December 21

Lake Murray water levels are back down to 354.34 after cresting above 354.7 (full pool is 360.00) and there are distinct mud lines up the lake. Morning surface water temperatures at the dam are down to about 57 degrees but much cooler up the river and in the creeks.  

You can certainly still pull free-lines and planer boards for striped bass on Lake Murray, but Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that throwing artificials at the birds seems to be the best way to catch fish right now. While there are still some fish above Black’s Bridge the rain pushed a lot of fish out of the river, and where they set up depends on the location of the mud line from day to day. Usually there are several distinct mud lines, and the fish will be where slightly stained water meets the dirtier water. Bucktails and ice flies are working well, but Ron is catching bigger fish this year letting a Willow Vibe rigged with small Slim SwimZ go to the bottom and then pulling it up through the fish. 

For more information about chasing birds on Lake Murray check out this short video from Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354).

The bass are still in a standard winter pattern for Lake Murray, but tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that tournament weights show the fishing has been a little off. The top weights are a bit down from a week or two ago, and there are also more anglers struggling to catch five fish.

Still, one pattern is throwing a crankbait and targeting rock and other hard cover such as any boat ramps still in the water. While most of the fish are on the main lake Andy does have some spots in the main part of creeks that he will fish – although low water levels aren’t helping them.

The other pattern is a deep pattern, and with an Alabama rig or jigging spoon you can catch fish around rock and brush in 15-20 feet, again mostly on the main lake. Jerkbaits will also work. 

In crappie news, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that up the river the fishing has slowed a little with all the rain, but the Clouds Creek area has still been good. Fish are close to the bottom in 12-20 feet of water, and you can catch them tight-lining, trolling and LiveScoping. Plain minnows or white and silver jigs tipped with tuffies are working the best. 

At the same time there are few good reports down the lake where fish are scattered, and it seems that many of them have migrated towards the upper end. 

The catfish are still fairly scattered, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that there continues to be a good bite around the river split drifting in 30-40 feet with gizzard shad. You can also catch a mix of blues and channels anchoring on humps in 25-30 feet of water on the upper end. 

Below the upper end, there are also channel catfish in the creeks all over the lake. The target depth range for them is about 30-40 feet and cut herring are hard to beat this time of year. 

December 14

Lake Murray water levels are at 354.20 (full pool is 360.00) and there is some stained water after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures at the dam are down to about 59 degrees but much cooler up the river and in the creeks.  

It’s a true winter pattern for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that water temperatures are starting to compromise the ability of threadfin shad to survive and so all the bait is starting to hug the bottom. The shad are getting very lethargic, and that’s when anglers want to chase them with double rigs of bucktails and ice flies. Spoon fishing should also be about to take off.  

While there are fish all over the lake and up the rivers, the best concentrations of fish seem to be from about Hawley Creek to Buffalo Creek. They are pulling weighted free-lines and planer boards in those areas to get the baits down. 

People want to chase the birds right now, but sometimes they are simply feeding on bait that loons or cormorants are running so be aware. 

Spending long hours on Murray casting at schooling fish and testing out lure designs has been Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143), and Ron notes that the schooling fish are extremely finicky right now as they feed on 2-inch shad. From what he is seeing not many people are getting bites and Alabama rigs have been about useless.  While they have had to work for them they are getting some fish on WillowVibes and bucktails, with the best keepers coming on the WillowVibe. Ron notes that only a small percentage of the fish are feeding on top and most of them are deeper so you need to get your bait down. 

For more information about double rigs on Lake Murray check out this short video from Captain Brad. 

The bass are also in a standard winter pattern for Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that one pattern is throwing a crankbait and targeting rock and other hard cover such as any boat ramps still in the water. While most of the fish are on the main lake Andy does have some spots in the main part of creeks that he will fish – although low water levels aren’t helping them.

The other pattern is a deep pattern, and with an Alabama rig or jigging spoon you can catch fish around rock and brush in 15-20 feet, again mostly on the main lake. Jerkbaits will also work. 

In crappie news, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that up the river the fishing has been very good – and in particular the Clouds Creek area has been on fire. Fish are flat on the bottom in 12-20 feet of water, and you can catch them tight-lining, trolling and LiveScoping. Plain minnows or white and silver colored jigs tipped with tuffies are working the best. 

At the same time there are few good reports down the lake where fish are scattered, and it seems that many of them have migrated towards the upper end. 

Similarly, Captain Brad reports that up the rivers fish are related to channel ledges and they are hanging on breaks in 8-12 feet of water where they can move laterally. 

The catfish are still fairly scattered, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that there continues to be a good bite around the river split drifting in 30-40 feet with gizzard shad. You can also catch a mix of blues and channels anchoring on humps in 25-30 feet of water on the upper end. 

Below the upper end, there are also channel catfish in the creeks all over the lake. The target depth range for them is about 30-40 feet and cut herring are hard to beat this time of year. 

November 30

Lake Murray water levels are at 353.85 (full pool is 360.00) and visibility is normal. Morning surface water temperatures at the dam are down to about 61 degrees but much cooler up the river and in the creeks.   

The bass appear to be getting into a standard winter pattern for Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that means the fish are biting well both shallow and deep. 25 pounds won the last CATT tournament, with other very impressive bags even below the top. 

The best shallow pattern is throwing a crankbait, mainly targeting rock and other hard cover such as any boat ramps still in the water. While most of the fish are on the main lake Andy does have some spots in the main part of creeks that he will fish – although low water levels aren’t helping them.

The deep fish can be caught with a jerkbait or jig fished around rock and brush in 15-20 feet, again mostly on the main lake. Andy also keeps a jigging spoon handy – mainly if he sees fish swim by that he wants to drop down on quickly.

Finally, Andy notes that in all the creeks from Crystal Lake up to the river forks there are wads of bait, perch and bass that can be found in the middle of the creeks. The best way to target these fish is with a jigging spoon.  It’s the lower lake creeks that have less action this time of year.  

As water temperatures drop, particularly up the lake, Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that he is still fishing hard with planer boards and free-lines. In the early morning the fish are holding deeper and so he is using some weight to get the baits down in the channel, but in the afternoon the fish are moving shallower into the pockets as the water warms and he is running most of his baits higher in the water column. There are still lots of fish from the Elbow to the river forks, and more and more are now above the bridges. 

Additionally, the double rig bite with bucktails and ice flies is just getting started. For now the action is still sporadic, but it will get better quickly with this cold weather.  

For more detail about the technique check out this short video from Captain Brad about planer board fishing this time of year on Lake Murray. 

In crappie news, Captain Brad reports that right now the fish are just about at their prime. Up the lake they are relating to steep channel banks that are almost at a 45-degree angle where deep water is easily accessible.  Any type of cover in these areas can be a magnet for fish, be it a dock, brush pile or anything else in 10-12 feet of water. When it gets cold fish will be deeper, but as the water warms fish will pull up. In addition to jigs and minnows spoons will catch fish.

This week veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin doesn’t have a report from down the lake, but up the lake he concurs the bite is good. In creeks like Cloud’s Creek a lot of fish are being caught 8 feet down in 12-20 feet of water, and while some fish are being caught long-line trolling the best action is coming tight-lining very slowly.  Plain minnows or white and silver colored jigs tipped with tuffies are working the best. 

Even though Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) hasn’t gotten to fish since this cold snap came through, he reports that as of this weekend even though the blue catfish were still pretty scattered in the river channels the bite had really turned on.  They caught everything drifting in 30-40 feet with gizzard shad, and based on history there is every reason to believe this cold will bunch the fish up more and improve the bite.  

There are channel catfish in the main river, too, but they are also likely to be in the creeks all over the lake. The target depth range for them is about 30-40 feet. Cut herring are hard to beat this time of year. 

November 16

Lake Murray water levels are down to 353.82 (full pool is 360.00) and visibility is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are down to 63-64 degrees.   

The striped bass are pretty much held up in the same areas on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the bulk of the fish are in the main channels from the Highway 391 bridge down to Rocky Creek. There are also large groups of fish in all the major creeks on the lake.  After Thanksgiving each year many of the main channel fish will move up the rivers and some will head as far up as the Lake Greenwood dam. 

Fish are river channel-oriented in the riverine areas, and oriented to creek channels in the big creeks. That make sense because the major creeks are basically similar sizes to the river channels. Fish are still fairly high in the water column, and zig-zagging and covering water with free-lines and planer boards is one good pattern. Some birds are also showing up and so casting double rigs is starting to take off. 

Weights were a little down in the last bass fishing tournaments on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the best patterns still seem to be shallow. Running the banks with topwater lures like a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper is still productive with temperatures remaining in the 60s, and fishing a crankbait around any shallow rock is also good. 

On the water yesterday veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda did get a few bites fishing deeper, but he found more fish shallow. Buzzbaits, Alabama rigs, jerkbaits, and Texas rigs all caught fish, and he found the best action in the front half of creeks. 

Up the lake the crappie have generally moved off brush and they are starting to school up together. They can be found in 8-14 feet of water. At the same time, in the clearer lower lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that even with a slight drop in temperatures the crappie really haven’t budged. They are mostly still on mid-depth brush in 14-22 feet of water.

Captain Brad adds that they have also been catching some fish up the lake on docks along the channel ledge. 

It’s trying to get cold enough for the bite Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) is looking for, but persistently warm conditions mean that the blue catfish are still pretty scattered in the river channels and so you need to drift and cover water.  Cut gizzard shad has been working the best. 

There are channel catfish in the main river, too, but they are also likely to be in the creeks all over the lake. The target depth range for them is about 30-40 feet. Cut herring are hard to beat this time of year. 

November 9

Lake Murray water levels are down to 353.96 (full pool is 360.00) and visibility is normal. Morning surface water temperatures range from the mid to upper 60s. 

There were some big weights at the very top of the last bass fishing tournament on Lake Murray, but tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that below the winners weights dropped off pretty quickly. The best action is coming fishing shallow, running the banks with topwater lures like a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper. There’s not much of a deep bite to speak of right now. 

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda concurs, and he adds that he would not be fishing any deeper than 8-10 feet right now. In addition to topwater lures he would fish something sub-surface like a crankbait or Chatterbait, and he thinks that right now many of the fish are related to docks. 

There are already really good numbers of striped bass up the lake, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that this morning they found a bunch of fish up the Little Saluda. Overall the best bet is concentrating on the area from the mouth of Rocky Creek up and pulling free-lines and planer boards. Zig-zagging across the channel is the best way to locate fish from day to day.

Up the lake there are also crappie all along the edges of the river channel on steep ledges, but Brad reports that it is aggravating to get them to bite right now. If temperatures cool they should get more reliable. 

Down the lake around the dam, Johns Creek and Beards Creek, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the warm weather has kept the crappie exactly where they have been. They are mostly still on brush in 14-20 feet of water, and they haven’t started to suspend and follow bait yet. 

The warm weather was not exactly what Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) was looking for, but despite the conditions he has found a good bite for big blue catfish up the rivers in the channels. Fish are still pretty scattered and so you need to drift and cover water, but there are some good ones feeding. On his last trip he caught a 32-pounder, a 28 and a 26. 

Cut gizzard shad has been working the best. 

November 2

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.11 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is still turning over. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the lower 60s up the lake and back in the creeks and they are down to about 67 at the dam.

You have to approach the Lake Murray striped bass differently after a cold snap, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that they go deeper for a few days after temperatures plummet. You also have to fish more slowly, and there is better fishing in the mid-day and evening once water temperatures have a little time to rebound.

Right now there are good numbers of fish up the lake, and Captain Brad is concentrating on the area from the forks of the river to the mouth of Rocky Creek. There are also a fair number of fish in both rivers. Brad is still pulling free-lines and planer boards, but with the cold weather he advises putting weights on them and fishing everything deeper. He is also sticking to the channel itself.  

If you haven’t already seen it, check out this short video from Captain Brad about how he gets tough stains out of his Tidewater boat.

Up the lake there are also crappie all along the edges of the river channel on steep ledges, but Brad reports that it is aggravating to get them to bite right now. Again the fishing should get better once temperatures stabilize, but they are definitely getting into an early winter pattern. 

Down the lake around the dam, Johns Creek and Beards Creek veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that even as crappie start to suspend and become less related to cover in the rivers, in the clearer water they are still on brush. However, they are coming off of the deeper brush and getting on cover in the 14-20 foot range.

No new bass fishing report from tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria since the cold snap, while Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) will be on the water for catfish tomorrow and Sunday. 

October 26

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.29 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is turning over. Morning surface water temperatures are around 69-70 degrees. 

The bass seem to be behaving about the way they do every year on Lake Murray when it turns over, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that weights are much lower than they will be in a few weeks when the process completes. If you check out the USGS page here you can actually see the dissolved oxygen level changing at the dam starting a few days ago. 

Fish have moved off the cane piles and points where they were suspending, and there are basically just a few decent options right now. One is to throw a buzzbait in shallow water about anywhere, and another is to fish a shaky head worm around docks. But sometimes to find action you need to go up the river where water quality is better and fish a crankbait, spinnerbait, buzzbait or worm. 

It’s almost November 1 and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that there is an absolute pile of striped bass up the river.  With water levels pretty low they are highly concentrated, which is improving the bite.  

They are still high in the water column, and they have been catching fish pulling free-lines and planers boards up the lake. Sometimes they will be on ridges or points, but they aren’t really relating to ridges and points – they are just running bait and sometimes happen to push it up onto those areas. Therefore, Brad’s preferred way to target fish is zigzagging. 

Of course not all the fish go up the lake, and yesterday they were schooling well at Bomb Island. You can also fish free-lines and planer boards back in the lower lake creeks. 

Check out this short video from Captain Brad about how he gets tough stains out of his Tidewater boat.

In the lower lake around the dam, Johns Creek and Beards Creek veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the crappie are still on brush in 20 or so feet of water, but there are also fish that are starting to migrate up the river. Up the river they are being caught on points and flats along the edge of the channel in 8-15 feet.  These fish are on shallow stumps and other structure, and others are in open water near the stumps. In a couple of weeks tight-lining will produce good numbers of fish even away from cover. 

Today on the water Captain Brad is fishing structure along the main river channel ledge up the lake and having success. They are finding a ton of fish on brush out front of docks right on the ledge, and while minnows would work they are getting plenty of bites casting jigs to them. 

He’s not thrilled about the warm front this weekend, but overall Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that the bite for big blue catfish on Lake Murray is improving. William and his tournament partner won a tournament last week on the strength of a big 32-pound blue cat, and they caught the fish drifting. Sometimes fish are in the channel and sometimes they are on the flats, and it can change fast, so he recommends zigzagging until you figure out where the fish are located. Then you can anchor for them if you prefer. White perch have been their bait of choice for big fish.

Channel catfish are also biting pretty well, and if you want to catch numbers of channels then Captain William recommends fishing in 25-40 feet all over the lake with cut herring or shad. The only time he would go much shallower is late in the evening when fish could into as little as 5-10 feet looking for bait. 

October 19

Lake Murray water levels are at 354.44 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal although the lake is starting to turn over. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees. 

When the Greenwood Bassmasters report that the cane bite is dropping off it’s worth listening, and unfortunately veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that’s exactly what’s happening right now. There are still some bass on cane, but as the lake turns over and the water cools fish are leaving the cane and roaming more – especially into the creeks. 

Now Stan recommends starting halfway back in the creeks and fishing to the backs, chiefly with shallow-running crankbaits, jerkbaits and buzzbaits. You may also want to down-size because they are on small baits. Isolated laydowns can be good, but his preference is to target rocky areas right now. 

There are also fish following bait in open water that you can hunt for. 

The striped bass continue to make a pretty standard fall transition, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that there are fish in all the creek systems right now. There is also a very large concentration of fish from where the rivers fork off to Dreher Island. 

One primary way people are fishing for them is casting to fish that are boiling or schooling, but it hasn’t been that consistent. It’s more common to catch one or two on up to a half-dozen than to fill several limits. 

With fish generally pretty high in the water column the best way to target them is usually with free-lines and planer boards. Sometimes they will be on ridges or points, but they aren’t really relating to ridges and points – they are just running bait and sometimes happen to push it up onto those areas. Therefore, Brad’s preferred way to target fish is zigzagging. 

The crappie are still in about the same areas as last week, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that he is finding them on brush in as little as 20-22 feet of water in the lower lake. Up the lake they are mostly on shallower brush in the 15-20 foot range. However, while the fish have not moved much this week the bite has significantly improved and they are catching a lot more fish. Jigs have also really come on.

Consistent with that, Captain Brad reports that deep water docks on steep drops are absolutely loading up with crappie in the middle to upper part of the lake. A friend caught 48 fish off one dock throwing jigs until he was tired of doing it, and while that number is high other deep docks are also producing well. 

Catfish report to follow from Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857).

October 12

Lake Murray water levels are at 354.61 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal – but will probably drop after today’s rain. Morning surface water temperatures have fallen to about 73 degrees. 

For right now Lake Murray bass fishing looks about the same as it has for a couple of weeks, and tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the action for suspended fish around cane piles is still good.  Fish walking baits and flukes over points in about 18 feet of water on the main lake and in the creeks. 

However, anglers are starting to see some signs that the lake is close to turning over, and that won’t be good for the fishing. If the main lake starts to turn over then sometimes you can avoid it by heading into the creeks, but if it gets really tough everywhere then heading up the rivers and throwing a big worm around docks and brush piles can be your best pattern.

For right now Stan is also very strong on a buzzbait. 

The striped bass continue to progress up the lake and out into the creeks, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that there is still some pretty good schooling activity – although it remains unpredictable. This week he knows of schooling activity at the mouth of 18-Mile Creek, in Hollow Creek, and where the rivers fork off. 

In addition to chasing schooling fish, pulling free-lines and planer boards has been productive. Fish are not very deep, and so keeping baits higher in the water column has been more effective than fishing down-rods. The mouths of creeks are a good place to look. 

It’s a time of transition for crappie on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that as temperatures drop fish are starting to move off of the deeper brush and go shallower. Especially in the lower lake they are still on brush, but instead of the 32-35 foot stuff they have started to catch them in as little as 20-22 feet of water. 

Up the lake fish are mostly on shallower brush in the 15-20 foot range, but if all this rain muddies up the water as predicted then they will move off of structure. 

For now minnows are still out-fishing jigs and the best way to catch fish is with the smallest toughie minnows on a finesse presentation.  

You can still catch channel catfish all over the lake on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that he is marking a ton of bigger blues, flatheads and channels up the rivers in 10-25 feet of water in the channel and out the creek arms. However, for the second week in a row he has to report that the bite is still slow. The full moon can’t be to blame this time, but it’s always a crapshoot when in October the fishing really turns on. Sometimes it’s the beginning of the month, sometimes the middle and sometimes the end. It usually correlates with dropping temperatures, which are just now happening. Once the bite gets good a variety of cut baits will work, with herring usually getting more bites but more durable baits like gizzard shad or bream often working better for big fish.

October 5

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.79 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are still in the the mid- to upper 70s but should drop this weekend.   

In a possible gift to the rest of the field the Greenwood Bassmasters won’t be fishing the upcoming 6-Man here, but they still know how to catch ’em at this time of year on Murray!  Tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the bass are all over their cane piles right now, and out on the water yesterday his son had about 17 pounds fishing walking baits and flukes over cane piles in about 18 feet of water on the main lake and in the creeks. Interestingly the fish didn’t start biting until almost Noon, but after that it was wide open.  They haven’t been able to do any good around the grass recently, which is consistent with reports from other anglers.  

However, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) of Harlem, Georgia reports that he has found fish schooling way back in the creeks.  They have been catching them on a Jackall Riser, and the key is to find small pods of baitfish. Pretty much every pod of bait has one or more bass around it.  

It's also a good time to throw a buzzbait around the banks with temperatures cooling and more big fish feeding shallow. 

The striped bass are in similar areas this week, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are still moving up the river and out into the creek arms. Buffalo Creek and Rocky Creek have both been productive, with fish caught on planer boards and free-lines. They are also schooling all over the place, including the very backs of some creeks. It’s all about locating the bait – and hitting things at the right time.  

Finally, there are more and more fish moving up into both rivers. Now there are keepers getting up there in addition to smaller fish.  

 If you haven’t already seen it, check out this short video from Captain Brad about how he spools his spinning rods for Lake Murray crappie and striper fishing. 

In the upper sections of the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that crappie can still be caught on brush in about 20 feet of water. They are suspended 10-12 feet down. In the clearer water down the lake they are still on the same cover in 32-35 feet that they have been on, but they are about 12-15 feet down.  For now minnows are still out-fishing jigs and the best way to catch them is with the smallest toughie minnows on a finesse presentation.  

You can still catch channel catfish all over the lake on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that he is marking a ton of bigger blues, flatheads and channels up the rivers. However, with the full moon it seems like they are still feeding more at night because the daytime bite has been a little inconsistent.  The best pattern is still anchoring in 10-25 feet up the river and out the creek arms. Dip baits will still work for channel catfish, but as temperatures drop cut bait including herring is a better option. For bigger fish gizzard shad seem to be working the best. 

September 28

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.97 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are down to the mid- to upper 70s. 

The striped bass are making their standard fall progression on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are moving up the river and out into the creek arms. There is a good group of fish coming up the main channel that are now around Buffalo Creek, and these fish can be caught on planer boards and free-lines. They are also schooling all over the lower end, and Hollow Creek has been holding a lot of fish recently. Of course, it’s a crap shoot whether they are on top when you pull up. Brad estimates fish are now as far back as half to 2/3 the way in major creeks. 

Finally, two days ago he saw tons of fish schooling in front of Riverwinds Landing but they were small. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on how Captain Brad spools his spinning rods for Lake Murray crappie and striper fishing. 

The bass fishing continues to go the direction it has been headed since last week, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the grass bite continues to slow as the grass is dying and the water is dropping, and so frogs, soft plastics and more just aren’t producing. But the cane bite continues to improve, and will just get better and better until the lake starts to turn over. Fish are suspended off points and humps in the 18-ish foot range on the main lake and in the creeks. Topwater lures, flukes and more will catch them. 

As temperatures drop there are also more fish pulling up shallow that can be caught on buzzbaits against the banks and around docks. However, that does not seem to be the dominant pattern right now. 

In the upper third of the lake Captain Brad reports that crappie are starting to follow the migrating schools of shad, and while some fish are still relating to bridges, brush and deep docks other can be found in open water. You can troll or cast for them once located. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine fish are on exactly the same cover in 32-35 feet that they were on last week, but instead of being essentially glued to the bottom, as temperatures cool they are moving up the water column and starting to suspend on top of the brush piles.  For now minnows are still out-fishing jigs and the best way to catch them is with the smallest toughie minnows on a finesse presentation.   

You can still catch channel catfish all over the lake on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that more fish are starting to move up the rivers. For blues, flatheads and channels the best pattern is now anchoring in 10-25 feet up the river and out the creek arms. Dip baits will still work for channel catfish, but as temperatures drop cut bait including herring will probably out-fish anything else. Bream has worked particularly well this week. 

September 21

Lake Murray water levels are down to 355.37 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees.  

It’s a pretty phenomenal time for catching striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that from Shull Island to the dam, and particularly on the dam side of Spence Island, there has been really good schooling activity. While the action may be the best in the morning, the fish are usually schooling right through the day. In part because the fish are on really small bait the live bait bite has been very tough and most of the fish are being caught on artificials.

But that doesn’t explain why the fish are taking the topwater baits they are taking, and for some reason anglers are not having to downsize. Pencil poppers, walking baits and more are all working. When it’s windy the fish seem to want something noisy that creates a lot of disturbance and maybe even rattles, while when it is calm they want something with a more subtle action. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on cleaning Lake Murray striper. 

Things have changed a lot with the bass in just a couple of weeks, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the grass bite has slowed down while the suspended bite around cane piles is on fire.  Wesley Sandifer won two tournaments this weekend with 22 and 26 pounds LiveScoping, and in the ABA tournament Stan’s son had 19.5 pounds and took second place. He was fishing cane in 18 feet on both the main lake and in the main creeks. They day before practicing Stan had about the same fishing with him. Interestingly, the only bait they could get bit on was an Ima Skimmer. 

There is still a frog bite around the grass, but it’s only in some very specific spots right now. The grass is turning brown in places and just seems to be holding less fish. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports there are still some small crappie around the bridges, docks and certain brush, but the catch continues to be mainly smaller fish. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine fish have made a move deeper as the water level has dropped for work on the dam, and instead of finding fish in 28 feet of water they have moved out past the mouths of coves into 32-35 feet. They are still on structure, and the best fishing for finicky late summer/ early fall crappie is still with the smallest toughie minnows on a finesse presentation.   

The channel catfish bite is still really good on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits around the banks and points in 10-20 feet is the best pattern.  Fishing early in the morning until two hours after sun-up, and then late evening into the night, is the best. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more.

September 8

Lake Murray water levels are down to 355.74 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures remain in the mid-80s.

We are just starting an exciting period of transition for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish can be found over any depth of water, from 100 or more feet to 30 or less, but they are pretty much all in the top of the water column from 25-30 feet down to the surface. The bulk of the fish have made their way into the mid-lake area, and he has seen them as far up as Rocky and Buffalo Creek, and they are just starting to school. You can still catch fish on down rods but free-lines, planer boards and even casting at schooling fish will all catch striper. At this time of year the schooling fish are feeding right on the surface and topwater plugs work the best. 

So far only some very small fish have gone back into the creeks, but with a little more cooling the bait will move back there and good fish will be right behind. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on improving herring longevity in your personal bait tank. 

Last week’s Fishing for a Cause Benefit Bass Tournament featured some impressive bags over 20 pounds and in the high teens, but most inspiring is that tournament director and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the event raised $15,200.00 for A Place For Us Ministries International! He appreciates the generosity of so many people in making this success possible. 

As for the fishing, the big surprise was how little offshore cane played and to what extent the better bags came from heavy, shallow grass in 3-10 feet of water that has topped out on the surface. The top teams were throwing weedless baits like frogs, flukes and topwaters that wouldn’t get hung up, and they found fish from the inside to outside edge of the grass. A variety of things including good oxygen levels probably attracted the fish. 

It was a similar pattern in the Labor Day tournament, won with 20 pounds, where cane didn’t produce and the pond grass did. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports there are still crappie around the bridges and certain brush, but right now the catch is mainly smaller fish. Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine fish were briefly relating more loosely to the brush and feeding better when the water cooled, but they are now back in the same late summer pattern.  Look at brush in 28-35 feet on the main lake or at least in the mouth of creeks on drops and ledges, and expect the fish to be holding very tight. By this stage of the summer the best fishing for finicky crappie is with the smallest toughie minnows where you down-size every aspect of your presentation.   

The channel catfish bite is still really good on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits around the banks and points in 10-20 feet is the best pattern.  Fishing early in the morning until two hours after sun-up, and then late evening into the night, is the best. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more, but usually nothing out-fishes dip baits in the late summer heat. 

August 24

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.06 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures remain in the middle to upper 80s.

Earlier this week Dominion pulled a lot of water through the lakes which concentrated more striped bass down around the towers, but outside of that Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are in about the same areas they have been. From the dam up to about Dreher Island they can be found roaming the channel but higher in the water column, and the most common depth where he has caught them has been about 10-20 feet down over 100 feet of water. Free-lines have been the main technique, but he has also caught some fish on down rods fishing on the bottom in about 45 feet just off the channel. They are also finding some fish schooling, and bass fishermen are picking up a lot of striper casting swimbaits, flukes and topwater lures around cane piles. Better fish have not moved into the creeks yet. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on keeping your bait alive longer.

The Fishing for a Cause Benefit Bass Tournament is this Saturday on Lake Murray, and tournament director and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he expects about 22 pounds to win. That’s not to say there will be a ton of big bags caught, but there are enough good fish being caught (and the quality of Lake Murray is high enough) that he expects solid numbers for late summer. 

Patterns are still about the same, but the suspended bite seems to be coming on a little this week. Flukes, swimbaits and topwater lures are catching fish around cane piles in 15-25 feet. There are also still good fish around the offshore pond grass that can be caught on frogs, buzzbaits and swimbaits. While Stan hasn’t heard a lot about it he wouldn’t overlook fishing deep diving crankbaits or big worms around deep brush, either.

With all that said, while most people will be fishing offshore it also wouldn’t be a surprise if someone caught some good fish around the banks on a buzzbait. There have been some intermittent reports of good ones caught up shallow that are eating bream. Of course, this is more of an early morning bite. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports there are still crappie around the bridges and certain brush, while down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine you still need to look at brush in 28-35 feet on the main lake or at least in the mouth of creeks. The best brush is on drops and ledges. By this stage of the summer the best fishing for finicky crappie is pretty much with the smallest toughie minnows you can get.  

The channel catfish bite is still really good on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits around the banks and points in 10-20 feet is the best pattern.  Fish are spread out all over, but fishing through the week when boat traffic is at a minimum is the best bet compared to the busy weekends. At all times fishing early in the morning until two hours after sun-up, and then late evening into the night, is the best. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more, but usually nothing out-fishes dip baits in the heat. 

August 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.42 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the middle to upper 80s.

The traditional summer striped bass pattern definitely seems to be finished on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are now roaming all over the main lake. He has caught them from the dam to the Gap along the deep channel, but they are up shallow and roaming. This week he caught them 10-12 feet down over 100 feet of water by Dreher Island, and they are trying to start schooling in places. Free-lines have been the main technique, but he has also caught some fish on down rods fishing on the bottom in about 45 feet. If you follow the channel and look for bait off the sides you will find fish. Better fish have not moved into the creeks yet. 

Some days they are getting awesome sizes, while other days it’s a mix. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on the knife sharpener Brad uses for his striper fillet knife. 

The Fishing for a Cause Benefit Bass Tournament is coming up next weekend on Lake Murray, and tournament director and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that even though the bass fishing is a little tough there are some decent late summer patterns. While you can fish offshore brush with deep diving crankbaits or big worms for deeper fish, Stan thinks the best things going are fishing on or near the surface offshore for suspended bass. While the bite isn’t as good as it will get there are some fish on the cane piles and points in 15-25 feet of water, and they will take walking baits, flukes and more. There is also a pretty good buzzbait, frog or swimbait bite around the pond grass that is growing offshore. 

With water levels low Stan wouldn’t be spending much time fishing around shallow stuff outside of an early window, although there are certainly some fish feeding around bream. But mostly he’s thinking about fishing on top over deeper water. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports that he hasn’t heard too many reports on crappie, but there should still be fish around the bridges.  Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that on the lower end around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine you still need to look in brush in 28-35 feet on the main lake or at least in the mouth of creeks. The best brush is on drops and ledges. By this stage of the summer the best fishing for finicky crappie is pretty much with the smallest toughie minnows you can get.  

The channel catfish bite is still really good on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits around the banks and points in 10-20 feet is the best pattern.  Fish are spread out all over, but fishing through the week when boat traffic is at a minimum is the best bet compared to the busy weekends. At all times fishing early in the morning until two hours after sun-up, and then late evening into the night, is the best. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more, but usually nothing out-fishes dip baits. 

August 3

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.79 (full pool is 360.00) but should rise with coming rains, and before the rain clarity was normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the middle to upper 80s.

It’s weird to be in the vicinity of the dam and see relatively little striped bass fishing activity on Lake Murray in August, but that’s just how it has been driving over the dam and past the towers recently. Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are still suspended 10-25 feet deep about everywhere. He is catching them in 20 feet of water out to 100 feet, from Dreher Island to the dam, but they are rarely if ever more than 25 feet down. At those depths they are catching them on free-lines, casting and with shallow down rods. Most of the action is still on the main lake or at the mouths of creeks. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on the knot Brad uses for most all of his striped bass fishing on Lake Murray. 

It’s still a normal bass bite for late summer on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that still means tough fishing. Early in the morning you can find a topwater bite around the banks, and after that you really need to target deep brush with a worm. Andy is also seeing a lot of fish suspended offshore on cane piles, but getting them to come up to eat is really tricky. 

Right now it appears that the fishing probably won’t turn around until we get through August. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports that you can still find crappie scattered around brush, but in the past week the best bite has been on both bridges. They are catching the fish on plastics fished in the shade. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that on the lower end around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine you still need to look in brush in 28-35 feet on the main lake or at least in the mouth of creeks. The best brush is on drops and ledges. The bite is better with small minnows, but you can usually get away with jigs in the morning even on the clearer lower end. 

The channel catfish bite is still really good on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits around the banks in 10-15 feet is the best pattern.  Fish are spread out all over, but fishing through the week when boat traffic is at a minimum is the best bet compared to the busy weekends. At all times fishing early in the morning until two hours after sun-up, and then late evening into the night, is the best. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more, but usually nothing out-fishes dip baits. 

July 27

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.12 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the middle to upper 80s.

It’s a really unusual late July pattern for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that whether he is fishing in 35 feet or 100 feet of water all the striper he is catching are suspended about 20 feet deep. He is still fishing within sight of the dam, from the extreme lower end up to Shull Island. In finding fish right now all he is looking for is bait schools, and with no significant flow or current they can be found about anywhere – instead of looking for some structure fish are related to. It’s a really good bite, mostly pitching out free lines, and the fish have been so hungry that on Tuesday they even caught a bunch of fish on dead herring!

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on easy bait tank clean-up. 

It’s a normal bass bite for July on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that’s not a good thing! Every few years – like last summer – there will be above-average fishing in the middle of the summer, but this is not one of those years!

Early in the morning you can find a topwater bite around the banks, and after that you really need to target deep brush with a worm. Andy is also seeing a lot of fish suspended offshore on cane piles, but getting them to come up to eat is really tricky. 

Right now it appears that the fishing probably won’t turn around until we get through the next month. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports that you can still find crappie scattered around brush, bridges and even docks, where they will eat both minnows and jigs. However, Brad reports the bite isn’t wide open right now. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice reports that on the lower end around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine you still need to look in brush in 28-35 feet on the main lake or at least in the mouth of creeks. The best brush is on drops and ledges. The bite is better with small minnows, but you can usually get away with jigs in the morning even on the clearer lower end. 

The channel catfish bite has gotten really good on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits around the banks in 10-15 feet is the best pattern.  Fish are spread out all over, but fishing through the week when boat traffic is at a minimum is the best bet compared to the busy weekends. At all times fishing early in the morning until two hours after sun-up, and then late evening into the night, is the best. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more, but usually nothing out-fishes dip baits. 

July 21

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.31 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are 86 and higher.

Things changed quickly with the striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that he is still fishing on the lower third of the lake within sight of the dam – but not in the extreme lower pool. The bulk of the fish have pulled shallower, and he is now catching them in only 30-50 feet of water. Some are at the mouths of creeks on both the Lexington and Chapin sides, they are pretty much all suspended, and there is substantial schooling activity. At times acres and acres of fish are schooling. Both free-lines and down-rods are working, and when fish are on top you can cast lures at them. 

Overall it’s like the fishing went from a June to an August bite, skipping the July stage, and Brad wonders if it’s related to the very mild late spring and early summer. There are clearly some oxygen issues in the lower pool, and it’s a struggle to keep bait alive. If bait is having trouble living then numbers of fish won’t be there if they have little to feed on, and if the water quality is tough for bait it’s probably not good for them, either. That’s not to say there aren’t any fish around the dam and the towers, but the bite is clearly not what it usually is in the mid-July. 

July 13

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.61 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is back to summer normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s. 

It’s a good summer bite for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the bulk of the bigger fish he is catching right now are from Spence Island down. However, he is not finding them around the dam. For the most part they are in 50-70 feet of water on the bottom, and they are generally off the ends of ridges. Herring on down-rods have been the key.   

Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) adds that you can find plenty of fish 25-30 feet down, but he agrees that these are mostly smaller ones.  

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on using a thumper box for Lake Murray striped bass. 

It’s an above-average bass bite for July on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that one pattern is to fish shallow with a buzzbait just running the banks. This is better when the bream are bedding, but it’s been good even after the last full moon.  There are also a ton of fish suspended offshore on cane piles, but the hard part is catching them. At times they will take topwater baits, flukes, flutter spoons and more, but there are a ton more fish out there than will bite. 

While Andy is convinced that there are a lot of fish in deep brush or on deep rock right now, they have been surprisingly hard to catch.  Maybe he just hasn’t come on the right brush, but that is the one bite that seems below-average right now. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports that you can find crappie scattered around brush, bridges and even docks, and just yesterday the author took Brad’s advice and caught some good crappie around marina docks on a mix of minnows and jigs. However, Brad reports the bite isn’t wide open right now. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice reports that on the lower end around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine you need to look in brush in 28-35 feet on the main lake or at least in the mouth of creeks. The best brush is on drops and ledges. The bite is better with small minnows, but you can usually get away with jigs in the morning even on the clearer lower end. The right groups of fish will really eat, but others can be lethargic. 

It's a pretty good catfish bite on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits in 5-25 feet around secondary points, humps, and marker buoys is by far the best way to catch them. It’s getting to be the time of year when night-fishing is more productive than daytime fishing, but fish will still feed sporadically all day. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more, but usually nothing out-fishes dip baits. 

June 28

Lake Murray water levels are down to 358.07 after rising over 359 (full pool is 360.00), and while clarity is normalizing the whole lake is more stained than usual after last week’s rain. The Little Saluda has cleared much more than the Big Saluda which is pretty muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees. 

It’s a good summer bite for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that he is catching fish in 40-60 feet of water on down rods. He saw some schooling activity yesterday, mostly 18-inch fish, but the biggest groups of fish are on the bottom. Right now they seem to be relating mostly to deep channels. As explained in the video below, the best fishing is in the big water within sight of the dam. 

Brad notes that until the sediment totally settles out fish may act a little differently from normal, and like a cup of water the sediments settles from the top to the bottom with the upper layer clearing long before the bottom does. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on summer fishing locations on Lake Murray. 

It’s finally gotten hot on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that as a result bass are finally starting to make a normal summer move. You can still find fish early on a buzzbait around the banks and grass, but after that it gets a lot tougher to catch fish shallow. Some fish will be around bream beds, but even they bite better very early.  Mostly smaller fish seem to be holding around docks.  

The better fishing during the day is out deep around brush, and you can catch bass dragging worm around brush piles in around 20 feet of water. And while there are probably a few fish suspended offshore, in general that bite experiences a lull after the first two weeks of June and doesn’t really turn back on until the water cools (with obvious exceptions like the last time the FLW Cup was here). Still, this year has been so behind that it’s worth looking. 

There are no Tuesday night tournaments this week or next week because of the Friday night Ironman event and then the holiday, but with fish finally getting on offshore brush the night bite should pick up for Friday’s tournament. 

The biggest change with the crappie this week is that due to water conditions fish are more likely to relate tighter to cover when they can’t see as well, but their locations haven’t changed much.   Up around the rivers you can still find crappie on brush in 20-26 feet, but veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice reports that on the lower end around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine you need to look in brush in 26-31 feet. The best brush is on drops and ledges. There are still some fish in the creeks, but they are making their way towards the main lake or at least the mouths of the creeks. The bite is better with small minnows, but you can usually get away with jigs in the morning even on the clearer lower end. 

There are a lot of post-spawn catfish that are willing to eat on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits in 5-25 feet around secondary points, humps, and marker buoys is by far the best way to catch them. It’s getting to be the time of year when night-fishing is more productive than daytime fishing, but fish will still feed sporadically all day. You can also catch cats on herring, worms, shrimp and more, but usually nothing out-fishes dip baits.  

June 22

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.50 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s.  

There’s not much change in the daytime pattern for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are mostly on the bottom in 50-70 feet of water in the big water.  However, the pre-dawn pattern is a little different, and over from Clarks Hill for the hot early morning action Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that on the lower end they are finding fish in 38-40 feet first thing. They are fishing main lake points from Shull Island to the dam with down-rods about three turns off the bottom, and they are getting limits before 6 a.m.  Most of the fish are in the 24-inch range.  

If you are out there every day you can stay on top of the fish, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) notes that they are moving around more than usual. He’s finding them in 40-60 feet during the day but notes that for weekend anglers don’t be surprised if about the time you find a group of fish they move. 

For this week’s tip from Taylor Outdoors check out this short video on using cut bait. 

Unsurprisingly with this weather things are still running behind on Lake Murray with the bass, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that fish are still shallower than usual, especially early. At the same time there are a few fish suspending on offshore spots, but even though a couple of places are already loaded up with bass there are not many places like that. 

With a pretty good bream spawn going on around the lake there are also a lot of good fish shallow, and you can find large wolf packs of bass around bream beds. Running the banks with a Whopper Plopper, Pop-R or buzzbait can be a really good way to catch these fish. And with temperatures mild it’s also still worth fishing docks with a jig or worm – particularly if the sun ever comes out.   

As far as night fishing, the fish still don’t seem to have gotten on offshore brush and the best pattern is still either fishing lights or dragging a worm off points in 5-15 feet before dark.

Up around the rivers you can still find crappie on brush in 20-24 feet, but veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice reports that on the lower end around the dam, Lexington and Ballentine you need to look in brush in 26-31 feet. There are still some fish in the creeks, but they are making their way towards the main lake or at least the mouths of the creeks. Generally those fish are holding about 14-16 feet down, but if the sun ever comes up they will be tight to the brush. The bite is better with small minnows, but you can usually get away with jigs in the morning. 

There are now a lot of post-spawn catfish that are willing to eat on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fishing dip baits in 5-25 feet around secondary points, humps, and marker buoys is by far the best way to catch them. It’s getting to be the time of year when night-fishing can be really good, and if it warms up then it will also be a good way to beat the heat. 

June 15

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.11 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is good. Morning surface water temperatures have risen into the mid-70s.

It’s still a deep pattern for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that’s unlikely to change for a while.  Fish are mostly on the bottom in 50-70 feet of water, and they are relating to both channels and ridges. There are some fish higher in the water column but they are mostly smaller ones. The same is true for the creeks, and Brad is mostly fishing within sight of the dam if not right in the extreme lower pool.

It's a down-rod bite with herring, and for brand new information about Lake Murray down-rod fishing and leader length check out this short video from Taylor Outdoors. 

Things are still running behind on Lake Murray with the bass, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that on their way to 19 pounds in a CATT tournament Saturday they actually caught two fish shallow on the herring spawn first thing. The fish were on the main lake off a point in 2-4 feet of water.  At the same time there are a few fish suspending on offshore spots, but even though a couple of places are already loaded up with bass there are not many places like that. 

With a pretty good bream spawn going on around the lake there are also a lot of good fish shallow, and you can find large wolf packs of bass around bream beds. Running the banks with a Whopper Plopper, Pop-R or buzzbait can be a really good way to catch these fish. And with temperatures still fairly mild it’s also still worth fishing docks with a jig or worm. 

As far as night fishing, the fish still don’t seem to have gotten on offshore brush and the best pattern is still either fishing lights or dragging a worm off points in 5-15 feet before dark.

At the lower end of the lake the crappie action is still good on brush in 12-15 feet with jigs, while Brad is very surprised that the fish aren’t really on bridges up that way right now. It also seems like there isn’t much bait around the bridges. 

On the lower end brush in about 25-28 feet is holding crappie.   

As it warms the catfish bite continues to pick up on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that in 5-25 feet dip baits are working very well off points, humps and in coves. Cut herring will also work. There are a lot of fish focused on the spawn that won’t feed, but more also seem to be eating again this week.

June 7

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.11 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is good. Morning surface water temperatures have risen into the mid-70s.

With temperatures normalizing on Lake Murray fish are starting to behave more typically for this time of year, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that he is pretty much doing all of his striped bass fishing in sight of the dam. That doesn’t mean he’s always close to the dam, and it’s also not to say there aren’t some fish in the deeper areas inside major creeks, but more fish are certainly grouping up in the big water. Brad has also heard of some fish coming back down the river that are being caught around Buffalo Creek. 

The best pattern has been fishing down-rods 50-60 feet deep on the bottom, and fish are mostly related to ditches and channels right now. But they have also seen some schooling over very deep water. 

For more information about Lake Murray down-rod fishing check out this short video from Taylor Outdoors. 

Even though water temperatures are warming bass still haven’t gotten into deep summer patterns, but tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that they are moving that way. During the day a lot of fish are starting to suspend, and you can find them schooling or call them up with topwaters. Right now they seem to mostly be in 10-20 feet, and a lot of times the action is pretty random.  They will get off points and around cane soon. 

Early there is a good bite around the banks with buzzbaits, and you can also fish bream beds all day with Whopper Ploppers or poppers. There are also fish holding on docks near bream beds that will take a worm.

The night tournaments are getting underway, and last night Team Wicker got third place with about 18 pounds. They aren’t catching fish off brush yet since the fish don’t seem to have gotten out there, and most of their weight has come dragging a worm off points in 5-15 feet before dark or fishing lights. 

The crappie action has heated up as fish start to group up on brush again, and Captain Brad reports that from what he is seeing they are coming off of bridges and docks right now. This morning they caught 38 crappie, with a lot of fish over a pound, on brush in 12-15 feet. It was mostly a minnow bite, but they did catch a few on jigs. 

On the lower end the key brush is deeper. 

As it warms the catfish bite is picking up on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that in 5-20 feet dip baits are working very well off points, humps and in coves. There are a lot of fish focused on the spawn that won’t feed, but more also seem to be eating this week.

There are also a few fish starting to move out deeper than can be caught on cut bait. 

June 1

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.18 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is good. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s over most of the lake. 

It’s strange times on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that they are fishing April water temperatures in June. He is still finding the best striped bass bite in deeper water, and the best pattern has been fishing on the bottom in 50-60 feet of water off ridges with down-rods.

While Brad is still sticking mostly to the main lake, fish are also starting to move back into the creeks and you can catch them at the same depths at the front of major creeks. There has also been some schooling activity over deep water.  

It’s the very, very tail end of the herring spawn on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that if you want to catch bass on herring there are only a few spots that will produce for a few minutes in the morning. In the evening some striper are feeding on herring shallow.

One group of fish is starting to move offshore and get on a suspended pattern, with some of the fish concentrated on structure like cane.  You can catch them on topwater lures or even a drop shot rig.  

But there are also a ton of bream around the banks and bedding, and anytime that is going on there are also plenty of bass up there. It’s a good time to throw a Whopper Plopper or buzzbait.  This week in the night tournament this was a productive pattern before dark. 

As with everything else the crappie are running behind, and Brad reports that water temperatures will have to get back into the upper 70s for the better fish to lock onto brush again. Basically fish are in a spring pattern, and bridges are holding good numbers of fish as are deeper docks. You can catch a ton of 10-inch fish on brush up the rivers in 15 feet, while down the lake those fish are more likely to be at depths in the 20s.

They are still catching a few fish on minnows, but jigs are working the best. 

The catfish bite is still off on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that it seems that a large percentage of the fish are hyper-focused on spawning right now. You can still pick up some random fish, and putting dip bait sout in 5-20 feet is probably the best way to target them. 

Up the rivers Captain Brad reports that they are catching some channels pulling planer boards with catfish rigs in about 20 feet of water. The blues are MIA right now.