Thread: LAKE SUCESSION

It's full and the water was clear near the dam but I did not go up the lake very far on Sunday

THANK YOU

From what I saw a few years ago this time of the year isn't the time a fisherman would want to be on that lake. WAY too many pleasure boaters out there on that lake now.

Fished it today. Full pond, clear 80 degree water. I was the only one at the 184 ramp when I put in, only one trailer when I pulled out. Didn't see a single jet ski, only a few pontoons, two pleasure boats and one bass boat. Of course it was drizzly this AM and cloudy all day. Most weekdays are very pleasant, the weekends are as gabowman described.

Hey R2, what about the fish??? Any luck. I had just discovered this lake when they drew it down so I've been anxious to come back. I even enjoyed catching the spotted bass after Sinkermaker told me what they were. I would have thought they were largemouth.

Originally Posted by SeaRay

Hey R2, what about the fish??? Any luck. I had just discovered this lake when they drew it down so I've been anxious to come back. I even enjoyed catching the spotted bass after Sinkermaker told me what they were. I would have thought they were largemouth.

The fish are just OK. They seem to be smallish, I think from the draw down. Numbers are OK but that's probably more me than the lake. Thursday was my first time pulling cranks (more on that later in a separate post) and I caught more largemouth than crappie. These were much larger than my previous outings, I think due to pulling cranks.

I love this lake and have fished it exclusively for the last six or seven weeks. The north end is more like a wide river than a lake; when you get down to the dam it's more of a lake. There's loads of cover and structure - lots of humps, holes, points, ledges, standing timber, downed trees and submerged brush piles. It's almost like you're always over something. When it recovers it should be a fish paradise.

So given the just OK fish, why am I loving it? It's close to home but more important to me is, with all the variety of structure and cover, I think it's the perfect place for me learn how to fish. Since it's a small lake I can cover lots of water very fast and learn how things work as seasons change and fish migrate. I've found that hopping around different lakes I was scouting huge bodies of water more than fishing, so I'm sticking with a small body of water that I now feel like I somewhat know. Right now learning is more important than catching - the catching comes later. Oh, it doesn't hurt that I have a friend with a house there that I can hang out with when he's there.

Thanks for the update. A sidenote in case you are interested. This has nothing to do with fishing, but on one of my trips there my fishing buddy asked me if I was familiar with the Belmont Inn and the Opera House next to it. This is on the square in Abbeville.

I wasn't, so he told me he and his wife would come up a couple of times a year to a play at the Opera House and stay at the Belmont. They offer packages that include tickets to the play, a nights stay plus dinner and breakfast at the hotel.

If you want a truly fun weekend with your wife I really recommend this outing. We drove up on a Friday, had dinner and saw the play and breakfast the next morning. Then we spent the morning exploring the historic Abbevlle Square. The secession papers were signed there to start the Civil War. They were signed at a house on Secession Hill and that is where the Lake gets it's name.

I discovered all this driving through there to the Lake. Wife and I are planning another trip up this summer, it is a neat outing.
Got nothing to do with fishing but if you guys want to treat your wife to a fun trip for a really good price this is it. I am not one to go to plays but we saw "Arsenic land Old Lace" and I laughed thru the entire play. The actors were really good.

Google Abbeville Opera House and/or Belmont Inn for rates and info.
The hotel and opera house were built almost a hundred years ago and have been restored to excellent condition. They were built to host the Zigfield Follies that toured the country.

Yep, Abbeville is a very neat place. My very favorite side trip is Grits & Groceries; Real Food, Done Real Good. 864-296-3316 Belton, SC for some of the best southern cooking there is. They've been written up in Southern Living, Garden and Gun among others. Very small very country place at intersection of 185 and 284 ten minutes from ramp. Run by a couple who were both very high profile chefs (she was a sous chef and he a pastry chef for Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans) and got fed up (no pun intended) with the stress, moved back to her old home place and opened up a small country restaurant in an old country store. My wife and I occasionally do the 45 minute drive each way just to eat there. Believe me, the food will make your tongue slap your brains out!