April 22

Lake Murray water levels are down to 358.11 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is clearing. While the upper end is still muddy it is starting to improve. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-60s. 

With a couple of warmer nights more herring are getting up on the points on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that early in the morning you can cast at points with topwater lures, flukes and swimbaits to catch striped bass. You can also pitch free-lines at the fish. This bite will only improve as the herring spawn accelerates and with a series of warm days and nights it should get very consistent.

For right now Brad’s boat is having the most success fishing on main lake flats in 20-30 feet of water. They are pulling free lines and planer boards in these areas. Cut bait fished on the flats is also working very well and is catching some of the biggest fish. 

Once again tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria is reporting that there are a tremendous number of bass on the beds on Lake Murray, as there have been for about the last month. All you have do to get a read of that is go down the bank looking, and some of the best weights in recent tournaments have come bed fishing. Some of the later spawning fish are around docks and so you can also catch fish flipping docks with a jig or soft plastics.

The herring spawn bite is not good yet, and even though the bass seem to be around them in a few places they aren’t really loaded up on the points yet. Any day now you will be able to catch them on flukes, topwaters, and the usual baits, but it’s not there quite yet. 

There’s no disagreement from veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda that people are mostly bed-fishing or looking for herring fish, and he agrees that the herring bite is just about to get right. Stan also points out that another possible pattern is to throw a frog or a buzzbait with all the bank grass that has grown up. 

Between water conditions and the fact that most of the fish are post-spawn the crappie fishing has been a little slow. Captain Brad reports that, even though it’s starting to clear now, the rivers got so muddy that the last good reports were coming from Bear Creek. However, the river bite should be getting better again.

The best pattern has been long-line trolling in the creeks with jigs to target post-spawn fish. The best plan is to cover a lot of water until you find fish that are willing to bite. 

There is some really good fishing for catfish right now on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that a friend boated a fish in the 30s, 40s and 60s on a trip this week. This continues the trend of catching really good blue catfish that has been going on for a while. The fish continue to be shallow, and in the rivers the blue catfish are in just 10 feet of water or less. Similarly, over the whole lake channels can also be found shallow. The dip bait bite is also starting to get underway around all the buoys which indicate humps and depth changes. 

April 8

Lake Murray water levels are about 358.5 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is about as muddy as it gets. While sections of the lake are still a “spring green” parts of the lake that rarely get color are muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are generally in the lower 60s. 

There are some really unique conditions for striped bass fishing on Lake Murray right now, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that until the creeks clear up again it will be all about the mud line. In all the major creeks there is a distinct mud line, and as usually happens the bait is getting run out of the muddy water towards the cleaner water and the fish are right on the edge. If you are a couple hundred yards in either direction you will miss the best fishing, and yesterday Brad’s boat absolutely slayed them by staying right on the line.   

Before the torrential rains the herring were starting to pull up and stage, and in the evening you could see them around rip rap and rocky points. As things settle out this pattern will get good again, and it can be as simple as casting flukes or swimbaits at areas with bait. With two or three warm nights this pattern will start to get going in the morning, and for a while it will go on all day before it becomes more of a morning and evening pattern.

Pulling free-lines and planer boards across points should also be very strong for the next several weeks. 

Pretty soon the bass will be all over the spawning herring, but right now tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that there are tons of fish on beds. Around docks and spawning pockets you can catch fish on soft plastics at every stage of the spawn, and a shakey head or a wacky-rigged Senko is hard to beat.

There are some signs that the herring action is about to take off, and there are already some fish on points where the herring will soon be. Andy has not seen the bait off those points yet, even though it’s very close, and right now he is just seeing herring in weird places like around docks and riprap. 

Alabama rigs have been working well but very soon the whole range of flukes, Spooks, Sammys and other surface baits will produce. 

It’s interesting conditions for crappie fishing right now, and Captain Brad reports that all this mud coming during the spawn is pushing fish really tight to cover. Like a person feeling around in the dark for something to orient themselves, the crappie want to be near some hard structure. He has picked up a lot of random fish around docks, but it wasn’t until he got to a mega-dock in a marina that they really found a concentration of crappie this week.

Overall we are in the dead middle of the spawn right now, and that means the fish are extremely scattered out. Whatever style you want to fish, from targeting shallow cover to long-lining to tight-lining for staging fish, Brad suggests hunkering down, sticking to it, and grinding it out. Between the mud and the spawn it’s work to find them right now but there are also plenty of feeding fish. 

The catfish are moving shallower and shallower on Lake Murray in a pre-spawn feeding binge, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that that his week the deepest water they are fishing has been 10-15 feet. They have been fishing as shallow as 6 feet. There are still fish out in 25 or so feet, but the hungriest, most aggressive fish seem to be shallow. That includes the 58-pound fish pictured below which was caught in less than 10 feet of water!

For big blue catfish river herring and gizzard shad are both working very well, but channel catfish will take a wide variety of baits including worms, cut herring, shrimp and more. 

April 1

Lake Murray water levels are up to 358.25 (full pool is 360.00) and the rivers have some color. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 50s. 

Water temperatures on Lake Murray backed off a little this week, and as a result Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the striped bass also dropped a little deeper and suspended more. They are now in all the major creeks on both sides of the lake, including Buffalo Creek, Hollow Creek, Bear Creek, Crystal Lake and Beard’s. This week 30-40 feet has been the target depth. While plenty of people are still catching them on down-lines, Brad is pretty much sticking to weighed free-lines and planer boards.

Cut bait is still very effective.  

There are tons of white perch that can be caught in the same areas as the striper, although at times they have been a little shallower in the 25-35 foot range. They are also tighter to the bottom than the striper. Minnows fished a couple of cranks off the bottom are working the best, and Hollow Creek has been especially productive this week.

Even though temperatures dropped this week, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the bass are far enough along in the spawn that they don’t seem to be going anywhere. There are tons of fish bedding or very immediately pre-spawn, with a relative few post-spawn and ready to eat again, and so this is the period when some people say there is really no choice but to fish for bed fish. Almost all the catchable fish are up shallow in pockets or looking for places to bed, and it doesn’t seem like very many are still staging around docks. A floating worm is a good search bait.

At some point soon fish will start to get on post-spawn places and feed on spawning herring, but it doesn’t seem like that is going on anywhere yet – even though a lot of fishermen are throwing at points. The herring spawn usually kicks off in creeks on the north side which warm first. 

The crappie fishing is still in the midst of the spring peak, and Captain Brad reports that there continue to be a mix of fish that can be found shallow. There are also plenty of fish staging and even some post-spawn fish, and so pretty much any technique from tight-lining to long-line trolling to casting jigs and minnows at shallow cover will work.

While Brad has caught some fish that are spawned out, by far the most fish still seem to have eggs and so he anticipates that several more waves of fish will spawn.  

The catfish continue to be found shallow on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that there are lots of big channel catfish being caught in 10-15 of water. There should not be too much change until the spawn gets close, except that the fish will move a little shallower. 

You can target these fish either drifting or anchoring. 

Cut gizzard shad or river herring, available at stores such as Better Bait at the dam or Midlands Outdoors in Prosperity, is working. Of course blueback herring will also work but will catch more small fish. 

March 25

Lake Murray water levels are still at 357.91 (full pool is 360.00) and the rivers are very stained. Morning surface water temperatures are around 58-60 degrees. 

Lake Murray bass are further along than those on some other state lakes, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that means that a lot of different patterns are in play. You can catch pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn fish, but from what Stan has seen pretty much all of them are shallow. 

Fishing spawning pockets is obviously a great pattern for catching pre-spawn and spawning fish, and floating worms as well as topwaters are good ways to attack these areas. If you are looking at a fish on a bed you may want to slow down and fish with something compact like a creature bait. 

However, another really good pattern is to target shallow floating docks which can hold fish at all three stages of the spawn. You can flip them with a worm, but when the sun is out Stan really likes to skip a weighed swimbait like a Shadalicious under the dock or swim it along the side. 

It appears that we are still a little bit aways from a post-spawn bait pattern on the points. 

March 24

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.91 (full pool is 360.00) and the rivers are very stained. Morning surface water temperatures are around 58-60 degrees. 

By now most of the striped bass on Lake Murray are in the creeks, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that they are generally in 25-35 feet. Some of the fish are suspended, while others are right on the bottom on structure. The fish are there because the bait is staging there, but it will still be a while before the bait starts spawning.  Plenty of people are fishing with down-rods, but Brad is still targeting fish with free-lines and planer boards. Bigger fish are usually coming that way.

There are also a pile of fish being caught on cut bait, even though anchoring bait on the bottom is not the “coolest” way to striper fish. Those fish are in the same areas and points are good spots to target.  

The crappie fishing is in the midst of the spring peak, and Captain Brad reports that there are a mix of fish that can be found on the bank, staging off the bank, and there are even some post-spawn fish which can be found off docks. Brad is spending the most time casting a jig to shallow cover and docks, but there are also plenty of people long-line trolling in the backs. Another wave of big fish should be coming up very soon but for now many of them are staging just outside spawning areas.

While minnows will certainly work Brad is exclusively fishing with jigs. Chartreuse is always good on Murray, and there are also a lot of people catching fish on “monkey milk” colors – blueish silver. Brad has also been having success with a lot of reds.  

The catfish continue to be found shallow on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that there are big channel catfish in 10-15 of water. You can target these fish either drifting or anchoring. William has been fishing up the lake but the same thing is going on in creeks in the lower lake.

Cut gizzard shad or river herring, available at stores such as Better Bait at the dam or Midlands Outdoors in Prosperity, is working. Of course blueback herring will also work but will catch more small fish. 

Bass report to follow. 

March 17

Lake Murray water levels are all the way up to 358.13 (full pool is 360.00) and the rivers are getting muddy. Morning surface water temperatures range from the low to mid-50s on the big water to around 60 in the creeks. 

There are still basically two groups of striped bass on Lake Murray, but Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the fish which are on herring have moved a little shallower. They can be found in all the major creeks at least from Dreher Island down and they have gotten back about as shallow as 30 feet in the ditches. This is the final stage before the herring move up really shallow to spawn. Fish can be caught on free-lines and planer boards in the 30-40 foot range, and there also some people fishing down-rods in the same areas.

There are some massive schools hanging in that depth range, but the biggest fish are more likely to be singles or in small groups and they are closer to the banks eating crappie, bluegill, perch and other panfish in the shallows. Pulling free-lines and planer boards for these fish is not a recipe for numbers but can generate quality.  

While the cold weather delayed another wave of bass from moving up to spawn earlier this week, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that it did not push the fish off of beds and with a warm full moon this weekend another massive wave should be coming up. A floating worm is a really good way to target bass on Murray right now, but the best way to fish for them may be with a wacky-rigged Senko on a Flick-It. When they get into this funky bedding stage then working the bait slowly around docks or any piece of brush can be the best way to keep it in the strike zone. 

And while tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria says that there are other ways to catch fish right now, some of the biggest bags are coming off of beds. It’s not unusual for there to be a period when fish are spawning so heavy that’s about the only way you can catch numbers, but we should not be there yet. 

Up the lake the crappie fishing is wide open, and Captain Brad reports that while we are still in the period where you can fish for them about however you want the shallow bite well back in the creeks has been particularly good. Yesterday they just went down the bank casting straight jigs and jigs a couple of feet under a cork and caught several limits – as well as some nice bluegill. There also still a lot fish staging in 5-6 feet of water off the ends of drops that you can either cast or troll for, but with some fish as deep as 10-12 feet down in about 20 feet of water tight-lining can also be very effective. Since fish don’t all spawn at one time there is still a good group of fish as deep as 20 feet around bridges. 

Down the lake the cold snap really hurt the bite but it should be on again by the weekend.

Certainly there are still catfish deep on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that there is starting to be a really good bite in shallow water. While the blues have been a little hard to find, on his last trip out they caught multiple double-digit channel catfish in 10-15 of water. You can target these fish either drifting or anchoring. William has been fishing up the lake but the same thing is going on in creeks in the lower lake.

Cut gizzard shad or river herring, available at stores such as Better Bait at the dam or Midlands Outdoors in Prosperity, is working. Of course blueback herring will also work but will catch more small fish. 

March 10

Lake Murray water levels have shot up to 357.43 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is dropping as the rivers start to get muddy. Morning surface water temperatures range from the mid-50s to lower 60s but will continue to drop through the weekend.    

There are basically two groups of striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that one group of fish is concentrating on herring. These fish are generally deeper in the 30-50 foot range as the herring are still pretty deep. You can target them with either down-lines or weighted planer boards. Another group of fish is shallower, and they are eating bluegill, crappie and other panfish that have moved shallower.  Both groups of fish are in the creeks, and particularly on the lower end all of the major creeks have good schools of fish.  After temperatures warm up one more notch everything should come shallower but for now we are still in a transition period.

Fish are generally grouped by size, and in Beard’s Creek for example there is a large school of 22-24 inch fish and another, massive school of fish where only about 1 out of 5 is a keeper. 

There are still some fish up the rivers. 

There are a lot of bass already spawning on Lake Murray, and from what tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria sees we are basically past the point where he usually has a lot of success on moving baits. Occasionally you can find a large group of staging fish that will take a crankbait or even an Alabama rig, but basically the fish have gotten into soft plastics territory where they don’t want to chase.

One group of fish is back in protected spawning pockets, and they will take soft plastics including Senkos, Texas rigs and shakey heads. Another group of fish is staging on secondary points and boat docks. The best way to target them is with a Carolina rig or a shakey head. A shakey head is probably the best all-purpose lure right now. 

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda agrees with Andy about what stage the fish are in, and he adds that a floating worm can be a good choice right now for both pre-spawn and spawning fish. He believes that the biggest wave of spawning fish is still to come, but were it not for this cold front he thinks it might have happened very soon. 

We have gotten into what for many people is the peak crappie fishing of the year, and Captain Brad reports that we are in the period where you can fish for them about however you want to. Up the rivers you can have success long-line trolling, tight-lining, fishing around brush or casting at shallow cover. A good number of fish have already pulled up onto the banks and they are catching ton of very dark males around shallow brush and docks. 

Fishing is a little trickier in the lower lake where the water is more clear, but a lot of fish are starting to set up around brush just outside of spawning areas. Other fish are still floating around even though trolling for them is a bit trickier in the clear conditions, and another group of fish (for now generally males) are just starting to get shallow around cover where they will bed. 

The blue catfish bite is still intermittent on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the pattern seems to be fish feeding heavily before a front comes through but then really slowing after that.  Overall the fish are still in the same places, and anchoring up the river along the ledge and then fan-casting a bunch of baits to cover from shallow water out to 25 plus feet is the best pattern. Fish are hanging out on the flats close to the river channel, and gizzard shad seem to be working the best. 

There are also plenty of channel catfish up the rivers, and down the lake the channel catfish are also biting well on long points and humps.  There are also starting to be more of them moving around shallow coves and banks.  Fan-casting baits around the DNR buoy markers that mark shallow areas near deeper water is one of the best ways to catch fish.  Cut herring is hard to beat. 

March 1

Lake Murray water levels are up to 357.11 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is still a good “spring green” up the rivers and clearer down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures range from the mid- to upper 50s, hitting the 60s on warm afternoons.   

While the biggest numbers of striped bass have moved into other sections of the lake, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that some of the biggest fish are still concentrated in the rivers. Up there you usually don’t have to measure them!

At the same time very large numbers of fish have gotten into the middle section of the lake, and most of the major creeks are filling up with striper. As herring have moved into the mouths of creeks and further back the striper have followed them.

You can catch a ton of fish on down-lines, but you better take lots of bait with you because there are so many short fish.  A better way to target the bigger ones is to fish free-lines and planer boards for quality.  

Especially with this warming trend, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that he is pretty much looking for bass to be very shallow. One group of fish will be found actually back in protected spawning pockets, and they will take soft plastics including Senkos, floating worms, Texas rigs and shakey heads. 

Another group of fish will be staging on secondary points and boat docks. They will take the same baits, and a Carolina rig is also a good option but a shakey head is probably the main go-to. 

You can also throw a crankbait, but the bite is slower than when it was colder. 

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda certainly concurs that fish have gotten very shallow, and he notes that there are also some fish being caught on spinnerbaits fished shallow in the dirty water up the rivers.

There has been some outstanding crappie fishing recently, and Captain Brad reports that up the rivers there has been a really good bite both trolling and tight-lining. While this will change intermittent cold snaps have had the effect of pulling the fish back to the river and tightening them up, and for now about as far back as he has found fish is the mouths of creeks. Most of the fish have been set up on the ledge 4-8 feet down over water in the teens. Of course, very soon they will head back into the creeks.

There have also been a pile of fish around docks and bridges in the upper lake, and Brad has been playing around with a wide variety of jig colors and catching fish in 12-14 feet around docks on the main break of the channel. 

Down the lake crappie are just starting to pull up shallower but this should also accelerate over the weekend.  

The blue catfish bite has been intermittent on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the pattern seems to be fish feeding heavily before a front comes through but then really slowing after that.  Overall the fish are still in the same places, and anchoring up the river along the ledge and then fan-casting a bunch of baits to cover from shallow water out to 25 plus feet is the best pattern. Fish are hanging out on the flats close to the river channel, and gizzard shad seem to be working the best. 

There are also plenty of channel catfish up the rivers, and down the lake the channel catfish are also biting well on long points and humps. Fan-casting baits around the DNR buoy markers that mark shallow areas near deeper water is one of the best ways to catch fish.  Cut herring is hard to beat. 

February 23

Lake Murray water levels are up to 356.87 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is a good “spring green” up the rivers and clearer down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-50s over most of the lake. 

With all the warm weather this week the striped bass bite on Lake Murray has gotten really good, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that all over the lake fish have moved up on shallow flats where they are “feeding like crazy.”   You can catch them casting swimbaits and grubs but Brad has been sticking to live bait on free-lines or planer boards. 

Fish can be found in pretty much every creek over the lake, but Brad says that the biggest fish are being found – as is often the case - in the creeks with the least fish. Perhaps the bigger fish prefer to be more solitary. Brad is still on a good bite for big fish up the rivers. 

Just like the striper, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the bass have moved shallower this week. They are headed to the backs of creeks, and with extremely warm weather this weekend they will even be looking around in spawning pockets. However, Stan is almost certain that the cold snap at the beginning of next week will keep them from actually laying eggs and push them back out for a few days.

Right now the name of the game is running the banks with a bait where you can cover water, and crankbaits including Shad Raps, square-bills or lipless crankbaits are all good choices. You can also fish a jerkbait or an Alabama rig, even though the latter is about to fade out, and in stained areas a spinnerbait will work. 

Information from tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria to follow.

The crappie fishing has turned on in some areas and not others, and Captain Brad reports that fish are just starting to move into the creeks up the lake where the best fishing is  concentrated currently. Lots of people are long-line trolling, and right now a lot of the fish are just inside the mouths of creeks on large flats. It doesn’t seem like there are any fish on the banks quite yet. Mixing jigs and jigs tipped with minnows until you see what the fish want is the best approach.

There are also a lot of crappie being caught around deeper docks. 

Down the lake the crappie bite has been pretty slow, except there have been some reports of fish moving up shallower in the evenings to feed. 

Catfish report to follow from Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857).

February 18

Lake Murray water levels are up to 356.74 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity up the river is a little dingy but not muddy. Morning surface water temperatures up the river are about 52-53 degrees..

It’s been a pretty slow morning on the water for Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857), and he reports that the catfish are not feeding especially well. The full moon and post-frontal conditions are not helping. However, they have managed one big 45-pound blue and some smaller fish. 

The best pattern seems to be anchoring up the river along the ledge and then fan-casting a bunch of baits to cover from shallow water out to 25 plus feet. Gizzard shad seem to be working the best. 

Throughout the lake the channel catfish bite is starting to turn on again as the water warms.  With fish roaming cut herring anchored from 5 to 20 feet of water will catch fish.

February 17

Lake Murray water levels are up to 356.68 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normalizing. Morning surface water temperatures are generally in the lower 50s.

The winter bite for striped bass on Lake Murray is going away, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that up the rivers the double rig bite is fizzling out. The purpose of the bucktail is mostly to get the bait down, while the ice fly simulates a dying shad, but as soon as temperatures start to rise the fish annually lose interest in the rig. At the same time more fish are also leaving the rivers.

However, there continue to be a bunch of good ones in the rivers and they are being caught on free-lines and planer boards.  

With the bulk of the fish having returned to the main lake, pretty much every creek is also starting to hold fish. You can cast for them with Alabama rigs like a bass fisherman, but the best pattern has been pulling free-lines and planer boards in 10-30 feet of water. 

The crappie fishing is just starting to turn a corner, and Captain Brad reports that both long-line trolling and tight-lining up the rivers is productive. The best way to characterize the bite is that fish are advancing towards the creeks, but they have not committed to them yet. The warm snap ahead may do that.   

Most of the creeks up the rivers have some type of big flat inside the mouth, and very soon fish will be set up at the mouths or just inside on the big, deep flats. In the rivers the fish will generally be in about 15-16 feet of water, while further down the lake around Buffalo Creek they will be in the 20-foot range.

Mixing jigs and jigs tipped with minnows until you see what the fish want is the best approach.

The bass fishing is also in transition mode, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that as the water warms the Alabama rig bite is fading out. Deep fishing in general is also starting to tail off, and going forward most of the fish will be moving up and seeking out warmer temperatures as they head towards their eventual spawning areas. 

Crankbaits and spinnerbaits will both work, and during this period Stan will be concentrating on staging docks with a squarebill crankbait and a shakey head worm. 

February 10

Lake Murray water levels are up to 356.33 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is slightly stained down the lake. Up the rivers the water has some color but is no longer muddy. It was Sunday, but has now cleared, indicating the dirty water is coming from nearby as with a logging operation. Morning surface water temperatures are generally in the upper 40s to about 50 degrees. 

A lot of the striped bass on Lake Murray have left the rivers, but Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there is a pile of good ones that remained. They are being caught pulling free-lines or planer boards, and casting at them is not as effective right now.

There is also still a good down-line bite in some of the deeper creeks like Bear Creek, and we have gotten late enough in the season that barring some exceptional event Brad expects them to stay there through the spring. Warming temperatures could change this, but for now both groups of fish are in the 40-60 foot range in the main channel of the creeks.  

The crappie fishing is on the verge of getting good, but Captain Brad reports that for now the fishing is still pretty tough. The catchable lower lake fish are mostly on very deep brush, while up the lake they are on very isolated spots where there is brush or a good dock on steep banks in about 15 feet of water. Occasionally someone will find a school and limit out but it’s rare. 

Events like snow have kept them in the channel longer than usual this year, but very soon they should start to move into the creeks. This warm front these new days should do it, and it’s worth remembering we are only four or five weeks from the first wave of spawning fish. When fish get into the creeks you can long-line or tight-line for them.

Brad notes that on Sunday when the water got muddy in places up the river you could go 100 yards from cleaner water to muddy water and go from 47 to 49 degrees. Look for crappie to pile up first in dirty areas where the water warms more quickly.

The blue catfish bite continues to be pretty good off-and-on, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that one group of fish is grouping up in the river channels in 20-30 feet of water where there is current, and there are also a lot of fish further down the lake (but still in the upper lake) around ledges. Gizzard shad and white perch are the best baits. 

Warmer temperatures should also get the channels feeding better.

February 7

Lake Murray water levels have jumped up to 356.05 (full pool is 360.00) and there is stained water in the middle and upper lake. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 50s. 

It was a big weekend for former Clemson bass fishing teammates (and regular correspondents on this site) Reid McGinn and Andy Wicker on Lake Murray. Reid and his tournament partner Maurice Barnett won the 45-boat Fishin’ 4 Real event on Lake Murray with 25 pounds, while Andy and his father Steve took second place in the 162-boat Carolinas Bass Challenge event also with about pounds (25.14). The two teams cleared over $12,000!

Both anglers followed similar patterns, with Reid reporting that he and Maurice were essentially junk fishing in likely spots. Early in the morning they saw wind pounding on a rocky bank and caught several good fish there, and they continued to run similar stuff the rest of the day. Everything they caught was in five feet of water or less. They threw a mix of crankbaits (both shad-colored and red) and Alabama rigs, and they also caught a fish on a jig. Everything came on main lake or main creek banks and the twelve keepers they caught were pretty much evenly distributed between the Lexington and Chapin sides. 

While Andy and Steve did spend a little time fishing deep, like Reid and Maurice the bulk of the fish and the better ones they weighed came shallow on a crankbait. They had two good shallow spots that produced early, and in fact they caught a limit off the first rocky, wind-blown bank they pulled up to. A 4 ½ pounder came off their second spot, and before 8:00 they had 17 pounds. After messing around in deeper water and on the Chapin side they came back to the Lexington side and continued to upgrade with a crankbait in windy areas.

Unlike last weekend, when Reid and Andy fishing together in the Fishers of Men only caught 4 fish and most people struggled, it was a good bite overall. They didn’t expect that in post-frontal conditions!  Reid wonders if the wind direction helped, or possibly the very warm air temperatures Thursday and Friday. There’s also no obvious answer as to what the fish were feeding on in shallow wind-blown areas in the cold water, but there’s no doubt that some good ones were up there!

February 1

Lake Murray water levels are slightly up to 355.48 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is fairly normal. Morning surface water temperatures are generally in the upper 40s. 

With three 20 plus pound bags weighed in this weekend’s Fishers of Men tournament, one could be forgiven for thinking the largemouth bass bite is better than it is. However, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that even though there were some good fish caught the vast majority of fishermen struggled. Many people who have been doing well recently failed to catch a limit.

Overall fish are still mixed between shallow and deep, but finding a good pattern is tricky. You can fish a crankbait or Alabama rig on rocky, windy points in less than 10 feet, and you can also fish deeper around brush or bait with a spoon or jig. But finding a hot bite either place takes skill and/or luck. 

With warmer weather this week it’s possible that by this weekend for the CBC there could be some early movement shallower, but Andy doesn’t think it will be enough of a sustained warming to make a big difference. Instead, he thinks it’s more likely that this weekend will again feature post-frontal conditions and tough fishing. Of course, with a few big bags at the top!

The striped bass on Lake Murray are in a pretty normal winter pattern, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that like normal there are a lot of fish up the rivers which can be caught pulling free-lines or planer boards or casting at them.  There are some birds to guide you but not a ton, and for some reason more of the birds seem to have stayed down the lake this year. 

However, the cold weather over the last couple of weeks has also pushed a lot of herring deep, and as a result there has been a good down-line bite in some of the deeper creeks. There is one big group of fish in Hollow Creek, and there is another big group of fish in Bear Creek. Warming temperatures could change this, but for now both groups of fish are in the 40-60 foot range in the main channel of the creeks.  

In the lower lake crappie fishing is still a bit off with the partial exception of some really deep brush that is low to the bottom, but Captain Brad reports that up the rivers the fishing is pretty good. Fish are on the verge of committing to the creeks, but for now they are still concentrated on the main channel around steep drop-offs in about 15 feet of water. Both docks and ledges in that range are holding a pile of fish, but they are not biting very aggressively. Both minnows and jigs can work but for now minnows seem to be fishing a bit better. 

The blue catfish bite continues to improve with the colder weather, even though Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that there are some days where you can mark a lot of fish but they refuse to eat. One group of fish is grouping up in the river channels in 20-30 feet of water where there is current, and there are also a lot of fish further down the lake (but still in the upper lake) around ledges. Gizzard shad and white perch are the best baits. 

January 20

Lake Murray water levels are up to 355.22 (full pool is 360.00) and the water ranges from muddy to stained to relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are generally in the lower 50s and even upper 40s.

All the fresh water coming into the lake has improved the striped bass fishing on Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that (as often happens) the current has caused some of the fish to tuck into protected pockets and bays where they will be concentrated. There are a lot of fish in the rivers, a ton of fish where the rivers split, and then a good bite as far down as Macedonia Church. 

You can either cast to them or pull free-lines or planer boards. 

As often seems to happen on herring lakes like Murray, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that as temperatures have gotten more typical for the season the bass fishing has really improved. As of now he is not finding a very good deep bite, although that may change with the weather this weekend, but in less than 10 feet of water they are catching them on a crankbait and Alabama rig. Rocky, wind-blown areas have been fishing the best. 

While veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda expected to be able to kill the bass with a jigging spoon, for right now he is also finding the best bite shallower. In 5-7 feet of water he has also caught fish on a Frittside crankbait or Shad Rap, but an Alabama rig has probably been working the best.   

In the lower lake crappie fishing is still a bit off with the partial exception of some really deep brush that is low to the bottom, but Captain Brad reports that up the rivers the fish have gotten extremely concentrated around steep drop-offs in about 15 feet of water. Both docks and ledges in that range are holding a pile of fish, but they are not biting very aggressively. Both minnows and jigs can work but for now minnows seem to be fishing a bit better. 

The blue catfish bite is also improving with the colder weather, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that fish are starting to group up better in the river channels. They will take herring, gizzard shad, or white perch. 

January 6

Lake Murray water levels are holding around 354.27 (full pool is 360.00) and the water has gotten some color up the rivers and in most of the creeks. Morning surface water temperatures are generally in the mid-50s.

It’s a very good time for striped bass fishing on Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there is a pile of fish that can be found from Buffalo Creek up the rivers.  Brad is seeing thousands of fish in school after school. Due to the rain and current in the river they are scattered all through the water column, with some deep, some shallow and everywhere in-between. You can either cast to them or pull free-lines or planer boards.  Surprisingly, there are not a ton of birds up there. 

While the concentrations are not as high there are also a bunch of striper in the lower lake, and there actually seem to be more birds. 

While veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda concurs with all of that, he also adds that around deep rocks and brush they have been catching fish on a jig and shakey head. In 5-7 feet of water he has also caught fish on a Frittside crankbait or Shad Rap. 

Overall the crappie fishing remains a little off, and Captain Brad reports that up the lake fish are mostly relating to steep drop-offs whether those are adjacent to deeper docks or bridges. About 15-18 feet with shallower and deeper water on both sides has been the key range. Just plain minnows have been working the best. 

In the lower lake it seems that crappie are roaming more and the fishing is very tough. Most of the fish being marked are around very deep brush in the 30-45 foot range. 

The blue catfish still haven’t gotten predictable, but Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that with this colder snap he is optimistic that the fish will group up better in the river channels.  They should take herring, gizzard shad, or white perch. 

At the same time the channel catfish are still biting extremely well, and in 10-30 feet of water the action has been outstanding with a variety of baits. Cut herring are hard to beat, but shrimp, worms and more have also been good and plenty of fish have been caught as a by-catch on minnows or even artificials. 

December 22

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.72 and dropping towards their winter level of 354.00 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s.

Fresh off a second-place finish with 19 pounds in a trail championship over the weekend, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that bass are still scattered all over the place. In the last couple of weeks they have been catching good ones from very shallow out to 30 feet, but with the warmer weather over weekend – which looks likely to return again – they still caught fish both places but actually found the best concentration in mid-depth areas about 10-12 feet. Moving baits that imitated shad, and particularly crankbaits, were most effective. All of their weight came in the middle to lower lake but there have also been some good fish caught shallow cranking up the lake. That pattern can probably be replicated everywhere and particularly where there is rock. 

Andy notes that, even during these periodic warm spells, there will still be fish that can be caught on jigging spoons and so he always keep the bait tied on and available. In his experience on Lake Murray the fish are in almost totally random locations but he usually finds them around bait in about 30 feet. 

The striped bass fishing continues to be really good up the rivers, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the biggest concentrations are still up that way. He is finding them mostly over the channels in 25-30 feet, but the biggest change is that with a few cool days they are staying deeper where they can be caught on bucktails under the birds. 

You can also catch fish on free lines and planer boards, and when we get a few more warm days they are likely to move up shallower on the flats again. 

None of that is to say that there are onlyfish up the river, and while fishing the tournament over the weekend Andy Wicker marked (and caught several keeper) striped bass in perhaps the largest school he has ever seen. It was in the lower lake. 

Up the lake the crappie continue to not really be relating to brush, and Captain Brad reports that a bunch of fish are on bridges right now. However, what they really seem to be relating to are the steep drop-offs whether those are adjacent to deeper docks or bridges. About 15-18 feet with shallower and deeper water on both sides has been the key range. Just plain minnows have been working the best. 

In the lower lake it seems that crappie are roaming more, but they can also be found on very deep brush in the 30-45 foot range. 

The blue catfish still haven’t gotten predictable, but Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that with this colder snap he is optimistic that the fish will group up better in the river channels. They should take herring, gizzard shad, or white perch. 

At the same time the channel catfish are still biting extremely well, and in 10-30 feet of water the action has been outstanding with a variety of baits. Cut herring are hard to beat, but shrimp, worms and more have also been good and plenty of fish have been caught as a by-catch on minnows or even artificials. 

December 16

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.95 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 58 degrees. 

With water temperatures basically in an ideal range for bass everywhere, including from the surface to the bottom since the lake has finished turning over, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that mean the fish can be about anywhere.  You can catch them from 2-30 feet of water, and likely deeper. The action is much better than during the fall turnover, but as a result of water conditions the fish are just as spread out as they are while the lake is turning over. 

They are biting very well, with several bag in the low to mid-20s caught recently. Wickers have been responsible for some of those, and with a championship tournament Saturday Andy can be forgiven for not wanting to distribute his waypoints!

However, they have caught some really good fish shallow including the largest they weighed in last week. Just cruising around in the clear water it’s obvious that there a lot of good ones up, and they can be caught on crankbaits. It’s hard to find a pattern to where they are located and they seem to be on both flat and steep places. Docks also seem to be holding fish. 

Finally, as would be expected you can catch bass on about any lures right now, from topwater baits to jigging spoons. It’s not every December when you can catch a frog fish, but that happened this week in a creek.  

Like the bass the striped bass fishing has been really good this week, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the fishing is so good up the rivers right now that he has had no reason to fish anywhere else. 

In the morning most of the fish are over the channels in 25-30 feet, while in the afternoons they will move up on the flats. You can catch fish pretty much however you want to target them, and while Brad has been pulling free-lines and planer boards you can also cast bucktail/ ice fly double rigs all day and catch a pile. 

For some reason there are less birds up the rivers than last week, and all Brad can figure out is that weird water temperatures are creating almost a spring effect. However, there are still enough birds to let you know where the fish are feeding. 

When customers get tired of catching striper Brad likes to show them something else, and this week that meant fishing for white perch. They are in all the major creeks, and you just need to mark bait and then find a point or flat adjacent to the depth of the bait where the perch can sit on the bottom and wait for the bait to come by. Right now Brad has found good schools in Buffalo Creek about 40 feet deep, and to his surprise they also found lots of 1-pound crappie mixed in with the perch. 

Right now there don’t seem to be as many crappie on brush, but bridges and any of the deeper docks up the rivers are holding large numbers of fish.  The bridges are particularly loaded with fish, and while this can change right now the fish seem to be either about 3 feet below the surface or on the bottom in 12-15 feet.  Tight-lining with jigs and minnows as well as casting the same combination is working.

December 2

Lake Murray water levels are down to 355.89 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 58 to 60 degrees on the lower end. 

As temperatures have slowly dropped the bass have gotten into a pretty normal late fall pattern on Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that a variety of shallow cover back in the creeks has been holding fish. Shallow rock, hard cover, docks and secondary points have all been productive as bass have moved back into the creeks following shad, and a variety of baits have been working. Crankbaits with a tight wobble like the Frittside have been good, and swimbaits, jigs and shakey heads have also caught fish. We are also in period where an Alabama rig can stand out. 

At the same time that there has been a good shallower bite, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the deep, early winter bite has also started to come on. It was not great, but they have caught some fish on baits like jigging spoons and football jigs in 20-30 feet. However, this warming trend could really mess up that bite – especially as we head into the weekend. 

This should be the time of year when the blue catfish bite gets really good on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway(803-924-0857) reports that it’s actually gotten really tough both drifting and anchoring. There are suspicions that the fish may have gone way up the rivers. 

At the same time the channel catfish are still biting extremely well, and in 5-20 feet of water the action has been outstanding with a variety of baits. Cut herring are hard to beat, but shrimp, worms and more have also been good and plenty of fish have been caught as a by-catch on minnows or even artificials. 

More information to follow. 

November 19

For now Lake Murray water levels are stable at 356.14 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 63 degrees on the lower end. 

As of Thursday it had not gotten cold enough for the bass fishing patterns to change much on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that even though nights have been cold – usually more important to seasonal changes than daytime temperatures – sunny days that approach 80 have kept temperatures up. The same shallow patterns such as rocky points, mid-depth grass and mid-depth docks have all been good.
However, with the cold front coming through Andy expects that in the next few days more fish will get on offshore spots and the topwater bite will drop off. There will still be fish caught shallow around rock on crankbaits in places where the fish move up to feed, but jigs, spoons and more fished around deeper structure should get good fast. 

The striped bass fishing has improved a little this week on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the river bite has gotten a little better and some more birds have showed up. Free lines and planer boards are producing the best. 

The best fishing is now up the rivers related to the channel, but there are also plenty of fish that are being caught in the creeks down to Dreher Island. Creek much below that seem to mainly have smaller fish, with some exceptions. In the creeks pulling baits over 20-30 feet has been best. 

On the crappie front, Captain Brad reports that the fish are getting set up in the creeks and they are also very channel-oriented. Up the lake he is finding them in the 15-foot range around brush and deeper docks, while in the lower lake fish are around brush in 15-25 feet of water. Both minnows and jigs are working. 

The fishing will continue to improve as water temperatures drop, but the fall catfish bite is good on Lake Murray. Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little Saluda River in the main channel or on ledges they are still catching a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels. The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option. Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options.

In the rest of the lake channel catfish seem to be feeding up for winter, and they are biting well in the 10-25 foot range on cut herring and more.   

November 11

Lake Murray water levels have dropped to 356.47 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is finally turning over down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 65 degrees on the lower end to about 58 up the rivers. 

The striped bass are moving into cooler weather patterns on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that you can still catch some fish on down-lines but they are mostly smaller. Free lines and planer boards are starting to produce the best, and a handful of gulls are just beginning to show up. They should be here in good numbers by Thanksgiving. 

There has been some good fishing up the rivers related to the channel, but there are also plenty of fish that are being caught in the creeks down to Dreher Island.  Of course there are also some fish in the creeks on the lower end, but Buffalo Creek has been particularly good. In the creeks pulling baits over 20-30 feet has been best. 

Right now the bass fishing patterns are fairly stable if not hot on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that it seems to be consistently taking about 14 or 15 pounds to win recent tournaments. The cane pile bite is pretty much done and schooling activity seems to be winding down, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that you can still catch some fish in the leafy pond grass that grows out to about 8-10 feet on soft plastics.

The best two patterns, however, seem to be throwing a shakey head off rocky points and fishing a buzzbait around the banks. Hard cover seems to be holding the most fish. 

On the crappie front, Captain Brad reports that the fish are starting to set up in the creeks and they are also very channel-oriented. Up the lake he is finding them in the 15-foot range around brush and deeper docks, while in the lower lake fish are around brush in 15-25 feet of water.  Both minnows and jigs are working. 

The fishing will continue to improve as water temperatures drop, but the fall catfish bite remains pretty good on Lake Murray. Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little Saluda River in the main channel or on ledges they are still catching a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels. The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option. Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options.

In the rest of the lake channel catfish seem to be feeding up for winter, and they are biting well in the 10-25 foot range on cut herring and more.   

November 4

Lake Murray water levels have dropped to 356.87 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is starting to clear again in places although it is still turning over in others. Morning surface water temperatures are about 67-69 degrees.  

The bass fishing has gotten tougher on Lake Murray according to veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda, and Stan reports that the offshore cane pile bite for suspended fish is very close to disappearing if it’s not gone already. There are still some fish in the leafy pond grass that grows out to about 8-10 feet which can be caught on Texas rigs or Chatterbaits, but that bite also seems to have slowed down since the BFL Regional and then the CBC. One of the better patterns that is still working is fishing a shakey head off rocky points.   

In the areas he is fishing tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the water is noticeably cleaner that it was just a few days ago, but he agrees that the deep topwater bite is pretty much over. We may be on the last leg of some schooling fish but the suspended bite is done. Flipping conventional wisdom on its head, Andy says that right now a buzzbait is fishing better down the lake while in the middle to upper lake a shallow running crankbait is better.

It’s a transition period for striped bass on Lake Murray, and in the areas he is fishing Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that with the lake currently turning over the fishing has been a little funky. The oxygen is better deep in the 30-35 foot range and so he has been having to use a lot of weight to get baits down, but in order to get the fish to bite the baits have needed to be moving and he has had to pull them on weighted free-lines. It’s not unusual for the fishing to get like this around the turnover. 

In general there are a lot of fish in the creeks as well as some good ones way up the rivers in 10 feet or less, and right now Brad is seeing a lot of fish in Buffalo Creek in particular.

On the crappie front, Captain Brad reports that for the last few days he has only been able to get the fish to bite on jigs even though they are loaded up pretty well on brush. In the Big Saluda he is finding them on brush off the side of the channel in about 12 feet of water, while down the lake they are more likely to be in the 15-20 foot range where more of the bait is holding. 

Catfish report to follow. 

October 20

Lake Murray water levels have dropped to 357.77 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is a little dingey as it turns over in places. Morning surface water temperatures are about 72-74 degrees.  

Fresh off a third-place finish in the BFL Regional this weekend on Lake Murray that qualifies him to fish the All-American next June, tournament bass angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that it seems pretty clear to him that we are at the very tail end of the offshore suspended bite – whether that is throwing topwater lures for actively schooling fish or calling them up over brush and cane. There will probably continue to be some more fish caught on flukes, Spooks and the like offshore, but the bite was already dropping off before the regional. As the tournament week went on between the fishing pressure and changing conditions it just kept getting worse. Of course extreme wind on the final day also didn’t help for the stuff Andy was fishing, nor did it help the tournament leader over the first two days who was fishing deeper grass on the lower end where the wind was the worst.

The lake is already starting to turn over in places and this will probably make for some tough fishing for the next two weeks to a month, and some anglers will respond by going to the bank and fishing topwater lures or a Chatterbait. You can also fish a shakey head around shallow rocks in less than 10 feet.

Overall, it will be interesting to see what winning patterns emerge from the CBC Championship this weekend on Lake Murray. 

While the schooling action for striped bass has slowed down on Lake Murray, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the better fish are eating herring on free-lines and planer boards more than on down-lines. Mostly smaller fish are coming on down-rods.  From the creeks to the rivers most of the fish are concentrated over the channel, and even though they want to feed up they have generally been in the bottom half of the water column. This morning Brad was marking the most fish about 30 feet down in 50 feet of water. The majority of the fish are also starting to be creek-oriented, but instead of being well back in the creeks they are in the middle of the mouths of major creeks. 

On the crappie front, Captain Brad reports that fish are starting to transition off of the main lake and, like the striper, they are starting to move into the mouths of creeks. He is seeing the most fish suspended about 15 feet down over brush. 

More crappie information to follow. 

There can be a little inconsistency with the big fish from day to day, but overall Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the catfish are starting to get into a strong fall feeding pattern. He has caught several 20-plus pound blue catfish in the upper half of the lake, and there have also been good numbers of channel catfish for the catching. While you can certainly target channel catfish all over the lake in 10 plus feet of water during the day, to target the bigger blues fishing in 30-50 feet of water has been the best pattern. The fish are relating to flats, the river channel and ledges at times and so you just have to put out a bunch of lines and see where they want to be on a given day. Bream and cut herring seem to be the best baits right now, and even though the fish will take chicken William has found it’s a slower bite. 

October 7

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.30 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 79 degrees.

With water temperatures relatively unchanged the striped bass fishing is holding pretty steady on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there is still a (growing) group of fish way up the rivers. They are being caught above the bridges pulling free-lines and planer boards

There are also a large number of fish still in the mid-lake area, and schooling activity is still widespread if totally random – as is normal at this time of year. Hollow Creek has been particularly good, and there are already some fish schooling way back in the creeks even as more fish are out towards the mouths.

 

Even though veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the bass fishing seems to be slowing down on Lake Murray, tournament bass angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that still the biggest numbers of fish seem to be suspended offshore where they are being caught fishing topwater baits and flukes over cane piles and off points, typically in the 14-25 foot range.

However, in the big bass tournament this weekend there were some good fish in the 5-pound range caught early on a buzzbait, and it seems likely that a few more fish are making their way towards the banks as temperatures drop. 

While there is still no change with the crappie, Captain Brad reports that we are right on the cusp of a significant movement as the water starts to cool. Still, for now bait remains in small pods and the fish are following it all over the place, making them super scattered and suspended. 

The most catchable fish are still up the river and Brad is still catching good numbers of fish 6-8 feet down over brush in 12-15 feet of water on minnows. Outside of the rivers you need to fish deeper, and for the fish that aren’t roaming the best place to look is 20-25 feet down over brush in the 30s. 

Even as the catfish start to move into their fall spots Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) is finding a really tough bite right now, and while it’s easy to mark a lot of fish getting them to bite is another matter.  He has fished the river channel, the ledges and the flats, and used cut herring, gizzard shad and white perch.  On all three locations and with all three baits bites have been hard to come by.  There is every reason to think that the fish should start feeding better as soon as water temperatures drop just a few more degrees as the fish are already starting to set up in the places they like to feed in the fall.

September 29

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.51 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s to very low 80s. 

The patterns that were expected to produce in the BFL two-day this weekend on Lake Murray did, but tournament bass angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the fishing has gotten a little tougher than a few weeks ago when all the 20 plus pound bags were being caught. 36 pounds in two days won, and Andy finished in 6^th place with just under 31 pounds. 

The majority of the top weights seemed to come fishing topwater baits and flukes for suspended fish over cane piles and off points, or when anglers happened upon schooling fish. The fish are still mostly suspended in the 14-25 foot range, although again there are times when they will school over deeper water. 

Unsurprisingly the cooler snap also seems to have put a few fish on the bank, and Andy did catch a few fish on a buzzbait. However, at least the fish he saw related to the bank were smaller.

Typically a Lake Wateree correspondent, young tournament angler Fisher Rodgers of Camden managed an impressive third place finish on the strength of a really strong second day bag that included a couple of big fish for a two-day total of almost 35 pounds. Fisher was also fishing for offshore fish using his electronics, and his father Dearal Rodgers could only be described as a proud Dad. 

Offering one final thought on the tournament was veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda, one of the pioneers of cane pile fishing. Stan points out that it may very well be that the bite is slowing down, but it also didn’t help that they had a couple of slick calm days for the main event. The lack of wind likely depressed the weights. 

It’s still a really good striped bass bite on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that some fish have already moved way up the rivers. There are some fish being caught above the bridges pulling free-lines and planer boards, but there are also still a ton of fish in the mid-lake area. Hollow Creek has been outstanding, and the area around Bear Creek has also been very good. In the mid-lake area there has been frequent if intermittent schooling activity, and right now the fish are not really grouped by size. It’s not unusual to catch a 14-incher followed by a 21-incher. 

There’s still no real change with the crappie, and Captain Brad reports that bait is still in small pods and the fish are following it all over the place, making them super scattered and suspended. 

The most catchable fish are up the river and Brad is still catching good numbers of fish 6-8 feet down over brush in 12-15 feet of water on minnows. Outside of the rivers you need to fish deeper, and for the fish that aren’t roaming the best place to look is 20-25 feet down over brush in the 30s. 

The catfish are also very scattered right now, and while Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) would prefer they lock down in one area they are still mixed between the flats and the river channels – with some fish still suspended. He suspects water temperatures need to drop another 8-10 degrees before they get really grouped up. For right now anchoring is producing a little better than drifting, and 20-30 feet of water has been the most productive range. There are also some shallower fish on points and off riprap. Cut herring is most productive at the moment, but there are also a lot of fish pecking at herring right now. 

September 16

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.62 (full pool is 360.00) and the main lake is still relatively clear (with a summer green tint). Morning surface temperatures have fallen into the lower 80s. 

The same patterns are still producing bass on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the best way to catch fish is still to throw topwater baits and flukes over cane piles and off points – and to look for schooling fish. The majority of the bass seem to be offshore, and there are still lots of four to six plus pound fish out there.  Fish are generally in the 15-25 foot range, although at times they will school over very deep water.

But while that pattern is still producing, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria points out that it’s not quite as good as it was a few weeks ago. Realistically that’s because of fishing pressure, and when a lot of people are throwing lures at the same fish it will almost always change the bite.

As the fall progresses Andy looks for more fish to move towards the bank, and soon there should also be a pretty good buzzbait bite. 

The biggest change in the striped bass fishing is that schooling action is now pretty widespread, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that from the area around Ballentine Bay to Bomb Island to Shull Island there are a lot of fish on top. The action is sporadic and what time of day they school depends on factors such as sunshine and weather, but generally they are holding in that area and looking to come up on bait. 

Outside of the topwater activity fish are still mostly suspended about 30 feet down in the mid-lake area related to depth changes like points and channels. While some have moved a bit further back bait and striper are still mostly in the main lake and the mouths of the creeks, and the water will have to cool down a little more before striper go well back into the creeks following food. Only little ones are way back so far. 

Both down-lines and planer boards are working. 

It probably won’t be until October 1 that there’s a lot of change with the crappie, and Captain Brad reports that bait is still in small pods and the fish are following it all over the place, making them super scattered and suspended. 

The most catchable fish are up the river and Brad is still catching good numbers of fish 6-8 feet down over brush in 12-15 feet of water on minnows. Outside of the rivers you need to fish deeper, and for the fish that aren’t roaming the best place to look is 20-25 feet down over brush in the 30s. 

It’s not a huge challenge to catch channel catfish right now, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that they can be caught in 10-30 feet of water over most of the lake with a variety of baits. However, for numbers cut herring is hard to beat.

However, if you want a chance to hook into blues or flatheads as well as channel catfish the best bet it to fish up the river and anchor down on the ledges in 10-25 feet of water. Cut bait will work for everything, and if you want a better chance of catching a flathead mix in some live baits. 

September 1

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.96 (full pool is 360.00) and the main lake is still relatively clear (with a summer green tint). Morning surface temperatures rose but have fallen back to about 84 degrees. 

Results are in for last Saturday’s Fishing for a Cause benefit bass tournament, and it’s confirmed that there are some really good fish being caught on Lake Murray.  The first place team had 24.89 pounds, second place had 22 plus, and there were 5 or 6 more bags over 17 pounds. More importantly, tournament director Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that with 76 teams competing (up by 20 boats from last year), they were able to raise an incredible $20,000 for A Place for Us Ministry International. Stan is profoundly grateful for the generosity of anglers and sponsors for making this possible, and honored that God gave him this opportunity to help others.

Back to the fish, in an inversion of the usual pattern, right now you can still get a few bites throwing a buzzbait (even though the action has slowed) but it’s not the best way to get a kicker fish. The biggest fish are coming offshore, whether they are related to cane piles in 15-20 feet or just schooling off points and chasing bait in 30-50 feet of water. The best concentrations of big fish seem to be around cane, such as the 7.68 pound big fish caught by Stan’s son Meredith Havird.  Flukes and topwater lures were both working. 

There were also some pretty good bags up to about 17 pounds caught in the rivers, but as Stan says is usually the case, when the fish are biting in the lake that’s where the largest bags are going to come. This tournament was no exception. 

The striped bass continue to move towards a fall pattern on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that fish are still mostly suspended about 30 feet down in the mid-lake area related to depth changes like points and channels. Bait and striper are in the main lake and they also have moved into the mouths of the creeks, but the water will have to cool down a little more before striper go well back into the creeks following food. Down-lines are working as are planer boards, and one big change this week is that Brad has seen more schooling activity. 

In a similar vein, Captain Brad reports that when the water temperatures drop then crappie will become easier to target when the bait really groups up.  For now the bait is in small pods, and the fish are following it all over the place and so they are super scattered and suspended. 

The most catchable fish are up the river and Brad is still catching good numbers of fish 6-8 feet down over brush in 12-15 feet of water on minnows. Outside of the rivers you need to fish deeper, and for the fish that aren’t roaming the best place to look is 20-25 feet down over brush in the 30s. 

There are still a bunch of big channel catfish suspended with the striper right now, while others are still on the bottom.  Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports both groups are still feeding really well, and during the day anglers should look for them on the bottom in 25-40 feet of water over points and humps. They will take cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. At night the fish are still sliding up shallower to feed, and the best pattern is to fan-cast baits to the backs of coves and off secondary points in 1-15 feet of water.