bass are typically found have not changed at Clarks Hill. The creeks and rivers are usually tops during the spring season. Dingy water is more prevalent here and the water temperatures rise quicker. As the warm weather progresses, the better action seems to be closer to the main river channel. Points, humps and channel edges are prime summer and fall haunts for largemouth bass. Working worm rigs, vertically jigging spoons and ultra-deep crankbaits will produce.

One underappreciated opportunity at this bass fishery is nocturnal fishing during the midsummer through early autumn. Some of the biggest bass of the year are caught at night during this month. Some fish will be caught quite shallow and noisy topwater lures can be very effective. Worm rigs, jigs and plastic trailers and spinnerbaits are also very effective on the bass after dark.

An Upstate lake that consistently produces excellent largemouth fishing is Lake Greenwood. Greenwood is absolutely loaded with threadfin shad for forage and, according to many largemouth anglers, the bass here are fat and feisty.

The entire lake can be good throughout the year, but the upper half of the lake seems to be good consistently throughout the year. If there is "normal" rainfall, the water flow through the lake keeps good bass action year 'round. The Saluda and Reedy river arms of the lake are both chock-full of shallow-water cover for largemouths. The largemouths will sometimes school on the shad in the coves and pockets by mid to late March and then throughout the spring and early summer.

During the very early part of the year and again in the heat of summer, some local bass anglers advise visitors to think like crappie fishermen and work the brush. However, during the summer, the lake can stratify and create conditions that cause largemouths to hold in shallower depths than you might think they'd be feeding in. Again, this can vary from year to year based on weather and rainfall patterns. But it can pay to keep in mind that not all the excellent bass fishing will necessarily be in deep water at Lake Greenwood during hot weather.

A few anglers will work topwater lures, such as Jitterbugs, at night along the docks, stumps, logs and fallen trees in the abundant shallow-water cover on the upper end of the lake. This is a great big-fish technique. You may not get many bites, but you can load on a big bass at any time when slow reeling a big Jitterbug.

Because of the abundance of shad and the good shallow-water cover, crankbaits are another excellent choice for most of the year.