2008

September 15, 2008

Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.

Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:

Trout: Good. Troll in 80-100 feet during the day using large minnows or lures like trolling spoons. Trolling is even better at the night in the area up to the dam, and nice trout are also being caught with nightcrawlers anchored on the bottom.
Black Bass: Good. Fish buzzbaits, Zara Spooks, noisy lures like jitterbugs, or crankbaits. Fish deep diving crankbaits, worms on the bottom, or slowly bounce jigs on the bottom in the 80-90 foot deep range for redeye bass.
Bream: Very good. Move off the banks a bit and fish in 10-15 feet with crickets.
Catfish: Very good. Anchor nightcrawlers or minnows on the bottom.

Lake Keowee:

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Early in the morning when the baitfish are moving Lake Fork swimbaits fished in 10 to 25 feet of water in the backs of coves have been productive - magic shad and albino colors have been most effective.
Crappie: Fair. Crappie have moved out to deep water but night fishermen are doing well off and on by fishing up against bridge pilings with a light to attract bait and crappie.
Bream: Good. Fish crickets in 3 to 15 feet of water.

Lake Hartwell:

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Fish the area from Singing Pines to the dam in 70 to 90 feet of water. Down lines with herring, downriggers, and lead core lines are all effective ways to get down to the fish.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. Be sure to be on the water very early or at night for best chances.
Bream: Very good. Bream are in shallow water and are feeding aggressively - while cricket sales have slowed down because of the heat the bite hasn’t.

Piedmont Area
Lake Russell:

Striped Bass: Fair to good. Fish in 20-35 feet over main lake humps or around long, deep points.
Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Most anglers fishing for bass are fishing at night with dark plastics worms.
Crappie: Fair. There are reports of decent numbers of crappie being caught trolling up Beaverdam Creek in the late evening and around structure under lights at night.

Lake Thurmond:

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Best action is coming when the fish are moving to the top and feeding on large schools of threadfin shad - throw bucktails or rattle traps.
Largemouth Bass: Slow. After coming back towards the banks in early July, most of the fish have returned to deep water and the bite has really slowed. Fish deep diving crankbaits or Carolina rigged worms deep.
Crappie: Fair. Look for brush in 25 to 35 feet of water; minnows are producing better than jigs.
Bream: Good. Fish in 2 to 10 feet of water with crickets or worms.

Lake Wylie:

Largemouth Bass: Fair. Topwater lures early and late to target schoolies, and after the sun comes up switch to vertical jigging with Hopkins spoons.
White Perch: Very good. Fish mid lake humps in 18 to 20 feet of water with red worms, minnows, and spoons.
Bream: Very good. In a very late spawn some fish are still bedding in shallow areas around the middle of coves; use crickets or worms and try to “smell out” the beds.
Catfish: Good. Use mussels, shrimp, and stinkbaits. Fish are also being caught trolling with minnows using traditional crappie fishing methods.

Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:

Largemouth Bass: Fair. From very early until 8 a.m. fish around blocks walls that have some depth - these may be hard to find with water levels a bit down. Use floating worms in bright colors like white, orange, yellow, or pink.
Striped Bass: Good. Some schooling activity has been reported but it is sparse and there doesn’t seem to be a pattern for when the fish come up. Down around the dam some nice catches of striper are being made even on very hot days - fish early and late with live herring.
Bream: Good. Bream have moved out around docks and brush. Fish about four feet deep.
Catfish: Very good. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms in 12 to 15 feet of water, and try fishing at night.

Lake Wateree:

Largemouth Bass: Tough. Try deep humps or brushpiles with large, deep diving crankbaits like DD22s in chartreuse and green/ blue colors, or fish worms deep. Target the Colonel’s Creek and Rochelle Creek areas.
Catfish: Very good. Creek mouths where the creeks meet the main river channel are great places to anchor up for bigger catfish.
Bream: Good. Fish 3 to 6 feet of water using worms and crickets.

Lake Murray:

Striped Bass: Fair to good. Fish in 60 to 80 feet of water with down rods and live bait in the lower lake, and at night target the towers.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. When the sun comes up drop deeper and fish jig and pig combinations around rocks in 12 to 25 feet of water, or drop shot points with 8 to 10 pound test line in 25 to 35 feet.
Bluegill and Shellcracker: Very good. Frequent mayfly hatches have brought the bream shallow; fish in 4 to 5 feet with crickets or poppers.
Catfish: Good. Catfish have moved out to deeper water; fish cut bait and nightcrawlers in 8 to 20 feet.

Santee Cooper System
Lake Marion:

Largemouth Bass: Fair. Largemouth bass fishing has slowed down with warmer temperatures; try Texas rigged worms around deep structure. Catfish: Very good. Catfish are deep but biting very well on cut bait.
Crappie: Fair. Look for fish to move slightly shallower and feed much more aggressively with cooler temps.
Bream: Very good. Bream are continuing to bed right through the summer in the upper lake, and Hill’s Landing reports some nice stringers being caught. Use crickets or red worms.

Diversion Canal:

Catfish: Very good. Cats are being caught in the canal on days when water is being pulled through. Fish on the bottom in 30 feet of water using chicken livers.
Bream: Fair. Fish with nightcrawlers along drop-offs.

Lake Moultrie:

Largemouth Bass: Fair. Bass fishing has slowed down, and most of the fish seem to have headed to deep water. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging.
Catfish: Very good. Catfish have moved deep but continue to bite well, particularly at night. Use cut bait - shad, herring, or mullet.
Crappie: Fair. Look for structure in 20 to 25 feet of water and fish minnows vertically

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South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 8/11/2008

August 11, 2008

Little River - Grand Strand - Charleston - Hilton Head - Tides - S.C. marine recreational fishing regulations (PDF file). Saltwater Fishing License site.

Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.

Little River

Flounder: Very good. Even though the water is starting to get very warm flounder continue to be caught in Cherry Grove and 53rd area creeks using mud minnows. Flounder are also being taken at the Little River jetties.
Spottail bass: Very good. Fish Clark Spoons or other heavy, fast dropping lures deep against the rocks at the jetties for big red drum. Fish can be caught on most any tide - the key is getting the spoons deep. Cut mullet or menhaden weighted down may also work.
Sheepshead and black drum: Excellent. The sheepshead bite has gotten hot. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs are both very productive around the jetties and any inshore pilings.
Spanish mackerel: Very good. Big Spanish mackerel are being caught near the jetties. Look for feeding birds and motor slowly towards the fish; throw Gotcha Plugs, Hopkins Spoons, or anything else with a treble hook to land fish.
Offshore: Wahoo and king mackerel are both being caught when boats can get offshore. The dolphin bite has really slowed.
Cherry Grove Pier: Whiting up to half a pound and black drum up to three pounds are both being caught on cut pieces of shrimp. A few small sheepshead are also being reported caught, and occasional 16 inch flounder are being landed.

Grand Strand

Spottail Bass: Good. Slot sized spottails are being taken at the south end of Murrells Inlet in the backwaters and creeks as well as by flounder fishermen drifting or trolling the main inlet. Mud minnows, live or cut mullet, and cut shrimp are all producing. Large drum continue to be caught at the jetties; fish the incoming tide right after the tide turns against the North Jetty walls.
Trout: Sporadic. Occasional reports continue to come in of some very large trout being caught at the jetties, but these are few and far between. Use live shrimp, finger mullet, or mud minnows or fish Gulp.
Flounder: Slow. With the very hot water flounder catching has slowed to almost non-existent. Some anglers continue to troll Murrells Inlet, but few fish are being landed.
Sheepshead: Excellent. Large numbers of sheepshead are being caught at the Murrells Inlet jetty, but the bite is even hotter down at the Georgetown jetties. Fiddler crabs and live or cut shrimp on a Carolina rig fished vertically are producing. Perry’s Bait and Tackle reports that sheepshead sell as fast as they can catch them.
Surf report: Snapper bluefish are prolific as well as good numbers of whiting. Pompano are also around in good numbers - August and September are traditionally the best months for sheepshead in the area. Large, 5 to 7 pound Spanish mackerel are abundant in the surf.
Springmaid Pier: Some good sized flounder have been caught, as well as fair numbers of pinfish and spots. Ribbonfish have been prolific, and no kings have been caught recently. Second
Avenue Pier: Flounder action is pretty hot; 15 or so are being caught each day, up to 3 or 4 pounds. A few black drum are being caught as well as some Spanish by jig fishermen. Pinfish, whiting, and croaker are also around.
Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Occasional flounder are being caught, as well as whiting, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel.
Apache Pier: Fishing has slowed, but some summer trout and flounder are being caught as well as occasional pompano. A 30.8 pound king mackerel was landed a couple of weeks ago.
Surfside Pier: Fishing remains off, and only sharks, stingrays, and sea robins are being caught in good numbers.
Garden City Pier: Whiting and pinfish are being caught in decent numbers, and lots of small bluefish in the 11 to 13 inch size are being landed. A few pompano are being landed and some Spanish are also being jigged up. No king mackerel have been caught recently.
Offshore: Offshore fishing has slowed down, but some grouper are being reported caught at the wrecks and reefs. The hottest bite is big king mackerel - a 35 pounder was recently caught trolling a reef 15 miles out, and lots more approaching that size are also being taken.

Charleston

Spottail Bass: Very good. Haddrell’s Point reports that redfish are scattered across all of the lowcountry estuaries, and anglers continue to have best luck fishing under docks with deep holes and plenty of shade. These fish are being caught on live or cut bait, Gulp, or Rattle Traps. Fishing in the flats is also strong, and spottails are in schools of 5 to 30 fish and being caught on flukes fished on flutter hooks. Bull drum are also schooled up in the harbor, and fish up to 40 pounds or more can be caught on bottom rigs with cut bait. The same method also works at the jetties.
Trout: Very good. Early and late in the day topwater action is hot for spotted sea trout. Use topwater lures like Zara Spooks and “walk the dog” around oyster shells and feeder creeks on moving tides. Strong action is also coming fishing shrimp, minnows, or artificial shrimp under a popping cork at high tide. Good action is also coming fishing around points with oyster beds on tides where bait is being pulled in or pushed out; trout will ambush prey from the back side of these points.
Flounder: Good. Flounder fishing continues to improve over the last few weeks, and best results are coming fishing around the edges of rock piles and creek mouths. Fish live finger mullet or mud minnows on a Carolina rig.
Sheepshead: Very good. Most any structure, from nearshore wrecks to the jetties to inshore piers and bridges, is holding hungry sheepshead right now. Fish fiddler crabs, clam pieces, or cut shrimp.
Tarpon: Good. Decent numbers of tarpon are still hanging around the inlets and jetties, and shark fishermen report picking some up accidentally. Fish large live mullet or menhaden in 6 to 15 foot deep slews between the sandbars on the outside of most any Charleston area inlet.
Spanish mackerel: Good. Nice catches of Spanish mackerel continue to be made in the Harbor. Fish Gotcha plugs or spoons.
Folly Beach Pier: A mixed bag continues to be caught at the pier, including whiting, bluefish, trout, Spanish mackerel, red drum, and sheepshead. Anglers are not having hot action on any one species, but action is pretty consistent for something.
Offshore: Grouper and snapper action is good using butterfly jigs and cigar minnows in 85 to 150 feet of water. King mackerel fishing is hot from the shipping channel out to 120 feet of water. Snakes are abundant in 60 to 90 feet; troll sea witches with small ballyhoo, drone spoons, and diving plugs to ensure plenty of action. Dolphin fishing has generally slowed, but Ryan Riggs landed a new state record dolphin weighing 77.5 pounds and measuring 65 inches aboard the “Daymaker” on July 24 while fishing the Governor’s Cup out of Bohicket Marina. He caught the fish just inshore of the 226 hole trolling a naked ballyhoo rig on a circle hook. A few wahoo continue to be caught in 130 to 180 feet. The hottest bite continues to be billfish and particularly sailfish. Sailfish are balling bait in 250 to 300 feet of water, and boats heading deep are getting 5 to 10 shots a day at them. Blue marlin are being sighted less frequently, but several boats have released them in the last few days.

Hilton Head

Spottail Bass: Very good. First thing in the morning redfish are hitting topwater; when the sun is higher fish deeper with Gulp Shrimp. Tailing action is strong around high tide and will continue all summer. On the incoming tide fish the edges of the grass with rattle floats and natural colored Gulp Shrimp to catch slot sized fish as well as larger ones. Also use brown Gulp Swimming Minnows or mud minnows.
Trout: Good to very good. Early morning topwater action is very good, and some big trout are being caught on lures like Spooks. Good fishing is coming under docks or on the outgoing tide where feeder creeks are emptying into bigger water. Shrimp and mud minnows fished under Cajun Thunder rattling bobbers, or Gulp grubs, are producing.
Flounder: Good. Flounder fishing has improved slightly, and anglers are catching flounder using traditional flounder rigs with a bobber to float the mud minnows off the bottom. Best fishing is around low tide in the same areas as the spottails and trout, or in the mouths of creeks and inlets.
Tarpon: Read about tarpon fishing in the Beaufort report.
Offshore: High fuel prices and windy conditions have slowed offshore fishing. Nearshore Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jack crevalle are being caught just outside the Port Royal Sound and at the Gaskins and Whitewater reefs. For more offshore information read the Beaufort report.

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South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 7/21/2008

July 21, 2008

Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.

Little River

Spottail Bass: Good. Anglers are catching spottail bass along structure in the ICW, around creek mouth drains, and in the upper creeks using live mud minnows and Berkeley Gulp.
Flounder: Excellent. Flounder continue to be caught in Cherry Grove and 53rd area creeks using mud minnows.
Sheepshead: Very good. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs are both very productive around the jetties and any inshore pilings.
Spanish mackerel: Very good. Look for feeding birds and motor slowly towards the fish; throw Gotcha Plugs, Hopkins Spoons, or anything else with a treble hook to land fish.
Bluefish: Very good. The Cherry Grove beaches are particularly good; use cut bait.
Cherry Grove Pier
Nice flounder are being caught off the pier. Black drum and sheepshead are both feeding very well on fiddler crabs.

Grand Strand

Spottail Bass: Very good. Lots of reds are being caught on the flats and in the backwaters and creeks as well as by flounder fishermen drifting or trolling Murrells Inlet. Mud minnows, live or cut mullet, and cut shrimp are all producing.
Trout: Fair. There are isolated reports of trout being caught in the creek behind Litchfield, as well as on the outside of the jetty walls. Try Mirrolures, Gulp shrimp, or live shrimp.
Flounder: Good to very good. Drift or troll live mud minnows in Murrells Inlet or the Tubbs Inlet area.
Black Drum: Very good. Target deep holes in the creeks, such as the hole off the end of the Murrells Inlet (old Veterans) Pier. Cut shrimp, live shrimp, and crabs are all productive.
Sheepshead: Excellent. At both the Murrells Inlet and Georgetown jetties the sheepshead seem to be ravenous. Fiddler crabs and live or cut shrimp on a Carolina rig fished vertically are producing. Pompano: Good. Fish with sand fleas in areas that have not been dredged for best results.
Bluefish: Good. Schools of nice sized bluefish are beginning to show up again in the surf, and anglers are doing well fishing cut bait on the bottom or on bluefish rigs.
Springmaid Pier
Early and late in the day Spanish are being caught. Whiting, small bluefish, and pinfish are also abundant.
Second Avenue Pier
Flounder and spottail bass are being caught. Lots of sheepshead are also being landed fishing fiddler crabs vertically around the pilings.
Myrtle Beach State Park Pier
The bluefish bite has slowed down, but Spanish are still being caught in good numbers by fishermen jigging. Small bluefish and decent sized whiting are also being landed.
Apache Pier
The bluefish being caught are small now, but some nice Spanish up to 3.5 pounds are being caught. Some nice catches of flounder are being reported, and black drum up to 10.4 pounds are being caught.
Surfside Pier
Fishing is slow, although white and sharks are still being caught.
Garden City Pier
While bluefish and Spanish mackerel have slowed some are still being caught, although the Spanish are mainly in the 11-13 inch range and being caught jigging. Bluefish the same size are also being caught. Whiting and a few pompano are being taken, and beyond the breakers in the middle of the pier flounder are being caught.

Charleston

The harbor is full of bait - tons of mullet, menhaden, and some shrimp have arrived.
Spottail Bass: Very good. Tailing action is starting to get hot on the flats. Also, around low tide fishing for really big reds in the same areas using cut menhaden and crabs has been red hot. Lots of fish are also being caught in the ICW, creeks, and Wando River.
Trout: Good to very good. Trout prefer clean water, and fishing is best in the Wando River, the Intracoastal around Wild Dunes, and most of the inlets, especially around high tide. Both live bait and artificials are productive at times, and the topwater bite has been strong recently.
Flounder: Good. Target flounder using live mud minnows fished slowly on the bottom in the inlets and creeks. Giggers are reporting good numbers of fish caught.
Sheepshead: Very good. Most any structure, from nearshore wrecks to the jetties to inshore piers and bridges, is holding hungry sheepshead right now. Fish fiddler crabs or cut shrimp.
Spanish Mackerel and Jack Crevalle: Very good. Most anything shiny and fast should draw strikes. Many fishermen are concentrating around the Castle area, and fishing the ebb tide when water is pushing the bait out.
Folly Beach Pier
Some Spanish mackerel up to 5 pounds are being caught, as well as occasional kings. Bluefish and whiting are also very common, and spottails, trout, pompano, and sheepshead have all been caught recently.

Hilton Head

Spottail Bass: On the incoming tide fish the edges of the grass with rattle floats and natural colored Gulp Shrimp to catch slot sized fish as well as larger ones. Also use brown Gulp Swimming Minnows, or mud minnows.
Trout: Good. Outgoing tide has been strongest for the last couple of weeks, and most trout are being caught up against the grass or in areas where oyster beds abut grass. Shrimp and mud minnows fished under Cajun Thunder rattling bobbers, or Gulp grubs, are producing.
Flounder: Fair. Best fishing is around low tide in the same areas as the spottails and trout, or in the mouths of creeks and inlets.

Beaufort

Spottail Bass: Very good. The best spottail fishing is for tailing reds feeding in the flooded grass around high tide; these can be sight-fished for by lure or fly fishermen.
Trout: Few reports. Flounder: Good. Fish mud minnows along the bottom.
Cobia: Fair. The tail end of the Broad River cobia fishing season has arrived.
Bluefish and Ladyfish: Good. Bluefish and ladyfish are present in the Broad River and feeding on the large menhaden schools.
Paradise Pier
Some decent whiting have been caught as well as black tip sharks and stingrays. Sheepshead are also available around high tide when the water is slackest. The biggest catch is blue crabs which are being caught by the 5 gallon bucketful around low tide.

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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 6/9/2008

June 9, 2008

Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:

Trout: Very good. Trout are in a transitional stage right now between spring and summer patterns. They have not moved very deep yet but are going that direction. Very nice catches of large rainbow trout are being reported trolling in 40 - 65 feet of water using trolling spoons or large plugs; also pull large live shiners in the same zone. Night fishing continues to be productive with large fish and good numbers being caught; troll the rivers for best success.
Largemouth and Redeye Bass: Excellent. Fish are spawning and others are moving onto the banks to feed. The hot lure remains dark swamp crawler green pumpkin Zoom worms. Also try topwater plugs and Texas rigged worms fished on the bottom.
Smallmouth Bass: Excellent. Smallmouth bass are spawning and very nice fish in the 5 to 7 pound range are being caught. Use plastics and Texas rigged worms.
Lake Keowee:

Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish Carolina rigged worms in watermelon, chartreuse, and pumpkin seed colors around islands and boat docks. Around the North end of the lake Lake Fork swimbaits in magic shad, blue back herring, and pearl white are producing good numbers of fish slow rolling around points and coves.
Spotted Bass: Very good. Spots are biting very well on shallow running crankbaits fished in 5 to 25 feet of water. Fish the upper part of the lake around Mile Creek and High Falls. As with largemouth, around the North end of the lake Lake Fork swimbaits in magic shad, blue back herring, and pearl white are producing good numbers of fish slow rolling around points and coves.
Crappie: Very good. Some crappie are still in spawning mode up against the banks, but most fish have moved out to 15-20 feet of water and can be caught fishing up against bridge pilings at night.
Lake Hartwell:

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Free-lining around points is one of the most successful tactics right now, and fishing down rods in the backs of pockets in about 30 feet of water is also productive. Cut bait is starting to work well for big fish. Fish are scattered all over the lake, but for information on specific Lake Hartwell fishing spots visit the SCFishingReport.com message boards.
Largemouth Bass: Excellent. The largemouth bass bite remains red hot and fish are on the banks and feeding aggressively. Most fish have already spawned but they have stayed up against the banks and are feeding well on topwater Zara Spooks and Sammies. Also look for schooling action as largemouth chase baitfish. As the sun rises switch to soft plastics Texas rigged. Crappie: Very good. The crappie have backed off the banks and finished spawning, but now they are being caught by anglers fishing at night under lights and around bridges. Also try deep brush piles and trolling during the day.
Bream: Very good. Bream have moved into very shallow water and are spawning and feeding aggressively.
Piedmont Area
Lake Russell:

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Most bass have completed spawning and traditionally they should be chasing baitfish now; however, few blueback herring seem to be around and the topwater and crankbait bite has correspondingly suffered. Try Carolina Rigging or fishing finesse worms in 10 to 15 feet of water. Green pumpkinseed and purple worms are most productive, as is watermelon color. Try the back half of coves in the Beaverdam area.
Crappie: Very good. Lake Russell anglers continue to catch lots of crappie. Fish in 12 - 18 feet of water around treetops using small minnows.
Catfish: Good, using cut bait and nightcrawlers along the bottom.
Lake Thurmond:

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. The largest striper are being taken fishing cut bait in the mouths of creeks, and smaller ones are being caught free lining herring in the Parksville area. Striper are also being caught down lining in 24 to 30 feet of water.
Largemouth Bass: Very good. Bass have completed spawning and begun to feed on spawning herring. Fishing spinnerbaits off points has been productive as have topwater lures such as Zara Spooks and Pencil Poppers. Target points in the main lake areas. Black and purple soft plastics are also still productive.
Crappie: Good. Crappie have moved back out to deeper water but can be caught around brush piles and bridges at night.
Shellcracker: Excellent. Fish have moved very shallow and are spawning. Target shellcracker using red worms, pink worms, and crickets.
Lake Wylie:

Largemouth Bass: Fair. A few fish continue to spawn with the cool spring, but most fish are finished and have begun to move out onto the drops. Jigs, deep diving crankbaits, and spinnerbaits are all producing, and some school fishing have been reported up the lake. Night fishing is also productive; best results are coming with buzzbaits, topwater lures, and plastic worms.
Crappie: Slow. Crappie are in a transitional phase as they move to deep water and most anglers are having trouble finding them. A few people, however, are catching large numbers. Try a 2 inch chartreuse jig tipped with a minnow, or a plain minnow.
White Perch: Fair. White perch have generally finished spawning and moved back to deeper water. Fish in 18-24 feet of water next to river channels and look for sandy bottoms. Use a minnow or small spoon lowered to the bottom and then bumped slowly. Small and medium sized perch are making up the bulk of the catch right now, and some anglers are having trouble locating the fish.
Bream: Very good. Fish have moved into shallow water and are spawning in coves and feeding aggressively. Use nightcrawlers or red worms.
Catfish: Very good. Anglers are catching large numbers of catfish fishing with mussels, shrimp, and stinkbaits. Fish are also being caught trolling with minnows using traditional crappie fishing methods.

Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:

Striped Bass: Fair. Some striped bass are being caught up the river but fishing in the main lake is slow. No schooling activity is being reported.
Largemouth Bass: Very good. Some bass are still on the beds and being caught by anglers sight fishing with jigs or worms. Most bass have already bedded and moved back onto secondary points. Topwater lures including buzzbaits and floating worms are both productive, and swim baits and Texas Rigged worms are also catching fish.
Crappie: Good. Crappie have generally finished spawning and moved back out to 6-12 feet of water. A few can still be caught shallow but best action is on deeper brushpiles or trolling with minnows and chartreuse and black jigs.
Bream and Shellcracker: Good. Fish are moving onto the banks and bedding. Fish 2-5 feet of water using crickets and red worms.
Catfish: Very good. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms, and try fishing at night.

Lake Wateree:

Largemouth Bass: Tough. Lake Wateree bass have been reluctant to bite ever since the spawn ended, and recent tournaments have featured small sacks taking prize money. Some schooling action is beginning to be reported and spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and plastic worms are all producing off and on - people are throwing everything and have yet to find a pattern that is consistently working.
Crappie: Fair. Crappie have finished spawning and moved back out to deeper water. Trolling with jigs and minnows is most effective, and the June Creek area has been productive.
Catfish: Very good. Multiple 40 pounders are still being taken as well as lots of smaller fish. Target big blue cats using cut bait fished on the edges of holes. 8 to 10 pound fish are being caught on stinkbaits, worms, cut bait, and live bait fished on the bottom.
Bream: Very good. Bream are shallow and bedding on the full moon. Fish 1 to 5 feet of water using worms and crickets.

Lake Murray:

Striped Bass: Good. Striped bass fishing improved a bit in the last week, although anglers continue to have difficulty catching big fish. Best action is coming fishing down rods with live bait in 30 to 60 feet of water, free-lining in 10 to 20 feet of water, and trolling with umbrella rigs. Cut bait is also working well in the middle of the day, and early and late look for schooling fish chasing bait up to the surface.
Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. A very few fish remain on the beds but most Lake Murray largemouth have already spawned. Right now is a transitional phase; a couple of weeks ago largemouth were chasing herring, but now the herring spawn has mainly finished. Most people expected them to be chasing spawning bream on the recent full moon but a large-scale bream spawn did not materialize. Topwaters like pencil poppers, Zara Spooks, and buzzbaits are a good bet early, and shaky head worms in watermelon candy and green pumpkinseed colors fished in 2 to 15 feet of water may produce numbers of fish. Expect bass fishing to improve in the next couple of weeks.
Crappie: Fair. Crappie have finished spawning and moved back out to deeper water, and the bite has been slow with the irregular weather patterns. Best action is coming fishing down rods on deeper brushpiles or trolling with minnows and jigs in 6 to 15 feet of water around creek mouths.
Shellcracker and bream: Good. While a few anglers have productive secret spots, perhaps because of high water levels bream and shellcracker are proving hard to locate in good numbers. Fish red worms and baby nightcrawlers around the banks and a few feet off.

Santee Cooper System
Lake Marion:

Fishing on the upper and lower ends of the lake is very strong, and all boat ramps are open again. Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Fishing cooled off slightly after the spawn but fish seem to be starting to go on a feeding spree and some really large bass are being caught. Fish soft plastics or topwater lures as bass begin to chase bream and shad.
Catfish: Very good. At the upper end of the lake some really large catfish are being caught in shallow water and up the river, and down towards the dam fishing is also very strong. Some fish have already spawned while other fish are about to spawn, and a 53.2 pound fish was recently weighed in at Randolph’s Landing which had already spawned. Best fishing near the dam is coming in 12 to 14 feet of water as catfish continue to be in a transitional period. Cut herring is still the bait of choice.
Crappie: Very good. Crappie have already completed spawning but are still feeding very well. Fish in the Jack’s Creek area and around Santee State Park up towards Stump Hole Landing. Target bridges and piers; night fishing is starting to improve.
Bream and Shellcracker: Very good. Fish shallow water along the banks near Rimini Swamp, Santee Park, Stump Hole. Fish have moved shallow and will continue to spawn and feed aggressively.

Lake Moultrie:

Largemouth Bass: Very good. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits fished early and late have both been very effective, and during the day dragging Texas rigged worms in green and blue shades through deep lily and primrose patches has been productive. Also look for areas where the bait is concentrated. Topwaters like buzzbaits and Zara Spooks have also been working as well as floating worms. The last couple of weekends have been productive days and nights for drifting for blues. A little slow down probably because of weather changes and high winds were replaced with an improved bite lately. A couple of trips yielded 40 pound plus class blue cats with numbers of other fish from 10 to 25 pounds. Bigger fish have come in 10 to 20 ft depths. Some folks are still catching numbers of blues in 30 plus feet but the average sizes are 3 to 6 pounds with some bigger fish now and then. Anchoring when the lake is too calm to drift has produced fish as well. Fish have been active in depths from 6 to 20 ft during the day the last couple of anchoring periods.
Catfish: Very good. The catfish bite is improving and very large fish are being caught, as well as good numbers. Bigger fish are being caught in 10 to 20 feet of water, and while some anglers are catching numbers of big blue cats in 30 plus feet of water average sizes are 3 to 6 pounds in deeper areas. Drifting is productive, as well as anchoring and fishing cut bait on the bottom when the lake is too calm to drift. Best catches are coming in 5 to 10 feet of water using cut mullet and herring, and an unusually large percentage of flatheads are being caught right now.
Crappie: Slow. Crappie are in between spring and summer patterns right now and fishermen are having trouble finding them. Try fishing in 8 to 12 feet of water around major creek mouths and over medium depth brush until they move over deeper brush for the summer.
Shellcracker: Excellent. Really large fish weighing two pounds and better are being caught around cypress trees, especially where they meet lilies. Fish worms shallow.
South Carolina Rivers

Chattooga River

Trout: Good. Water levels and temperatures are both good. Fly Fishing report: The dry fly season is winding down. Fish Addam’s, Blue Winged Olives, or March Brown flies in sizes 14, 16, or 18. Nice sized trout are still being caught.
Conventional tackle report: Fishermen continue to take large numbers of trout on rooster tails and other spinners. White and pearl colors are strong.

Congaree River

Striped Bass: Good. Some very large striped bass have already moved into the Congaree and made their way up towards the rocks around the Gervais Street Bridge - 20 to 25 pound fish are being caught. Anglers need to cover a lot of water early in the year and best success is coming throwing Bomber Long As, 5 inch Yozuris, and Swimbaits. Live bait fishing is not yet productive. Best fishing is coming on days when water is running - other days may not even be worth fishing yet.

Cooper River

Shad: Excellent. The shad run is still hot in the Tailrace and the females are making their way from the ocean up the river towards the Lake Moultrie Dam Tailrace to spawn. Some really nice roe shad are being taken, ranging from 3 to 5 pounds. Conventional fishermen should use a small green grub and fly anglers should use a chartreuse Clauser on a #4 hook.

Great Pee Dee

Fish the main river for catfish and target bass and panfish in the surrounding oxbow lakes.
Catfish: Good to very good. Catches of catfish are picking up in the main river using eels, large minnows, and goldfish. Fish on the bottom in holes and around channel breaks.
Crappie: Fair. Anglers fishing ox bow lakes off the main channel are starting to report improved catches. Use minnows.

Lynches River

Bream: Good. Anglers are doing well fishing worms, wax worms, and crickets on the bottom.

Saluda River

Striped Bass: Slow to fair. The water is very low right now and striper are not on the move and feeding aggressively; the fish in popular holes are already picked over. If recent rains raise lake and river levels, or water is released, expect fishing to improve. Throw large plugs, topwater poppers, or fish live shad or herring under corks or on the bottom.
Trout: Fair. Fly fishermen should cast Wooly Buggers or similar flies; several hatches have already taken place. Stock fish are being caught, and spinners are also effective.

Santee Diversion Canal

Shellcracker: Good. Shellcracker are being caught on the Moultrie end of the canal but the largest numbers of bream and shellcracker are in the shallow water of the main lakes.
Catfish: Very good. Flathead catfish up to 50 and 60 pounds are being caught in the canal at night. Anchor or slowly drift cut bait.

Savannah River

Yellow Perch: No report. Huge yellow perch are still in the Savannah River below Lake Thurmond but no one seems to be targeting them.
Striped/ Hybrid Bass: Hit or miss. When the correct gates are open on the Lake Thurmond Dam action can be fast, but at other times fish are not feeding. Further down the Savannah River, below the New Savannah River Bluff Lock and Dam, action is slow right now. Mullet are starting to come up the river, however, and the striper will not be far behind them.
Waccamaw River

Fishing in the river remains strong for now.
Largemouth bass: Excellent. Bass are feeding very well and fishermen targeting them with Texas rigged plastic worms are having best success.
Crappie: Very good. Fishermen in the Waccamaw are reporting nice catches of crappies. Use minnows around structure and current breaks.
Bream: Good. Bream fishing is still a bit short of peak conditions but expect excellent fishing as the full moon approaches.
Catfish: Good. Use large goldfish or shiners to target big catfish. Anglers are having success using set hooks and trotlines but the same baits will work rod and reel fishing.

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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 6/2/2008

June 2, 2008

For more recent updates and further information visit www.SCFishingReport.com

Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:

Largemouth and Redeye Bass: Excellent. Fish are spawning and others are moving onto the banks to feed. The hot lure remains dark swamp crawler green pumpkin Zoom worms. Also try topwater plugs and Texas rigged worms fished on the bottom.

Smallmouth Bass: Excellent. Smallmouth bass are spawning and very nice fish in the 5 to 7 pound range are being caught. Use plastics and Texas rigged worms.

Lake Keowee:

Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish Carolina rigged worms in watermelon, chartreuse, and pumpkin seed colors around islands and boat docks. Around the North end of the lake, Lake Fork swimbaits in magic shad, blue back herring, and pearl white are producing good numbers of fish slow rolling around points and coves.

Spotted Bass: Very good. Spots are biting very well on shallow running crankbaits fished in 5 to 25 feet of water. Fish the upper part of the lake around Mile Creek and High Falls. As with largemouth, around the North end of the lake, Lake Fork swimbaits in magic shad, blue back herring, and pearl white are producing good numbers of fish slow rolling around points and coves.

Crappie: Very good. Some crappie are still in spawning mode up against the banks, but most fish have moved out to 15-20 feet of water and can be caught fishing up against bridge pilings at night.

Lake Hartwell:

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