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.