August 21

Lake Murray water levels are down to 358.06 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is still a bit stained but clear in the lower lake. Morning surface water temperatures have rebounded to about 83 degrees on the main lake. 

The black bass bite is still good on Lake Murray, but tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that perhaps it’s not quite as good as when we had a couple of weeks of cool, rainy weather. The best thing going is still the offshore bite for suspended fish, and around points, humps, and cane piles in 15-25 feet topwater lures and flukes are both working. The biggest bags are coming out of the lower end. 

As we write veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda is on the water, and so far he has about 20 pounds fishing exactly how Andy advises. Occasionally he is seeing fish break, but mostly he is having to call them up with topwaters. He is looking at fish on forward-facing sonar and some are relating to cane. However, he is surprised by how many are off the cane and just sitting in open water. 

He is only fishing the main lake today. 

There has been some great schooling action for striped bass this week, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that most of it is taking place mid-morning in the Goat Island area. He has also seen a little schooling in Hollow Creek.

The bulk of the fish seem to be in the creek mouths but adjacent to the main lake, and Captain Brad is catching them mostly in 60-70 feet while other captains are getting them in 40 or so feet. However, the commonality seems to be that most fish are 30 feet down. They are surface-oriented, and they are getting plenty of fish on down-rods but the better ones are coming on free-lines. 

There has been some improvement with the crappie, and Captain Brad reports that up the lake more fish are starting to be caught around bridges. They are also biting a little better on brush, and the best depth range has been 8-12 feet down. With the thermocline in that area at about 15 feet everything is feeding above that. 

Down the lake there has been some more improvement this week, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports fish are still on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks but they are biting a bit better. Overall the best bite is still early although overcast days can extend that until the sun breaks, and down-sized rigs with minnows are working the best. 

Finally, the bite for big catfish has slowed down this week as temperatures rise and the freshwater inflow receded. Now the best way to catch fish is back to a summer pattern, fishing dip baits or cut herring on points, humps, and other depth changes. Fish are also back to moving shallower and feeding better at night. 

August 14

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.69 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is below normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s.    

When water temperatures dropped 10 degrees, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that it kicked off a phenomenal black bass bite. In an open tournament this past weekend it took 25 pounds to win and there were six bags over 20 pounds, and anglers reported catching fish on a variety of different techniques. Lots of people caught fish out of the submerged grass, there were also fish caught shallow on shoals with essentially traditional spring-time herring methods, but the best bite was for offshore suspended fish. Around points, humps, and cane piles in 15-25 feet the topwater and fluke bite was very good, with the biggest bags coming out of the lower end. 

Dropping temperatures put the striped bass on the move the last ten days, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that now the best fishing has shifted back into the mouths of creeks. Two weeks ago they were already moving out of the lower pool, and now most of the creeks on the lower end and mid-lake have fish in the creek mouths. There are also plenty of fish further back in the creeks but they are small. In general the better fish are running about 30-40 feet down.

While down-rods continue to work, free-lines are also effective and there has been some good schooling activity in areas where fish are concentrated. 

The weather change has also moved the catfish, and Captain Brad reports that they are finding a fair number of flatheads, some blues, and lots of channel catfish suspended in the water column. These fish are taking live bait in the same areas where they are fishing for striped bass. 

At the same time up the rivers Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that there have also been some impressive catches, particularly of big flatheads. Areas where freshwater is coming into the lake are concentrating the fish and aggressive flatheads are ambushing prey. 

But there has been the least improvement with the crappie, and Captain Brad reports that up the lake the fishing remains tough. Fish are still grouped up on brush in 15-20 feet but not biting very well. 

Down the lake there has been some improvement with the cooler weather and freshwater inflow, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports fish are still on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks but they have moved a little higher in the water column. It also seems you can catch a couple more fish in each area before they shut down. Overall the best bite is still early although cooler, overcast days can extend that, and down-sized rigs with minnows are working the best. 

July 31

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.27 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 80s.  

The expression is that all good things must end, and for anglers who like catching striped bass very deep in the lower pool Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that bite appears to be wrapping up for the season. Perhaps overshadowed by a tragic death on the lake there has been very little reporting on this, but Captain Brad is seeing lots of fish dying and floating on the lower end. When that is happening the fish usually make a move, and he is now catching them suspended in 40-60 feet of water moving somewhat back up the lake. Most of the fish have been 25-30 feet down, presumably where they have found better water quality. He is catching almost all of his fish on free-lines. 

The catch has still been very reliable and fast, so for some variety they have been pursuing shellcracker after they get a limit of striper. They are catching them on hard bottoms in 10-20 feet of water dragging worms. While they are fishing the main lake, the creeks are also loaded with them and they seem to be about all over the lake at the right depth range.

Brad points out that – while the most easily fishable areas are clean, hard bottoms without a lot of weed – there are probably a ton of fish over grassy bottoms too. To pursue them you would likely need a slip cork or some other rig to keep the bait out of the weeds. 

Ordinarily they might look to crappie for variety, but the consensus remains that the crappie fishing is still very tough.  Captain Brad reports that the fish are on brush in 15-20 feet of water up the lake but they just won’t bite. 

And it’s about the same news down the lake from veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin, who reports that crappie are also loaded up on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks.  However, it’s hard to catch more than one or two fish off a brush pile before they stop feeding, they are very particular about wanting only small minnows, and by about 9:00 they pretty much shut down.  

The author has also caught a few in covered marinas but it’s very, very slow. 

Unsurprisingly at the end of the July the black bass fishing is also pretty slow, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that in night tournaments they are having to work hard to catch a couple of fish off deep brush with worms.

There is a small window early in the morning where there is a suspended bite offshore with flukes and topwater lures around structure that frequently has cane on it, but that dies pretty quickly. After that there’s not much going on, especially since you have missed the early window for the shallow bite with a Pop-R or buzzbait.

About the best daytime plan is to fish a worm in offshore grass or the same deep brush that holds fish at night – or go sit in the air conditioning!   

But the catfish are still feeding on Lake Murray, although Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)for channel catfish you pretty much have to fish early, late, and at night to get any consistency.  From the bank out to about 15 or 20 feet on an array of baits from cut herring to worms to dip baits to shrimp will work. Points and coves will hold fish, but they will also just roam the banks at night. Captain William also notes that some channels are suspending, and he has picked up some fish on herring while striper fishing. 

Finally, for still more variety Captain Brad continues to drift for large blue catfish off to the side of the river channel near very deep water. Dragging the bottom with cut herring or white perch seems to be working the best as he figures out this fishery. 

Our family is travelling next week for the last week of the summer before our children go back to school, but we will resume weekly fishing reports the following week. Hopefully some cooler weather will give us some exciting changes to relay – although it will still be August in South Carolina!     

July 21

Lake Murray water levels are slightly down to 358.02 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s.  

The Lake Murray striped bass continue to move deeper, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that while overall patterns have not changed much he is now seeing more fish in the 80-90 foot range. He is fishing from about Spence Island to the dam, and his boat has marked and caught fish over 100 feet down. Bait is living at 80 plus feet and so it make sense that striper can survive that deep.

While there are certainly some fish on the bottom over humps and ridges and long points, Captain Brad is also seeing a large number of fish suspending this year. 

It’s only a piece of the puzzle with the black bass, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda fished a “frog” tournament on Murray this weekend. With a three-fish limit 12 pounds won, and the winning angler had a 6-pounder to go with two 3-pound fish. Most people fished around the bank including laydowns, grass, and other cover, and overall the bite was pretty tough with a lot of angler weighing two or less fish.

But Stan found a “walking frog” and fished offshore cane, and while they had a tough time hooking up on that particular bait they were surprised by how many fish were suspended offshore and willing to bite.  

The consensus is that the crappie bite is pretty slow right now, and Captain Brad reports that while he is still marking a ton of fish up the lake on the brush – mostly in 15-20 feet of water – getting bites is pretty tough. Jigs are very slow, while minnows are a little bit better. 

And it’s about the same news down the lake from veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin, who reports that crappie are also loaded up on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks.  However, it’s hard to catch more than one or two fish off a brush pile before they are done, they are very particular about wanting only small minnows, and by about 9:00 they pretty much shut down.  

Finally, there’s no doubt that Lake Murray is still full of channel catfish and as long as you fish early, late, and at night you should get bites from the bank out to about 15 or 20 feet on an array of baits from cut herring to worms to dip baits to shrimp. 

But the interesting news this week is that Captain Brad has been catching some very large blue catfish in the middle and lower lake, mostly drifting off to the side of the channel. It seems that they are eating mainly white perch, and he expects more blues are not being caught by casual anglers is because they are holding in very deep water and you really have to be targeting them. 

We apologize that these reports are running a few days behind – the author had some unexpected issues in his other job arise. 

July 10

Lake Murray water levels are slightly down to 358.17 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 85-86 degrees on the big water. 

The Lake Murray striped bass are doing what Lake Murray striped bass do in the summer, and while Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that he is still catching a few fish on free-lines as far up the lake as Dreher Island that are feeding along the edge of the channel at daylight , by now most of the fish are grouping up deep in the lower pool. Most of the fish seem to be in 60-80 feet on ridges and humps, but some are just suspended in schools over very deep water. In the morning they are generally higher in the water column but during the day they go deeper. The deepest he has marked a fish is about 80 feet down.

Down-rods are working the best in the deep water. 

With very limited black bass fishing activity around the Fourth and no tournaments that he is aware of, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria doesn’t have much change to report. Even on weekdays when there isn’t as much boat traffic the bite is much better early, but never great. While they are still catching fish on flukes around cane in 15-25 feet of water, the numbers have dropped off and less fish are hitting the surface. And the action slows pretty quickly as the sun gets up.   

Another productive way to catch fish, again early, is going down the bank and fishing a buzzbait. 

Finally, while Lake Murray bass fishermen are still adjusting to all the offshore grass, another good pattern could be fishing over the top of it early with something like a frog and then working the edges with soft plastics later.  

Unsurprisingly the crappie are getting more and more finicky in the summer heat, although Captain Brad reports that he is still marking a ton of fish up the lake on the brush – mostly in 15-20 feet of water. However, they have been pretty reluctant to bite. Jigs are very slow, while minnows are a little bit better. 

Unfortunately that’s consistent with the report down the lake from veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin, who reports that crappie are also loaded up on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks.  They are way more finicky than last summer, and you can pick a couple off each good brush pile in the morning but then you have to move to the next. And by about 9:00 they pretty much shut down.  

Finally, on the catfish front Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that the preferred pattern is to fish at night around main points, secondary points, and in the backs of coves from 1 foot of water near the bank out to about 15 feet. Dip baits are the best bet, and if you have to fish during the day concentrate on humps, point, and other depth changes in about 30 feet.  Both the creeks and the bigger water hold channel catfish in the summer but – again – they roam and feed much more actively at night, or at least in low light conditions. 

July 3

Lake Murray water levels are slightly down to 358.21 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is above average with limited rain. Morning surface water temperatures are around 87 degrees.

It’s no shock given the summer heat, but tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the black bass fishing has dropped off in the past couple of weeks. Even on weekdays when there isn’t as much boat traffic the bite is much better early, but never great. While they are still catching fish on flukes around cane in 15-25 feet of water, the numbers have dropped off and less fish are hitting the surface. And the action slows pretty quickly as the sun gets up.   

Another productive way to catch fish, again early, is going down the bank and fishing a buzzbait. 

Finally, while Lake Murray bass fishermen are still adjusting to all the offshore grass, another good pattern could be fishing over the top of it early with something like a frog and then working the edges with soft plastics later.  

There’s not a lot of change with the striped bass this week on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that he is still catching fish 40-60 feet down in ditches off main lake flats. The Shull Island area has been really good for him, but there are also a ton of fish over humps on the lower end. Most of the fish he is seeing are in that 40-60 foot range, with some of them close to the bottom and others over much deeper water. He marked a big school of fish in 104 feet of water in Beaverdam Creek. 

Unsurprisingly they are catching everything on down-rods.

 

The striper bite has been so good, and it gets hot so early, that they haven’t spent a whole lot of time with crappie this week. However, up the lake Captain Brad is still marking a ton of fish on brush in 15 feet of water although they have definitely gotten more finicky. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that crappie are also loaded up on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks. In the mornings they are suspended 12-16 feet deep over the top of the brush, but after about 9 am they are sinking down in it – and the bite really slows. Down-sized minnow rigs are working the best. 

Catfish report to follow when holiday boat traffic subsides. But for now the best bet is to fish – carefully – at night as they don’t seem to be feeding well during the daytime. 

June 26

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.35 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is high until boat traffic stirs things up. Morning surface water temperatures are around 87 degrees. 

Despite the intense heat the striped bass bite has been strong on Lake Murray this week, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that most fish are gravitating down the lake into the big water. He is still catching them in 40-60 feet of water in ditches off main lake flats, but there are also a lot of anglers catching them over the humps near the dam. While he is basically fishing with down-rods there has also been a good bit of random schooling activity.

Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) has also been at Murray a lot recently, and last week he was catching fish near Shull Island in ditches in about 35 feet. Then yesterday those fish were all gone and he was certain they would be by the dam, but it wasn’t until he ran back up to Shull Island that he located some massive concentrations on humps in about 20 feet. White perch were grouped up with the striper chasing bait and he has absolutely no idea why they were all so shallow.

After limiting out on striper this morning Captain Brad turned his attention to crappie, and found an outstanding bite on brush in just 15 feet of water up the lake.  Both minnows and jigs were working. 

Bass report to follow. 

June 18

Lake Murray water levels remains very high at 358.56 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is a little stained – but not muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees. 

With all the recent rain the author was surprised to learn that Lake Murray isn’t muddy anywhere, but Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) points out that when the lake is this full there isn’t really the possibility of much run off. The worst run-off and some of the dingiest water is in areas where new developments are being built, which makes sense. 

Overall Captain Brad reports that the striped bass bite continues to be very good, with fish slowly pulling out of all the major creeks and moving towards the big water. The peak depth range continues to be about 40-50 feet of water, with fish still mostly related to the channels, but the ends of points where they intersect with the channel are a good place to look for them. In addition to Shull Island the Ballentine area has been holding a pile of fish recently. 

While fish are on the bottom much of the time and can be caught on down-rods, there are also times when free-lines are more effective and so tossing out a couple is not a bad idea.    

The crappie bite has only gotten better this week, and Captain Brad reports that as water temperatures passed the magic number of about 78 degrees where fish gang up on brush that bite got really good. Up the lake fish are mostly 10-15 feet down on brush in 15-20 feet of water, and both minnows and chartreuse jigs are working. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that crappie are also loading up on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks. In the mornings they are suspended 12-16 feet deep over the top of the brush, but after about 9 am they are sinking down in it. Down-sized minnow rigs are working the best. 

After a tough bite last week Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that he didn’t fish for catfish this week, but the author can confirm that it’s not as easy as sometimes. He anchored multiple rods with cut bait Saturday and Sunday and didn’t even have a peck. Down-sizing and targeting smaller fish (and thereby taking the spawn out of the equation) may be the best bet. 

Finally, in black bass news tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that from what he is seeing and hearing the shallow herring spawn bite really is done. But the offshore suspended bite around cane piles is still very good, unusually so for this late in the year (before it gets good again when temperatures cool). Yesterday on the water his brothers caught a bunch of fish on flukes around cane in 15-25 feet of water both when bass were hitting the surface and when they were not. 

There is also a good buzzbait bite around the banks and the submerged grass continues to hold high numbers of fish, especially in the 10-15 foot range. 

June 11

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.58 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is pretty normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 76 degrees. 

With a mild spring there are more black bass shallow than is typical at this time of year, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that in the CBC tournament this weekend there was still the remnants of a herring spawn bite around the banks. However, seemingly like a majority of the other anglers he was targeting an offshore schooling bite where it was a “musical chairs” game of anglers jumping from offshore spot, particularly cane piles, to another. With the fish highly pressured Andy hasn’t had much luck with topwater lures this year, and all the fish he and his father weighed came on flukes and one on a drop shot. Andy did notice that not all the cane piles were covered up with fish, probably partly a result of fish still being shallow including around grass. 

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter saw similar things on the water, and while they did fish cane piles they also saw they weren’t all loaded with bass like sometimes. But mostly they concentrated on shallower herring points out to about 10 feet of water, including areas with grass. They did catch most of their fish on topwater lures.

Stan also notes that some decent weights came on a frog up the rivers. 

It’s a very good time to catch striped bass, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are all over the lake in about 40-50 feet of water. He is finding them mostly related to the channels, but the ends of points where they intersect with the channel are a good place to look for them.  While fish are everywhere, there are a ton of fish in the vicinity of Shull Island. 

While fish are on the bottom much of the time and can be caught on down-rods, they were schooling yesterday and his boat could catch them on top in the exact same areas.  

At the same time the crappie bite up the lake is also very good, and Captain Brad reports that most of the fish seem to be about 10 feet down. They are catching them on brush in about 15 feet of water in the river channels as well as around bridges. Seem very nice fish have come off bridges. Both minnows and chartreuse jigs are working. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish have already gone much deeper, and he is finding crappie on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks. In the mornings they are suspended 12-16 feet deep over the top of the brush, but after about 10 am they are sinking down in it. Down-sized minnow rigs are working the best. 

About the only slower bite is with the catfish, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that while you can certainly locate plenty of fish he has had days where they will only peck at dip baits and show little interest in cut bait. The key seems to be finding groups of fish that either haven’t spawned yet or have come off of beds and resumed feeding. 

May 29 

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.30 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is basically back to pretty normal. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the low 70s with cooler temperatures and cold rain a couple of days ago.

Water temperatures have basically moved backwards over the last week, and there are a couple of significant changes with the fishing this week. First, tournament black bass angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that, while the tail end of the shallow herring spawn is still going on and should provide early morning action into June, there has been some really strong offshore schooling activity this week. Fish are chasing bait around cane piles and other offshore structure, and you can catch a lot of fish with topwater lures in the right areas. 15-25 feet is a good depth range to look.

Closer to shore, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports the frog bite is also getting really good. Submerged and emergent grass is the best place to fish this pattern. 

But at the same time Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the crappie bite has fallen off a little this week, and even though they are still catching some big fish the numbers are not what they were. It seems that the cool rain and temperatures have slowed the action, but the most fish still seem to be around deeper docks and brush in 8-15 feet of water. Once temperatures rebound crappie should get back into a more solid feeding mode. 

But the striped bass bite continues to be very strong, and Captain Brad reports that on down-rods they are catching an absolute ton of fish. Free-lines and even planer boards are also working, and the key zone is fishing 20-40 feet of water off main lake points and ridges. The fish are everywhere, with some on the bottom, some suspended, and some breaking the surface. It continues to be a mix of sub-keepers and fish over 21 inches. 

Finally, catching catfish is still mostly about targeting pre-spawn fish right now, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that with the spawn spreading out you just need to go fishing and hope to run into pre-spawn fish.  Dips baits, cut bait or shrimp will work.  

Anchoring around points and humps at or below Dreher Island is the best pattern, and anglers should cover a wide range of depths.

Our family is travelling for our annual beach vacation next week, but we will resume weekly fishing reports the following week.   

May 22 

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.17 (full pool is 360.00) and the rivers have cleared and the lower lake is clear but the upper middle section of the lake down to about Buffalo Creek has dirty water. Morning surface water temperatures were about 75 degrees this morning after all the wind. 

It can’t go on forever, but BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that the shallow herring spawn bite for black basshas taken off again on the lake. The last couple of times that Eric has been on the lake he has found herring spawning all over the place, with gobs of them around shallow points on the bank. In some places the bass were on them, and in some places just gar and catfish were up there. But he actually found the most consistent herring spawn bite was on offshore humps and high spots in just 3-8 feet of water where he could lower his Power Poles and then fish for bass gorging on spawning herring. Eric discovered that by reeling a fluke slowly on top of the water and just barely twitching it bites were easy to come by.

That’s exactly consistent with the report from tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria. When Andy won the ABA American Fishing Tour National Championship May 7-9 he noted that he only had a couple of productive shallow herring spots, which was highly unusually. Usually that’s the case in early June, and in early May the action should have been widespread. Besides some speculation about spawning fish now coming off beds after weird spring temperatures, he has no idea why the herring bite was down but is now roaring back. But that’s exactly what he is also seeing and hearing. 

The striped bass bite is very strong right now, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that on down-rods they are catching an absolute ton of fish. Free-lines and even planer boards are also working, and the key zone is fishing 20-40 feet of water off main lake points and ridges. The fish are everywhere, with some on the bottom, some suspended, and this morning lots breaking the surface. 

The one catch is that, while there are a fair number of keepers, there are an absolute pile of 20.5 inch fish in these areas.   

For keepers it’s been a pretty simple pattern, and Captain Brad thinks it’s related to all the water being pulled. Up the river they are fishing cut bait on the bottom on points along the river channel, and while there aren’t incredible numbers of fish every single one is a keeper. Brad has tried to replicate the cut bait bite down the lake without much success this week. 

The crappie action has changed in predictable ways, and Captain Brad reports that with all the current coming down the rivers fishing the main river channel is tough and you really have to get out of it. At the same time, every year in late May the crappie return to shallower brush and certain docks. Brad speculates that’s because of all the fry hatching, and this year is no exception. The best action is in about 8-15 feet of water, and the biggest crappie his boat is all catching have come on 8-foot brush. The biggest limit on the catch is how much brush that shallow he has to fish.

By around the first of June it will get too hot and crappie will return to deeper water, but for now the shallower bite is on up the lake!

Finally, catching catfish is still mostly about targeting pre-spawn fish right now, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that down the lake where the spawn is further behind you can catch lots of pre-spawn channel catfish on dip baits.  Cut bait or shrimp will also work.  Anchoring around points and humps at or below Dreher Island is the best pattern, and anglers should cover a wide range of depths.

May 16

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.54 (full pool is 360.00) and the Big Saluda is muddy while the Little Saluda is clearer. As of now the muddy water is basically filtered out by about Rocky Creek and below that visibility is more normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 74-76 degrees. 

Surely no one who follows Lake Murray black bass fishing is very surprised that one of our regular Murray correspondents, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria, was the winner of the ABA American Fishing Tour National Championship May 7-9 on Lake Murray. He had an impressive 71.64 pounds over three days, almost three pounds clear of the next competitor, and the tournament big fish at 6.84 pounds.

For a Murray tournament at this time of year Andy likes to go into it with at least 50 or 60 spots where he can catch shallow fish feeding on spawning herring, especially given the fishing pressure, but by the end of practice he only had two reliable holes. Both are fairly well-known, but somehow he was able to fish them all three days. Overall about half of his fish came on these shallow points throwing mostly flukes, a Sebille, and some topwater baits, but Andy was most surprised by how many fish were already out on offshore cane piles. 

These fish were basically in a fall pattern, suspended 5-8 feet down over cane in 18-22 feet of water. At least half of his weight came fishing the same baits for these suspended bass, and a pair of the other very top anglers only fished these same offshore holes the same way – never going shallow. 

While Andy didn’t mess with it, there were a few good fish caught off beds and some anglers were fishing in open water with a minnow-type bait on a jighead. 

Congratulations to Andy!

The striped bass bite are still doing a lot of the same things on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that there are still fish up in the water column in 15-40 feet of water on the ridges off the traditional herring points that can be caught on artificial lures, free-lines, planer boards, and more.  

However, Captain Brad is having the most success fishing down-rods in about 40-50 feet on the bottom in the channel of big creeks like Hollow Creek.  There are also some fish in the main lake that can be caught at the same depth. 

Finally, the cut bait bite has been good in 20-25 feet anchoring on the side of areas with steep drop-offs. 

With all the water coming down the river the crappie bite has changed, and Captain Brad reports that while fish were grouped up on bridges and in the main channel up the lake the current has flushed them back into the creeks. Today he is catching fish in about 15 feet of water on brush, and while the fish are stacked up it’s mainly smaller fish. The bigger fish don’t seem to be feeding as well right now. On the lower end brush in 20-25 feet is more productive. 

Finally, catching catfish is still mostly about getting away from the spawn right now for Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857), and from what he is seeing in the warmer water up the rivers the spawn is pretty heavy right now. As a result they aren’t catching the big blues up the lake like they were, but going down the lake where the spawn is further behind you can catch lots of pre-spawn channel catfish on dip baits. Anchoring around points and humps at or below Dreher Island is the best pattern, and anglers should cover a wide range of depths.

May 8

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.24 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is about normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 72 degrees. 

With the ABA national championship on Lake Murray it’s hard to start anywhere besides with the black bass, and BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that most of his fellow competitors seem to be targeting points where shad and herring are spawning. The leader landed 27 pounds yesterday off a honey hole that had been good in practice, and it seems that the best action is from about Dreher Island down. However, we are already to the stage of the herring spawn where the action is spotty and doesn’t last all day, and you really have to hit the right place at the right time. For a tournament having a good draw is huge. On cloudy days Eric says that fish are likely to stay up all day, but on sunny days they will go to the bottom and you need to target them with jigs and shaky heads instead of flukes, topwaters and swimbaits. 

With the full moon coming there are also a fair number of bass on beds, and there are also fish being caught LiveScoping offshore. 

The striped bass bite is pretty steady on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are still stacked up on herring points all over the lake. The fish are mostly in 15-40 feet of water on the ridges, generally at the drop where depths really begin to fall off. But they are largely in the top of the water column, and you can catch all you want casting plugs like Spooks, pencil poppers, or flukes. Of course free-lines and planer boards will also work, and some of the biggest fish are being caught on down-rods at the ends of the ridges in about 50 feet. But Captain Brad is finding clients really enjoying the thrill of casting artificials even though they aren’t catching all keepers.

Finally, there is still a good cut bait bite. 

At the same time the crappie bite has gotten really good, and Captain Brad reports that he is catching fish off bridges but that brush has been phenomenal. Wednesday he had 75 fish on brush in 12-20 feet of water fishing 5-8 feet down.  He was fishing the upper end, and as you go down the lake add 5-10 feet to the overall depth but fish will generally still be in the top third of the water column. For some reason they are hitting jigs a lot better than minnows right now. 

Finally, catching catfish is mostly about getting away from the spawn right now for Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857), and from what he is seeing in the warmer water up the rivers the spawn is pretty heavy right now. As a result they aren’t catching the big blues up the lake like they were, but going down the lake where the spawn is further behind you can catch lots of pre-spawn channel catfish on dip baits. Anchoring around points and humps at or below Dreher Island is the best pattern, and anglers should cover a wide range of depths.

April 30

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.31 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is little below normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 73 degrees. 

It’s a pretty phenomenal bite for striped bass right now on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are stacked up on herring points in creeks all over the lake. The areas around Pine Island and Goat Island have been hotspots recently. The fish are mostly in 15-40 feet of water on the ridges, generally at the drop where depths really begin to fall off. But they are largely in the top of the water column, and you can catch all you want casting plugs like Spooks, pencil poppers, or flukes. Of course free-lines and planer boards will also work, and some of the biggest fish are being caught on down-rods at the ends of the ridges in about 50 feet. But Captain Brad is finding clients really enjoying the thrill of casting artificials even though they aren’t catching all keepers.

Finally, there is still a good cut bait bite. 

The crappie bite is also getting really good, and as fish feed start to feed better as they recover from the spawn Captain Brad reports that they are stacking up around all sorts of structure. He has done really well fishing just five feet below the surface around bridges at a variety of depths, and the fish are also grouping up on brush in the 15-25 foot range. They are also getting heavy on marinas and certain deep docks. 

Brad points out that May and June are usually great months for a combined crappie/ striper trip. 

The lake is off-limits until Saturday to tournament black bass angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria with the upcoming ABA National Championship, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that one of his sons fished the big bass tournament this weekend and found a fantastic frog bite from the mid-lake up fishing around bank grass. They caught a ton of 3-4 pound fish, but for some reason never quite found the quality necessary to cut a check. 

It seems that most of the fish weighed were caught on the herring points where bass (and anglers) are still congregating.

Finally, the catfish bite for big fish is starting to slow down in the rivers for Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857), and he reports that it’s time to start looking down the lake and moving away from cut bait. Fishing with dip baits is the most effective way to catch fish now, and you can’t go wrong anchoring at various depths around points, islands, humps, and about anywhere that there is a marker buoy signifying a depth change. 

April 23

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.23 after Monday’s rain (full pool is 360.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees. 

Starting around Sunday Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the striped bass got all over the herring points, and this morning has boat caught about 70 fish. You can catch them casting lures, with bait on free-lines or planer boards or down-rods, and there is even a strong cut bait bite. While the fish are running up shallower, particularly smaller ones, the best action is in about 30 feet of water around the first big drop off the points. When it first starts the fish will stay on this pattern and eat well most of the day, and today even just before lunch-time they could only keep a maximum of three lines in the water! 

The black bass are also getting on the herring points, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that they aren’t on all the points quite yet but it’s about to be completely wide open. Topwater lures, flukes, swimbaits and Sebilles will all catch fish. The bass spawn is also still very heavy, and there are also a lot of seemingly pre-spawn fish just cruising the banks. You also can’t go wrong fishing docks or running the banks with a topwater – it’s a really good time to catch bass right now. 

Meanwhile the crappie are now in a transition phase, as Captain Brad reports that the spawn is basically over. There are still some fish on bridges, and particularly some smaller fish are starting to get on brush, but a lot of fish are just holding in open water. They aren’t eating particularly well and can be hard to target except for the most proficient LiveScope users. 

The catfish bite is still very good in the rivers, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring sections of gizzards shad in 5-15 feet is still working well. More to follow. 

April 9

Lake Murray water levels jumped to 358.64 after Monday’s rain (full pool is 360.00) and clarity dropped. Morning surface water temperatures are around 68 degrees. 

There’s some disagreement about exactly which stage of the blueback herring spawn Lake Murray is in, but regardless of whether anglers think the herring have started spawning or not there is general agreement that they are getting around the banks. It’s easy to see that there are a ton of wading birds taking up positions where they can feed on these herring, and it probably doesn’t matter whether someone believes the herring are spawning or just exploring the places they will very soon spawn. 

As it relates to the black bass, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that with the herring shallow the primary pattern is now running points with flukes, topwater lures, and swimbaits. You can also still bed fish or target pre-spawn bass that are getting very close to spawning, and there will be another wave of spawning fish on this weekend’s full moon. However, the majority of Lake Murray bass have already spawned. You can also fish around docks and target fry guarders, or some spawned out fish that are recovering. And a frog or buzzbait will catch fish around shallow grass.
However, Stan believes the primary pattern for some time will be chasing fish on herring points. 

Despite the herring moving shallower the striped bass have not really moved yet on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that all the creeks are loaded with striper and generally most of the fish are still in about 30-40 feet of water in the ditches. Fish still don’t want a stationary bait or to feed under the boat, and they are catching everything on free-lines and planer boards. It’s also worth keeping a couple of casting rods ready because they are seeing so many fish boiling on the surface.

As temperatures rise and more herring get on the banks striped bass will also move shallower, and then you will be able to catch them pulling herring around point, saddles, islands and more. For a time bass fishermen will also catch a ton of striper. 

The crappie spawn is winding down, and Captain Brad reports that he is seeing some dead males as proof that a large percentage of fish have already spawned. Still, there are plenty of fish, particularly males, that are shallow guarding beds around docks and other cover, and so one primary technique is still to run the banks with a jig or minnow under a cork. There are also a decent number of smaller pre-spawn fish hanging around structure including bridges, and you can also catch fish at different stages of the spawn long-line trolling. Overall Brad’s best advice is either to focus on shallow cover or cover lots of water. Fish are not really grouping up on brush piles yet. 

Even with herring shallow and crappie still spawning, perhaps the best thing going on Lake Murray is the catfish bite in the rivers. Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that Saturday he caught 12 fish that weighed 294 pounds, including a 50-pound blue and a 42-pound flathead. Friday he had about 200 pounds of fish. While Captain William started off trying to drift, both days he discovered that the fish wanted to eat anchored baits and a patient approach was required. He concentrated on 5-15 feet of water, but he did catch one 41-pounder in just 2 feet! Everything came on gizzard shad. 

Our family is travelling for our children’s spring break next week, but we will resume weekly Lake Murray fishing reports after the Easter holiday. 

April 3

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.10 (full pool is 360.00) and there is still some slight stain up the rivers but most of the lake is at or above normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees in most places.   

Last week we said that the black bass spawn was wide open on Lake Murray, and this week veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that may be even more true. In the last week to ten days one of the largest waves of fish he has ever seen has all come to the banks at once, and everywhere you go there are fish on beds. He has seen multiple places where it’s possible to deploy your shallow-water anchoring system and fish four beds at once!

For fish on beds then you can pick your favorite soft plastic and look in spawning coves and around shallow docks and other cover. Up the lake where the water is a little more stained you can also throw spinnerbait. 

For pre- and post-spawn fish a frog and buzzbait are also effective, and very, very soon he expects to start seeing fish on herring points. Stan notes that he is also see some fry guarders already.

That is completely consistent with the report from tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill, who was surprised by how many fish he saw on beds on Lake Murray. He also saw fry guarders, but it appeared that everywhere he looked there were fish on beds. Flipping a crawfish or throwing a wacky rig around docks has generated a ton of bites. 

The striped bass are in all the creeks on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that with the warmer nights more short fish have moved in and so now it’s very hard to keep a bait in the water. He was mainly catching keepers in Crystal Lake for a while, but now pretty much everywhere you go anglers have to contend with a mix of sizes.

While they have picked up a few fish shallower, in generally they are still finding the most bait and fish in about 30-40 feet of water in the ditches. Fish still don’t want a stationary bait or to feed under the boat, and they are catching everything on free-lines and planer boards. It’s also worth keeping a couple of casting rods ready because they are seeing so many fish boiling on the surface.

Overall it’s easy to catch fish right now, but to keep a limit you better take a lot of bait out!

The crappie are in the midst of their spawn, and Captain Brad reports that we are probably on the back side but still in the best two weeks of the year to fish for them around shallow cover. It can be as simple as casting a jig or minnow under a cork to cover on the banks, although down the lake in the clearer water fish often want a dock or some other shade over their heads. Of course not all fish go at once, and so you can also catch them tightlining, long-line trolling, or looking at them on electronics and casting to them. 

The catfish bite is really heating up on Lake Murray, and yesterday Captain Brad reports that the 66-pound blue pictured below was weighed at Riverwinds Landing! It was caught drifting the main channel with river herring. That pattern should produce for a while longer as blue catfish move up the lake to spawn, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that for channel catfish you can also fish from the bank out to 30 feet all over the lake around points, marker buoys, and other depth changes. Cut herring is hard to beat.