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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 9/22/2008
September 22, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com
. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Bream: Very good. For keeper sized bream move off the banks a bit and fish in 10-15 feet with crickets.
- Catfish: Very good. Anchor nightcrawlers or minnows on the bottom.
- Trout: Good. Troll in 80-100 feet during the day using large minnows or lures like trolling spoons.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Early in the day Lake Fork Swim Baits in 3.5 inch Magic Shad and blue heron colors have been productive in 5 to 25 feet of water.
- 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: Fair. Bream are still available around the banks in 3 to 15 feet of water.
- Catfish: Very good. At night catfish are moving onto lake flats and feeding very well. Use cut herring or bream.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Fish are biting at 30 to 50 feet over 100 to 140 feet of water in the channel between Anderson Island and the dam. Downrods with live bait and trolling with downriggers and lead core line are both effective.
- Bream: Good. For bigger bream back off the bank into 5 to 15 feet of water and use crickets or worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. As the sun gets higher switch to shaky head worms and Carolina rigs in 25 to 30 feet of water off the end of points and along river channels. Deep running crankbaits may also be effective, and deep, shaded boat docks can be productive.
- Striped Bass: Good. For big fish target the area from Smith McKee up with big baits.
- 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.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Small striper are being caught in the mouths of creeks, but overall stripe fishing has been slow. Catfish: Good. Fish deep with cut or whole herring on the bottom.
- Bream: Good. Fish in 2 to 10 feet of water with crickets or worms.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie are deep but can be caught around bridges at night. Minnows are producing better than jigs.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Carolina rigged plastic worms fished deep around points and creek mouths.
Lake Wylie:
- Catfish: Very good. In areas where white perch had been schooling and concentrating on baitfish catfish seem to have recently taken over.
- Bream: Very good. Use crickets or worms and try to “smell out” the beds. Also fish shallow structure around the shoreline.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. Fish have been spread out and some are being caught shallow, and some are deep. Finesse worms, deep running crankbaits, and large plastic worms are all producing.
- White Perch: Good. Some really nice catches are being made in 18 to 20 feet of water using minnows or silver spoons. Lots of pound sized fish are being caught.
- Catfish: Very good. Big flathead catfish can be caught in 10 to 15 feet of water around heavy brush which is close to ledges.
- Bream: Very good. Bream action is very strong in shallow water 3 to 4 feet deep. Use crickets and red worms.
- Striped Bass: Fair. It is unclear how recent rains will affect the fishing. 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.
- 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 down. Use floating worms in bright colors like white, orange, yellow, or pink.
Lake Wateree:
- Largemouth Bass: Slow to fair. 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. For numbers of fish target the lake flats using cut bait and gizzard shad. 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:
- Bream: Excellent. Fish in 12 to 20 feet of water using crickets and worms on the bottom.
- Catfish: Good. Catfish are being caught in 8 to 15 feet of water on the bottom. Use cut bait or nightcrawlers.
- Striped Bass: Fair. In the big water near the dam best action is coming fishing downrods in 60 to 70 feet. Continue to leave a couple of free lines out; striper are coming up and taking those, too, and decent topwater action has been reported around the dam some mornings.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Topwater action is still the most consistent bite; very early in the morning and late in the day fish topwater lures like flukes and Zara Spooks. Fish continue to be surprisingly shallow, and baby brush hogs have been working.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Catfish: Very good. Both blues and flatheads are biting very well on cut bait. During the day they are holding deep but they are moving shallower at night and to feed.
- Bream: Very good. Bream are continuing to bed right through the summer in the upper lake, and Hill’s Landing and Randolph’s Landing reports some nice stringers being caught. Use crickets or red worms.
- Crappie: Fair. Fish are still concentrated around brush down as deep as 25 feet.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try Texas rigged worms around deep structure.
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; fish will mainly be eating size but catfish up to 30 pounds have been caught recently on this bait.
- Bream: Fair. Fish with nightcrawlers along drop-offs.
Lake Moultrie:
- Catfish: Very good. Catfish have been biting well in 15 to 28 feet of water. Fresh cut bait such as strips of gizzard shad, white perch, and mullet are all productive.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie fishing is beginning to improve and fish are being caught in 10 to 14 feet in Lake Moultrie. Use minnows and jigs around brush, docks, and other structure.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging in deep water.
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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 7/14/2008
July 14, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Trout: Very good. Very nice catches of large rainbow trout are being reported trolling in 60 - 80 feet of water using trolling spoons or large plugs; also pull large live shiners in the same zone. Fishing early and late is best.
- Black Bass: Excellent. Bass fishing continues to be very strong. Early morning the best action is coming on topwater lures until the sun gets high around 9 or 10 a.m. By 10 a.m. move out to deeper water and throw soft plastics along 10 - 15 foot drop offs on main and secondary points.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Very good. Early in the morning Lake Fork swimbaits have been productive in the upper part of the lake when the baitfish are moving - magic shad and albino colors have been most productive. Spotted bass have been biting very well on Bill Lewis rattle traps and shallow running crankbaits in bluegill and chartreuse orange colors in 5 to 20 feet in the backs of coves and around islands.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie have moved out to 30-40 feet of water and can be caught fishing up against bridge pilings at night.
- Bream: Very good. Fish crickets in 5 to 15 feet of water.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Fish in 55-65 feet of water with downrods set at 25 to 30 feet. Try out lead core line and lures such as Cisco Kid and other similar ones as the thermocline may be developing quicker than ever.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Early and late there is still good topwater action along points, and as the sun gets higher switch to shaky head worms and Carolina rigs in 20 to 30 feet of water.
- Bream: Very good. Bream have moved into very shallow water and are feeding aggressively.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Try Carolina Rigging or fishing finesse worms in 15 to 20 feet of water, and green pumpkinseed and purple worms are good choices, as is watermelon color. Jigs are also a good choice.
- Crappie: Fair. There are reports of decent numbers of crappie being caught trolling up Beaverdam Creek in the late evening.
- Bream: Good. Fish have moved into shallow water. Use crickets and red worms.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Striper fishing in 45 feet of water under the 378 bridge is very strong using live herring. Cut bait fished around points is also producing.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Early in the morning bass are being caught around secondary points using Zara Spooks.
- Crappie: Good. Crappie have moved back out to deeper water but can be caught around brush piles and bridges at night.
- Shellcracker: Excellent. Target shellcracker using red worms, pink worms, and crickets.
Lake Wylie:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. First thing in the morning fish topwater Pop-Rs over main channel points in about 8 feet of water - bass are schooling. Night fishing is becoming the preferred time to catch fish - deep crankbaits, dark worms, and jigging spoons are all productive.
- White Perch: Very good. Fish in 18-22 feet of water on drops next to river channels and look for sandy bottoms. Use a minnow or small spoon lowered to the bottom and then bumped slowly; crickets will also work.
- Bream: Very good. Use crickets or worms and try to “smell out” the beds.
- Catfish: Good. Use mussels, shrimp, and stinkbaits. Night fishing is good in shallow water.
- Largemouth Bass: From very early until 8 a.m. topwaters and floating worms are productive fished around blocks walls, drops, and riprap. At night fish dark plastic worms around piers or brush piles.
- Striped Bass: Fair. A few anglers are catching fish with bucktail jigs trolled in 30 feet of water.
- Crappie: Very slow. Crappie have moved out over deep brush piles.
- Bream: Good to very good. Use crickets and worms fished in 3-5 feet around docks and tree tops.
- 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: Fair to Good. Throw soft plastics - both floating worms and Texas rigged worms - around shallow grass and docks in the mid-lake area. The Zoom trick worm in green pumpkin has been hot. The best bite is early, but even once it starts to get warmer shallow docks and other shady areas still hold fish.
- Catfish: Very good. For numbers of fish target the lake flats using cut bait and gizzard shad. Creek mouths where the creeks meet the main river channel are great places to anchor up for bigger catfish.
- Bream: Very good. Fish 1 to 5 feet of water using worms and crickets.
Lake Murray:
- Striped Bass: Good. Striped bass fishermen are most successful in the lower lake fishing in 55 to 65 feet. The predominate catch is coming with down rods baited with live herring, although some fishermen are being just as productive suspending cut herring at the depth they mark the fish in the same areas.
- Largemouth Bass: Tough. Early in the day fish topwaters like pencil poppers, Zara Spooks, Sammys, and flukes.
- Crappie: Poor. No one seems to be finding the crappie right now, except a few guides and other anglers who have favorite deep brushpiles.
- Shellcracker: Good. Fish 8 to 12 feet of water on crickets or worms.
- Bream: Very good. Bream are still shallow. Use crickets.
- Catfish: Good. Cut herring and nightcrawlers are producing over most any area of the lake from the campground down to the dam.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Some really large bass are still being caught, though; fish Texas rigged worms in slightly deeper areas.
- Catfish: Very good. Towards the dam catfish are in 15-25 feet of water. The bite is hot using cut bait, stinkbaits, or worms.
- Crappie: Fair. Try to locate brush in 25 to 30 feet and fish minnows vertically.
- Bream and Shellcracker: Very good. Fish shallow using worms and crickets.
Diversion Canal:
- Bream and Shellcracker: Very good. Fish are being caught throughout the canal; some fish are spawning and others have backed off into slightly deeper water. The bite is best when water is being pulled through the canal.
- Catfish: Very good. Anchor or slowly drift cut bait.
- Bass: Good. Largemouth are stacked in the canal around drops where the water goes from shallow to 15 feet almost vertically.
Lake Moultrie:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging in deeper water.
- Catfish: Very good. At night large flatheads and blues are both being caught in shallow water. During the day bigger fish seem to be keying on the sides of hills and underwater humps in 18 to 24 feet of water, although they may be shallower at times. Best catches are coming using cut mullet and herring.
- Crappie: Fair. Look for structure in 20 to 25 feet of water and fish minnows vertically.
- Bream and shellcracker: Very good. Fish 1-5 feet for bluegills and 8 to 10 feet for shellcracker.
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South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 6/23/2008
June 23, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Spottail Bass: Fair. 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. Spanish are being caught just off the jetties in good numbers.
- Spottail Bass: Good. Spottails are being caught on the flats and in the backwaters and creeks, and many drum are being caught by flounder fishermen drifting or trolling Murrells Inlet. Mud minnows, live or cut mullet, and cut shrimp are all producing.
- Trout: Good. Trout fishing is hot at the Sunset Bridge. Try Mirrolures, Gulp shrimp, or live shrimp. Flounder: 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. Bluefish: Good. Some large bluefish are being caught in the creeks. Cut bait fished on the bottom or on “bluefish rigs” is producing.
- Sheepshead: Excellent. Fiddler crabs and live or cut shrimp on a Carolina rig fished vertically are producing. Pompano: Very good. with sand fleas in areas that have not been dredged for best results.
- Piers: The Spanish mackerel and bluefish run has slowed down, and the blues being caught now are small.
- Springmaid Pier: Early and late in the day Spanish are being caught. Some bluefish are still being caught, with a few good ones mixed in.
- Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Spanish are still being caught in good numbers by fishermen jigging. Small bluefish and decent sized whiting are also being landed.
- Apache Pier: Speckled trout, red drum and black drum are all being taken, as well as some nice catches of flounder.
- Surfside Pier: Occasional bluefish are still being caught, and fishermen continue to jig up some Spanish mackerel.
- Garden City Pier: Whiting are being caught with some pompano mixed in. Beyond the breakers in the middle of the pier flounder are being caught.
- Offshore: Spadefish are prolific at the near shore reefs, such as the Sherman wreck, and large numbers are being caught using jelly ball teasers to draw the fish up and then fishing with pieces of cut jelly balls. The 3 mile reef has been very good. King and Spanish mackerel are stacked up at Belkie Bear and Paradise Reef.
- Spottail Bass: Very good. Lots of fish are also being caught in the ICW, creeks, and Wando River. Some monster spottails are being caught out around the Charleston jetties fishing cut bait.
- Trout: Good. Both live bait and artificials are productive at times, and best fishing is coming to the north of Charleston.
- Black Drum: Good. A surprising number of black drum are being caught in deep holes in the creeks. Live and cut shrimp and crabs are all working.
- 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. Fish fiddler crabs or cut shrimp.
- Spanish Mackerel: Very good. The Harbor is full of Spanish mackerel right now. Use most anything shiny and fast.
- Folly Beach Pier: Nice black drum are being landed, and a dozen or so trout have been caught in the last week. An occasional flounder is being pulled up, and whiting are still prolific.
Offshore: Spadefish are swarming at nearshore reefs and wrecks, and Haddrell’s Point says they’ve never seen so many jelly balls - use pieces of these for bait. Wahoo fishing is still good, although not as strong as last year.
- Spottail Bass: Tailing action is strong around high tide and will continue to improve 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. Trout fishing continues to be surprisingly strong in the marshes and backwaters. Incoming to high tide is the best time to fish. 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.
- Offshore: Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and jacks are all being caught in the Gaskins Bank reef area. Troll shiny spoons and plugs or sight cast at baitfish busting the surface.
- Spottail Bass: Good. Fish are spread out and feeding aggressively on the large mullet schools. Flounder: Good. Flounder are in the inlets and beginning to be caught throughout the creeks. Fish mud minnows along the bottom.
- Cobia: Very good. Fish are being caught on all types of baits, such as menhaden, eels, squid, and whiting. Sight fishing with plugs has been off and on, and the fish have been willing to take flies at times, too. Puglisi fly patterns have worked the best.
- Paradise Pier: Some decent whiting have been caught as well as black tip sharks and stingrays.
- Offshore: Black Sea bass and snapper are still available at offshore reefs, although guides report catching lots of snapper before they get a legal 20 inch keeper. Out at the 20 mile mark kings and Spanish mackerel are being caught, as well as cobia.
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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 6/16/2008
June 16, 2008
- Trout: Very good. Nice catches of large rainbow trout are being reported trolling in 50 - 70 feet of water using trolling spoons or large plugs; also pull large live shiners in the same zone.
- Largemouth and Redeye Bass: Excellent. Fish have finished spawning but are still up against the banks. The hot lure remains dark swamp crawler green pumpkin Zoom worms.
- Smallmouth Bass: Excellent. Fish Texas rigged worms around rocky points and shallows.
- 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 18 to 25 feet of water. Fish the upper part of the lake around Mile Creek and High Falls.
- Crappie: Good. Crappie have moved out to 20-25 feet of water and can be caught fishing up against bridge pilings at night.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. From 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. lots of fish are breaking water all over the Seneca, but many of them are short. Later on large schools of fish are being marked from 30 to 35 feet, but enticing them to bite is difficult.
- Largemouth Bass: Very good. Some bass are still shallow and being caught on spinnerbaits. In deeper water many anglers are targeting bass fishing large worms like the Zoom Mag 2 in Tequila Sunrise, black and green pumpkinseed colors. Later in the day many people are Carolina rigging around points.
- Bream: Good. Bream have moved into very shallow water and are feeding aggressively.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Try Carolina Rigging or fishing finesse worms in 10 to 15 feet of water. Green pumpkinseed and purple worms are good choices, as is watermelon color.
- Catfish: Good, using cut bait and nightcrawlers along the bottom.
- Bream and shellcracker: Good. Fish have already moved into shallow water.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Striper fishing in 45 feet of water under the 378 bridge is very strong using live herring.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Early in the morning bass are being caught around secondary points using Zara Spooks.
- Crappie: Good. Look for brush in 20 to 25 feet of water; minnows are producing better than jigs.
- Shellcracker: Excellent. Target shellcracker using red worms, pink worms, and crickets.
Lake Wylie:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. After 10 a.m. or so move deeper and fish the drops using Carolina rigs with an extra long leader- a strong color is watermelon seed dipped in chartreuse glow dye. Finesse worms in cotton candy, kudzu and green worked very slowly are also productive.
- White Perch: Fair. 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.
- Shellcracker: Very good. Fish deep drops using red worms fished on a dead line.
- Catfish: Very good. Anglers are catching large numbers of catfish fishing with mussels, shrimp, and stinkbaits.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Early, late and nights are the most productive times to fish for bass right now. Use floating worms around rock piles, brushpiles and drop-offs along the bank.
- Crappie: Slow. Crappie have moved out over deep brush piles.
- Bream and Shellcracker: Very good. 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. 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. Trolling with jigs and minnows is most effective, and the June Creek area has been productive.
- Catfish: Very good. Target big blue cats using cut bait fished on the edges of holes. Fish are being caught on stinkbaits, worms, cut bait, and live bait fished on the bottom.
- Bream: Very good. Fish 1 to 5 feet of water using worms and crickets.
Lake Murray:
- Striped Bass: Good. Best action is coming fishing down rods with live bait in 30 to 60 feet of water. 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. Early morning topwater with pencil poppers, Zara Spooks, and buzzbaits may be productive. Later in the day switch to shaky head worms in watermelon candy and green pumpkinseed colors fished in 2 to 15 feet of water.
- Crappie: Poor. Check deep brushpiles.
- Shellcracker and bream: Good. Fish red worms and baby nightcrawlers around the banks and a few feet off.
- Catfish: Good. Cut herring and nightcrawlers are producing over most of the lake.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish Texas rigged worms in slightly deeper areas.
- Catfish: Good. Towards the dam catfish are staying deep during the day but being caught shallow at night.
- Crappie: Slow. Crappie are likely making their way towards deep water haunts for the summer.
- Bream and Shellcracker: Very good. Fish shallow water along the banks near Rimini Swamp, Santee Park, Stump Hole.
Lake Moultrie:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging.
- Catfish: Good. At night large flatheads and blues are both being caught in shallow water. 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 using cut mullet and herring.
- Crappie: Fair. Look for structure in 20 to 25 feet of water and fish minnows vertically.
- Shellcracker: Very good. Fish are being caught around cypress trees, especially where they meet lilies. Fish worms shallow.
Chattooga River
- Trout: Good.
- Fly Fishing report: The area from Pig Pen Creek up to the North Carolina border should still hold trout, though, and dry flies like the Light Henderson, Light Cayhill, Addams, and lighter caddis flies tied out of elkhair should produce.
Saluda River
- Striped Bass: Slow to fair. Throw large plugs, topwater poppers, or fish live shad or herring under corks or on the bottom. For now target the area closer to the dam.
- Trout: Fair. Fly fishermen should cast Wooly Buggers or similar flies; several hatches have already taken place.
Santee Diversion Canal
- Bream and Shellcracker: Very good. Fish are being caught throughout the canal.
- Catfish: Very good. Flathead catfish are being caught in the canal at night. Anchor or slowly drift cut bait.
- Bass: Good. Largemouth are stacked in the canal around drops where the water goes from shallow to 15 feet almost vertically.
Savannah River
- 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.
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S.C. Freshwater Fishing Trends
May 8, 2008
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For more recent updates and further information visit www.SCFishingReport.com
- Trout: Very good. Troll from the surface down to 55 feet using trolling spoons or large plugs. Also pull large live shiners in the same zone. In the April 12 Jocassee Outdoor Center Trout Tournament the winning fish was an 8.35 pound monster, and several fish over 6 pounds were caught. 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. Bass are moving towards the banks and biting aggressively. The hot lure is dark swamp crawler green pumpkin Zoom worms. Other fish remain in deeper water and can be caught on finesse worms fished on Carolina Rigs or shaky head worms.
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- Largemouth Bass: Very good. Warmer weather has moved fish shallower and fish are preparing to move onto beds in some areas and have begun bedding in others. Fish shallow coves using Lake Fork Twitch Worms around Cane Creek, Crooked Creek, Mile Creek, and High Falls.
- Spotted Bass: Very good. Fish the upper part of the lake around Mile Creek and High Falls. Early in the morning throw a buzz bait or a top water jerk bait. Later in the day fish shallow running crankbaits in chartreuse colors in 10-25 feet of water. Live baiting with medium shiners is also productive fishing vertically over structure.
- Crappie: Fair. Try minnows and jigs in 15-20 feet of water around brush piles and other structure. Some very large crappie are being caught but not numbers.
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- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. There are reports of 20 to 30 pound fish being caught in 8 to 15 feet of water off points; the large striper have pinned the baitfish into shallow water. Monitor water temperatures and look for the warmest water that isn’t muddy. Striper are attempting to spawn right now and moving into the tailwaters of the upstream dam, river or large creeks and feeding along key main-lake structure as they go. Check points in the middle of the reservoir on up; big striper are hitting large gizzard shad trolled off points up and down the Seneca.
- Largemouth Bass: Excellent. The largemouth bass bite is red hot and fish are on the banks and feeding aggressively. Some fish are on the beds, some have already spawned, and a few have yet to spawn. Target shallow fish using soft plastics; red shad color has been deadly. In a recent club tournament anglers caught multiple limits both days and were culling 2 and 3 pound fish.
- Crappie: Excellent. The crappie bite is very good and fish are feeding aggressively in 2 to 8 feet of water. Look for large fish, not numbers of crappie, and try trolling small minnows or small white jigs. Also fish brushpiles with small to medium minnows, Alibis and curly tail grubs.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Fish early morning with bucktails and cut and live herring. Fish are still fairly deep. Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Some bass are spawning while many have already moved back out to slightly deeper water. Try fishing spinnerbaits in the trees, and also try Carolina Rigging in 10 to 15 feet of water. Green pumpkinseed and purple worms are most productive. For spotted bass fish rubber worms or crankbaits on main or secondary points in 8 to 12 feet of water.
- 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.
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- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. In a recent club tournament the largest striped bass that was caught weighed 5 pounds. The striper bite has unexpectedly slowed but should pick up again soon. Try live herring on planer boards, free lines, or down rods.
- Largemouth Bass: Very good. Most bass have completed spawning but many are still hanging around shallow water and feeding aggressively. Black and purple soft plastics are very productive.
- Crappie: Excellent. Crappie are shallow and most are being caught 10 to 15 feet off the bank, with lots of fish over two pounds being taken. Some fish are still hanging in deeper water - troll in 10 to 12 feet of water to target these crappie.
- Shellcracker: Fair. The shellcracker bite is improving and fish are being caught on pink worms fished around shell-covered points.
Lake Wylie:
- Largemouth Bass: Very good. Many fish are still on the beds while others have already spawned. Post-spawn fish are beginning to move onto the drops. Floating worms, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits are all producing. Night fishing is also productive, and anglers fishing the Thursday Night Tournament Trail each Thursday out of Buster Boyd Landing are catching nice sacks.
- Crappie: Slow to fair. Crappie are in a transitional phase 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: Very good. White perch are moving into 15 foot deep water to spawn. Look for sandy bottoms. Other fish remain in 20-25 feet of water next to river channels. 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.
- Catfish: Very good. White perch and crappie fishermen are picking up lots of catfish mixed in with the panfish when using minnows.
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. Many bass are still on the beds and being caught by anglers sight fishing with jigs or worms. Other bass have already bedded and moved back onto secondary points. Also try buzzbaits early in the morning and floating worms all day.
- Crappie: Good. Crappie have generally finished spawning and moved back out to deeper water. A few can still be caught shallow but best action is on deeper brushpiles or trolling with minnows and jigs.
- Catfish: Very good. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms, and try fishing at night.
Lake Wateree:
- Striped Bass: Good. Fish in the lower part of the lake using topwaters, shiners, or live herring.
- Largemouth Bass: Off and on. Some days are very productive, while some days the fish seem completely unwilling to bite. Most have already bedded while some bass are still spawning. Throw spinnerbaits, speed traps, shad raps, and other reaction type baits to target aggressive fish, and use lizards to catch spawning fish. The slightly stained mid-lake areas are producing the best fishing because of higher water temperatures there.
- Crappie: Good. Due to recent rains water has been a bit muddy for best crappie fishing. Target the Fishing Creek and Beaver Creek areas using minnows and key on shallow structure.
- Catfish: Very good. Multiple 40 pounders are still being taken. Target big blue cats using cut bait fished on the edges of holes. Other fish have started to move into shallower water to spawn. 8 to 10 pound fish are being caught on stinkbaits, worms, cut bait, and live bait fished on the bottom; fish are feeding so aggressively artificial lure fishermen are even catching some.
- Bream: Good. Bream are beginning to move shallow and onto beds.
Lake Murray:
- Striped Bass: Fair. Catching big fish remains hit or miss, and few big fish were weighed in during a recent Midlands Striper Club tournament. Fish are in anywhere from 3 to 60 feet of water, and anglers are catching fish using a variety of methods including planer boards, free-lines, and down rods in 50 to 60 feet of water. Some topwater schooling activity is being reported; continue to look for the birds which are still around and feeding on baitfish.
- Largemouth Bass: Excellent. Most bass have already spawned but the fish have skipped the traditional post-spawn slowdown and continue to feed aggressively. Fish in 6 to 15 feet for the biggest fish; smaller fish may still be right on the banks. Fish Carolina or Texas Rigged worms; the best colors are watermelon candy and green pumpkinseed. Also try topwater lures early and late and floating worms throughout the day.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie have generally finished spawning and moved back out to deeper water. A few can still be caught shallow but best action is on deeper brushpiles or trolling with minnows and jigs in 6 to 15 feet of water.
- Bream and Shellcracker: Excellent. Fish are coming onto the beds and will continue to spawn for the next month or two, especially around full moons. Fish in 6 inches down to 5 feet of water using worms and crickets.
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Lake Marion:
- Fishing on the upper end of the lake is very strong, and boat ramps such as Pack’s Landing are open again with the rising water. Striped Bass: Fair. Use cut bait and live herring; occasional striped bass are being caught.
- Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Reports of 6 to 10 pound fish are fairly common and