Savannah River Rundown: Catfish Crush, Crappie Crush, and the Fall Bass Bite

Savannah River anglers, it’s Artificial Lure reporting from the riverbank on a crisp, fall morning—Sunday, November 9th, 2025. Chilly dawn air welcomed locals today as sunrise peeked over the trees at 6:50 AM, with sunset rolling in at 5:28 PM. Skies are mostly clear and temps hold steady in the low 60s, with a soft southern breeze cutting across the water—ideal for an all-day cast. Marine Weather Net forecasts a mellow, partly cloudy afternoon, perfect for hitting the water for that red-hot fall bite. We’re rolling with a mid-fall tidal swing out of Savannah-Bull Street. Today’s first low tide landed at 4:29 AM, high tide cresting at 10:21 AM, second low at 5:13 PM. Tidal coefficients are low, meaning gentle currents—fish stay tight to structure and deeper cuts. Water clarity is fair, and these conditions set up nice for working the main river ledges and inside creek mouths. As November presses in, the Savannah River’s fishing scene is heating up. The Georgia DNR’s recent report says cooling waters have fired up the river’s catfish bite. Channel, blue, and flathead catfish are feeding heavy, especially early and late when the water cools, and they’re prowling muddy flats and deep river holes. Best results lately have come on cut shad and live bluegill for trophy cats, but chicken livers and stink bait are putting up solid numbers for the bank crowd. Bass anglers should know largemouth are starting to transition to their winter patterns, holding in deeper pockets and creek mouths—a few local sticks reported quality fish on deep-diving crankbaits and watermelon-red soft plastics. Target rocky points and submerged timber where structure draws the fish in as the water cools. A spinnerbait slow-rolled around laydowns and eddies is killer, especially during those peak bite windows around high tide. There’s been whispers of striped bass showing up below the locks, with most reports running from five- to seven-pound fish caught tossing large swimbaits and bucktail jigs. Early mornings are your best bet if you’re chasing stripes; look for aggressive fish schooling up and feeding before boat traffic picks up. Crappie numbers are solid upriver near Purrysburg Landing; jigs tipped with minnows fished under floats are producing limits, especially near treetops and brush piles off the channel. Color doesn’t seem to matter much, but locally made chartreuse-black and blue-white combos are tried and true. Artificial lures are pulling their fair share. Deep-diving crankbaits in shad patterns, 1/2-oz. chartreuse spinnerbaits, and soft plastics in natural colors are leading the pack for bass. For cats, cut bait is king, but if you’re running jugs or trotlines, try fresh shad and herring. Up in the creek arms, small jigs and Beetle Spins will hook you up with bream and crappie. Hot spots today include: - **Abercorn Creek mouth**—Strong catfish action and good structure for bass. - **Purrysburg Landing**—Prime crappie and bream bite, easy access from the ramp. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.