October 20

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

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

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

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

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

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

More crappie information to follow. 

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

October 7

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

September 29

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

September 16

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

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

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

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

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

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

Both down-lines and planer boards are working. 

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

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

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

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

September 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

August 25

Lake Murray water levels are up to 358.03 (full pool is 360.00) and the main lake is still relatively clear (with a summer green tint). Morning surface temperatures are around 83 degrees. 

This Saturday, August 28 tournament bass angler Stan Gunter of Saluda is hosting the Fishing for a Cause benefit tournament for A Place for Us Ministry International out of Dreher Island. There are already 35 boats pre-registered, more than twice as many as they have ever had before, and so he expects a large field. As most anglers traditionally do you can still sign up the morning of the tournament, but Stan suggests getting there early. He expects to be getting set up around 4:30. 

As an interested (albeit for an extremely good cause) host, one could question Stan’s report that the Lake Murray bass fishing is extremely good right now. But with a pick-up tournament won with 21 pounds last Saturday, and a lot of other good bags, that assessment can’t be dismissed.

There are a lot of different ways to catch fish right now, and early in the morning some good fish are being caught on buzzbaits fished around the banks.  When the sun gets up you can catch some bass flipping docks.

But what makes the bite so special right now is that the offshore fish have really gotten on herring, and you can catch suspended fish in 15-20 feet of water from Dreher Island to the lower end all day long. The fish are set up on cane piles, and at times they are schooling while at other times you have to call them up with flukes and topwater lures. You can also catch them on a drop shot just sitting on top of brush or cane. 

While he doesn’t have a clue why it’s so good right now, Stan is expecting several bags over 20 pounds on Saturday.

The striped bass fishing is changing on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that by now most of the guides seem to be fishing for suspended fish in the middle part of the main lake. The fish are generally sitting just above the thermocline in 30-ish fish of water, and at times they are off the sides of deeper channels and at times they are in the belly of ditches at that depth. The bite is incredibly good, and this morning Brad’s boat had six limits in under a half hour. Down rods are working, and you can also fish planer boards over open water. 

While there have been some reports of fish kills, Brad thinks that is mostly for the few fish that stayed too long in deep water on the bottom in the lower lake.  By now most of the anglers have moved away from the dam area. 

As can be seen in Captain Brad’s photos, there are a bunch of big channel catfish suspended with the striper right now.  Others are on the bottom, and as Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) has been reporting they are feeding really well again. During the day look for them in 25-40 feet of water over points and humps, where they will take cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. At night the fish are still sliding up shallower to feed, and the best pattern is to fan-cast baits to the backs of coves and off secondary points in 1-15 feet of water. 

The crappie fishing is still good, and Captain Brad reports that up the river (where the thermocline is in about 12 feet) he is still catching good numbers of fish 6-8 feet down over brush in 12-15 feet of water on minnows. Outside of the rivers you need to fish deeper, and he has found the best action in 20-25 feet over brush in the 30s. 

August 19

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.83 (full pool is 360.00) and the main lake is clear (with a summer green tint) while the Little River has gotten muddy. Morning surface temperatures are about 82 degrees. 

The striped bass fishing remains so consistent on Lake Murray that guides from other lakes are coming over, but Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that fish are doing a couple of different things. The thermocline has set up in the 30-something foot range in the lower lake, and one group of fish is suspending just above that depth. Anywhere from Dreher Island down you can catch these fish with down-lines on the main lake, but most anglers are in the lower lake within sight of the dam. 

Another group of fish is seeking deep, cool water and hugging the bottom, and these fish are generally in 70-100 feet of water where the oxygen levels are touchy. They can be more difficult to catch. 

There are already a few fish breaking the surface, but these are mostly smaller ones. 

The bass fishing remains surprisingly good, and tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that first thing there is still a buzzbait bite on the banks. This is not a pattern for numbers of fish, but they are catching some good ones. 

However, the best fishing has been for suspended fish that are setting up in 15-20 feet of water from Dreher Island to the lower end. Some of them are related to cane, while others are just over points and drop-offs. At times they are schooling and at times you can call them up, with topwater lures and flukes producing the best. 

Despite the heat there have been some surprisingly good crappie catches, and Captain Brad reports that up the river (where the thermocline is in about 12 feet) he is catching good numbers of fish 6-8 feet down over brush in 12-15 feet of water on minnows.  Outside of the rivers you need to fish deeper, and he has found the best action in 20-25 feet over brush in the 30s. 

There’s not a lot of change in overall patterns, but with the catfish spawn almost completely over Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the fish are feeding really well again. They have gone deeper, and during the day the best bet is to fish 25-40 feet down over points and humps. Dip bait is hard to beat, but worms, cut bait, shrimp, chicken and more will all work.  Herring is out-fishing other cut fish for numbers. 

At night the fish are still sliding up shallower to feed, and the best pattern is to fan-cast baits to the backs of coves and off secondary points in 1-15 feet of water where the fish have moved up. 

August 5

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.88 (full pool is 360.00) and morning surface water temperatures on the big water are back up to about 84 degrees. 

It remains a very good striped bass bite on Lake Murray, but as is typical at this time of year Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the fish are really starting to suspend. The bulk of the fish are about 60-80 feet down over 80-100 of water, and they are so thick in the lower pool right now that you really don’t have to mark them on electronics to catch fish. There are also a pile of smaller fish in the 30-foot range, and at times it can be hard to get a bait down through them. 

The fish are moving around right now, but Brad is mainly fishing the sides of channels and ditches.  Plenty of anglers are fishing near the towers. 

There is a little early schooling activity around Shull Island, and the area from Sandy Beach to Shull Island is the area where fish will move back to later this month and get on top.   

Brad is not too concerned about a fish kill this year, and he notes that it was not until the last couple of days that he started to see signs of fish being stressed.  Barring a tropical storm or some other weather event that creates more cloudy conditions (less conducive for oxygen creation) and dumps a bunch of rain that forces Dominion to pull oxygenated water out of the lake very hard, the fish should be fine this year. 

The bass fishing has been pretty good recently, and tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that in the morning there has been a strong but brief frog bite. It doesn’t last for long once the sun gets up, and the action has been the best in the mid-lake area where there is grass. 

There is also starting to be some pretty good schooling activity where suspended bass are running shad and herring to the surface and feeding. The fish aren’t really over cane right now, and the fish could come up about over about any depth or in any random location. However, the most schooling is over 10-30 feet of water around points and brush. 

Crappie fishing is a little slow, but Captain Brad notes that the most catchable fish seem to be up the lake over brush in 12-15 feet of water at the mouths of creeks. They are not huge fish, mostly in the 10-inch range. A lot of the crappie seem to be suspended right now.

Even though a very few late-spawning fish are still bedding, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the catfish spawn is mostly finished on Lake Murray and fish are starting to feed more again. The best time to fish is at night, and the best pattern is to fan-cast baits to the backs of coves and off secondary points in 1-15 feet of water where the fish have moved up to feed. Dip bait is hard to beat, but worms, cut bait, shrimp, chicken and more will all work.  Among cut fish herring seems to be working the best.

If you are fishing during the day the best bet is to start early, and then as the sun comes up move out to 25-30 feet further off points and over humps.

July 29

Lake Murray water levels are still high at 358.08 (full pool is 360.00) and the Little Saluda is dingy while the Big Saluda is clear. The main lake is clear except for a green summer algae tint. Morning surface water temperatures on the big water are back up to about 84 degrees. 

The striped bass fishing is still about the same on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that even though the morning bite may be a little stronger the daytime bite is also pretty good. His boat is catching fish 40-70 feet down in the lower lake on down-rods, and while at times the fish are flat on the bottom at other times they are suspended at that depth over deeper water. Basically the fish are related to the river channel right now. 

Recall that we are in the period where you can only catch five fish but you can keep those five regardless of the size. 

Even in the heat it remains a good bass bite on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that there are still lots of suspended fish which are chasing herring. They are in about 14-17 feet of water, generally on the main lake or in the front section of creeks near the main lake. In places the fish are on cane, but in some of the best spots there is no cane and they are just related to structure. There are plenty of 4-5 pounders out there.

At times the fish are schooling and you can see them busting big herring on the surface, while at other times they just have to be called up. Flukes and topwater lures are both working. 

For the first two hours of the day there is also a good buzzbait bite around grass. Deep brush has not been very productive. 

The crappie fishing is a little slow in the summer heat, and Captain Brad reports that fish are very scattered between brush, deep bridges, deep docks or just suspended. Generally fish are in the 15-25 foot depth range, but Brad has also caught some fish up the shallower river 8 feet down over 12-13 feet. 

Fishing slowly with minnows is the best bet. 

Even though a few fish are still bedding, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the catfish spawn is mostly finished on Lake Murray and fish are starting to feed more again. The best time to fish is at night, and the best pattern is to fan-cast baits to the backs of coves and off secondary points in 1-15 feet of water where the fish have moved up to feed. Dip bait is hard to beat, but worms, cut bait, shrimp, chicken and more will all work.

If you are fishing during the day the best bet is to start early, and then as the sun comes up move out to 25-30 feet further off points and over humps.

July 21

Lake Murray water levels have jumped up about 6 inches to 357.97 (full pool is 360.00) and the rivers are getting muddy while the main lake still looks pretty good. Morning surface water temperatures on the big water have dropped to about 82 degrees. 

It may be late July but it’s still a really good bass bite on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria (fresh off his third straight top-3 Tuesday night tournament result with his father Steve) reports that there are lots of suspended fish which are chasing herring to be caught. They are in about 14-17 feet of water, generally on the main lake or in the front section of creeks near the main lake. In places the fish are on cane, but in some of the best spots there is no cane and they are just related to structure. There are plenty of 4-5 pounders out there.

At times the fish are schooling and you can see them busting big herring on the surface, while at other times they just have to be called up. Flukes and topwater lures are both working. 

For the first two hours of the day there is a good buzzbait bite around grass, and the full moon should pull more bream up to spawn. And bass to feed on them.  

For the last week or two Andy has only caught small bass at night around green lights, and he has not been able to catch anything around deep brush. 

The striped bass fishing is still good throughout the day, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that his boat is catching fish 40-70 feet down in the lower lake on down-rods. At times the fish are flat on the bottom, and at times they are suspended at that depth over deeper water. Basically the fish are related to the river channel right now. 

Recall that we are in the period where you can only catch five fish but you can keep those five regardless of the size. 

The crappie fishing is a little slow in the summer heat, and Captain Brad reports that fish are very scattered between brush, deep bridges, deep docks or just suspended. However, the key is to fish the 15-25 foot depth range with small minnows and work them very slowly. 

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

July 8

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.65 (full pool is 360.00) and the water has normal summertime color. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-80s depending on section of the lake.  

It wouldn’t make sense to lead off with anything else but striped bass in a week and on a day when Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) rates the bite as “phenomenal.” Brad says that fish have generally been biting extremely well, and today in particular the frontal conditions apparently made for a really good bite. His boat is only fishing down-lines, and they have mainly been catching fish 45-70 feet down with some fish suspended and others on the bottom. You just have to look at your graph. 

This year Brad has seen fish as deep as they have been in a few years, and just last week he caught a fish in 122 feet of water on the bottom. They have also gotten into some good schools of 25-28 inch fish in 103 feet of water. On the other end of the range there are some fish from 30 feet up to the surface, but they are mainly small.

Everywhere Brad is fishing is within sight of the dam on the lower third of the lake. 

Recall that we are in the period where you can only catch five fish but you can keep those five regardless of the size. 

It’s earlier than expected, but this week veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that some bass have started to show up on cane piles in the main lake or big creeks and they have even been out there schooling. Fish will take topwater lures, including both hard baits and flukes. The schooling action is mostly concentrated early and late, but you can call up fish all day long over the cane. 

At the same time Stan notes that there has also been a decent shallow bite around bank grass with a frog or buzzbait early in the area from about Dreher Island down.      

This week tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria fishing with his father Steve had a good showing in the Tuesday night tournament, finishing in second place with a three-fish limit of 12 ¼ pounds. They caught fish doing a bunch of different things, and they caught two fish on the same type of suspended spots near cane that Stan is referencing. They got one good one on a buzzbait around a bream bed before dark, and then they caught two more on green lights with a worm after it got dark.  We are in the part of the year where you sometimes have to do a bit of everything to put a limit together. 

They are still catching some crappie in the summer heat, and Captain Brad reports that the best fishing is over brush in 15-27 feet of water at the mouths of creeks.  Depending on the day fish will move up and down in the water column, and it remains almost exclusively a minnow bite where you have to fish very slowly. 

Brad also notes that they are catching a lot of white perch in 20-40 feet of water on the bottom. 

There has also been a really good channel catfish bite in 8-20 feet of water at all the shoals off the main lake. 

June 24

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.61 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is somewhat stained after recent rains with a green algae tint. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the upper 70s after the rain and with cooler days and nights.    

Lake Murray bass fishing is a little tough but it’s unclear which way it’s heading, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that we could be getting into the period where you have to fish the deeper patterns anglers go to in the heat of the summer. On the other hand, the weather has been so screwy and at times delayed that the fish could just be getting into early summer patterns and there could be some relatively shallow patterns about to take off. It’s really hard to know, but the bottom line is that the bite is not wide open today.  

There is still some schooling activity, although weird weather has made that pattern even more sporadic over the last few days. There should also be an above-average bream bed bite with the full moon this week, and lots of fish have been spotted roaming. However, fishing in recent night tournaments the best fish Andy has caught have come off of green lights!

On the other side of the clock, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that for about an hour in the morning you can still catch a fish on a buzzbait, Pop-R or frog around bank grass or other shallow cover. 

However, from everything he is seeing and hearing the best bite is still around deep brush in 18 plus feet of water fishing on the bottom with Carolina rigs and shakey heads. 

There is not a lot of change with the striped bass this week, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that until temperatures rise a few more degrees he does not expect a lot of flux. Most fish are still being caught on the main lake on down rods fished 40-60 feet deep. Fish are relating to points, ridges, ditches and other main lake structure, and they are mostly grouped up in the lower 1/3. The bite is about the same all day long and Brad has not seen any schooling.  

Recall that we are in the period where you can only catch five fish but you can keep those five regardless of the size. 

The crappie have also stayed pretty stable, and Captain Brad reports that the best fishing is still over brush in 15-25 feet of water at the mouths of creeks. It’s been almost exclusively a minnow bite and you have to fish very slowly. 

We are still in the midst of the catfish spawn on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that they don’t all get in holes, around undercut boat ramps and in riprap at the same time and so some good channel cats can still be caught. Fish are from 20 feet to the banks, generally shallower at night and deeper when the sun is high.

While fish that are spawning aren’t really thinking about eating, both pre-spawn and post-spawn fish are usually gorging and if they are feeding the bait doesn’t normally make a whole lot of difference right now.  Cut herring, worms, shrimp, chicken, dip baits and more will all work. 

On the weekends you generally need to fish before the boat traffic gets bad or at night.

June 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.89 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is generally relatively clear with a green algae tint. Morning surface water temperatures range from the upper 70s to the lower 80s.   

Lake Murray striped bass are getting into a pretty normal summer pattern, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that fish are mostly being caught on the main lake on down rods fished 40-60 feet deep. The cut bait bite is dwindling. Fish are relating to points, ridges, ditches and other main lake structure, and they are mostly grouped up in the lower 1/3. The bite is about the same all day long and Brad has not seen any schooling.  

Recall that we are in the period where you can only catch five fish but you can keep those five regardless of the size. 

Captain Brad has also had several successful crappie trips this week, and he reports that the best fishing has been over brush in 15-25 feet of water at the mouths of creeks. It’s been almost exclusively a minnow bite and you have to fish very slowly. 

There are not a lot of surprises with the bass fishing, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that for about an hour in the morning you can still catch a fish on a buzzbait, Pop-R or frog around bank grass or other shallow cover. Next week there could be a good bream bed bite on the full moon, but there have not been a lot of reports on that front this week. 

However, the best bite has been around deep brush in 18 plus feet of water fishing on the bottom with big worms and crankbaits. 

It usually requires the water to cool off a bit for the cane bite to kick in for suspended fish, but Stan has seen it in July and so it’s worth starting to check before too long. 

Also, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that there are still some schooling fish although that bite is not great. 

Even though the catfish are spawning right now on Lake Murray Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that they don’t all get in holes, around undercut boat ramps and in riprap at the same time and so some good channel cats can still be caught. Fish are from 20 feet to the banks, generally shallower at night and deeper when the sun is high.

While fish that are spawning aren’t really thinking about eating, both pre-spawn and post-spawn fish are usually gorging and if they are feeding the bait doesn’t normally make a whole lot of difference right now.  Cut herring, worms, shrimp, chicken, dip baits and more will all work. 

On the weekends you generally need to fish before the boat traffic gets bad or at night.

June 9

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.12 (full pool is 360.00) and the water is generally relatively clear with a green algae tint. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the upper 70s.  

It’s not what you would expect at this time of year, but tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the bass have been schooling over relatively deep water. The bite is on the main lake in the mid-lake section, and even though the fish are in 15-20 feet on offshore structure where anglers have put out cane they are not relating to the cane. A variety of topwater baits will catch them, and it’s honestly been more like a fall bite than an early summer pattern.  

Early in the morning veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that you can also catch fish on a frog or buzzbait around bank grass, and during the day there is also some action around bream beds where bass are feeding. They will take topwater lures or soft plastics. 

The deeper bite has also gotten better around brush in 15-18 feet, and fish will take both big worms and crankbaits. 

The threadfin shad spawn has really cranked up again very early in the morning, and around the docks at Riverwinds Landing Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that this morning the shad were going crazy. However, he is still mostly targeting striped bass that are in about 40 feet of water on the mid- to lower lake. The fish start out on the bottom and they will take down-lines, but once you get the schools activated they will come up to take free-lines (he keeps a couple cast out) and you can even cast swimbaits. Cut bait is also working.  While the main lake is holding fish, there are also plenty of fish still in the major creeks. 

Recall that we are in the period where you can only catch five fish.

The crappie bite has been extremely strong for the last few days, and Captain Brad reports that he has been having exceptional results over brush in 15-20 feet on the upper end of the lake. Fish are all over, however, and for the middle and lower end he suggests adding 5 feet to the depth range. Generally they are close to the bottom, but wind and cloud will sometimes pull them higher in the water column. 

Fish are at the mouths of the creeks moving to the main lake, but they have paused since the water temperature dropped several degrees.

The catfish spawn is underway on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that from 20 feet to the banks the channel cats are still feeding pretty well. They are generally shallower at night and deeper when the sun is bright. Cut herring, worms, shrimp, and dip baits will all work. 

On the weekends you generally need to fish before the boat traffic gets bad or at night.