May 15
Lake Murray water levels are at 358.02 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is dirty up the rivers. Morning surface water temperatures have fallen into the upper 60s or low 70s after rain and cool nights.
The Elite Series bass fishermen and especially Patrick Walters out a hurting on the fish this week on Lake Murray, and tournament anglers Andy Wicker of Pomaria and Stan Gunter of Saluda both report that in the end the herring spawn was better than expected. Most of the fish caught were feeding on herring, and while a majority of the fish were caught around Dreher Island during the event a good bite even developed down the lake. Still they are not easy to catch, and it seems as much an issue of the fish being educated as pressured. Most of the time they have to be chasing bait to get bites, and you have to throw on them the second they are up. In addition to the usual topwater baits, flukes and swimbaits, Walters reported that he did call a few fish up with Carolina rigs or jigs when they were not schooling.
While the shallow bait spawn should continue to produce a little longer, there is also a decent frog bite around bream beds, shaded areas, and grass.
Its’s a peak period for striped bass fishing on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that basically every major point from Buffalo Creek to the dam has fish on it. Most of the fish are in 20-40 feet of water, and while Captain Brad is catching the most fish (and best quality) on free-lines and planer boards he has also caught some fish on down-rods. And with cut bait fishing also good we are in that May window where you can fish about however you want.
Brad notes that from cleaning fish he sees that they are eating a diet heavy in threadfin shad right now, and when you see fish schooling they are usually on threadfin. He also expects striper to come shallow one more time when there is another major herring spawn on the next full moon.
Up the rivers the crappie fishing is best described as day-to-day, and when the main channel got blown out all the fish left the Big Saluda. Still Brad has been catching good numbers of fish in the Little Saluda on brush in 12-14 feet of water, but very soon they should get back on the deep docks and bridges in the main river.
Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish are moving to deeper brush or heavily shaded marina docks, mostly in about 25 feet of water by now. Light Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads are working the best, and if you use minnows you should also downsize your presentation.
The catfish bite can still be very good, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that they continue to catch some big fish in the mid-20s to mid-30s. Most of the big blues are in the middle to upper lake in about 10 feet of water around points and the mouths of creeks, but when the spawn starts the action could slow down. That may have already begun. It could be an aberration (or just that they were feeding at night), but on Captain William’s last trip it already seemed like the fish were showing signs of feeding less as the spawn approaches.
All over the lake channel cats can be caught in 5-20 feet of water around points or depth changes marked by DNR buoys. Cut bait will catch everything while dip baits are getting better and better for channels as the water warms.
May 9
Lake Murray water levels are at 358.21 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s.
The striped bass bite remains good on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that they are catching fish on main lake points and at the front of creeks pulling free lines and planer boards in 15-60 feet of water. This week there has also been lots of schooling, literally all over the place from shallow to deep. While some of the fish are eating herring, Captain Brad actually thinks more of the action may be on threadfin shad right now. There is also starting to be a good down-rod bite, but right now anglers are mostly catching short fish that way.
Fish can be found all over the lake, from the lower end to mid-lake around Dreher Island to the rivers. However, the gar are so bad up there that Brad is avoiding the rivers.
Overall, it seems that the striper are on the deeper side of points while bass are on the shallower side. However, they are also picking up some bass pulling bait over deeper water.
That’s important because this week with the Elite Series in town the bass are the main event on Lake Murray, and tournament anglers Andy Wicker of Pomaria and Stan Gunter of Saluda both report that there is still a good herring spawn taking place in certain areas of the lake. It’s not as wide open as it was, but there are still isolated areas (particularly in the mid-lake) where the herring bite is very good. However, Stan reports that it can be hard to catch fish around herring when they aren’t actively blowing up on bait and chasing it. You also have to hit them on the head most of the time. When they are active the usual flukes, Spooks and Sebilles will work, but results are inconsistent with a shaky head or jig when they aren’t up.
There are also still a few fish on beds, and there is a decent frog bite around grass.
The crappie are stacking up on bridges and brush up the rivers, and Captain Brad reports that the best depth range is about 18 feet right now. In Bear Creek and the surrounding area veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish are being caught in 20-25 feet of water, and by now 95% of them are on brush or heavily shaded marina docks. Light Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads are working the best, and if you use minnows you should also downsize your presentation.
The catfish bite can still be very good, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that they continue to catch big fish in the mid-20s to mid-30s. Most of the big blues are in the middle to upper lake in about 10 feet of water around points and the mouths of creeks, but with the water warming they are getting very close to spawning and the bite may slow down. There are still some fish out in the main channel.
All over the lake channels can be caught in 5-20 feet of water around points or depth changes marked by DNR buoys. Cut bait will catch everything while dip baits are getting better and better for channels as the water warms.
May 1
Lake Murray water levels are at 358.03 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 68-70 degrees.
As the full moon has faded into the rearview mirror Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the herring have started holding a little deeper, and as a result they are now catching striped bass in deeper water. Still pretty much every point in the lake has fish on it, but they are more likely to catch them pulling free-lines or planers boards out to 25 feet instead of 4-6. They are also still catching fish on topwater lures. There are also a ton of fish further off the points in about 40 feet that can be caught on down-rods, but there is such a mix of sizes you will go through a ton of bait. The Ballentine area has been good right now.
It's a different story with the bass, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that right now the herring spawn bite is about as good as it gets. Even when there isn’t much wind the fish are frequently staying up shallow all day, and the pattern is basically as simple as running points on the main lake and in the creeks with flukes and topwater lures. If and when the shallow bite slows down then fish don’t leave and you can catch them with shaky heads or finesse jigs off the same points but deeper.
While most people are concentrating on herring fish, you can also target the tail end of the spawn for bed fish. There is also a pretty good frog and buzzbait bite around grass and in pockets, and with more bream getting up shallow to spawn that will only get better.
The crappie are stacking up on bridges and brush up the rivers, and Captain Brad reports that even bass fishermen are catching them on jerkbaits about bridges right now! The best depth range is about 18 feet, and Brad reports that coming off the spawn fish often will actually start out deeper and then move shallower again to feed once they recover. Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that there have been good catches on brush in the 15-22 foot range, with 18 feet again a magic depth in creeks like Bear Creek.
The catfish bite is fantastic some days, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that one days in the upper lake he caught well over 200 pounds of blues including big fish of 36, 32, 28 and 26 pounds. The next day they only caught one big blue but the channels were on fire, and so it seems like the bite overall is pretty reliable but the big blues can’t be counted on to feed every day. The best pattern is drifting or anchoring cut shad in about 10 feet of water around points and in the mouths of creeks, while down the lake the bite is pretty reliable around points or depth changes as marked by DNR buoys.
April 25
Lake Murray water levels are at 358.01 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 66-68 degrees on the main lake.
The striped bass fishing on Lake Murray is about as good as it gets, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that basically all of the points inside of creeks are loaded with spawning herring and you can catch fish shallow about any way you want to. Releasing multiple limits right now is easy.
Pulling free-lines and planer boards, blind casting curly tail grubs and pencil poppers, and looking for schooling fish will all put striped bass in the boat. Captain Brad has been fishing the lower end on the Chapin side, but fish are up everywhere. And water temperatures have now gotten to the point where he doesn’t foresee the bait (or striper) turning back around until its spawn winds down.
With all that bait up there it’s no surprise that the bass are in the same areas, and Brad reports that yesterday they released five bass over 4 pounds.
That’s consistent with the report from veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda, who reports that the herring spawn bite is very good. The one caveat he adds is that when there is no wind it can slow down after the sun gets up, and then you need to find another way to catch fish. But topwater lures, swimbaits, flukes, and more have all been working early and on windy days.
When bass aren’t feeding on top then you can generally find them a little deeper in the same areas with shaky head worms and jigs, and you can also still look for bedding fish. There is a good wave up right now with the full moon.
As for the crappie, the consensus from Captain Brad and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin is that remains a transition period as fish recover from the spawn. However, this week the action is starting to pick up a little over brush in 12-15 feet of water at the mouths of creeks on the upper end. On the lower end fish are starting to set up in 20-25 feet of water on structure. Minnows have been working well for the author in the Ballentine area, but fish are finicky and light-line and a generally down-sized presentation have been essential.
The catfish bite is getting really good as the spawn approaches, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that there have been big blue cats in the 40- plus pound range as well as large flatheads caught on the upper end around secondary points and creeks in less than 20 feet of water. For these fish perch, gizzard shad and bream are all working. For channel catfish it’s as simple as fishing from the bank out to about 18-22 feet, and fish can be found around points, secondary points and humps (marked by DNR buoys) in all the creeks and off the whole main lake. The same baits will work, for more bites dip baits are hard to beat as the water warms. Herring is also good although less durable.
April 19
Lake Murray water levels are right around 358 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is clearer than it has been most of the spring. Morning surface water temperatures are around 68 degrees on the main lake.
It’s a pretty exciting time for striped bass fishing on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that you can catch fish about any way you want to right now. Brad is catching some fish off points on the main lake that are feeding on spawning threadfin herring, but in the lower lake the herring spawn is wide open around the banks. Overall the best pattern seems to be pulling planer boards in about the 14-20 foot range off points both on the main lake and inside the mouths of major creeks and covering water.
There are also huge rafts of birds still on the lake, and each morning you can catch schooling fish under them at daylight. Some days they are mostly keepers, and then other mornings it will be little fish – but the action is fast when you find it.
You can also down-rod fish in about 35 feet in the middle of deeper coves, although for Brad this has been a pattern where most of the fish are just under the slot.
Finally, the cut bait bite has been really good anchoring in about 15-20 feet of water and throwing both deeper and shallower.
There are also a ton of different ways to approach the bass, and veteran angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the upcoming full moon should see another massive wave of spawning fish. There are also pre-spawn and post-spawn fish around the herring points that can be caught on the usual suspects of flukes, swimbaits and topwater lures, but Stan has actually found the best action around bank grass. Floating worms, frogs and Senkos have all been working well. And of course docks are holding a lot of fish, especially in the clear lower lake.
As for the crappie, the consensus from Captain Brad and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin is that it’s a bit of a transition period as most fish recover from the spawn. However, a decent number of crappie are starting to show up on 15-20 foot deep brush and docks again.
More to follow.
April 11
Lake Murray water levels are at 357.98 (full pool is 360.00) and the water had mostly cleared – before this round of rain. Morning surface water temperatures are around 61 degrees in the front section of creeks.
Cooler temperatures have delayed things a bit on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the herring that were starting to spawn seem to have backed out a bit. They are finding some really nice striped bass on main lake flats and humps in about 10 feet of water or less, but the biggest schools of fish seem to be inside creeks on the lower end. While they have caught a few fish on the Lexington side, the north side which warms faster has been more productive.
The best depth range day-in and day-out has been about 25-30 feet of water, but they are also catching some fish as shallow as 12-15 feet. Planer boards have been working well but they are also catching fish casting under diving birds with swimbaits or topwater lures!
In case you missed it, check out this informational video from Taylor Outdoors about line set-up for planer boards.
There are several different patterns going on for Lake Murray bass, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that with a mix of pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn fish you can fish a bunch of different shallow water techniques. For fish that aren’t yet locked onto a bed throwing a shaky head or Senko around pockets and docks is a good bet, and then of course you can use traditional sight-fishing techniques for bed fish. These are mainly on the lower end right now. There is also a sporadic, early herring spawn going on which means topwater baits, flukes and swimbaits for mainly post-spawn fish – and this should get much better by the weekend and into next week with the 80-degree weather coming.
That’s all consistent with the report from veteran angler Stan Gunter of Saluda, who adds that there are more pre-spawn fish right now than usual with the periodic cool fronts. For both pre-spawn and post-spawn fish Stan has actually found a really good frog bite around grass.
The consensus is that the crappie are much further along in their spawn now, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that at least 75% of the fish and an even higher percentage of the more mature crappie have already spawned. On the lower end it may be even more.
While there are obviously a few fish that can be caught around the banks, particularly further up the lake where there is a bigger populations of crappie, a lot of post-spawn fish are around relatively shallow brush, stumps and shade recovering from the spawn near the bottom. Early and late they can be found in 10 feet of water or less, while during the middle of the day they are more likely to be found in 15-20 feet of water.
Captain Brad adds that some fish are starting to return to bridges and deep docks.
The catfish bite has definitely picked up in the last two weeks, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that channel catfish can be caught all over the lakes in 5-25 feet of water as they get into pre-spawn feeding mode. About any bait will work but cut shad and herring have both been very good. There are also some good blue cats being caught up the rivers on the main channel either drifting or anchoring with big gizzard shad. This bite should only get better.
March 28
Lake Murray water levels have jumped to 358.39 (full pool is 360.00) and after the last 36 hours of rain there is more dirty water again. Morning surface water temperatures are mostly in the upper 50s.
By this week the herring spawn is underway on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that everything he is catching is very creek and point-related. There are fish that can be found shallow off points in all the creeks from the mid-lake down, and while the bite usually takes off first on the north side Hollow Creek has been good, too. The best pattern for Captain Brad has been pulling planer boards from about 5 feet out to 25 feet, but there are also fish that can be caught in the ditches out from the points on down-rods in about 25 feet of water. Right now the fish are moving back and forth between shallow and deeper.
In case you missed it, check out this informational video from Taylor Outdoors about line set-up for planer boards.
Even though the herring spawn is not yet wide open there are some fat pre-spawn bass that are around the bait, and tournament anglers Andy Wicker of Pomaria and Stan Gunter of Saluda report that they are actually seeing more herring around bank grass than points right now. That will probably change very soon.
For now fishing spinnerbaits, swimbaits and flukes in the vicinity of herring is one good pattern, and you can also catch fish running the banks with a buzzbait.
With the cooler weather right now we seem to be between waves of bedding fish, and on the water Stan has mostly seen buck bass up shallow in spawning coves. Some of the better females seem to be staging on docks waiting to move towards the banks on the next warm spell.
It’s a pretty simple pattern for crappie right now, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that with most of the fish in 12 feet of water or less you basically have to fish shallow. Some people are trolling and tight-lining, and other anglers are LiveScoping. However, in less than 6-7 feet of water fish get very spooky to LiveScope.
About the best way to catch fish right now is simply blind-casting with a minnow under a cork or a jig at any shallow cover. In the clearer lower lake fish seem to be showing a preference for shallow brush that is under docks instead of exposed.
There’s still no great news with the catfish, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that you can certainly pick up some channel catfish in less than 15 feet of water but it just hasn’t gotten good yet.
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.