November 24

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.17 (full pool is 360.00) and morning surface water temperatures range from the low to mid-60s, hitting 67 or 68 on sunny afternoons.  The river is no very dirty and the lake is generally getting fairly clear again. 

Fresh off a first place finish in the TBF winter trail tournament Saturday out of Shull Island with his father Steve, B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that fish can be caught both shallow and deep right now. They managed a 23 plus-pound bag on the strength of a 6.8, a 6.4 and a 5.5 pound fish, all of which came deep, but there were also plenty of fish – including some good ones – caught shallow.  In fact, Andy says they didn’t have anything by 10:00 and if he’d know that the shallow bite was as good as it was he would have been up there throwing a buzzbait, Spook or Whopper Plopper for the first few hours.

While fish aren’t yet set up on their hardcore winter spots, they caught the three big fish in 15, 21 and 30 feet, respectively. Those all came on a jigging spoon and jig. However, they only caught six fish all day in a sign that better numbers are still shallower.

Throwing a crankbait around the banks can also be productive. 

Like the bass Lake Murray striped bass can be found both shallow and deep, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that overall fish are pretty spread out. Most of the action is above Dreher Island right now, although all of the creeks can produce, and today they have a found a pile of fish in Buffalo Creek. There are also a ton of fish up the river. 

Weighted planer boards have been working, but down-lines in the 30-foot range have also been good. There is even a little schooling activity, and the birds have started to arrive, but they are not especially helpful yet. 

Regardless of location, Captain Brad reports that crappie have been on a pretty specific pattern recently.  He has been finding good numbers of fish up the lake close to the bottom over 15-20 foot brush on minnows and jigs, but the same pattern has been reported all over the lake. 

The influx of freshwater changed the fall catfish bite on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that even though the lake didn’t get especially muddy it still pulled the fish shallower. Instead of fish being out in 40 or more feet of water, the bite got better anchoring in 20-30 feet.  The best area is still the Little Saluda River in the main channel or on ledges and there have been a lot of blues caught recently. 

Since fish are spread out fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option.  Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options.

November 12

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.26 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 70 degrees. Before the rains clarity was normal but a two-day monsoon is changing that.

The bass bite has been pretty good on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there have been some good weights in recent tournaments. High for the fall it is often taking almost 20 pounds to win. 

With water temperatures well above normal there has been a really good topwater bite on buzzbaits and frogs, and from one end of the lake to the other fish are biting shallow. There may be a few fish out on cane but that action is mostly finished, and the other major pattern is heading into the creeks and fishing a Rattle Trap or spinnerbait in areas where there are shad. Right now they are from the mouths of the creeks to about halfway back and you can spot the pods of shad on the surface on calm days. If there is no bait in an area the bass probably are not there in numbers, either. 

On the striped bass front, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that he is spending most of his time fishing from Buffalo Creek up the rivers, but there are also fish back in all of the creeks. You just have to start in the mouths and work your way back as the fish are moving around so much from day to day.  Covering water is key.  

Depths also vary daily, but in general down-lines have been disfavored.  Between fish being higher in the water column and the ability to cover water free-lines and planer boards have been working the best. 

While most people are certainly fishing with herring live bream have also been working well.

Similar to the striper, Captain Brad reports that to catch crappie right now you need to a cover a lot of water as they are still very scattered. The fish are certainly on brush, but you need to fish a lot of different spots and depths to find them. The best general depth is 10-20 feet of water, and anglers should not waste time on one brush pile if you don’t quickly get bites. Clouds Creek and the Little Saluda have both been good and both minnows and jigs are working.

A few anglers are long-lining in the creeks, but you have to wade through a lot of white perch fishing that way. 

The fishing will improve once water temperatures drop, but the fall catfish bite remains pretty good on Lake Murray.  Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little Saluda River in the main channel or on ledges they are still catching a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels.  The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option.  Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options.

October 21

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.26 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 73-75 degrees. The water is dingy but not too bad.  

The timing is a mystery to anyone who was trying and usually failing to catch bass on Lake Murray a couple of weeks ago, but the suspended schooling bite seems to be getting good several weeks later than usual. B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that they are now catching fish on topwater lures over cane piles that should have been feeding a few weeks ago, and there is also some good schooling activity driving around and looking. Most likely it is somehow related to the fall turnover, and there is speculation that the lake started turning over but settled back out when it got warm again. 

To confirm that, on a recent striped bass trip Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) ended up having to leave Buffalo Creek because they wanted striper and couldn’t stop catching schooling bass. 

Brad has found the best striper fishing up the rivers, and fishing with free-lines and planer boards has been the best technique. There has also started to be some schooling activity for striper up that way.

The same pattern can be found in creeks down the lake, and while Hollow Creek and Crystal Lake have both produced any creek where you see balls of bait on the surface will have striper. The fish are primarily feeding on threadfin shad right now. 

While the crappie are very scattered right now Captain Brad reports that there have been some good catches – you just have to keep moving and looking like the fish are. They are eating the same threadfin shad that the striper and perch are following and so you have to cover water until you find bait. Long-line trolling is catching fish, and there are also some on brush and on docks. The 10-foot range is a good depth to target. 

While it’s unclear what effect the warming trend will have if temperatures don’t fall soon, for now the fall catfish bite remains strong on Lake Murray.  Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little River in the main channel or on ledges they are still catching a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels. The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option. Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options. 

October 9

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.05 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 73-75 degrees. The creeks are pretty stained, probably from the fall turnover.  

There’s no way around the fact that the bass fishing on Lake Murray is brutally tough right now, and reportedly one national touring pro who came down here to shoot a video for his sponsors this week did not get a bite. A lot of the anglers who fished the Big Bass Tour event last weekend would say that sounds about right.  

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda concurs that it is very hard to get bit on Murray right now, and as one of the original masters of the offshore cane pile fishing when Stan says it’s hard to catch fish off cane it’s worth listening. That’s not to say there are none out there, but it’s very slow. Stan says that a random fish can be caught if you invest a great deal of time throwing a buzzbait around the banks in the creeks, but from what he has seen probably the best way to get bit is to head up the rivers and throw a Texas rig. There have also reportedly been a few fish caught on topwater up the rivers. 

There’s no disagreement that the fishing is tough from B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria, and while he knows there are still a few fish on cane – particularly now that the turnover has started – Andy thinks the best bet to get a bite is to fish shallow with a topwater. He has the most confidence in Whopper Ploppers or buzzbaits right now. 

Fortunately there is better news on the striper front, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there are a good number of fish starting to move up the rivers that are being caught on free lines and planer boards. Generally they are from Dreher Island up following the channels, and the quality has been pretty good. Keep a topwater plug out because there is schooling from time to time.

Of course a number of fish will stay in the creeks and never move up the rivers, and so starting at the mouth of the major creeks and working your way back in the channels fish can be found. Striper will be following bait but if you start looking at depths in the 40s they could be suspended anywhere. 

Some of the best action is starting to come with the crappie, and Captain Brad reports that the better reports are still coming in the Bear Creek/ Crystal Lake/ Dreher Island area.  But the fish have moved shallower, and they are now over brush in 12-18 feet. Minnows have been working the best and there have been some excellent catches. 

The fall catfish bite has officially kicked off on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little River in the main channel or on ledges they are starting to catch a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels. The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option. Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options. 

September 25

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.06 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped into the mid-70s. Up the lake is pretty muddy and there is a lot of current.

A week ago it looked like the offshore suspended/ cane pile bass bite was about to peak, but after the recent rains and lots of moving water veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the bottom has fallen out on this pattern.  He did the full rotation of all his spots this week with barely a bite, and reports from other anglers were the same.  One day he fished there was no wind and cloud cover, neither of which helped, but he isn’t marking as many as fish as earlier either. 

Still, this bite should rebound perhaps once the water clears and current drops off and then anglers should still look from the mid-lake down on the main lake and in the major creeks. The fish should be around offshore structure in 15-20 feet of water, and they should take any topwater lure from a fluke to a pencil popper. 

B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria has been a little tied up this week and hasn’t gotten to fish Murray, but he reminds anglers that when the suspended bite is not working the other top pattern is to fish a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper around the bank in the mid-lake. This pattern is very random and it’s often hard to figure out a rhyme or reason to where the fish are holding – but it’s usually a big fish pattern. 

However, from what Stan has seen the shallow pattern has been off, too. 

Unfortunately Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports the striped bass fishing has also gotten tough, with the one bright spot being that some schooling is getting started. The power company has pulled at lot of water and so fish are going into the Ballentine area and Beaverdam Creek seeking refuge from current and dirty water. There is an area from Burton Point to Goat Island to Salem Church where fish can be found schooling, and then the same phenomenon at the mouth of Beaverdam. 

When fish aren’t up, shallow down-lines or free-lines are the best options.

On the crappie front Captain Brad reports that there have been some really good catches in the Bear Creek/ Crystal Lake/ Dreher Island area. The fish are on 25-foot brush. 

The channel catfish action remains very strong on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that dip baits, worms, cut bream, cut herring, and more will all catch fish. During the day you want to target long points or humps in 20-35 feet of water, while in the evening and at night fish will come shallower in the same areas and be caught in 1-15 feet of water. 

The fall drift bite should pick up soon.

September 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.19 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped to around 80 in the big water. Clarity dropped with yesterday’s rain. 

It’s hard to know how long this pattern will last, but right now Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there are a lot of striped bass shallow around the towers. They have been pulling water hard and so there is a lot of current down there which has effectively sucked bait and in turn fish to the towers. They are suspended shallow at 20-30 feet and can be caught on free-lines or down-lines. There is also some schooling activity and so anglers should be sure to have a topwater tied on.

While the tower bite may be relatively fleeting, there are also a lot of fish at the mouths of major creeks from Dreher Island to the dam which will likely be there for a while. They can be caught 25-40 feet down and time of day does not seem to make a big difference.

Finally, a big group of 14-16 inch fish has moved up the river and they are schooling in the evening.  These can provide some exciting action.  

The offshore suspended/ cane pile bass bite has gotten better on Lake Murray in the last week, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish can be found on this pattern from the mid-lake down on the main lake and in the major creeks. Fish are around offshore structure in 15-20 feet of water, and they will take any topwater lure from a fluke to a pencil popper. 

The report is about the same from B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria, who notes that the cane pile bite usually turns on around now at the first significant temperature drop. In this case the storm and a long day of rain are likely to be just what is needed to create some awesome fishing conditions this weekend. 

For anglers who don’t want to fish for suspended fish or if it’s not working, the other top pattern is to fish a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper around the bank in the mid-lake. This pattern is very random and it’s often hard to figure out a rhyme or reason to where the fish are holding – but it’s usually a big fish pattern. 

On the crappie front Captain Brad reports that the fish are starting to set up to feed on young of the year bait that is just getting big enough to be a meaningful food source. There are a few around bridges, but up the lake the fish are holding on any structure along the creek channel or river channel. This could be brush piles or a dock. Fish are generally suspended over 12-25 feet of water, and the further down the lake you come the deeper they get. Overall the bite is pretty good. 

The channel catfish action remains very strong on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that dip baits, worms, cut bream, cut herring, and more will all catch fish.  During the day you want to target long points or humps in 20-35 feet of water, while in the evening and at night fish will come shallower in the same areas and be caught in 1-15 feet of water. 

While there are probably some blue catfish in the lower lake, they seem to only occasionally be picked up by striper anglers. However, up the Little River there are still some good ones being caught on cut bait anchored relatively shallow.

September 11

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.05 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped into the lower 80s. Clarity is a little below normal after recent rains.

The offshore suspended/ cane pile bite is just getting started on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that from the mid-lake down on the main lake and in the major creeks the bass fishing is about to get good. This pattern never really works up the lake. The fish are around offshore structure in 15-20 feet of water, and they will take any topwater lure from a fluke to a pencil popper – with a lot in between. 

There are also some fish being caught on buzzbaits and frogs around bank grass, but the better overall bags will probably come offshore for a little while. 

The channel catfish action remains very strong on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that dip baits, worms, cut bream, cut herring, and more will all catch fish. During the day you want to target long points or humps in 20-35 feet of water, while at night fish will come shallower in the same areas and be caught in 1-15 feet of water. 

While there are probably some blue catfish in the lower lake, they seem to only occasionally be picked up by striper anglers. However, up the Little River there have are still some good ones being caught on cut bait anchored relatively shallow. 

More information to follow on striper and crappie.

August 26

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.69 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped slightly into the mid-80s. Clarity is pretty typical although recent rains have dirtied some areas, including creeks and up the river.

Water temperatures started to fall a little earlier than is typical this late summer, and perhaps as a result Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that seasonal changes are also taking place a little ahead of usual. While it’s possible that there may still be some very deep fish in the extreme lower pool, that is not where Brad is finding them. He is seeing them setting up at the mouth of major creeks on the lower end. Fish have gotten pretty high in the water column, and his boat is finding them 25-30 feet down or even closer to the surface Sometimes they are suspended over as much as 35-40 feet, and sometimes they are shallower.

Brad is mainly targeting the fish with relatively shallow down-lines, but free-lines and planer boards are also working. Fish are also starting to school sporadically throughout the day, and his boat has caught a bunch of fish on topwater plugs in the Ballentine area. 

Since the fish are fairly high in the water column they can be a little hard to mark, but if you are able to key in on them the bite can be pretty exceptional. 

While no one would pretend that this is the peak time for largemouth bass fishing on Lake Murray, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda put on a benefit tournament last Saturday for the A Place for Us Ministries in Greenwood and raised over $16,000.00 due to the interest and generosity of anglers and local businesses – and his hard work! Some anglers found a surprisingly decent bite for the dead of summer, and even though no one would pretend it was easy a few bags approaching 20 pounds were caught. Of course some very good anglers struggled and there were very few limits.  The strange dynamic is that small fish were almost totally absent, and they hardly weighed in a fish less than three pounds. No one seems to know where the little ones are.  But some big fish were biting, and a 7.5 pound bass did nottake big fish honors.

A few very early fish are starting to get on the offshore cane piles, but they are few and far between.  However, at one point Stan’s sons hooked a 7 ½ pounder as well as a 5-pounder on a double fluke rig (the smaller fish came off) over cane and so there are some out there. Some fish were also caught on Ole Monster worms in 15-20 foot brush, but some of the best fish came up the river flipping docks. And the very best action of the day came on a buzzbait fished dirt shallow very early, which right now is almost exclusively a big fish pattern.   

Even though there are not a lot of people targeting them, crappie fishing has been decent up the rivers. Fish seem to be lying right on the bottom around brush in 17 feet of water and minnows have been working the best. Down the lake the best fishing is around brush in about 25 feet. 

If you want to catch channel catfish right now on Lake Murray Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that it’s hard to go wrong with dip baits, but worms, cut bream, cut herring, and more will also work. During the day you want to target long points or humps in 20-35 feet of water, while at night fish will come shallower in the same areas and be caught in 1-15 feet of water. 

While there are probably some blue catfish in the lower lake, they seem to only occasionally be picked up by striper anglers.  However, up the Little River there have been some good ones caught recently on cut bait anchored relatively shallow.

July 29

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.45 (full pool is 360.00). While the main lake is clear some creeks are a little stained, and water temperatures range from the upper 80s to lower 90s. 

While there certainly are some striper being caught 70+ feet down, and they are mostly good ones, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the fish aren’t all confined to that depth in the lower pool. There are fish in the mid-lake, at the spillway at the dam, and in the area around Jake’s, and the greatest number of fish right now are running humps. Most of the bait is about 30-40 feet down, and Brad is finding the best action fishing humps and over the end of ridges that dump into the channel at that depth.  

In addition to down-rod fishing there have also been some fish caught on spoons, and Brad has also seen some schooling activity over ridges on sunny days with a breeze. They have caught these fish casting plugs.

Overall, the fish have been biting very well in the morning and mid-day, and while Brad has not been fishing the evening as much there are good reports then too.

In 30-40 feet of water Brad is still catching a lot of big 8-12 pound channel catfish while they are targeting striper, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that this is also consistent with what he has seen.

Another good pattern is still to fish shallow early and late from Dreher Island to the dam with dip baits, worms, cut bream, or cut herring. Look around buoys, points, islands and other depth changes. Fish will come shallower at these low-light times. 

The crappie fishing has been a little slow up the lake, but around Dreher Island there have been some good reports fishing 25-foot deep brush adjacent to the main channel. Bear Creek has also been fishing well.  Minnows have been working the best. 

There are also still some crappie being caught around bridges.

The summer slump continues for bass fishing on Lake Murray, and B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that recent tournament weights from an ABA Open event confirm just how tough it is. Three of the top five anglers, including the winner with 15.45 pounds, did not weigh a limit.

One way to possibly get bit is to fish early and late along the banks with a buzzbait. Fish are in areas with water willow grass.

Another pattern is to look for deeper fish around brush in 20-25 feet. The best area to search is out on the main lake or front of creeks, and worms are the best way to target the fish. You can also fish a big crankbait or jig. 

Andy has found the deeper bite a little more productive recently, and an added bonus is that from time to time you will see sporadic schooling when you are fishing deep. The action is in totally random areas where fish are pushing up bait, and it is very hard to pattern, but if you have a fluke or topwater bait tied on you can be ready. 

All of these patterns were represented at the top of the ABA event, with the winning angler reporting that he caught his fish on a jig around deeper brush, another reporting he threw a buzzbait, and one angler saying he felt lucky to find schooling fish.

July 17

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.50 (full pool is 360.00). Clarity is normal and water temperatures are in the 80s. 

Lake Murray striped bass are doing what they usually do in the heat of summer, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that the bulk of the fish can be found from Shull Island to the dam. There is one group of fish in the 40-foot range, and while there are some good ones mixed in these are generally smaller fish. There is another group of fish, generally larger, out very deep in 60+ feet of water. Brad has caught fish as deep as about 70 feet. Generally the fish are close to the bottom in the main lake adjacent to deep channels, and they are catching pretty much everything on down-lines. 

While the action has been pretty steady throughout the day, there are some fish schooling in the morning on top. These fish are usually off the ends of ridges in the same areas where bass suspend at certain times. 

While herring will work as bait, Brad notes that the lake is full of small threadfin shad in the 1 ¼ inch range right now. Everything seems to be eating them, and in 30-40 feet of water Brad is catching a ton of big 8-12 pound channel catfish while they are targeting shallower striper. 

The summer doldrums are here for bass fishing on Lake Murray, and B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that there is no easy way to catch fish right now. One way to possibly get bit is to fish early and late along the banks with a buzzbait. Fish are in areas with water willow grass.

The other pattern is to look for deeper fish around brush in 20-25 feet. The best area to search is out on the main lake or front of creeks, and worms are the best way to target the fish.  You can also fish a big crankbait or jig. 

Andy has found the deeper bite a little more productive recently, and an added bonus is that from time to time you will see sporadic schooling when you are fishing deep. The action is in totally random areas where fish are pushing up bait, and it is very hard to pattern, but if you have a fluke or topwater bait tied on you can be ready. 

The crappie fishing has slowed down a little in the heat of summer, although a few fish are being caught around brush adjacent to the main channel. Down the lake brush in 20-30 feet is better, while up the rivers brush in the 15-20 foot range is ideal.  People are mainly catching fish on minnows.

There are also some crappie being caught around bridges.

June 26

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.78 (full pool is 360.00). Clarity has normalized and morning surface water temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. 

Lake Murray striped bass are getting into a pretty typical summer pattern, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that by this time it’s basically a down-line bite with live herring. Fish can be found from Shull Island to the dam, and they are generally holding in about 50-60 feet of water – either on the bottom or suspended. They are concentrated off points and in the channel.

While most people are having the best success in the morning, Brad had two morning trips yesterday and found the fish biting just as well on the second trip as the first. When fish are this deep time of day does not always make a difference.

The bass bite has dropped off a little on Lake Murray right now, and B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that it can be pretty tough to catch fish. The herring bite is pretty much gone, and even though there is often a small window in June where fish can be caught suspended that doesn’t seem to have materialized. Perhaps the bait is deep.

Basically there are two ways to catch fish, with the first being to fish early and late along the banks with a buzzbait. Fish are in areas with water willow grass.

The other pattern is to look for deeper fish around deep rocks and brush in 20-25 feet. The best area to search is out on the main lake, and worms are the best way to target the fish. Right now the deeper bite seems to be a little more productive.

The crappie fishing has been pretty good for the last couple of weeks, and Captain Brad reports that the best action has moved out to brush in 18-25 feet of water. Fish could be anywhere in the water column at that depth, and the best action has been around Dreher Island in the mouths of creeks. Minnows have been working the best either fished on a single rod or tight-lined. 

On the catfish front, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the best pattern is still to fish shallow early and late from Dreher Island to the dam with dip baits. Look around buoys, points, islands and other depth changes. 

Up the lake and into the river section he advises fishing around the bank and up in the trees and flats with cut herring, gizzard shad, perch or bream at night. Dip baits will also work in the rivers. 

During the day boat traffic makes it harder to catch fish, and they are also feeding more at night in the summer.

June 9

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.54 (full pool is 360.00). The water is still a little stained and morning surface temperatures range from the upper 70s to low 80s. 

While his boat is not messing with them too much because of the mix of sizes, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there is some good morning schooling action for striped bass on Lake Murray. The best schooling action has been in the Beaverdam Creek area.

The best bite for consistently better fish has been the down-line bite, and Captain Brad has been fishing in 40-60 feet of water off the ends of ridges and points. In addition to the Beaverdam Creek area there are a lot of fish in Ballentine, and generally everything is from Shull Island to the dam.

It’s a pretty good bass bite on Lake Murray right now, although B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that bigger fish are a little hard to come by. The herring spawn should be almost over if it is not yet finished, but bass are still getting on some of the herring points first thing. It does not appear that the offshore suspended bite in areas with cane piles has come on yet and fish are still relatively shallow. 

Besides targeting herring fish you can run the bank with a buzzbait right now, and you can also drag worm, Senko or jig shallow. You can also look for fish deeper around brush with a worm. 

The crappie fishing continues to be really good, and Captain Brad reports that the best action is still around brush in 12-20 feet of water depending on section of the lake. Fish up the lake are shallower, while in the lower lake they are deeper. Anglers need to use their sonar to figure out how deep they are. The smallest minnows and jigs have been working best. 

From Buffalo Creek to the river fork on the main channel has been the best area. 

On the catfish front, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the best pattern is still to fish shallow early and late from Dreher Island to the dam with dip baits. Look around buoys, points, islands and other depth changes. 

Up the lake and into the river section he advises fishing around the bank and up in the trees and flats with cut herring, gizzard shad, perch or bream at night. During the day boat traffic makes it harder to catch fish, and they are also feeding more at night in the summer.

June 2

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.49 (full pool is 360.00). The water is stained with recent rains and surface temperatures are in the upper 70s to low 80s. 

It’s been an impressive few days for striped bass fishing on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that some very big fish have been caught recently including over the weekend. Early in the morning fish are setting up on shallow main lake points where the wind is blowing. They are being caught on topwater plugs and flukes fished over 5-20 feet of water. 

During the day fish are heading out deeper, and they are being caught on down-lines fished in about 50 feet of water off the sides of ditches. Some fish are getting out in the lower pool but it seems like the greatest numbers of fish are in the mouth of Ballentine.  There are also a ton of fish off the side of Dreher Island, and so basically fish can be found from Billy Dreher to the dam. 

There have also been some good catches on cut bait. 

A mild May has prolonged the shallow herring bite for bass on Lake Murray, but as temperatures have heated up only the tail end of the herring spawn is still going on and it is basically only on the main lake. There may be another wave of herring spawning on the full moon this Friday.

Early in the morning there has been a decent topwater bite around traditional herring points, and as with the striper the wind has improved the fishing. Overall it has been a little tough though – and unpredictable from day to day. 

After the morning bite dragging a Carolina rig or shakey head further out off points can work. You can also fish docks after the morning bite. 

The other pattern worth fishing is to look for a big bite on a buzzbait first thing. 

The crappie fishing continues to be really good, and Captain Brad reports that by this point the dock bite has slowed down and the best action has been around brush in 12-20 feet of water depending on section of the lake. Fish up the lake are shallower, while in the lower lake they are deeper. The best fishing has been at the mouth of creeks and in the middle part of creeks. Both jigs and minnow are working. 

Some fish can be caught long-lining but tight-lining around brush has been more effective. 

On the catfishfront, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the best pattern is to fish shallow early and late from Dreher Island to the dam with dip baits. Look around buoys, points, islands and other depth changes. 

Up the lake and into the river section he advises fishing around the bank and up in the trees and flats with cut herring, gizzard shad, perch or bream at night. During the day boat traffic makes it harder to catch fish, and they are also feeding more at night in the summer.

May 20

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.04 (full pool is 360.00). Before the heavy rains began water temperatures had reached the upper 70s in many places, but they have fallen at least five degrees. Clarity was very good at the beginning of the weak, but creeks are becoming stained with a mud line coming. 

Weird spring weather continues, and veteran tournament bass angler Captain Doug Lown reports that all this rain and current will have an effect on the fish. Among other things the current should set fish on the bottom as they try to escape it, and it will make them less likely to suspend. 

Basically all the bass are in a post-spawn pattern now, and the few fish that may still be spawning are probably so deep that it’s impossible to see them. There are some fish shallow guarding fry, and by now both the blueback herring spawn and the threadfin shad spawn are both going on. The herring spawn has basically progressed out towards the main lake.

Threadfin shad will only spawn for the first couple of hours each day, and in addition to a points they will be found around riprap banks and even sometimes back in pockets off of ditches. Most any shallow banks could have them. 

A buzzbait is a good bait to target the shallows in the morning, as whether fish are shallow guarding fry or eating shad they will take it. After the morning bite then dragging a Carolina rig or shakey head further out off points can work, especially as fish relate to the bottom after the rain. You can also fish docks after the morning bite. 

The striped bass bite has definitely picked up this week, even as Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that overall the fish have moved deeper. Early in the morning a few fish can still be caught pulling free-lines shallow, but from what Brad has seen these fish are targeting threadfin shad and not herring (which seem to have pulled out deeper). 

The two best patterns this week have actually been pursuing schooling fish and down-lining, and Brad has seen striper up top eating threadfin shad early all over the place. Yesterday morning he found schooling over 30-40 feet of water. The other productive pattern has been down-lines in 40-50 feet of water. When water temperatures warmed quickly the fish moved deeper.

The best action has been in the main lake. 

The crappie bite has been very good the last few days, and Captain Brad reports that they are still catching fish around mid-depth brush and docks.  The best depth has been 8-10 feet down over 15-20 feet of water, and while Brad has been fishing more up the lake this pattern has been reproduced in the mid-lake as well. Both minnows and jigs are working, and while fish are still creek-oriented they are making their way out of the creeks and are not in the backs. 

The catfish bite has been a little tricky on Lake Murray for the last week, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that it’s not altogether clear why.  The best numbers of fish seem to be in about 10 feet of water, but getting them to bite has been difficult.  The action has been a little better at night, and right now fish are not showing a clear preference for any type of bait.

May 12

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.03 (full pool is 360.00) and visibility is stained mid-lake and clearing down the lake. Morning surface temperatures remains in the upper 60s.

Water temperatures have continued to hold steady or even drop, and as a result Lake Murray bass fishing patterns have not changed very much. The fish have, however, been a little finicky.  Veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports that in the mornings you can still find spawning herring shallow over the whole lake around shallow points, blow-throughs and more. Even though the bass are feeding on them, the fish still do not seem to be taking topwater lures most of the time. Subsurface lures like crankbaits and even jigs and soft plastics are working better in areas where you can fish the bottom, and spinnerbaits are also good in dirtier water or when there is wind.  

There is also a threadfin shad spawn in certain areas.

The bite is definitely better in the morning, and after the sun gets up anglers generally need to find something else to do. They can either fish the bottom in the same areas a little deeper or target docks.

B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria concurs that the herring spawn is definitely still going on everywhere, and he also agrees that the bass just don’t seem to be eating them that well.  The cold snaps don’t seem to be helping, and the bite is really hit-or-miss and day-to-day. He agrees that subsurface baits are working better than topwaters, and the only time they can get fish to hit on the surface is when they are actively schooling. 

While the bass bite has been a little tough, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that striped bass fishing has been pretty exceptional. He has been catching lots of really big fish the past few days.

In the mornings fish are up on the flat points chasing herring in less than 10 feet of water, and anglers are catching them on free-lines and planer boards.  You can also catch them casting flukes or other lures, and often they are busting the surface.  

Once the sun gets up Brad is finding the best action fishing in 20-40 feet off main points and ridges in the same areas where they were up shallow early. Generally he is fishing down-lines, but cut bait has also been good in 20-30 feet. 

The Ballentine area has been fishing well, and generally Brad has found the best action in the middle sections of major creeks.

One interesting note is that Brad has caught a large number of 3-8 pound largemouth on free-lines and planer boards in the past few days.

The crappie bite continues to improve, and Captain Brad reports that they are catching fish around deep docks and bridges as well as relatively shallow brush. Fish are suspended in 8-15 feet of water up the river, and dark colored jigs have been working well as have small toughies. 

 

The catfish bite has gotten pretty strong on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that fish are moving shallower as they get further into the pre-spawn period.  The best depth is 10-12 feet of water, and they can be found from the bank out to no deeper than about 25 feet. Humps and buoy markers showing depth changes are good places to look.

For now dip baits as well as cut herring will work, but soon William will just be fishing dip baits.  Assuming the water finally warms!

April 29

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.62 (full pool is 360.00) and visibility continues to improve. Up the lake there is about 2 feet of visibility, increasing as you get closer to the dam. Overall the lake is starting to look more green and less brown. Morning surface temperatures are generally in the upper 60s.

Relatively cool weather basically has Lake Murray bass in a holding pattern, and veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports that in the mornings you can still find spawning herring shallow over the whole lake around points, blow-throughs and more.  Even though the bass are feeding on them, the fish still do not seem to be taking topwater lures most of the time. Subsurface lures like crankbaits and even jigs and soft plastics are working better in areas where you can fish the bottom, and spinnerbaits are also good in dirtier water or when there is wind.  

The bite is definitely better in the morning, and after about sun gets up anglers generally need to find something else to do. They can either fish the bottom in the same areas a little deeper or target docks.

B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria agrees that the fish aren’t blowing up on topwater lures off points, but the exceptions is that when the fish are actively schooling then you can get away with throwing something on the surface. And while the bite is generally done before noon, there are times when the wind will prolong it. 

Andy also points out that there are still a bunch of fish on beds. 

A few cool nights have made a big difference, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that striped bass have backed out a little bit and in his opinion the herring spawn has slowed down a little. He expects to see huge numbers of herring spawning again on the May 7 full moon. 

As fish have pulled deeper the down-rod bite has gotten better, and Brad is finding the best action fishing in 30-40 feet off main points and ridges. Free-lines and planer boards are also working, and some fish are being caught on cut bait. 

While fish can be caught everywhere, the mid-lake has been fishing well and fish seem to be especially concentrated in the creeks systems as well as flats and ridges in the main lake. There are a bunch of good fish off Spence Island, but there are so many little ones that it’s very hard to get a bait down to the better fish. 

Fortunately the crappie bite is improving, and Captain Brad reports that up the river they are starting to catch post-spawn fish around docks, bridges and shallow brush in the 10-12 foot range. The fish are very fickle and so finesse jigs and small toughy minnows are working better than larger presentations. 

The catfish bite continues to improve on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that fish are moving shallower as they get further into the pre-spawn period.  The best depth is 10-12 feet of water, and they can be found from the bank out to no deeper than about 25 feet. Humps and buoy markers showing depth changes are good places to look.

For now dip baits as well as cut herring will work, but soon William will just be fishing dip baits.

April 15

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.43 (full pool is 360.00) and most of the lake is stained but not muddy. Up the lake there is about 1 ½ feet of visibility, increasing as you get closer to the dam. Even though the Sunday/ Monday rains muddied the water it was clearing before that, and so visibility is barely worse than a week ago. Morning surface temperatures have dipped overnight and are in the mid- to upper 60s.

The herring spawn continues to progress on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament bass angler Captain Doug Lown reports that while it started in the warmest backs of creeks the spawn is moving out to the main lake. You can now find herring shallow over the whole lake around points, blow-throughs and more.

While the herring spawn has progressed, the fish still do not seem to be taking topwater lures. Subsurface lures like crankbaits and even jigs and soft plastics are working better in areas where you can fish the bottom, and spinnerbaits are also good in dirtier water or when there is wind.  Fish can be very shallow, but at times they will also be in 8-10 feet on the points.

The bite is definitely better in the morning, and after about 10 or 11 o’clock anglers generally need to find something else to do.  It’s not that the bass leave, but the bite slows greatly. Cold fronts will also slow down the herring bite.

There are certainly still fish on the beds, even though they are generally difficult to see outside of the clearest lower lake. A good daytime pattern for many anglers has been to flip docks. 

Like the bass, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that striped bass are oriented to the shallow herring fish right now and early in the morning they are very shallow on points all over the lake in both creeks and on the main lake. They can be caught casting lures, pulling free-lines, and pulling planer boards for the first few hours.  

Unlike the bass, however, when the sun gets up the striper do work their way down the ridges and pull out much deeper. There they can be caught in down-lines in 20-40 feet of water in the same general areas where they were feeding on herring early. Cut bait is also working.

As good as the shallow crappie bite was last week, right now it has gotten tough.  While they are still marking a ton of fish that have pulled out to shallow brush or flats in 8-10 feet of water up the lake, the fish are locked down and just not feeding very well. While you can certainly pick away at the fish and catch a few here-and-there, the bite is very slow compared to the last few weeks. 

The catfish bite continues to improve on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that fish are moving much shallower. The best pattern is to anchor and fan-cast in 2-15 feet of water in the backs of creeks, on flats, and off shallow humps.  Fish will also get off the same points where the largemouth are holding, and if you fish live herring you will catch both species. Catfish will even take moving baits such as crankbaits and jerkbaits. 

Cut herring is generally the best bait, but the period where dip baits are more effective is rapidly approaching as the gar get worse and worse.  

April 8

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.31 (full pool is 360.00) and most of the lake is stained but not muddy. Up the lake there is about 1.5 – 2 feet of visibility, increasing as you get closer to the dam. Morning surface temperatures are generally in the upper 60s.

It’s finally happening on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament bass angler Captain Doug Lown reports that the herring spawn is getting underway across the lake. It starts in the warmest backs of creeks and gradually moves out towards the main lake, and right now we are in the early stages. 

Generally this means that lots of bass are related to points, although there are also some herring back in pockets. You can throw a spinnerbait, which herring will follow, to locate them.  Early in the herring spawn they are not generally feeding on the surface and so sub-surface baits like small crankbaits and swimbaits are more effective than topwater lures and flukes.  Up the lake in the dirtier water spinnerbaits are fishing well. Some times the fish are very shallow, while at times the action is better in 5-7 feet. 

While very early in the herring spawn the fish can get more active once the water warms later in the day, generally this is a morning bite which slows down after 10 or 11.  Cloudy days will keep the herring deeper, while sun and wind can prolong the action.

While the herring bite is a great way to catch 2-4 pound fish, there is also a wave of big fish that is spawning right now. They can be hard to see with stained water this spring, but they are in the pockets. There are also pre-spawn and post-spawn fish that can be caught around docks on straight-tailed worms. 

Like the bass, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that striped bass are moving shallower following the herring.  They are scattered all over the lake, and in the mornings his boat has caught them as shallow as a few feet of water, while during the day he has found them a little deeper off the ridges extending out from points. This morning Brad found them in only 4 or 5 feet, while yesterday afternoon they were catching fish in the teens over 26 feet of water. It is important to keep looking and cover a variety of depths until you find the fish and as they move.   

Free lines and planer boards are working very well, and if you find some fish set up a little deeper you can drop down-lines. Cut bait is also fishing very well. 

Fish are generally in the middle to backs of creeks, and overall the north side of the lake is fishing better than the Lexington side. 

For those who like to catch crappie shallow this is the best time of the year to fish on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad reports that right now most of fish up the lake are on the banks. They are catching a few males trolling in 6-8 feet of water where you can also tight-line, but the vast majority of the fish are spawning and very shallow. You just need a cork and a jig (or minnow) and to go up and grind shallow cover on the banks to catch fish. 

Down the lake fish have completed the spawn and pulled out to deeper docks or brush in 8-14 feet of water. 

The catfish bite continues to improve on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that as fish get into the pre-spawn period channel cats are starting to move into their warm-weather patterns. You can tell that the spawn is getting close as the males’ heads turn dark and swell up. 

The best pattern is to fish off points and islands and fan-cast with multiple rods. Cover water from only a couple of feet deep out to about 20. In addition to cut herring and nightcrawlers, dip baits are starting to be effective.

March 31

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.16 (full pool is 360.00) and most of the lake is stained but not muddy. Morning surface temperatures are in the mid-60s.    

Access to Lake Murray continues to be limited, but veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports that bass fishing is strong – particularly for anglers who prefer to fish the banks. There are lots of pre-spawn fish, plenty of fish are on beds even though they can be hard to see in the dirty water, and there are also some early post-spawn fish. The north side of the lake continues to be the furthest along.  

This is the time of year when you can fish for bass with most any shallow technique you want to employ, and soft plastics such as a brightly colored floating worm or lightly weighted worms (1/8 ounce or less) have both been very effective around the banks.  Fishing shakey heads around docks has also been working. There are also starting to be some fish caught in pockets on buzzbaits.  Obviously you can also sight-fish in areas with good clarity. 

Even though the shad and herring spawns have not yet started, more and more fish are also starting to set up off of points in the areas where they know that bait will soon be. Some of these fish are pre-spawn, and some of them are post-spawn. Right now these fish are not yet taking topwater lures, but flukes, swimbaits, spinnerbaits or another bait that stays down in the water column will work.   Very soon the herring spawn will get underway in the warmest creek backs.  

Like the bass, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that striped bass are starting to get into the areas where they know that herring will soon be. They are off the ends of points and flats and at the ends of ditches, but they have not yet committed to moving to the banks. They can be caught pulling free-lines and planer boards over the points. There are also a lot of down-line fish that can be caught, although these are often small. Down the lake the Ballentine area has fished well. 

There are also good numbers of fish up the river, with more moving up each day for a false spawn. The river is about to get really good, and already there is starting to be an outstanding cut bait bite. Fish are in schools moving up the river and so when a group of fish comes through it is not unusual to have all your lines move off in the same direction. 

You can also catch fish on free-lines and planer boards along the river channel. 

It’s still a good time to crappie fish on Murray, and Captain Brad reports that up the lake most of the fish are pre-spawn right now even though the bulk of the fish are getting very close to spawning.  Down the lake fish are further along and the spawn may be close to completed.

Up the lake fish are getting shallower and shallower, and long-lining in creek channels 4-5 feet deep over 8-15 feet of water is the best pattern. However, some fish are being caught against the banks and it seems the majority of the fish are on the verge of being there. When that happens the long-lining bite will drop off and more fish will be caught casting minnows and jigs. 

The catfish bite is rapidly improving on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that as fish get into the pre-spawn period channel cats are starting to move into their warm-weather patterns. You can tell that the spawn is getting close as the males’ heads turn dark and swell up. 

The best pattern is to fish off points and islands and fan-cast with multiple rods. Cover water from only a couple of feet deep out to about 20. In addition to cut herring and nightcrawlers, dip baits are starting to be effective.

March 25

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.04 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is clearing but still stained in areas. Morning surface temperatures range from the upper 50s to lower 60s, with the big water and the south side of the lake warming more slowly.  

Even while significant bass tournament activity is on hold, veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports that bass fishing is strong. Due to some very warm periods surface temperatures have been holding above the 55-58 degree range where the first part of the spawn kicks for some time now, and so pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn bass can all be found. Area of the lake determines the proportion of each, with bass on the north side the furthest along.  

This is the time of year when you can fish for bass with most any shallow technique you want to employ, and soft plastics such as a brightly colored floating worm or lightly weighted worms (1/8 ounce or less) have both been very effective around the banks.  Fishing shakey heads around docks has been working. On the south side of the lake where there are more pre-spawn fish fishing a crankbait off points in 6-8 feet of water has been working, and in areas with dirty water spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits have been effective. There are also starting to be some fish caught in pockets on buzzbaits.  Obviously you can also sight-fish in areas with good clarity. 

Even though the beginning of the herring spawn is still a little ways off, some fish are already setting up off of points in the creeks.  At this stage swimbaits, spinnerbaits or another bait that stays down in the water column are better than surface lures, and if there is not too much grass you can also pull a crankbait in these areas. Once temperatures hold at 63-65 in the mornings for several days then the herring spawn will get underway in the warmest creek backs.  

The fishing has also been very good for striped bass, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that down the lake there is very good fishing off points at the mouths of creeks in 30-40 feet of water. Down-lines and planer boards are both working well, and the fish are setting up off the same points where the herring will later be. 

There have also been some big fish caught up the rivers, and even though the numbers are lower you do not have to pick through little fish. In addition to free-lines and planer boards they are being caught on cut bait fished along the river channel. 

There has also been some random schooling activity, although this is mainly small fish. 

It’s a fantastic time for most anglers to crappie fish, and Captain Brad reports that pretty much any shallow-water technique will catch fish right now. Up the lake trolling jigs tipped with minnows in 8-12 feet of water is working well, and there are also new waves of fish on the bank spawning each day. These can be targeted with jigs or minnows fished around shallow cover. 

From one end of the lake to the other fish can also be found setting up on shallow docks, and especially early and late these fish are biting well. 

The catfish bite is improving on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports even as other species get into pre-spawn or spawning mode the cats are a little further behind. It is not until April when the spring bite usual starts to get wide open, and this winter residual dirty water is still hurting the fishing.

There have been some big fish caught up the Little Saluda River, but in limited numbers.  There have also been some medium-sized blue catfish caught off the main lake around John’s Creek.  However, the bite back in the creeks is not yet wide open.

March 13

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.62 (full pool is 360.00), and the whole lake down to John’s Creek is heavily stained.  Because the water is dirty it is warming faster than clear water would, and surface temperatures are already into the high 50s. 

We are getting into a very good period for bass fishing on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports that in his opinion based on current temperatures and the forecast we are less than 7-10 days away from the first wave of spawning activity.  Already fish are moving shallower, with their depth depending in part on water clarity. In dirtier areas up the lake most of the fish are in less than 5 feet of water, while in the cleaner water down the lake most fish are in 5-10 feet.

This is a time of year when you can do a lot of different things, and fish are feeding on schools of bait at different times in different sections of the lake.  In the lower lake first thing in the morning they are relating to herring that pulls up into the ditches overnight, and the bass will take any of a variety of baits that imitates a blueback herring.  In the upper lake they are keying on shad that will move into warm pockets in the afternoon.  Look for the presences of birds or bait flipping and throw a spinnerbait or crankbait. 

As fish move towards the spawn they will often be relating to points near spawning coves, although there are still days when they will cruise the bank or set up in pockets.  They will be relating to whatever cover they can find in those areas, be it a dock or a tree.  A worm is a good bait choice, and at this time of year a light sinker is important as Lake Murray bass seem to want a slow fall. 

When fish start to spawn some will do it in traditional protected coves, although other fish will spawn deeper on Lake Murray.  This year it will probably be more difficult to see spawning bass in the stained water. 

Finally, as temperatures hit the upper 50s and continue to rise we are not far from a buzzbait becoming effective. 

It’s easy to tell that spring is coming with the striped bass, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that fish are heading into the backs of creeks and ditches following bait as the water warms.  Brad has been finding the best action around Dreher Island and below, and fish are being caught pulling free-lines/ planer boards or even casting flukes and swimbaits at fish boiling in front of the boat.  There are still a lot of birds around. 

Generally the afternoon bite has been better when the temperatures warm and fish get more active and move shallower.  In the morning or when a cool front comes through fish are more likely to set up in the belly of the channel. 

On the crappie front, Captain Brad reports that many fish have moved mid-way into the creeks up the lake where they are being caught long-line trolling with jigs.  Longlining is also working well for fish that are further behind along the main channel, and there are also some very large fish being caught around docks and bridges.   

It is getting to be the time when you can fish for crappie however you want, and in the next week Brad expects some big fish to start spawning. 

The catfish bite remains tough on Lake Murray, but as water conditions improve Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that fish are starting to move shallower into 10-25 feet of water in both the creeks and off the main channel. While fish can be caught over the whole lake the middle section has been fishing the best, and anchoring is far-and-away the best pattern.  Expect a mixed bag of species but more channels. 

Right now fish are starting to feed up in preparation for the spawn so expect the bite to improve in the coming weeks.

February 27

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.64 (full pool is 360.00), and surface water temperatures range are around 52 degrees at the dam.  From the rivers down to Dreher Island there is red mud with trash and logs floating, and visibility is only about 6 inches at the mouth of Bear Creek.  There is some clearer water closer to the dam as well as back in some creeks. 

There is really no consistent pattern for Lake Murray bass right now, and veteran angler Captain Doug Lown reports that between cold fronts, rain, the power company pulling water, and high, muddy conditions there is not enough to stability for a good bite to develop and stay strong. The patterns are week-to-week and even day-to-day, and it is rare for anyone to catch fish very well one week and then replicate the bite the same way again the next.

Even though dirty water would normally have fish relatively shallow, cool fronts as well as pulling water has kept a lot of fish deep where some good bags have been caught. When temperatures do moderate then there have been some good bags caught shallow on crankbait and spinnerbaits. There were some fish staging on docks before this last cold front, and when temperatures moderate they should be up there again. 

The river is muddy and full of trash, and as a result Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that striped bass have moved down the lake. They have been caught back in the creeks in relatively clearer water, and they are suspended from the middle of the water column to the bottom in 35-50 feet. In addition to down lines some fish are being caught on planer boards and free-lines, and there has also been some bird activity. When gulls are diving on fish then double rigs with bucktails and spoons have been working.   

Right now there have been a lot of short fish caught. 

Captain Brad reports that the crappie bite continues to be tough up the lake with all the current, as crappie do not want to be in swift-moving, muddy water. The better fishing has been found in creeks down the lake tight-lining or long-line trolling with jigs in the creek runs. Fish are in 10-25 feet of water.

The catfish bite remains very tough on Lake Murray due to all the muddy water, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that it may be several weeks until conditions really improve. When the water settles out then the best bet should be anchoring on long humps and points close to the river channel. Herring, white perch and bream will all work.

February 18

Lake Murray water levels have stabilized at about 357.12 (full pool is 360.00), and surface water temperatures range from about 53 on the lower lake to the upper-40s up the lake. The lake ranges from muddy to stained. 

Despite the muddy conditions this weekend a good number of striped bass were caught up the river on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that free-lines and planer boards accounted for most of the catch. Nearly all of the fish were good quality keepers. 

However, the bulk of the fish are still in places like Bear Creek, Beaverdam, and any of the ditches towards Ballentine. 18-mile creek has been full of fish. Most of these fish are just off the bottom in about 40 feet of water, and they can be caught best on down-lines. As conditions improve the patterns will change. 

While there have been a few good bags caught in recent tournaments, B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that overall bass fishing is tough on Murray. Since the water got dirty the shallow bite has been decidedly better than the deep bite, which was good about ten days ago before the flooding, but nothing is great. The best pattern has been fishing crankbaits, jigs and spinnerbaits back in the creeks around shallow points and rock.  Further up the lake is a mud hole and so overall the mid-lake section has been fishing the best. 

Until about a week ago Captain Brad reports that the crappie bite was getting good, but then the flooding of the last week really slowed it down. Just yesterday the current in the Big Saluda seemed to ease enough that a little fish activity could be spotted, but still the majority of the action has been on the Little Saluda side. 

The best pattern has been tight-lining at the mouths of major creeks along the main channel, fishing 8-12 feet down over 18-20 feet of water.  Jig and minnows are both working, and the best pattern may be fishing bright-colored jigheads tipped with plain minnows.

There have also been some big fish caught down in Hollow Creek and Horse Creek, although numbers are a little low.

January 29

Lake Murray water levels are up to 356.45 (full pool is 360.00), and surface water temperatures range from the lower 50s on the lower lake to the mid to upper-40s up the lake. Up the lake is muddy but the water clears as you come down. 

It’s not where you expect striped bass to be in the winter on Lake Murray, but Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there are a lot of big fish in the lower pool between the dam and Spence Island.  The muddy water has pushed them down the lake, and a healthy population of herring that stay in the area give them a preferred food source. There are large numbers of gulls there as well, and when they come up schooling it is fairly easy to locate the fish. You can catch them about any way you want, from casting lures to pulling free-lines and planer boards to dropping down-lines at the fish.

There are also some fish up the rivers, and as the mud settles out that bite should be getting better. When you can see fish then casting double rigs is the best bet, and at other times you can pull free-lines and planer boards.

In last CATT tournament veteran bass fisherman Captain Doug Lown reports that he and his tournament partner weighed five fish caught on five different baits for 21 pounds and second place. However, one commonality is that most of the fish are in 10 feet of water or less right now, even though they are adjacent to deep water. Although temperatures dropped 10-15 degrees with the cold snap last week, they are starting to work their ways back towards areas where they will eventually spawn. Secondary, rocky points are often the most productive right now.

There are a number of variables affecting how the fish are setting up from day to day, including water temperature, lake level, current and visibility. These determine whether fish are suspended or not, which mostly dictates the choice of bait. When fish are suspended Alabama rigs and jerkbaits have been fishing well, and when they are not jigs, crankbaits and shakey heads are effective. 

In addition to fish starting to head in the direction of eventual spawning areas, they are also looking for the warmest water where they can feed. 

Perhaps the best bite going is for crappie, and Captain Brad reports that the action has gotten really good out over the river runs. It’s hard to believe but we are only about 6 weeks out from spawning fish and the bite is already picking up.

The best action has come tight-lining or trolling jigs or jigs tipped with minnows, and most of the fish have been about 8-12 feet down over 24 feet. Using sonar it is pretty easy to locate where the fish are located.

The catfish bite remains very tough on Lake Murray due to all the muddy water, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that it may be several weeks until conditions really improve.  When the water settles out then the best bet should be anchoring on long humps and points close to the river channel, as in February fish should be starting to head shallower into 25-30 feet of water.  Herring, white perch and bream will all work.

January 15

Lake Murray water levels are at 355.34 (full pool is 360.00), and surface water temperatures are in the mid-50s. There is lots of mud and current moving down the lake.

These are confusing times for bass and even more for bass fishermen on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports that right now they are catching all of the fish they are getting in less than ten feet of water, with some well less than that. The bait that had been really deep has now moved up shallower, and the good fishing that was taking place in deep water has died off. Usually this time of year when fish leave deep water they are not going back, but with highs in the 40s predicted for next week it’s anyone’s guess how the bass will respond. Further complicating things a few shallow spots are holding fish, but other similar spots are not. Finding the right areas can be difficult. 

Generally Doug advises that while fish are relatively shallow they want deep water close by, and you need to be fishing close to at least 20 feet of water. Fish are also out next to the channels, and most fish are at the mouths of creeks or out towards the main lake.  The best fishing has been early with lures like crankbaits when fish are feeding on bait, and after about 10 or 11 the fishing slows down and anglers need to fish jigs or a shakey head. 

Doug also notes that the lake has a lot of current right now, and since bass do not want to sit in cold current they are seeking out protected areas.

An influx of muddy water has made for less than ideal striped bass fishing, but Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there have been some fish caught up the rivers pulling free lines and planer boards over the channel. However, the better fishing has been down the lake in less dirty water on both sides of Dreher Island. Here the fish are holding in about 30-40 feet of water, and down-lines, free-lines and planer boards are all catching fish. There have also been some fish caught on cut bait off the side of shallow points.

Fishing related to bird activity has been slow since the gulls are visual feeders.

Captain Brad reports that a few crappie have been caught up the rivers tight-lining over the main channel, but that bite slowed way down when conditions got muddy. When the water clears up again he looks for anglers to do well tight-lining again with jigs and minnows 8-15 feet down over the main channel.

The catfish bite has gotten very tough on Lake Murray, even though Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) did catch a big 45-pound fish his last time out. It was accompanied by only one small channel cat, and he has found that fish are scattered all over the place. Fish have been few and far between on electronics.

While that might suggest that drifting would be the best pattern, fish are so sluggish that that the better bet is to anchor down in areas where you find fish and try to wait them out until they take a bait. While there is no obvious pattern most of the fish seem to be in 20-60 feet of water.

 

 

 

Fish have been caught both trolling and tight-lining in open water, and there have also been a few fish caught off bridges and brush. The best depth range has been from about halfway to the bottom to the bottom in 18-20 feet of water.

On the catfishfront, Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the bite continues to be strong. The best pattern is anchoring in the river channel with cut bream or white perch. Blues are making up a better and better part of the catch.