February 11
Lake Murray water levels are down to 355.52 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from 44 up the lake to 48 down the lake.
Fresh off a 6th place finish fishing alone in the 146-boat CBC championship on Lake Murray, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that he caught black bass a bunch of different ways. In practice he discovered tons of 3-pound fish that were pretty easy to catch stacked up in ditches (that, as we are reporting on Clarks Hill, would bite early), but these weren’t generally the quality that it would take to finish at the top. The first tournament day he caught two fish that he weighed on a jig fishing deep around brush and rock, one on a jighead minnow in the same zone, and two cranking shallow in the high winds around boat ramps and rocky points. But on the second day he discovered schools of fish that had slid up under docks and left the ditches, and he caught everything on a jig and Alabama rig on docks in 5-8 feet of water. Andy notes that the water temperature hadn’t really changed and he thinks Murray bass are on more of a calendar cycle that a temperature cycle to go into pre-spawn mode.
From correspondents also fishing the tournament two more patterns were BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union fishing a jig off rock in 12-40 plus feet of water, with his big 6.96-pound fish coming off rock in 43 feet, while Stan Gunter of Saluda was fishing an A-rig around the grass.
The striped bass fishing is changing, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that by February the casting bite under birds usually falls way off and this year is no exception. But they are still catching a few good quality fish pulling free-lines up the rivers, while numbers are being caught further down the lake. Around Dreher Island pulling weighted planer boards has been working well, while in areas like Hollow Creek down-rod fishing has been good. The cold water has driven the fish down and 50 feet is a good starting point to look, although fish will be wherever the bait is.
Unsurprisingly given the temperatures the crappie are in massive schools, and Captain Brad and tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin report that fish are still in deep water in the main channel and at the mouth of coves. Cold temperatures have backed the bait out and are keeping the crappie from moving into the creeks. Most people are catching fish casting jigs with LiveScope in open water, and some of the best areas to look are almost vertical banks where the channel swings close to the shore.
Catfish report to follow next week.
February 4
Lake Murray water levels are down to 355.55 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-40s.
It’s going to be a tough week to get information about black bass on Lake Murray, as snow, ice, and an off-limits period before this weekend’s CBC tournament have had bass fishing activity at about zero – and once they start practicing everyone will be tight-lipped. Frankly there has been much striped bass fishing either, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports the whole cove at his house froze and then water temperatures stayed in the 37-38 degree range for some time. With a second major shad kill in two weeks the fishing is sure to be really, really slow up the rivers.
Captain Brad says the best bet now is to head down the lake and fish deep in 50-60 feet of water in the gut of major creeks near the bottom until things settle out. In the lower lake the fish are eating herring which can escape the cold, and they will take down-rods.
But on the back side of this the fishing should be even better up the lake as there will be a lot less bait around and fish will be hungry.
It’s a similar story with the crappie, where in about seven to ten days the fishing should be good – especially with milder weather forecast. But for now it’s a bit of a grind, although you can still catch them on channel ledges in 25-30 feet of water either tight-lining or throwing jigs at fish anglers can see on forward-facing sonar.
While Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) hasn’t been able to go to prove his theory, he thinks the catfish should be deeper in the channels with dropping temperatures. As cold as the water has gotten you probably need to anchor on them, or else drift incredibly slowly. Gizzard shad and white perch are likely the best baits.
January 29
Lake Murray water levels remain at 356.11 (full pool is 360.00). Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 40s depending upon area of the lake.
Catching black bass on Lake Murray is relatively straight-forward right now, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that if you just want to catch fish then it’s hard to go wrong targeting rock in 8-10 feet of water. He has found it a little trickier to catch fish on a jerkbait, but on the bottom a jig and shakey head are both working well in these areas.
But big bags are harder to come by that way, and in the TBF tournament this weekend (when the wind was howling on Saturday) Andy suspects a lot of the better weights came throwing a crankbait shallow. There was also a pretty good deeper bite with a jigging spoon or Alabama rig. And of course some people were fishing in “the abyss” for fish around bait that they could see on LiveScope.
If the snow that is forecast for this weekend materializes Andy doesn’t expect it will shut down the fishing, as it’s just not the time of year where that is likely to happen on Murray. On the front end it could make a for a very good bite. After the snow you might have to fish moving baits like a jerkbait more slowly, but it’s unlikely to have too much effect on how fish take something on the bottom like a shaky head. Fish could move deeper but the right conditions will still bring them shallow.
January 28
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.11 (full pool is 360.00). Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 40s depending upon area of the lake.
As he predicted there was a massive shad kill when ice hit the water this weekend, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that in the short term that was a good thing for the striped bass fishing but things are now slowing as fish have gorged. There are a particularly large number of fish in the Little Saluda right now, but if you aren’t finding good action casting double rigs or pulling bait on free-lines and planer boards there now Captain Brad advises heading down the lake to areas where fish are feeding on herring. They can go deep enough to get away from the dangerously cold water, and fish will be caught on down-rods fished in the deeper gut of creek channels.
The shad cycle could repeat itself this weekend, but Brad points out that if temperatures possibly get into the 30s it can get really tough to catch fish.
The crappie patterns are fairly similar to last week, although Captain Brad reports that fish seem to have headed deeper as temperatures dropped and the bite has slowed a little. The best action is coming closer to the bottom on channel ledges in 25-30 feet of water either tight-lining or throwing jigs at fish anglers can see on forward-facing sonar.
However, the same caveat applies and if temperatures drop into the 30s this weekend then the bite could almost totally shut down for a period – especially if a very large number of shad are stunned and/ or die and get eaten.
Friday Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) found the catfish highly point-related, and he managed a 30-pound blue as well as a number of big channel catfish. However, they ought to be deeper in the channels after last weekend’s weather and certainly should be after this weekend. As cold as temperatures have gotten you probably need to anchor on them, or else drift incredibly slowly. Gizzard shad and white perch are likely the best baits.
Check back here for a bass report.
January 22
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.10 (full pool is 360.00) and clarity remains high. Morning surface water temperatures are about 51 degrees over most of the lake.
The incoming weather is expected to be a mixed bag for the striped bass fishing, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that for a day or two things should be really, really good if they get the significant shad kill that looks likely. However, after that it could get slow for several days once the fish have gorged.
For now there are still tons of fish up the river, and really the only difference from a couple of weeks ago is that there is much less pressure on them. They are still feeding well under the birds, and all you really need to do is locate gulls and either cast artificials or pull bait through them. Weighted planer boards had been the best way to present herring but in the last couple of days the free-line bite has come on.
On Murray a good bit recently, tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there have been good but not great (by late winter Murray standards) black bass bags winning tournaments recently. Stan thinks the lake is too clear for conditions to be ideal, but there has been a good deep Alabama rig bite fishing creek and river channel swings. There is also a pretty fair deep bite on jigging spoons, jigs, and shaky heads. While some people are having limited success shallow cranking or fishing Alabama rigs around docks, in the clear conditions this is generally better when there is some wind.
On a random note, Stan also had a friend who got off to an early start catch 19 pounds in about four casts on a green light early one morning recently!
The crappie patterns are basically unchanged, and Captain Brad reports that with fish basically in open water the LiveScopers are having a field day fishing depth changes at the mouths of pockets above Black’s Bridge. Fish are related to the channel ledges, and generally they are about 15-18 feet down in 25-30 feet of water. You can also tight-line for them, but casting at fish you can see on forward-facing-sonar is generally more efficient.
However, if the weather predicted comes through tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that he expects most of the fish to head to the bottom and basically stop eating for a few days.
While he hasn’t fished since the cold front last weekend, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) suspects the catfish will be grouped up tighter in the channel when he goes after them this Friday and Saturday. He will be drifting gizzard shad and white perch unless he finds the fish really grouped up (or lethargic) and decides to anchor.
January 7
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.07 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is very high with little inflow. Morning surface water temperatures are about 48 degrees.
There are has been an “astronomical” amount of striped bass schooling activity, and while Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that you can catch them in other areas the action in the rivers has been pretty unreal. His boat is catching some fish pulling bait, but this is much more difficult than casting double rigs and Alabama rigs at the birds.
Outside of the rivers creeks are all over the lake are also the right temperatures for fishing this way, and Hollow Creek has been notable.
It’s not easy black bass fishing like some winters on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that strong bags have been winning tournaments but not the upper 20s that sometimes come this time of year. Overall down the lake doesn’t seem to be fishing as well as the mid-lake and rivers, and there isn’t a single clear pattern.
If there is wind then probably the most reliable pattern is fishing a crankbait shallow around rock or boat ramps, and there are plenty of fish being caught LiveScoping with a minnow-type swimbait. There are also fish that can be caught on rock piles with a shaky head, and Andy did manage to catch one fish in 40 feet on a jigging spoon that was mixed in with striper. He has also marked a lot of fish in deep brush.
We are getting close to the time when fish will start to show up on docks and they can be caught on Alabama rigs, jigs, and shaky heads.
It’s a pretty simple pattern for crappie right now, and with most of the fish roaming in open water the name of the game for most people is LiveScoping and casting. For anglers who don’t have forward-facing sonar then concentrating efforts on creek mouths is a good starting spot and tight-lining with minnows and jigs can be effective. But the biggest numbers of crappie are certainly being caught ’Scoping right now.
With the weather stubbornly warm the catfish still aren’t grouped up tightly, and as a result Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that bigger fish are still at all different depths from the mid-lake around Dreher Island up to Black’s Bridge, with some in the channel, some on channel ledges, and some up on the flats. It just a matter of catching them when they are feeding.
With fish still scattered William remains inclined to drift instead of anchoring, and it’s a good idea to have several bait choices including both gizzard shad and white perch.
December 23
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.19 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is above average. Morning surface water temperatures are about 49 degrees.
While you can catch them other places, Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that there are absolutely piles of striped bass up the rivers right now.
Earlier they were catching them pulling free-lines, but now that the bait has gone a little deeper that has not been as effective. Instead they have found the best way to catch them is either to drift down-rods and herring through areas with birds and fish or to cast double rigs with bucktails and ice flies.
Creeks all over the lake also have fish, and in particular Hollow Creek has been really good lately. The same patterns will work in these areas once you pattern the depth at which fish are holding.
Captain Brad reports that he is also fishing double minnow rigs for white perch about 38 feet deep in the channel and having a lot of success, and also picking up some crappie that way. That’s because the crappie have basically pulled off of brush and and are now related to open water. Tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the most common technique for catching them is casting with LiveScope, but you can also tight-line with minnows in the mouths of creeks or anywhere else that you mark schools of fish – including the channels. Often they will be around bait balls.
Black bass are still relating to the grass even as it dies off, and while you can fish a Chatterbait or spinnerbait around it tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the best way to target it is probably with a drop shot or shaky head around the edges. There are also some fish being caught shallow cranking, and while he has still not seen it yet there should be a spoon bite somewhere. But this will probably get better once it gets colder.
But the best way to catch fish until a clear pattern emerges (either because it gets very cold, the lake gets dirty after a big rain, etc.) may be covering water and throwing an Alabama rig around deeper docks, rock, brush piles, and other targets.
Cooler weather still doesn’t have the catfish grouped up super tight, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that we are in the period where fish don’t necessarily feed heavily every day. Captain William was down at Santee this week, but another trusted catfish guide reported a very slow bite on Murray over the weekend.
Overall bigger fish are still at all different depths from the mid-lake around Dreher Island up to Black’s Bridge, with some in the channel, some on channel ledges, and some up on the flats. It just a matter of catching them when they are feeding.
With fish still scattered William is still inclined to drift instead of anchoring, and it’s a good idea to have several bait choices including both gizzard shad and white perch.
December 16
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.01 (full pool is 360.00) and most of the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 48-51 degrees.
At this time of year people are used to hearing about striped bass being caught up the rivers, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that is definitely going on. The schooling action under the birds is very good, and the number of fish caught casting bucktail/ ice fly double rigs has been impressive (more on striper below).
But there is also a really good black bass bite in the same areas, like there used to be many years ago, and even yesterday (the coldest day so far this season) Captain Brad reports that catches of largemouth were very strong. It seems that both species are pushing bait shallow, and when you see herons lining the banks it’s a good bet that bass are up there feeding on the big schools of shad. Casting swimming flukes to the fish has been working well, and you will also pick up some striper that have moved shallow.
Other than that bass have been relating to the grass even as it dies off, and while you can fish an Alabama rig or spinnerbait around it tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the best way to catch fish is probably with a drop shot or shaky head around the edges. There are also some fish being caught shallow cranking, and while he has not seen it yet Andy is convinced there is a good spoon bite somewhere.
Down the lake Captain Brad reports that a lot of people are pulling free lines and planer boards in the creeks for striped bass with some success, but unlike threadfin shad which can’t go deep because of their air bladders the herring are generally stacked up in very deep water in the ditches. It’s a phenomenal time to ride around until you mark the bait and then fish down rods deep.
While the action for crappie is still very good, both Captain Brad and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin report that fish have largely gotten off brush, bridges and docks and they are starting to suspend in open water. The most common technique for catching them is casting with LiveScope, but you can also tight-line with minnows in the mouths of creeks or anywhere else that you mark schools of fish. Often they will be around bait balls.
Cooler weather still doesn’t have the catfish grouped up super tight, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that fish are still at all different depths from the mid-lake around Dreher Island up to Black’s Bridge, with some in the channel, some on channel ledges, and some up on the flats. While the bite is still overall good in the colder conditions they aren’t biting as reliably as a little earlier in the season, and some days they are feeding better than others as not every fish has to eat every day.
Captain William is still mostly drifting with fish so spread out, and both gizzard shad and white perch are working.
December 4
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.11 (full pool is 360.00) and morning surface water temperatures are about 58 degrees.
There is an improving black bass bite on Lake Murray as it gets wintry, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there are a number of good patterns right now. Running the banks with an Alabama rig and throwing around docks in the mid-lake area has been strong, while perhaps because of higher clarity the same pattern has not been working as well in the lower lake. There has also been a pretty good bite in the middle of creek channels using LiveScope and a minnow-type swimbait to target roaming fish on bait, although Stan notes he is not seeing bait way back in the creeks. There is also some shallow cranking with a shad-colored bait around rocks and secondary points, and jigs are also working in these areas. Stan reminds anglers to keep your eyes open for signs of bait no matter where you are fishing.
Fresh off a week on Murray, Santee Cooper’s Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) adds that there are a ton of fish that can be caught on Chatterbait around grass. They mostly ran up to about 3 ½ pounds, but they did manage a 28-inch striped bass on the same bait going back into a pocket.
Meanwhile, up the lake Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the striper are finally starting to school pretty well as more and more birds show up. In the area of Black’s Bridge people are throwing double rigs with bucktails and ice flies, and so far this year a lot of people are also having success trolling the same set-up. Of course free-lines and planer boards worked around the river and creek channels will still catch fish, with fish being more channel-oriented on cooler days but heading to flats on warmer days.
But the crappie fishing is truly on fire, and Captain Brad reports that almost overnight fish seem to have made a massive migration to brush all over the lake and started eating really well. 15-20 feet has been the magic brush depth whether you are in the rivers or around Shull Island (which has been another hotspot), and with the fish so active jigs have been working very well.
Veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that there is also a really good bite around the Little River Marina bridge in 12 feet of water or less.
And finally the cold weather has also been a boon for the catfish, with Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reporting that the bite got tougher when it warmed up but really turned on after the cold snap. On his last trip they had 18-, 28-, 32- and 36-pound blue catfish to go with a mess of channels. He found fish at all different depths from the mid-lake around Dreher Island up to Black’s Bridge, with some in the channel, some on channel ledges, and some up on the flats. He was drifting to cover as much water and mark as many fish as possible, but anchoring will work too. They are showing a strong preference for gizzard shad but should start taking white perch too at some point.
November 19
Lake Murray water levels remain at 355.93 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 62 degrees in the lower lake.
While veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he was able to catch 12 black bass in a tournament Saturday fishing cold-weather patterns with an Alabama rig around rocks and docks, the winning weights are still coming fishing warm-weather patterns. In particular a Whopper Plopper or buzzbait fished shallow around bank grass or pond weed has been generating the biggest bites with these persistently warm temperatures. That will change in the near future, but with several more days of very warm weather it should hold at least through the weekend. The best action has been coming from the mid-lake down.
Warm weather has also had a significant effect on the striped bass, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that each night into the morning bait is moving up very shallow and they are literally catching fish casting against the banks. Bass fishermen are having some of the best success this way, simply casting crankbaits like they would for largemouth.
Beyond that Captain Brad’s boat is still catching fish on unweighted planer boards and free lines fished over the channel in about 20-25 feet up the river, and the same pattern is going on in the belly of creek ditches all over the lake.
More birds are slowly arriving, but they aren’t here in massive numbers yet because they are still able to feed where they are coming from. Additionally, it will take a cold snap to get the shad stunned or at least lethargic and turn the surface bite under the birds on.
The crappie fishing has been pretty spectacular this week, and Captain Brad reports that
fish are getting into late fall/ early winter patterns. While they can be caught on brush the better action is coming off bridges and some particular docks. In fact, the bridge bite is absolutely “on fire”. Fish are suspended, and they could be 4 feet down or 12 feet down around bridges and most of the catches are coming throwing jigs to them.
Down the lake, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that about half the fish have started to come off the brush and just swim around following bait schools. The other half are still generally related to shallower brush as far as halfway or more back in the creeks in 15-20 feet of water.
Warm weather still has the catfish scattered, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that despite that blues and channels are feeding well (on a recent bait-catching trip he caught several in the 20s and some good channels on just one drag). It will get better, though, and while he is marking a few fish in the channel it’s not really cold enough to group them up there yet. For now more fish seem to be scattered on points at a variety of depths.
Gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working.
November 6
Lake Murray water levels remain at 355.99 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 65 degrees over much of the lake.
The striped bass patterns are still the same but just getting better and better each week, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the cool weather next week will only improve things. He is still catching fish on unweighted planer boards and free lines fished over the channel in about 20-25 feet up the river, but when temperatures drop a few degrees then on sunny days bait and fish will gravitate to flats that warm up faster. The same pattern is going on in the belly of creek ditches all over the lake.
More and more birds are starting to show up, but they are not really diving yet and instead just picking. It takes a cold snap to get the shad lethargic and then to move higher in the water column trying to warm up again – which gets everything feeding.
Up the lake crappie are still related to bridges and brush, and Captain Brad reports that
in particular the bridge bite has been outstanding this week. But fish are not holding as tight to the brush right now. It is still their “home”, but they could be 100 yards off it over the channel at some point – but then the school will return to it later. Time of day and sunshine affect their placement. The best catches are coming LiveScoping because it’s so much easier to pinpoint the fish.
Down the lake, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that about half the fish have started to come off the brush and just swim around following bait schools. The other half are still generally related to shallower brush as far as halfway or more back in the creeks in 15-20 feet of water.
November 5
Lake Murray water levels are at 355.99 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is still fairly clear despite the rain. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 65 degrees over much of the lake.
So far this week we have reports on two Lake Murray species, and tournament black bass angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that in the two-day TBF tournament the top weights came LiveScoping in “the middle of nowhere” for fish under bait balls. The highest finishing “conventional” angler finished in third places with a bit under 18 pounds per day throwing a buzzbait shallow. The fishing was pretty tough below that.
While the cane pattern for suspended fish is dead, Andy reports there are a decent number of fish holding in the grass. Unless there is a ton of wind that creates perfect conditions and drives bait shallow it’s probably too early for shallow cranking, and it will take some of the grass dying back for that bite to really come on.
We also have a catfish report, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) did a ton of fishing, riding and looking Sunday and learned that fish are still pretty scattered out. While they are in a fall pattern, it will take getting colder before they really group up.
He caught a twenty-five pound blue and six good channels, and marked some fish on flats, some on ledges, and very few in the main river channel. He was drifting to cover as much water as possible and use his graph, and there was very little rhyme or reason to the depth they were holding. Most were in some mid-depth. He did look shallow in ten feet where a friend did very well ten days ago but there were not enough fish to bother with.
Both gizzard shad and herring are working pretty well.
October 30
Lake Murray water levels are at 355.84 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake has is still fairly clear despite the rain. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 65 degrees.
The rivers have not gotten muddy but there is some current flow, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that is only improving the striped bass bite. He is still catching fish on unweighted planer boards and free lines fished over the channel in about 20-25 feet up the river, but when temperatures drop a few degrees then on sunny days bait and fish will gravitate to flats that warm up faster. The same pattern is going on in the belly of creek ditches all over the lake.
Captain Brad has also started to see a few early gulls, and while fishing under the birds usually gets wide open around Thanksgiving it will start to pick up before that.
Up the lake crappie are still related to bridges and brush, but Captain Brad reports that they are not holding as tight to the brush right now. It is still their “home”, but they could be 100 yards off it over the channel at some point – but then the school will return to it later. Time of day and sunshine affect their placement. Honestly the best catches are coming LiveScoping because it’s so much easier to pinpoint the fish.
Down the lake, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish are still relating tight to brush but the best brush is changing. Instead of the very deep stuff at creek mouths, more fish are on brush in 20 or less feet back in the creeks. There is also a significant movement of fish up the rivers.
More people seem to be deer hunting than fishing for black bass, which might be smart because tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the fishing has dropped off and the fall turnover may be responsible. Plenty of fish are just roaming “out in the abyss”, but the most catchable fish are on the bank. They will still take topwaters, but shaky heads are also reliable. When conditions get like this then going up the river is a good option, where buzzbaits, Pop-Rs, and shaky heads will all catch fish.
While the catfish bite has been a little off-and-on this week, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that in the mid-lake area a lot of channel catfish, a few blues, and an occasional flathead can still be caught at anchor around long points and steep ledges. 25-35 feet of water is the key depth range and a variety of cut baits are working.
October 22
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.20 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is very good. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 69 degrees.
Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that there’s no change with the striped bass patterns on Lake Murray, and while you can catch them all over the lake he’s still concentrating his efforts around Black’s Bridge. The fishing are also biting a bit better than last week. The crappie fishing is also still on fire around the bridges. We’ll let you know what we hear down the lake when we can.
But the black bass fishing has definitely changed this week, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that as temperatures have stabilized there are still more numbers of fish being caught offshore on the same patterns patterns but the best quality fish are now coming around the banks – just like they were before the cool front in the days leading up to the BFL Regional. Buzzbaits and Whopper Ploppers have been the best baits.
The catfish patterns have also changed, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that in mid-lake area a lot of channel catfish, a few blues, and an occasional flathead can be caught at anchor around long points and steep ledges. Shull Island and Wessinger Island have been particularly good. 25-35 feet of water is the key depth range and a variety of cut baits are working.
October 16
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.93 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is very good. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 70 degrees up the river after cooler nights.
This morning Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that they wore out the striped bass, and while he was fishing just below Black’s Bridge this is the time of year where you can literally catch them anywhere on the lake. They are highly channel-oriented, whether in the river channel or creek channels, and that’s because they are feeding on threadfin shad that move shallower at night and then pull out to the channels after daylight. Captain Brad and another guide only caught one fish on a flat all day. All of their fish came on unweighted free-lines and planer boards.
Brad’s boat also caught an impressive number of channel catfish on cut herring fished below the striper.
That’s consistent with the report from Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857), who advises anchoring on points close to the river and creek channels in 25-30 feet of water. There are also fish shallower, and so covering a range of depths is advisable. While channel catfish will still take dip baits, this is usually considered the time to be fishing cut herring.
While the channel catfish are biting really well right now, a 67-pound blue was released recently and more will continue to show up as it cools.
October 15
Lake Murray water levels are at 356.97 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 75 degrees on the main lake.
It took about 23 pounds both days for the win in this weekend’s BFL Regional on Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that each day practicing he could see less and less big fish suspended around points and cane piles. However, numbers were still out there and that is where he and the majority of the other anglers caught their fish. By the first day of the tournament he had located about 50 schools. However, the very top boats were doing something completely different and were essentially “LiveScoping in the abyss”. The biggest fish seemed to have pulled out to truly open water and were just swimming around where they would take a minnow-type bait. Some anglers also caught fish around the grass, and before the cold front hit it looked like a buzzbait could be a winning pattern. It should be very good again as temperatures have stabilized.
Up the lake the word is out that crappie are loaded up on the bridges, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that it’s literally a struggle to get on a piling with so many anglers out there. All that pressure is slowing the bite, but the fish are certainly there. Fish are also around brush and channel docks in the 12-15 foot range.
Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that overnight temperatures are going to have to get into the 40s or 30s for fish to move, and they are still essentially in the same locations. The shallowest brush he can find fish on is still in about 20-25 feet, but the best action is still on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks. Down-sized rigs with small minnows are working the best, although small jigs will also catch some fish.
More to follow.
October 9
Lake Murray water levels are at 357.11 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 76 degrees.
On the water pre-fishing as we write, tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that from everything he is seeing today there should be about three patterns this weekend in the BFL Regional on Lake Murray. First, particularly in the morning he expects a buzzbait bite around the banks to continue to be one of the better things going for catching black bass. It may not be a numbers pattern, but quality will be needed based on what he is seeing with the second pattern, the offshore herring bite. There are still plenty of fish stacked up around points, cane piles, and brush piles, but at least the ones that are biting are mostly smaller fish. No doubt someone will figure out how to catch some better ones, but it’s not nearly as easy as it was at the end of the summer. Finally, Andy is impressed by how much offshore grass there is on the lake now. He is marking a ton of fish suspended around the grass, and he fully expects fishing it either over the top or along the sides to be an important pattern.
As alligator hunting season wraps up Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the striped bass patterns are finally starting to change. Fish are moving further up the lake, but the biggest development is that fish are really starting to feed up in the water column. Targeting schooling fish, pulling free-lines, planer boards, and other patterns that are closer to the surface are starting to overtake down-rod fishing.
Fish are still related to channels and ditches, and you can still catch them in the bellies of creeks with down-rods in 40-45 feet of water, but by next week he anticipates everything will be more surface-oriented. Most of the major creeks have substantial numbers of fish in them, but the fish that did not go back have mostly moved up the lake towards the rivers.
The crappie patterns up the lake have changed faster than down the lake, and Captain Brad reports that the action has really picked up. At the same time fish are moving around a lot more, and so just because they were stacked up on structure in one area today doesn’t mean they won’t be on a brush pile on the other side of the creek the next day. Basically the fish are following shad, suspending, and roaming, but they will still relate to cover that is near the bait. The 12-15 foot range has been the best up the lake, and fish are around bridges and also on brush on the side of flats. They can also be related to channel docks at about the same depth.
Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish have not quite moved, but that after these next two cold fronts there will be a big change. The shallowest brush he can find fish on is still in about 20-25 feet, but the best action is still on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks. Down-sized rigs with small minnows are working the best, although small jigs will also catch some fish.
Finally, while channel catfish can still be caught all over the lake, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that way up the rivers they are catching a mixed bag of blues and channels on cut herring either drifted or anchored in the gut or on the sides of the channel.
October 2
Lake Murray water levels are at 357.26 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is fairly. normal. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 79 degrees.
The fall turnover is now affecting the black bass fishing on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that means he is targeting the banks in the creeks and rivers where there can be better oxygen levels. This week he has caught a a lot of fish flipping docks in the rivers and throwing a buzzbait, and the action has also been pretty good fishing around the grass. But they are mostly 2-3 pound fish and smaller.
The top weights in tournaments still seem to be coming from fishing offshore with forward-facing sonar down the lake and around Dreher Island. Even though they aren’t biting very well there are still better fish to found around points, humps, and cane piles.
The striped bass are still spreading out all over the lake, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that a good number of fish have already made their way almost to Black’s Bridge. At the same time there are tons of fish in creeks all over the lake, but there is a particularly big push of fish into creeks from Buffalo Creek on up. A lot of these fish are schooling, and there are frequently black bass mixed in with them.
Overall fish are related to channels and ditches, not points, and when they are schooling you can certainly cast to them with topwater lures. At other times covering water with free-lines and planer boards is Captain Brad’s go-to technique, although one of his captain colleagues is also having success fishing down-rods in 40-45 feet in the bellies of the creeks.
The crappie patterns haven’t changed too much without a real decline in temperatures, and Captain Brad reports that up the lake there has been a really good bite on the bridges. Deep docks are also producing and of course there are some fish on brush. The best has been fishing about 8-12 feet down as below that there is a thermocline and not much life.
Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish have still not moved much, and the shallowest brush he can find fish on is in about 25 feet. The best action is still on deep brush piles in 28-35 feet of water at the mouths of major creeks. Down-sized rigs with small minnows are working the best, although small jigs will also catch some fish. The fish are still finicky.
Somewhere in between, Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that in the Crystal Lake area he’s marking plenty of fish on deep brush but struggling to get them to bite. He is also finding better action up the rivers.
Finally, for catfish the best way to catch them is still fishing dip baits or cut herring on points, humps, and other depth changes. As temperatures cool the bite will get better all day long and more fish will live shallow.