July 11

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s or higher. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

The lake has gotten so hot that it’s very, very hard to catch fish unless they are pulling water, but when there is current BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that the bass bite is still pretty good. The fish are pretty much all offshore still, and when they are biting you can catch lots of small fish by working the ends of points in 18-25 feet with a shaky head. For bigger fish then an 8XD or 10XD is the best bet.  For both baits you need to fish parallel to the points and keep the bait in deep water.  Humps will also hold fish.  

As it should be for some time the free-line drifting bite for catfish is really good, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that eating-sized blues are suspended high in the water column over deep water and they are hungry. You can easily catch a cooler full of fish up to about five pounds, and there is certainly the chance for a big one. A variety of baits ranging from cut fish to chicken to mussels will work, and it’s really as simple as pulling several rods with small pieces of bait across the lake. 

As the spawn is mostly over the bite for big fish has also improved, and the best pattern for targeting large fish remains to fish a lot of rods and fan-cast baits at a variety of depths from about 10 feet out to 30 or so feet around long points and underwater humps. White perch and bream are the preferred baits for big fish right now, but herring and gizzard shad will also work.

June 26

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

Almost like a saltwater fishery where the fish will only eat on moving tides, BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that the quality of the bass bite is almost completely dependent on whether they are pulling water in and out of the lake. When they are then the fishing can be very good, and bass can be caught on the end of points in about 25-30 feet of water. Fish can also be found around humps. But when there is no current the fish are feeding very little.

When the water is running then the best action is coming on deep-diving crankbaits like an 8XD or 10XD, but when conditions are still then you basically have to drag a shaky

head or Carolina rig parallel to the points and hope to finesse one.   

By now the free-line drifting bite for catfish has gotten really good, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that eating-sized blues are suspended high in the water column over deep water and they are hungry. You can easily catch a cooler full of fish up to about five pounds, and there is certainly the chance for a big one. A variety of baits ranging from cut fish to chicken to mussels will work, and it’s really as simple as pulling several rods with small pieces of bait across the lake. 

As more fish come off the spawn the bite for big catfish is also improving, and Captain William reports that in a recent night tournament on adjacent Parr Reservoir three fish at 96 pounds won. The best pattern for targeting large fish remains to fish a lot of rods and fan-cast baits at a variety of depths from the bank out to 30 feet around long points and underwater humps. White perch and bream are the preferred baits for big fish right now, but herring and gizzard shad will also work.

Of course, you could also catch a 50-pounder on a plastic worm like Hunter Enlow did this week!

June 12

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are in the low 80s. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

It’s pretty clear from recent tournament results what you have to do to catch good bass on Lake Monticello, and BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that if you try to fish shallow right now it’s hard to get a big bite.  Pretty much all the better fish have by now moved offshore, and they are on mostly on brush in 25 plus feet of water. Some of the better brush is off points and some is on humps, and flutter spoons, deep-diving crankbaits like 10XDs, big worms and jigs will all catch fish. 

There are still fish around the banks but they are mostly under two pounds. 

As water temperatures have bumped into the 80s, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that the free-line drifting bite for catfish has taken off. Plenty of eating-sized blues are now suspended high in the water column over deep water and they are hungry. You can easily catch a cooler full of fish up to about five pounds, and there is certainly the chance for a big one. A variety of baits ranging from cut fish to chicken to mussels will work, and it’s really as simple as pulling several rods with small pieces of bait across the lake.   

At the same time the bigger fish are now mixed between pre-spawn, spawning, and possibly a few post-spawn, and the best pattern for targeting large fish remains to fish a lot of rods and fan-cast baits at a variety of depths from the bank out to 30 feet around long points and underwater humps. White perch and bream are the preferred baits for big fish right now, but herring and gizzard shad will also work. Lake Monticello catfish can be finicky so the best policy is to have more than one option. 

May 29

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees or higher and both the lake and river are gin clear. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

The brief blast of all-day topwater bass action on Lake Monticello seems to have faded with the cicada hatch, but BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that both early and late there is still the tail end of a shad spawn. He saw it yesterday evening, but right now it seems to be pulling mostly smaller fish shallow early and late. 

Almost all the big fish seem to be out deep in 18-25 feet of water now, particularly around humps, and when they are not pulling water the fish can be caught on shaky heads and Carolina rigs. When they are pulling water the fish feed more actively on the humps and they can be caught on deep-diving crankbaits and flutter spoons. 

Note that we are just a couple of degrees away from the prime water temperature for fishing deep-diving crankbaits on Lake Monticello. 

As water temperatures have bumped into the 80s, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the free-line drifting bite for catfish has taken off.  Plenty of eating-sized blues are now suspended high in the water column over deep water and they are hungry. You can easily catch a cooler full of fish up to about five pounds, and there is certainly the chance for a big one. A variety of baits ranging from cut fish to chicken to mussels will work, and it’s really as simple as pulling several rods with small pieces of bait across the lake.   

At the same time the bigger fish are now mixed between pre-spawn and spawning, and the best pattern for targeting large fish remains to fish a lot of rods and fan-cast baits at a variety of depths from the bank out to 30 feet around long points and underwater humps. White perch and bream are the preferred baits for big fish right now, but herring and gizzard shad will also work. Lake Monticello catfish can be finicky so the best policy is to have more than one option. 

May 23

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

Weird things are going on with the bass on Lake Monticello, and BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that he can only think it’s because of the cicadas that the topwater bite is getting better during the day as the sun gets up (and more cicadas hatch). By the middle of the day and into the evening there is a heck of a topwater bite on Lake Monticello, and a friend caught his biggest fish at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Pop-R. Coves where there are overhanging trees that are causing lots of bugs to fall into the water are fishing the best. 

Other than that anomalous bite, there is a still a very good shad spawn bite in some limited areas (yesterday, on the right side of the dam rip rap) first thing. These fish will take spinnerbaits and crankbaits. 

There are also still fish out over humps and points in 15-25 feet of water that can be caught on shaky heads. If they are suspended then a jerkbait is a better option. 

While he’s not fishing for them, Eric notes that his brush in 26 feet is loaded with crappie. 

While Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) hasn’t been able to get up there this week, he reports that the Lake Monticello catfish should still be in pre-spawn feeding mode.  While the big cats are always unpredictable on Monticello, most of the of the fish should be relatively shallow and trying to store up energy for the spawn. The biggest spawning month is usually June and so May can be a wide-open feeding binge.

The best pattern is to concentrate on points in the 10-20 foot depth range and fan-cast a bunch of baits at a variety of depths. Also don’t overlook pockets, especially pockets with cover like stumps, that can hold a lot of the fish that catfish want to eat. 

With such abundant prey big Lake Monticello catfish can be finicky, and so the best bet is to offer a variety of baits including gizzard shad, herring, white perch and bluegill. 

Finally, after this week the free-line drifting bite should take off pulling small pieces of cut bait across open water. 

May 16

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s and the water is clear – especially considering that the Broad is blood red. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

The bass fishing has gotten tougher on Lake Monticello, but BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that there is still the tail end of a shad spawn going on first thing around riprap.  On days when there is some current moving that bite can still be pretty good. After that it’s mostly about offshore fishing, and the best action is coming over high humps. Fish will eat a jerkbait or shaky head, and green pumpkin worms have been fishing the best on the shaky head. 

The other major pattern is “hover strolling” out in open water, casting a minnow-type bait to suspended fish that anglers see on forward-facing sonar.  This is a good technique for keeping the bait at the same level while still twitching it.   

The Lake Monticello catfish are still in pre-spawn feeding mode, and while the big cats are always unpredictable on Monticello Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that most of the of the fish are relatively shallow and trying to store up energy for the spawn. The biggest spawning month is usually June and so May can be a wide-open feeding binge.

The best pattern is to concentrate on points in the 10-20 foot depth range and fan-cast a bunch of baits at a variety of depths. Also don’t overlook pockets, especially pockets with cover like stumps, that can hold a lot of the fish that catfish want to eat. 

With such abundant prey big Lake Monticello catfish can be finicky, and so the best bet is to offer a variety of baits including gizzard shad, herring, white perch and bluegill. 

Finally, very soon the free-line drifting bite will start, and there could already be some smaller fish starting to suspend that will eat small pieces of bait.

May 9

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s and the water was relatively clear before overnight rains. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

There is still the tail end of a shad spawn where first thing bass will take buzzbaits and spinnerbaits around rip rap banks on Lake Monticello, but BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that outside of that narrow, early window almost all of the better fish are now being caught offshore. They are grouping up on the ends of points and over humps in at least 24 feet of water, and at least yesterday they wanted a drop shot and sometimes a shaky head. You can also find suspended fish at least 10 feet down over deep water that will take a glide bait or big swimbait.

 

With the Lake Monticello catfish in pre-spawn feeding mode this is one of the times when they are eating the best, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that most of the of the fish are relatively shallow and trying to store up energy for the spawn. The biggest spawning month is usually June and so May can be a wide-open feeding binge.

The best pattern is to concentrate on points in the 10-20 foot depth range and fan-cast a bunch of baits at a variety of depths. Also don’t overlook pockets, especially pockets with cover like stumps, that can hold a lot of the fish that catfish want to eat. 

With such abundant prey big Lake Monticello catfish can be finicky, and so the best bet is to offer a variety of baits including gizzard shad, herring, white perch and bluegill. 

Finally, very soon the free-line drifting bite will start, and there could already be some smaller fish starting to suspend that will eat small pieces of bait.

May 1

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are in the low 70s and the water is clear. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

While bass are starting to move out deeper on Lake Monticello, BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that first thing there is a really good shad spawn bite. All over the lake shad are spawning around red clay banks and riprap, and in the morning the fish feeding on them will hit a spinnerbait, Whopper Plopper, swimbait and more.  As the shad spawn winds down each morning they may also take a jig or shaky head fished on the bottom.

After the sun gets up you have to look offshore, and fish are starting to get on humps on the main lake. The best action is in the evening, and the fish are taking big crankbaits. 

As for the catfish, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that there continue to be days when they feed well and other days when they do not.  The best places to anchor baits continue to be around long points and in coves, with 15-25 feet the key depth range. Fish move towards the deeper end of that as the water warms each day.  

Anchoring with perch, gizzard shad, and bream all seem to be about the same.

Overall it continues to be a good time to catch a monster on Monticello, but they are finicky as ever on that lake. Soon the free-line drifting bite will come on and that at least numbers of fish will be easier to catch. 

April 25

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are still about 72 degrees and the water is clear. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

As seems to be the unfortunate norm on Lake Monticello, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the big catfish continue to be inconsistent from one day to the next. While the fish are in pre-spawn mode, they are not feeding well every day. The best places to look for fish continue to be around long points and in coves, with 15-25 feet the key depth range. Fish move towards the deeper end of that as the water warms.

Anchoring with perch, gizzard shad, and bream all seem to be about the same.

Overall it continues to be a good time to catch a monster on Monticello, but they are finicky as ever on that lake.

April 23

Lake Monticello morning surface water temperatures are up to about 72 degrees and the water is clear. Water levels generally fluctuate daily. 

Even though it has gotten hot on Lake Monticello, BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that one more wave of bass has come on to the beds and there are some giants up there. If you want to win a tournament right now sight fishing with your favorite soft plastic is probably the prime pattern. 

But the most exciting pattern for a lot of anglers is targeting the shad spawn, and anywhere on the lake that has riprap will have spawning shad right on the rocks at daylight. There are a lot of ways to catch them, and cranking, flukes and spinnerbaits (when windy) will all catch fish. The bite slows down after a couple of hours, but even after the shad pull back out they don’t go far. Eric is actually catching some of his better fish on a 3/16 ounce shaky head and Trick worm out to about 15 feet off the same areas where the shad were spawning earlier. When you can find a point near rock it is particularly good, but most points are holding fish during the day regardless of location. 

For now only small fish are out deep, but that could change any day.

More to follow.