0
South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 10/13/2008
October 13, 2008
Mountains Area 
- Piedmont Area - Midlands Area - Santee Cooper System - South Carolina freshwater fish regulations (PDF) - Purchase a fishing license - Boat Ramp Locations
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Bream: Excellent. 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 40-60 feet during the day using large minnows or lures like trolling spoons. Trolling is even better at night in the area up to the dam.
- Black Bass: Fair. Concentrate on finding active baitfish along the banks and then fishing those areas. Some fish will hang around deep structure all year, but overall the bass are starting to move shallower.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. There is still some topwater action on swimbaits very early in the morning, but overall fish have moved deeper over the last couple of weeks.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie are still in fairly 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.
- Catfish: Very good. At night catfish are moving onto lake flats and feeding very well. Use cut herring or bream.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass:Â Good. Stripers are active in the Long Point area near the dam in 90 feet of water using down rods fished in 40 to 50 feet.Â
- Bream: Good. Bream are in shallow water and continue to feed aggressively.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Early and late look for topwater action off shoals and points, but the bite is tough right now on Hartwell.
- 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.
- Catfish: Good. Anglers have been doing very well for catfish lately. Fish deep with cut or whole herring on the bottom.
- Bream: Good. Fish in 2 to 10 feet of water with crickets or worms.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Small striper are being caught in the mouths of creeks, but overall striper fishing has been off.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie are deep but can be caught around bridges at night.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Try Carolina rigged plastic worms fished deep around points and creek mouths.
Lake Wylie:
- Catfish: Very good. Catfishing remains strong, and some very large catfish are also being caught.
- Bream: Very good. Use crickets or worms and fish shallow structure around the shoreline.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish can be located shallow, and topwater lures, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jig n pigs, and plastic worms are all working.
- White Perch: Good. Nice catches are being made in 18 to 20 feet of water using minnows or silver spoons.
- Crappie: Fair to good. Crappie fishing is fast improving, and fish can be located around in 18 to 20 feet of water around brush.
- 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 still very strong in shallow water 3 to 4 feet deep. Use crickets and red worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. The best action is coming when fish are schooling on the surface on cloudy days and early and late. These fish can be caught on either traditional topwater lures or crankbaits cast into schools.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Increasing schooling activity has been reported in the last few weeks, and largemouth bass and white perch are still mixed in with the schooling striper.
Lake Wateree:
- Catfish: Good. Best fishing is coming down the lake around the mouths of major creeks and in the river channel. Use cut bream and gizzard shad anchored on the bottom.
- Bream: Good. Fish 3 to 6 feet of water using worms and crickets.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Look for cooling water temperatures to improve the bite.
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.
- Crappie: Good. Fish are being caught in 18 to 20 feet around deep brush on live minnows and vertically fished jigs.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Striped bass are beginning to spread out and scatter across the lake, particularly in the area from the dam down to Billy Dreher Island.
- 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.
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 in 25 to 40 feet but they are moving shallower at night and to feed.
- Bream: Very good. Bream are continuing to feed well, 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: Erratic. Cats are being caught in the canal on days when water is being pulled through, but other days are slow. Fish on the bottom in 30 feet of water using chicken livers.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. On days when water is being pulled through the canal fishing has been very good.
- Bream: Fair. Shellcracker are being caught in the canal, but not in great numbers. Fish with nightcrawlers along drop-offs.
Lake Moultrie:
- Catfish: Very good. Catfish continue to bite well in 15 to 25 feet and drifting has been productive.
- Crappie: Fair. Use minnows and jigs around brush, docks, and other structure in 10 to 14 feet.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging, but look for shallow bass fishing to improve as water temperatures drop.
Related posts
0
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.
Related posts
0
South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 6/23/2008
June 23, 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 50 - 70 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.
- Black Bass: Excellent. 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 and late topwater action is very good, and Lake Fork Swimbaits and Lucky Craft Sammys fished around boat docks, points and in the backs of coves are productive. Later in the day shallow running crankbaits in 5 to 25 feet and Carolina rigged or shaky head worms in 15 to 40 feet are working.
- Crappie: Good. Crappie have moved out to 30-40 feet of water and can be caught fishing up against bridge pilings at night.
- Bream: Good. Fish live crickets, minnows, and worms in 5 to 15 feet of water.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Fish in 50-60 feet of water with downrods set at 20 to 25 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: Very good. In the early morning use topwater lures along points, and as the sun gets higher switch to shaky head worms and Carolina rigs in 20 to 30 feet of water.
- Bream: Good. Bream have moved into very shallow water and are feeding aggressively.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Overall the topwater bite has been strong first thing, and then later anglers are having to fish deep around the trees. 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 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. 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. Look for brush in 20 to 25 feet of water; minnows are producing better than jigs.
- Shellcracker: Excellent. Use red worms, pink worms, and crickets.
Lake Wylie:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. First thing in the morning fish topwater Pop-Rs over main channel points in about 8 feet of water. 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.
- White Perch: Good. 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; crickets will also work.
- Shellcracker: Very good. Fish deep drops using red worms fished on a dead line.
- Catfish: Excellent. Catfishing is easy right now and anglers are tearing up the fish using mussels, shrimp, and stinkbaits.
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:
- Largemouth Bass: From very early until 8 a.m. topwaters and floating worms are productive fished around blocks walls, drops, and riprap. Later in the day fishing is tougher and anglers are targeting ledges with Carolina rigs and finesse worms.
- 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 and are also occasionally being caught drifting over deep water. 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: Tough. The most successful patterns seem to be throwing soft plastics - both floating worms and Texas rigged worms - around grass and docks. The best bite is early. Night fishing with dark plastic worms around heavy brush is also successful.
- Catfish: Very good. Large fish can be caught on cut bait almost anywhere along the river channel from the upper lake down to the dam. Bream: Very good. Fish 1 to 5 feet of water using worms and crickets.
Lake Murray:
- Striped Bass: Good. Use 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. Deep humps and the towers are both productive, and lower lake creeks are also productive.
- Largemouth Bass: Tough. Early in the day fish topwaters like pencil poppers, Zara Spooks, Sammys, and flukes. Later in the day switch to Carolina or Texas rigging with larger worms in the 8 inch range off points.
- Crappie: Poor. Check deep brushpiles.
- Shellcracker: Good. 8 to 12 feet of water caught 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
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. At the upper end of the lake some large catfish are being caught in shallow water but not consistently. 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.
Lake Moultrie:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging.
- Catfish: Very good. 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.
- Bream and shellcracker: Very good. Fish 1-5 feet for bluegills and 8 to 10 feet for shellcracker.
South Carolina Rivers
Chattooga River
- Trout: Good.
- Fly Fishing report: The dry fly season is winding down, and fishermen are starting to head north for colder waters. The area from Pig Pen Creek up to the North Carolina border should still hold trout, though, and dry flies like the Light Hendrickson, Light Cahill, Addams, and lighter caddis flies tied out of elkhair should produce.
Saluda River
- Striped Bass: Fair. Some striper have been caught in the river but overall fishing is still down. Throw large plugs, topwater poppers, or fish live shad or herring under corks or on the bottom.
- Catfish: Good. Lots of catfish are being reported caught between Corley Mill and the zoo. Fish cut herring, other cut fish, or nightcrawlers on the bottom in deep holes.
- Shellcracker: Good. Fish deep holes.
Santee Diversion Canal
- Bream and Shellcracker: Very good. The bite is best when water is being pulled through the canal.
- 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.
- 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.
Related posts
0
South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends
May 19, 2008
For more recent updates and further information visit www.SCFishingReport.com
- Trout: Good to 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. Catching rainbows early morning up to about 4 pounds has been easy, reports guide Russ Reynolds, and double hook-ups have been common until about 7:30. The large browns should start biting in the next few weeks. Try trolling in 60 - 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.
- Largemouth Bass: Very good. Warm weather has moved fish shallow and some fish are still spawning in the backs of coves. For spawning fish flip a Lake Fork Crawdad to entice them to hit. For other fish target shallow coves using Lake Fork Twitch Worms and 6 inch swim baits 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 buzzbait or a topwater jerkbait. Later in the day switch to a shallow running shad rap DT26 in black and silver with an orange belly. 6 inch Lake Fork swim baits are also productive. Live baiting with medium shiners is also productive fishing vertically over structure.
- 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.
- The surface temperature has hit about 74 degrees. 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 preparing to spawn on the next full moon. They are feeding aggressively.
- Water temperatures are around 70 during the day, well below average for this time of year.
- 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.
- Water levels have risen considerably over the past two months and water temperatures have hit the low 70s. 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 preparing to spawn. Target shellcracker using red worms, pink worms, and crickets.
Lake Wylie:
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Almost all of the fish have finished spawning and begun to move out onto the drops. Floating worms, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits are all producing. 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 many anglers are having trouble locating the fish.
- Bream: Very good. Fish have moved into shallow water in preparation for the spawn (the full moon is on the 19th) and are stacked up in coves 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.
- 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 trying to bed. 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 such as the NBC and Red Fox tournament 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 moving shallow in preparation for bedding on the full moon. Fish 1 to 5 feet of water using worms and crickets.
Lake Murray:
- Striped Bass: Fair to good. Striped bass continue to be caught in large numbers but anglers are having 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. Expect summer fish kills to reduce the percentage of short fish being caught to more normal levels.
- Largemouth Bass: Very good. A very few fish remain on the beds but most Lake Murray largemouth have already spawned. The fish are spreading out and beginning to chase shad and bream. The wind has made fishing a little tough but one popular pattern the pros in town for the Elite Series tournament are fishing is running and gunning the banks throwing a lipless crankbait. Some nice fish are being caught this way on main points. Topwater action is also starting to heat up and anglers are throwing pencil poppers, Zara Spooks, and buzzbaits; on windy days where there is some chop on the water this bite is continuing all day. Shaky head worms fished in 2 to 15 feet of water are also producing well in watermelon candy and green pumpkinseed colors, and some fish are being taken around brushpiles. Follow the Elite Series action on SCFishingReport.com.
- 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: Excellent. Shellcracker that have come onto the banks are feeding very well in 6 inches to 4 feet of water, and other fish are holding just a little further out in 6 to 8 feet. Use red worms and baby nightcrawlers.
Santee Cooper System           Â
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 Santee Park and Stump Hole. Fish have moved shallow and will spawn and feed aggressively for the next 4 to 6 weeks.
Lake Moultrie:
- Moultrie is within one foot of full pool and water temperatures are around 76 degrees; baitfish are feeding in shallow areas where grass grew during low water and drawing predators shallow, too.
- 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.
- Catfish: Good. The catfish bite is improving as the fish begin to spawn. 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.
Chattooga River
- Trout: Excellent. Water levels and temperatures are both ideal. Fly Fishing report: The March Brown Mayflies have hatched and the dry fly season is in full swing. Fish Addam’s, Blue Winged Olives, or March Brown flies in sizes 14, 16, or 18. Fish are feeding aggressively and nice sized trout are 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.
Wateree River
- Catfish: Good. Anglers are catching nice fish using cut bait, worms, and live shiners on the bottom.
- Crappie: Good. Crappie are on the banks and anglers are doing well fishing jigs and minnows.
Saluda River
- Trout: Very good. Fly fishermen should cast Wooly Buggers or similar flies; several hatches have already taken place. Lots of stock fish are being caught, and spinners are also effective. The trout fishery will remain strong until large numbers of striped bass move into the river and clean them out.
- Striped Bass: Slow to fair. Some striped bass have made their way into the Saluda, but 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. Best fishing is coming on days when water is running - other days may not even be worth fishing yet. Expect another down year for striper bass until the fishery improves.
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
- 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.