March 20
Lake Murray water levels are at 357.95 (full pool is 360.00) and the water has cleared significantly. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 50s.
While the herring spawn has not yet started on Lake Murray, Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that as the water warms in fits-and-starts the striped bass are starting to orient to points in the main parts of creeks. Especially early bass fishermen are starting to catch them casting at the banks on the points where herring will eventually do their thing. Naturally free-lines and planer boards are both catching fish, but there are also plenty of fish being caught on down rods where the channel drops off at the end of points.
While in the main lake striper are thinking about herring, up the lake Captain Brad is catching fish in the backs of bays where they are feeding on threadfin shad.
In case you missed it, check out this information video from Taylor Outdoors about line set-up for planer boards.
The crappie fishing has substantially improved from last week as the current has slowed down, and with a mix of pre-spawn, spawning and even some big post-spawn fish you can catch them a bunch of different ways. Tight-lining and long-line trolling are both catching fish, and there are also fish on the banks that have come in. Casting jigs and minnows will both work for these fish.
Overall trolling has been most productive this week, but basically you can fish however you want and catch crappie right now – unlike a week ago.
It’s also a good bite for bass, and tournament anglers Andy Wicker of Pomaria and
Stan Gunter of Saluda report that there are a lot of fish on beds, even more very close to spawning, and even a few post-spawn fish based on some empty beds they are seeing. Stan thinks the greatest number of fish are in the stage just before they lock down on beds, and these are staging in pockets – sometimes in large groups – as well as around docks. His granddaughter and her tournament partner had a great day in the middle school tournament this past weekend targeting a group of fish that were staging inside a spawning pocket with a spinnerbait and wacky worm. Bang O Lures are also a great option.
Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that some catfish are moving shallower into pre-spawn locations, but it’s not in great numbers yet as the cooler nights are still holding them out. For now fishing cut bait in the channels is still a better option.
March 15
Lake Murray water levels are at 357.97 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity varies from muddy to clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 50s.
Yesterday Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) of Edisto Island – co-inventor of The Chatterbait with his father Ron Sr. – was on Lake Murray testing out some new lure prototypes on the bass. In the afternoon they saw fish all over beds in the Crystal Lake area, with multiple pairs in every cove, but in the morning they found a wide-open bite up the rivers.
Water conditions were weird, and there were stretches of water with better visibility but then other areas where visibility was very low. And even in cleaner areas there was obviously a layer of mud a few feet down that a boat prop would disturb. That’s because they are letting so much water out of the Greenwood and pulling it through Murray.
Regardless, in the dirty water with only 6-8 inches of visibility they found bass fishing so good it could only be described as “easy” to catch fish. Throwing any bait with a blade on it, at times they caught fish on almost every cast around rocky secondary points in 3-5 feet of water.
March 14
Lake Murray water levels have dropped back to 358.03 (full pool is 360.00) and the middle section of the lake is now the only really dirty section. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to 54-56 with cooler nights.
Leading off with bad news, Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the crappie fishing up the rivers is about as tough as he has seen it at this time of year. There has been such a tremendous amount of current for so long that it has scattered and displaced the fish, and it’s hard to locate big schools of fish – particularly feeding ones – and they seem to be broken up and holding tight to the bottom. Captain Brad speculates that one or two floods would not have put the fish effectively into hiding, but months of this has. While you can long-line troll for fish with jigs the action is very slow, and there are not many on the banks yet.
The better crappie fishing is probably in the middle to lower lake, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that there have been fish caught in 12 feet or less and even some caught just out from the banks in 4 or so feet. However, the cooler nights seem to have pushed fish deeper than they were by last weekend, and the last couple of days they have not been feeding very well. Of course that will change any day – and hopefully the rivers will turn on, too.
At the same time Captain Brad is fishing the rivers again for striped bass pulling free-lines and planer boards as that area clears. Prime depths vary from day to day and so zig-zagging until you locate them is the best bet.
With the dirtiest water mid-lake those fish seem to have scattered, and the fish that Brad was catching in cleaner creeks down the lake have also moved around with all the wind. Still, larger numbers are set up in 40-50 feet of water on the bottom where they can be targeted with down-rods, although they will move up in the water column once they start feeding. And the bigger fish are being caught on free-lines and planer boards higher in the water column. Zigzagging across the channel is again the best bet, because as on the upper end some of the fish are very shallow and others could be over 60-80 feet.
For a new how-to guide from Taylor Outdoors check out this information video about line set-up for planer boards.
Despite all the flux with other species, tournament anglers Andy Wicker of Pomaria and Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that bass are making a pretty steady spring progression and doing exactly what they are supposed to do. They are moving shallow, and with all the muddy water mid-lake spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits are working as well as swimbaits. In addition to fish all over the banks there are also a large number of fish essentially sitting in the middle of pockets, and drop shot and Damiki rigs are both working for these fish. There are also a ton of fish around docks and wacky-rigged worms, shaky heads and swimbaits are all catching these.
While neither angler has actually seen a fish on a bed it’s almost inconceivable that some are not.
Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that some catfish are moving shallower into pre-spawn locations but it’s not in great numbers yet as the cooler nights have held them out. He has caught a few fish in 2-3 feet of water back in the warmer creeks, but it’s still just a little early.
March 7
Lake Murray water levels have jumped up to 358.27 (full pool is 360.00) and after yesterday most of the lake is getting dirty. The Little Saluda is cleaner than the Big Saluda, and creeks from one end of the lake to the other are muddy in the backs. Morning surface water temperatures were 58 on the upper end this morning.
Changing water conditions have the bait – and in turn the fish – moving around all the time, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports this morning he has been catching striped bass up the river pulling free-lines and planer boards. Some of the fish have been in 5 feet of water, some have been in 20, and while there aren’t a ton of fish up there they have been good ones.
But the biggest concentrations of fish seem to be in the middle to backs of the creeks down the lake, and there are basically two groups of fish. Larger numbers are set up in 40-50 feet of water on the bottom where they can be targeted with down-rods, although they will move up in the water column once they started feeding.
Meanwhile the bigger fish are being caught on free-lines and planer boards higher in the water column. Zigzagging across the channel is the best bet, because as on the upper end some of the fish are very shallow and others could be over 60-80 feet.
There is so much trash floating in the water that it can be a challenge to troll, but Captain Brad reports that up the lake crappie are stacked up in the mouths of creeks where they can be targeted tight-lining. Most of the fish are in water depths in the teens, suspended about halfway down. In the clearer water chartreuse jigs are the best bet, while in the muddier water darker jigs like reds and oranges work better.
In the middle to lower lake fish are in similar depth but further back (since the creeks are deeper), and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that basically he is looking in the middle to backs of the creeks. Tight-lining or Scoping and casting will catch fish, and there are also some males being caught shallow – particularly early and late. The bigger females are about a week to two weeks ago from spawning – it happens fast.
The freshwater coming into the creeks should accelerate trends and pull the fish back.
It’s a consensus bass report from tournament anglers Andy Wicker of Pomaria and Stan Gunter of Saluda, who report that all over the lake fish are moving up shallow because of seasonal forces. At the same time water conditions are pushing fish up, and in the mud up the lake or in the backs of creeks the Chatterbait/ spinnerbait bite is really good. You can also throw a bright-colored shallow running crankbait. While that has been working for a while in this wet late winter, fish are more active and you can get a lot more bites.
As fish get closer to spawning they are also pulling up around docks, particularly the last dock out from secondary points, and when the sun is shining throwing a small swimbait or a wacky-rigged worm around them is very productive.
February 28
Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.42 (full pool is 360.00) the lake is clearer than last week. Up the rivers the water has cleared significantly, and the dirtiest water is now around Dreher Island over to Hollow Creek. Morning surface water temperatures are about 52.5 degrees at the dam.
Everything is on the move on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the best striped bass fishing he is finding is back in the creeks. While creeks all over the lake are productive, he has had the best success in the Ballentine area. For right now the fish have been holding in depths of the mid-forties in the channels, but the next few days of warm weather should move them further back and shallower. Right now they are only that deep because that is where the bait has been.
The down rod bite should hold out a little bit longer, but very soon planer boards will be the ticket.
It’s a consensus bass report from our experts, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that fish are pulling up shallower all over the lake. You can catch them on crankbaits or even Alabama rigs, but it’s getting to the point where fishing a jig or shaky head around shallow docks is hard to beat. Look particularly at docks on secondary points just outside of spawning pockets.
In the same vein, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that three days of warm weather have moved the fish much shallower and as the creeks warm up faster looking in 3-4 feet in the backs is the best bet. Chatterbaits, Rattle Traps, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and little swimbaits will all work, and fish are so aggressive he prefers moving baits right now. Some of the best action is coming around dock walkways.
Up the rivers it’s been a good bite trolling and tight-lining plain jigs for crappie this week, and Captain Brad reports that in the upper part of the lake the fish are set up at the mouths of creeks. In particular the big females are staging, and he is finding them 10-12 feet deep on the sides of channel breaks in 14-18 feet. In that area the fish are waiting for temperatures to warm before going further back into the creeks.
In the middle to lower lake it’s a slightly different situation, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that – even though fish are waiting for temperatures to rise before really moving back – they are being caught from the mouths of creeks to midways back. Fish are mostly in the upper part of the water column down 4-12 feet, and they can be caught Livescoping and trolling with both jigs and minnows.
All over the lake there are undoubtedly still big schools of fish in marinas.
In case you missed it last week, here is a how-to guide to slip corking fishing from Taylor Outdoors click here.
Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that a few catfish are moving shallower into pre-spawn locations but it’s not in great numbers yet. He has caught a few fish in 2-3 feet of water back in the warmer creeks, but it’s still just a little early. The last time out he only had gizzard shad and there were a ton of short strikes, so next time he will take herring too.
February 22
Lake Murray water levels are back down to 358.14 (full pool is 360.00) after peaking at about 358.5 and the lake is clearing again. Morning surface water temperatures are about 50 degrees up the rivers and about 51.5 degrees at the dam.
After the CBC this weekend we have to lead off with the bass report, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria (who finished fourth with 22.75 fishing with his father Steve) reports that from what he is seeing the fish are definitely moving shallower. While Andy thinks that overall the shallow bite has been better for a little while, before the lake went off-limits he had found a fair number of fish stacked up around offshore cane and brush. However, by Friday he realized this bite was dying and the same was true on Saturday. Eventually they started cranking boat ramps and caught two 5-pounders, and they also found fish lots of good fish around docks. They did manage a couple of fish including a 4-pounder on an offshore spot (in about 12 feet) that produces year-round with an Alabama rig and a jerkbait, but overall Andy thinks fish are moving off deeper stuff and won’t return this spring.
It wasn’t a very different story from veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda who finished in 12th with his partner Chris Vickery, and Stan reports they tried to fish some deeper grass and structure but eventually decided to fish wind-blow, rocky points in 5-8 feet of water. They were midway up the lake in dirtier water and in Stan’s experience the spots were places fish inhabit right before they go really shallow. Everything they weighed came on an Alabama rig.
As the lake clears there are some striped bass again being caught up the Little Saluda, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that, while there aren’t a ton of them, they are all keepers. They are still catching these fish on planer boards and free lines.
But the biggest concentration of fish seem to be down the lake in deeper channels, and recently a lot of fish have been caught in areas like the mouth of Beard’s Creek 40 feet down in 60 feet of water on down-rods. Brad expects this basic pattern to hold for some time, and on the full moon and warmer nights he expects bait and fish to push shallower and then for cooler temperatures to pull them back out again.
But the best thing going is probably the crappie, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that all over the lake fish are being caught from the mouths of creeks to midways back in the upper part of the water column. That’s because the most active fish are higher up mostly down 4-12 feet, and they can be caught Livescoping and trolling with both jigs and minnows. In the clearer water down the lake the early morning has been most productive.
There are also an absolute ton of fish living in certain deep marinas right now, and Captain Brad reports that they caught them on jigs one day but when they went back and the wind was too strong drifting minnows 12-16 feet down on slip floats was the key.
For a how-to guide to slip corking fishing from Taylor Outdoors click here.
Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) hasn’t been on Murray himself after catfish this week but he will be out there this weekend. However, reports indicate that in the dirtiest water up the lake the big blue cats have moved really shallow.
February 14
Lake Murray water levels are up to 358.01 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is getting very muddy again. Morning surface water temperatures are about 50 degrees up the rivers and about 51 degrees at the dam.
A few days ago the striped bass fishing was decent up the lake, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that, while there weren’t a ton of fish up there, you could pick your way through coves in areas like Cloud’s Creek and find some nice fish. However, the lake shot up about a foot in twenty-four hours and by this morning it was blown out with logs, trash and mud.
As a result the greatest concentrations of fish are going to stay further down the lake, and he has found large groups at the mouth of Hollow Creek, at the Big Gap, around Timberlake, and in Bear Creek. In general these fish are running 30-40 feet deep over the river channel, and again weighted planer boards and free-lines are working the best.
Regardless of where you are on the lake the crappie fishing is turning on, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish are pretty much in all the creeks from the mouth to half-way back staging and waiting for water temperatures to hit 55-60 degrees. With dirty water they are generally high in the water column, and they are mostly 2-12 feet down in 25-35 plus feet of water. Now is the best time to catch the biggest fish of the year either casting or long-line trolling.
Captain Brad adds that he doesn’t think we are very far from crappie moving shallower, and with sunny days warming the water fish should soon move further back.
February 12
Lake Murray water levels are up to 357.21 (full pool is 360.00) and rising by the minute and the lake is almost certain to get muddy again with the last 24 hours’ rain. Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 51.5 degrees at the dam after several warm days.
It’s easy to see bass coming out of winter patterns right now on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that yesterday he had fourth place and 21 ½ pounds in the ABA tournament on Murray. Fish are starting to bite everywhere, and in particular the shallow bite has been really good. The top bag yesterday was 28 pounds caught by Josh Rennebaum.
Shallow patterns have been good for a little while, but Andy says that now instead of fishing rock near deep water you can actually go further back and fish wood and deeper docks. Pretty soon he expects fish to spread out around a wide array of shallow cover. Crankbaits are still working the best, but soon just flipping a shaky head around docks and shallow brush will produce. There is also some good shallow fishing up the rivers in the muddy water around pretty much any cover that fish can hold on.
The deep bite has not been great, and that was true even before the lake got muddy. Some years they just don’t seem to set up as well on the bottom around deep rock and brush, and this seems to be one of those years. Some people wonder if the proliferation of grass in the 10-15 foot range makes fish less likely to go very deep.
February 9
Lake Murray water levels are back up to 356.92 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is clearing. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 50 degrees at the dam.
The striped bass fishing has turned on a little again at the upper end of the lake, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that some fish are being caught in the Little Saluda on free-lines and planer boards fished relatively shallow. But from what he is seeing the greatest concentrations of fish are still further down the lake, and he has found large concentrations at the mouth of Hollow Creek, at the Big Gap, around Timberlake, and in Bear Creek. There have also been some fish behind Shull Island. In general these fish are running 30-40 feet deep over the river channel, and again weighted planer boards and free-lines are working the best.
There are also always fish in the extreme lower lake, and in the pocket around Jake’s there have been some good catches.
While there are certainly crappie up the lake, Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that in last weekend’s South Carolina Crappie Association tournament on Lake Murray four of the top five limits, including the winners with a two plus pound average, came in the lower lake near the Beard’s Creek/ Ballentine area. It’s unclear if muddy water up the lake pushed the fish down, or if they are always there, but there were literally acres of crappie in giant schools.
Veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt fished the tournament and reports they found most of the fish about 10 feet down over 30 feet of water out in open water mid-lake, while on the clearer lower end fish were more like 15-18 feet down over water as deep as 50 or 60 feet. They did find some males that had pushed as shallow as 20 feet but the females were still holding deeper.
The winning fish came on minnows, but plenty of fish were also caught on jigs.
January 31
Lake Murray water levels are back up to 356.64 (full pool is 360.00) and the upper lake is muddy again. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 50 degrees at the dam.
It’s interesting conditions for striped bass on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that as noted last week a lot of the fish have left the river with all the mud, particularly on the Big Saluda side. Bear Creek, Crystal Lake and in general the middle section of the lake are holding the most fish – particularly just off the river channel. In cold, muddy conditions Captain Brad prefers to stay out of the current. He is still catching them on weighted free-lines and planer boards fished deep.
However, as we get some warmer days the surface temperature in the muddy water will jump up first and Brad expects fish to move up and for fish to actually seek out the warmer, dirtier water.
Thebass fishing conditions are also greatly affected by the water conditions, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that one of the best patterns is still throwing a crankbait around any rock or hard cover in shallow water. Fishing a football jig around rocky points in 3-15 feet is also good, and you just have to keep fishing until you figure out how deep they want to be on a particular day.
While there are plenty of fish near the banks, with temperatures still cold there are also still good numbers of fish that can be found around brush in 15-18 plus feet of water. Jigs and jigging spoons are both working for these fish.
In crappie news, Captain Brad reports that there has been good action in Crystal Lake and particularly around the bridge by the old Frayed Knot. Traditionally this would be tight-lining time, and you can still catch fish this way, but now many anglers are looking at the fish on forward-facing sonar and casting at them. Even if they are over deep water, most of the fish have been very high in the water column.
While he still hasn’t seen much good action down the lake, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the fishing has also been good on the Lexington side around Hollow Creek with the same techniques.
As for the catfish, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that it’s still not good but some of the fish seem to be adjusting to conditions and there have been some nice channels caught anchoring in the muddy water. Points in about 25 feet have been the most productive, and it seems like the fish want to move shallower either because of the season or conditions. Cut gizzard shad have been working the best.
Blues have still been hard to locate, and the working theory is that on deep lakes like Murray (or Clarks Hill) they scatter out and suspend throughout the water column when it gets muddy.
January 22
Lake Murray water levels down to 355.46 (full pool is 360.00) and the upper lake is muddy but (temporarily clearing). Morning surface water temperatures are about 50 degrees at the dam.
After a couple of weeks of flooding the striped bass have moved down the lake below the mud line, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are piled up just below the Gap. Even though water conditions in the rivers are improving he’s not sure if the fish will ever get back on track up there again this winter, as when it happens this late in the year historically they may not try again. And that’s before another round of rain!
Fishing was really good in Crystal Lake but now they are piled up in the ditches out towards the channel, and Brad says it’s as if the bait washed down the lake and just tucked out of the current. Captain Brad’s boat is catching them on weighted free-lines and boards, but with warm days they could come back up. Depths vary from day-to-day but his last time out the bulk of the fish were over the channel in 100 feet of water!
Captain Brad was on some of the best winter crappie fishing he can remember before the rivers got blown out, but even though he hasn’t targeted them he’s still found a couple of massive schools tucked into creeks up the river.
That’s consistent with the report from veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin, who reports that tight-lining (or using forward-facing sonar and casting) has still been productive in the mouths of creeks up the rivers like Cloud’s, Herlong, Crow’s Nest and the Bush River.
In contrast, fish down the lake are not doing much as temperatures seem to have really slowed them down. When water temperatures get to 52 to 55 degrees they should school up in the mouths of creeks.
As for the catfish, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) still doesn’t like mud on Lake Murray and so he advises fishing the Macedonia Church/ Dreher Island area in 35-40 feet. Most of these fish will be channels, but there are some good ones to be caught. If you really want to target blues the best bet is going up the rivers and anchoring in the backs of creeks with big cut baits.
On the bass front, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that from what he is seeing the shallow bite is better than the deep bite right now. While they are still picking up some good fish deep on a jig and Alabama rig, with the water having gotten so dirty (including in areas that usually stay clear) it appears to have pushed significant numbers of feeding fish shallow where they are taking a crankbait in the stained water. The mid-lake and lower lake are both fishing well, and even back in the creeks there has been some good action as long as you stay near deep water. Target hard cover like rock or boat ramps, and look for areas with active bird activity.
January 4
Lake Murray water levels are slightly down to 354.70 (full pool is 360.00) and the upper lake is still dirty after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 50s.
The striped bass bite changed pretty rapidly after the cold weather came in, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that if you are looking for birds to put you on fish it’s gotten a lot tougher. However, they are slaying the striper by pulling weighted lines very slowly to control the depth and get down to the fish. With 3/8 and ½ ounce egg sinkers you can either call them weighted free lines, or slowly pulled down-rods. They have been concentrating on some zones up the river channels above the bridges, but you can also find action in some of the lower lake creek channels. Bear Creek and John’s Creek have both been fishing pretty well with normal down-rods in 30-50 feet.
Also, up the Little River some nice fish have been caught on jigging spoons.
At the same time the crappie have formed some massive schools on steep ledges and vertical banks, and Captain Brad reports that he is finding schools with thousands of fish in them. Literally holding a jig steady 10-14 feet down in the middle of the schools the fish will eventually start biting, and they are catching plenty of fish this way. With the schools so tight it also means there are lots of areas without many fish.
That’s consistent with the report from veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin, who reports that tight-lining (or using forward-facing sonar and casting) in 12-20 feet of water off points and at the mouths of creeks like Crow’s Nest and Bush River up the Big Saluda are doing well.
Right now it seems that fish have mostly pulled out of the creeks and towards the main rivers up the lake, while the lower lake is still slow.
The bass remain in a standard winter pattern for Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that there haven’t been a lot of tournaments to showcase the fishery but from what he is seeing the jigging spoon bite is pretty good right now. Some nice fish are being caught this way. 20-30 feet has been the best depth, although in the lower lake some of the fish have gone even deeper with the bait very deep.
With plenty of stained water there is also a decent shallow pattern 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.
It’s hard to explain why when muddy water turns on catfish in so many other lake, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that his bite way up the lake fell apart when the rivers got blown out with all the rain around Christmas. Now the better action seems to be in the mid-lake, where anchoring on humps in 30-40 feet with big baits can still be productive. While a lot of these fish are channels there also blues mixed in.
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.