August 6

Lake Wylie is at 96.4% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are around 85-86 degrees. 

If anything the catfish bite on Lake Wylie has gotten even better, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that they are catching good numbers of blue catfish ranging from 6 up to 35 pounds. During the day the fish are holding on deep points close to clam and snail beds in 17-34 feet. 

At night the action has also been strong, with anchoring the best pattern. Anchor in shallow water and fan cast baits from 4 feet out to the drop in around 18 feet.  

Gizzard shad and bream heads are both working well. 

It’s still the summer bass fishing doldrums, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that there’s no really hot bite. In the last night tournament only 5 out of 29 boats caught a fish!  However, right now the shallow bite continues to slightly outfish the deep bite. Targeting bass that are up in the shallows feeding on bream with Pop-Rs and frogs can work, although at times you need to slow down and throw a worm or crawl a jig. 

The offshore bite remains slow, with more finesse-oriented presentations more effective right now.

July 30

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and after recent rains the lake has sections of stained water. Morning surface water temperatures are around 85-86 degrees. 

We are entering (if we are not already there) the summer bass fishing doldrums, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that pretty soon it’s likely that there won’t be good patterns deep or shallow. However, for now there continue to be some good fish up shallow feeding on bream, and the Pop-R and frog bite has been pretty good. It seems that the July full moon brought a lot of bream to the banks, and the bass followed them. While there was a drop-off below the top, in the last Thursday night tournament the winning team had four fish for 15 pounds, including a 5- and a 6-pounder. 

The offshore bite remains slow, with more finesse-oriented presentations more effective right now. 

The catfish bite on Lake Wylie remains strong, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that they are catching good numbers of blue catfish in the 6-16 pound range. During the day the fish are holding on deep points close to clam and snail beds in 17-34 feet. 

At night the action has also been strong, and anchoring has been productive for 8-24 pound fish. Anchor in shallow water and fan cast baits from 4 feet out to the drop in around 18 feet.  

Gizzard shad and bream heads are both working well.

July 21

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s. The rivers became extremely muddy after recent rains but that water has now moved down the lake. 

After a lull, the catfish bite on Lake Wylie has really picked up and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that they are catching good numbers of blue catfish in the 6-16 pound range. During the day the fish are holding on deep points close to clam and snail beds in 17-34 feet. 

At night the action has also been strong, and anchoring has been productive for 8-24 pound fish. Anchor in shallow water and fan cast baits from 4 feet out to the drop in around 18 feet. 

 

It shouldn’t go on for too much longer, but the mayfly hatch is still wide open. If it hangs on for a few more days it will coincide with the bream spawn on this coming full moon Saturday, and so there will be two reasons that the bream are gorging in shallow water. They will eat about anything you put in front of them but worms are working very well.

Of course the shallow bream are a positive for the bass bite, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that there should continue to be above-average fishing for largemouth around the banks with buzzbaits, PopRs, Spooks and the like.  There are other times when the fish would rather eat a worm or swimming jig. You just have to try different baits until you see what they want. It’s not unusual to see small packs of bass around the banks running bream right now and so keep your eyes open while you fish. 

There’s not much change in the offshore bite, and after the initial, early summer feeding spree we have settled into the long grind where fish can be caught on crankbaits but perhaps more often you have to rely on finesse presentations. 

Overall winning weights in night tournaments are still usually in the 12-13 pound range. 

July 9

Lake Wylie is at 96.5% of full pool. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-80s. 

The most exciting development in the last few days on Lake Wylie has been the mayfly hatch, and as a result of the mayfly hatch the bream fishing has been excellent. There are plenty of good fish around the banks gorging on mayflies, and they will eat about anything that you put in front of them.

Even though no one would characterize the bass fishing as wide open on Lake Wylie, tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the mayfly hatch has generated a pretty good shallow bite in some areas as more fish are up keying on the abundant bream around the banks. At times they are even eating mayflies. 

A Pop-R or buzzbait can work well in this pattern, but there are other times when the fish would rather eat a worm or swimming jig. You just have to try different baits until you see what they want. It’s not unusual to see small packs of bass around the banks running bream right now and so keep your eyes open while you fish. 

Of course there is also still an offshore bite, and even though it looked a couple of weeks ago like more finesse presentations were going to be needed there have been some fish caught on crankbaits again. 

But even the mayfly hatch has not been enough to kickstart a good catfish bite at this stage of the blue cat spawn on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the bite is slow but steady.  The fish they are catching range from about 4 to 14 pounds, and the best patterns have been anchoring in about 3-15 feet of water and then drifting in 32-25 feet.  Between the heat and the boat traffic the best fishing is definitely early in the morning and then at night.

June 24

Lake Wylie is at 96.7% of full pool. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s. 

Early in the season the offshore bass bite can be really good on Lake Wylie, but after the fish have been heavily pressured in well-known community holes the action gets slower, the fish get smaller, and the presentations have to become more finesse-oriented. That’s where we are now.

From what he has seen tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that shallow patterns are now the best, and early in the morning there can be a good bite with Pop-Rs and Spooks off points. When the sun gets up that bite dies off as those fish apparently move out deeper and suspend, but there is another group of fish that can be caught around dock poles flipping monster worms or jigs.

Particularly right now with the full moon there is also an above average bream bed bite, and fish will take topwater baits, Senkos and jigs in the right areas. Look in spawning pockets and between docks. 

Overall there aren’t a lot of big fish being caught but you can still get bit. 

The catfish spawn should still be in full swing on Lake Wylie, and from what he has seen Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the fishing is still a little slow. The best action has been coming in intermediate depths of 7-15 feet. Fish are on drops more out towards the river, and anchoring cut shad has been the best pattern.  

June 10

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool but lake levels have generally been fluctuating up and down. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s to lower 80s.     

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that weights in night tournaments have been pretty bad. 

Early in the morning there is some action on points with Spooks and buzzbaits, and at times the offshore bite is good in 15-20 feet at the mouths of creeks and in well-known community holes. Spoons and crankbaits should be working better than they are, and it is starting to become a bit more of a finesse bite with soft plastics. While there are plenty of fish out there you also have to get the timing right to find them feeding. 

Because of fluctuating water levels the bream spawn is not as good as it should be, but fish can still be found in pockets where the bass spawned or around docks. Bass feeding on bream will take Pop-Rs and prop baits as well as shakey head and wacky-rigged worms. 

With the spawn in full swing Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the blue catfish bite on Lake Wylie is still a little slow. The best action right now seems to be coming in intermediate depths of 7-15 feet. Fish are on drops more out towards the river, and anchoring cut shad has been the best pattern. 

The spawn should last for a little while, but anglers will know when that period is passing when some beat-up males start to show up in the catch again.

May 26

Lake Wylie is at 96.6% of full pool and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are approaching 80 degrees.   

The pre-spawn feeding binge couldn’t last forever, and this week Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the blue catfish bite on Lake Wylie is finally slowing down. When water temperatures hit about 78 degrees the spawn usually begins, and it certainly appears that we are there now. As a result catching numbers of better fish has gotten a lot harder. Rodger’s boat did catch a 24-pounder in the last couple of days but the numbers of good fish are not what they were a week or two ago. 

The shallow bite has dropped off, and the best action right now seems to be coming in intermediate depths of 7-15 feet. Fish are on drops more out towards the river. Anchoring cut shad has been the best pattern. 

The spawn should last for a little while, but anglers will know when that period is passing when some beat-up males start to show up in the catch again. 

Even as the catfish action seems to be slowing down the bass fishing on Lake Wylie is still pretty good, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that there have been some nice tournament bags in the 17-pound range caught recently.

By now approximately 100% of the fish are in post-spawn mode, and the shad spawn is also winding down. You can still hope to catch some fish early around main lake shallow rip rap, docks and the like but the current heat wave should wrap up the shad spawn very soon. 

The best bags right now seem to be coming from anglers fishing out deep in 15-20 feet at the mouths of creeks and in all the well-known community holes. Spoons and crankbaits will both work right now as we are in the period where you can catch excellent numbers without going finesse.  

Shallow water anglers should not give up hope, though, as the bream spawn is keeping another group of fish shallow.  The bream are usually in the same pockets where the bass spawned or around docks, and bass feeding on them will take Pop-Rs and prop baits as well as shakey head and wacky-rigged worms.

May 21

Lake Wylie is at 96.4% of full pool and the lake is fairly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-70s. 

It took all spring, but in this post-spawn period the bass fishing on Lake Wylie seems to be improving. In recent tournaments plenty of bags in the teens have been weighed in, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that all the major post-spawn patterns are now in play. 

First there is a shad spawn, and fish can be caught early around main lake shallow rip rap, docks and the like. Spinnerbaits and squarebills are both good around spawning shad. After the shad stop doing their thing fish sometimes stay in the same areas and they can be caught on swimming jigs around docks. 

The bream spawn bite is also coming on, and bass will take Pop-Rs and prop baits. The bream are usually in the same pockets where the bass spawned, and a shakey head or wacky-rigged worm should also get bites.

Finally, there are more and more fish getting out deep in 15-20 feet at the mouths of creeks and in all the well-known community holes. Spoons and crankbaits will both work right now, and we are getting close to the period where offshore numbers are good and catching them is easy before they get bait-shy after being pounded on. When water temperatures bump up a few more degrees we should be there. 

It’s still a great time to catch catfish on Lake Wateree, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that lots of pre-spawn blues in the 8 to 24 pound range are being caught as well as occasional flatheads. In the mid-morning anchoring in shallow bays and sunlit coves is producing well, and on windy afternoons drifting deeper ledges and flats out to 20 feet is effective. Cut shad are working well but other cut fish are also productive.

The fish are now biting on both ends of the lake, but the north end is still more consistent.

May 6

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and the lake is pretty clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid to low-70s. 

Instead of talking about struggling bites first, it’s a good time to lead off with the catfish. 

The action is excellent, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that with fish in full pre-spawn mode blues in the 10-20 pound range are common.  The best action is in the rivers in the upper one-third of Wylie in 3-15 feet of water, and they are exclusively anchoring and casting. Cut shad has been strong but other cut fish are also performing well. This bite should stay hot until the spawn really gets underway. 

There has been a little improvement with the bass fishing this week on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in the Palmetto Trail event this weekend on Lake Wylie a couple of 16 pound bags were brought to the scales. Below that weights dropped off to 11 pounds for third place, but at least some good fish were eating.

The top bags apparently came from fish feeding around spawning shad, which can be found early around main lake shallow rip rap, docks and the like. Spinnerbaits and squarebills are both good around spawning shad. 

There are also some fish starting to feed on bream that are up shallow getting ready to spawn, and they will take Pop-Rs and prop baits. The bream are usually in the same pockets where the bass spawned, and there are also still a few bass on beds. A shakey head or wacky-rigged worm should still get bites.

Finally, there are more and more fish getting out deep in 15-20 feet at the mouths of creeks and in all the well-known community holes.  Spoons and crankbaits will both work right now, and we are getting close to the period where offshore numbers are good and catching them is easy before they get bait-shy after being pounded on.

April 29

Lake Wylie is at 96.6% of full pool and water temperatures are in the mid 60s. Clarity is good over most of the lake. 

It’s almost getting to be a joke how low the bass fishing weights are on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in the CATT Championship this past weekend – with $5000 guaranteed – it still only took about 12 pounds to win. 

While it’s clear that fish at all three stages of the spawn can be found, with conditions this tough for better fish it’s hard to know exactly where in the spawn most fish are. However, Reid thinks that most of the fish should be close to spawning right now. If you go down the banks with a shakey head you should be able to catch plenty of smaller bass.

There are also some reports that shad are spawning right now around main lake shallow rip rap, docks and the like. While the bass do not seem to have gotten on them yet, soon they should take spinnerbaits and squarebills fished in those areas. 

The catfish action remains excellent on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that anchoring in shallow water 10 feet or less is producing blues and flatheads up to 40 plus pounds.  Most blues are in the 10-20 pound range, and the numbers have been very good.  Cut shad has been working well but other cut bait has been just as good.

April 16

Lake Wylie is at 96.6% of full pool and water temperatures are in the mid to upper 60s. The lake has cleared up substantially this week.   

After some really good bags last weekend and earlier this week the bass fishing seems to have dropped off again on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in the Thursday night tournament last night it only took about 12 ½ pounds to win. They have pulled the lake hard and dropping water levels may have something to do with it.

By this stage of the spring most of the fish are getting close to spawning, actively spawning or are post-spawn, and there are probably not a ton of pre-spawn fish left. However, it’s still the time of year when casting a wacky rig or shakey head around the banks in spawning pockets can usually get you bit. Also, with the clearing conditions there may be some sight-fishing this week.

The catfish action is now excellent on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the blue cats are biting in shallow water and flats with 15 feet of water or less. There are also some large fish being caught on deep ledges, and this morning they caught a 44-pound monster! Gizzard shad is the preferred bait but most any cut fish will work.

There are some large flatheads being taken around shallow cover with fresh cut bait, and they will also take live baits. 

April 2

Lake Wylie is at 98.1% of full pool and water temperatures were around 63-64 before the cold snap. The whole lake is muddy from one end to the other. 

Once again conditions have dealt a harsh below to the bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in a 60-boat ABA tournament last weekend it only took 12 pounds to win! Only three or four teams cracked double digits. The lake is now completely blown out with mud the color of chocolate milk or an orange crayon.

Nonetheless, water temperatures are on the verge of right where they need to be for the spawn to truly get underway and so this coming week anglers should see fish all over beds. Most of the fish are still pre-spawn, but a massive wave should be spawning after this cold front when the weather warms and the water stabilizes. Soft plastics like shakey heads, wacky rigs and Senkos should all work.  

For now you need to stick to spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and other baits that create a lot of flash and disturbance. 

The catfish continue to make a spring transition, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the fishing is good with blue cats hitting white perch and shad about equally. Both river arms are producing blues in the 10-25 pound range as well as occasional flatheads. Vertical changes near the river ledge are good early with fish moving up shallow as the day goes on. 

The crappie bite is fair to good, and Rodger reports that the majority of the fish have still not moved shallow. They are transitioning to the middle of the creek in 10-15 feet, but they move deeper with the cold spells. There is some shallow brush that is producing. 

March 19

Lake Wylie is at 97.8% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 50s. The water is pretty stained in the backs.

The bass fishing is finally getting better on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the fish are making a move towards the banks. Fish have been caught on shallow brush in about 8-15 feet mid-way back in the creeks, and they are also starting to be caught in the backs of pockets on jigs, shakey heads and worms. It does not appear that more than a few fish are spawning yet but they are getting very shallow. 

By now the catfish are starting to make a spring transition, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish are moving towards the upper lake. Good blues are biting well in shallow water north of the confluence of the South Fork and Catawba river arms. Gizzard shad are hard to come by, but the fish are eating white perch which are eating well in 20-25 feet of water on live baits. The perch have good size this spring. 

Rodger reports that the crappie bite is also still good on Lake Wylie, and they are still doing well trolling in the creeks for suspended fish.  Some anglers are also starting to catch some fish off shallow brush and so it appears the spawn is getting close.

However, the wind is going to make fishing for them difficult for a little while.

March 10

Lake Wylie is at 97.5% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s. From the rivers to the mid-lake is fairly clear, while the lower lake is still dirty.

There were finally some good bags of bass caught this weekend on Lake Wylie, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that they may have been the exception that proved the rule. The 20-pound winning bag as well as another that approached 15 were both caught in the current up the river on the north end of the lake, and in the main part of the lake it was still a struggle to get into double digits. Reid and his tournament partner had 9 pounds. 

It sounds like a broken record but this really could be the weekend when fishing gets good, but as of last weekend bank fishing still had not turned on. With the warm weather this week better numbers of fish should move into staging spots close to where they will eventually spawn including flat points, steeper edges, and docks – all in 2-10 feet of water. In addition to moving baits shakey heads and jigs should start to produce. 

Even as the bass fishing remains tough, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that there is a strong crappie bite right now on Lake Wylie. He is fishing the creeks on the lower end of the lake and finding that fish are holding about mid-way back. They are generally suspended about 15-22 feet down in 35 feet of water, but sometimes they will move up shallower to take a bait. He has been fishing free-lined minnows as well as weighted jigs in green and yellow. 

The catfish bite remains strong on Lake Wylie, and Rodger reports that the morning action is still pretty consistent anchoring in the middle sections of creeks on ledges in about 20-25 feet. That bite slows down by about 11 a.m.

Rodger has not found a good pattern mid-day, but by about 4:30 there starts to be some good action in “intermediate shallow” depths of about 5-7 feet. He has caught decent numbers of fish as well as some good ones in the 20s. Cut gizzard shad continue to outfish other baits.

March 5

Lake Wylie is at 97.5% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 50s. The mid-lake and up has cleared but has a slight stain, while the lower lake is dirtier. 

The bass fishing should have gotten really good on Lake Wylie, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that a 57-boat tournament this past weekend that had some of the best anglers on the lake only turned up two limits!  And again on the water today he is still not finding much. 

Bank fishing has just not got gotten good, and about the only place he has found small groups of fish are in random staging spots out from where they will eventually spawn. These include flat points, steeper edges, and docks – all in 2-10 feet of water. Boat ramps continue to be dead this season. Alabama rigs, Shad Raps, and square-billed crankbaits should all catch some fish, and the tournament was won on a spinnerbait. 

Ten days ago the catfish bite was still tough on Lake Wylie, but by last week’s report

Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reported that the fishing had significantly improved. Friday he had an excellent morning on the lake, and then he followed that up with a couple more strong mornings. 

A rounder picture of the bite is now emerging, and it appears that in the morning the action is pretty consistent anchoring in the middle sections of creeks on ledges in about 20-25 feet. That bite slows down by about 11 a.m.

Rodger has not found a good pattern mid-day, but by about 4:30 there starts to be some good action in “intermediate shallow” depths of about 5-7 feet. He has caught decent numbers of fish as well as some good ones in the 20s. Cut gizzard shad continue to outfish other baits.

There is a big catfish tournament this weekend on Wylie and Rodger points out that it will be interesting to see if the bite up the lake has started to turn on yet. By the end of March most of the fish will have migrated up that way. 

Indications from today are that they will have, as Reid caught this monster flathead on the north end on a Shad Rap!

February 26

Lake Wylie is at 98.0% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures range from about 51-52 degrees on the main channel to 54 in the backs. The south end of the lake is muddy while the northern third of the lake is clear with a greenish tint. Some of the creeks are muddy in the backs. 

Earlier this week Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reported that the catfish bite on Lake Wylie was at best fair, and they were struggling to put fish in the boat. Main lake drifts were slow, fishing shallow in the backs of creeks was slow, and about the only place they could get bites was anchoring in the middle sections of creeks on ledges in about 20-25 feet. 
But proving that it’s always worth trying, in the pre-frontal conditions this morning Rodger’s boat has found a very strong bite for fish ranging from about 13 to 25 pounds. In a little over two hours they have caught 13 blues in that range as well as one channel. The fish are still set up on creek ledges and they are eating cut gizzard shad. 

The bass fishing was slow over the weekend on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that a tournament was won with 3 fish that went 8 pounds! However, things are changing fast and yesterday on the water he saw water temperatures rise a good 5 or 6 degrees over the course of the day to reach almost 60. Of course that will not last, but seasonal changes are certain to the push the fish if that keeps up.

While Reid is still marking a lot of suspended fish, and some people will still catch them on Alabama rigs out deep, he thinks that with bass ready to move they will start to stage near areas where they will spawn. The very full moon has made for a tougher daytime bite but fish should be around docks, secondary points and shallow cover close to spawning areas. In the dirty conditions square-billed crankbaits, Chatterbaits, Shad Raps and jigs are all good choices. 

Of course with a bunch of rain predicted for today the lake could get blown out again.

February 18

Lake Wylie is at 97.6% of full pool and surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 40s. The upper third of the lake is muddy and as fast as they are pulling water through the lake it will be to the lower end soon. The creeks vary, with the Big Allison muddy but some other creeks only stained. 

Nobody could accuse the tournament directors for the Saturday and Sunday morning open tournaments of not doing their jobs, but tournament bass angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that despite the directors being out there not a single boat showed up for either event! With horrendous weather over the weekend anglers chose to stay in bed rather than fish.

With the lake once again very dirty it could ruin the bass fishing for another period, but seasonal factors could cause the bite to improve despite the conditions. Muddy water may push the fish to the banks, but there is so much current that it could keep them offshore as in previous periods.

One option is to fish a crankbait shallow, or you could fish Alabama rigs or grubs offshore.  Look around channel swings, point drops and channel edges in 10-18 feet of water in the creeks and the main lake. When you find the bait there should be fish nearby. 

The catfish bite has slowed down a little on Lake Wylie, but Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the fishing is still respectable and he rates it as “fair”. They are catching 1-2 fish per hour with lots of 12-18 pound fish making up the bulk of the catch.

Most of the time they are anchoring in the creeks right now, but when the wind is blowing then instead of fighting to anchor drifting the same areas is the best pattern.  Put out lines around ledges with sharp vertical changes in areas where there is bait and birds.  Fish are generally in 5-25 feet of water and cut shad have been working the best.

February 5

Lake Wylie is at 97.1% of full pool and surface water temperatures are in the mid-40s to lower 50s. With all the recent rains sections of the lake are muddy again. 

The bass fishing has been a little up-and-down on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that two weekends ago he and his tournament partner weighed a 15-pound bag featuring a big 6-pounder. And that was not good enough for big bag or big fish, with a 23-pound sack anchored by a 7.5 pounder taking first! However, by last weekend weights were back to a more typical 10-12 pounds again. 

It seems that what keeps hurting the bite is all the rain, and after rainy periods the power company is pulling a ton of water through the lake and the current is ripping. So instead of pushing fish to the banks, the rain is actually causing current that is sucking them off the banks and they are getting very scattered. 

The best bags still seem to be coming on Alabama rigs or grubs fished offshore.  Look around channel swings, point drops and channel edges in 10-18 feet of water in the creeks and the main lake. When you find the bait there should be fish nearby. 

Check out the newLake Wylie Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Reid.

The catfish bite is still good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that they are usually catching a couple of good 12-19 pound fish each hour – sometimes more and sometimes less.  Drifting and anchoring are overall producing about the same, but on windy days drifting is working better. On calm days the best pattern has been anchoring and putting out lines around ledges with sharp vertical changes in areas where there is bait and birds. Fish are generally in 5-25 feet of water and cut shad have been working the best. 

Look for catfish to start moving northward with additional rains and increased day length as spring approaches.

January 20

Lake Wylie is up to 98.6% of full pool and surface water temperatures are about 49 degrees.  Water clarity has improved and the lake is slightly stained with a green hue. 

The bass fishing remains brutally tough on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that even though a 14.41 pound bag was brought to the scales this week that included a big fish that approached 7 pounds. Below that was 10.83 pounds and multiple teams did not weigh in or catch a fish.

Now that water conditions are improving the fishing may improve, but for now most of the fish seem to still be piled and suspended out in the deepest parts of the channel. The last time someone caught a really good bag in these conditions they got on a good school of hungry, suspended deep fish with a grub. 

The best bet is still throwing Alabama rigs around channel swings, point drops and channel edges in 10-18 feet of water in the creeks and the main lake. It’s also still worth grinding a shallow crankbait around the banks but don’t expect many bites.    

Check out the new Lake Wylie Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Reid.

The catfish bite has improved on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that he is upgrading his assessment of the action to very good. The bites aren’t rapid but they are very consistent, and they are catching 2-6 fish each hour generally ranging from 12-22 pounds. 

The best pattern has been anchoring and putting out lines around ledges with sharp vertical changes in areas where there is bait and birds. Fish are generally in 5-25 feet of water and cut shad have been working the best. 

Even though it is conventional to drift when there is wind, Rodger’s boat is having better success anchoring out of the wind.

January 13

Lake Wylie is at 97.8% of full pool and surface water temperatures range from about 47-48 degrees. The lake has gotten stained again. 

Well, that didn’t last long.  Tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the bass fishing has gotten tougher again on Wylie, and in the last tournament on the lake it only took 11 pounds to win. Perhaps the clearest indicator of how hard it is to catch bass is that more than half of the field in the last tournament called it before the end of the day. 

This is not altogether surprising since Reid credited clearing water conditions with the improvement in the bite last week, but then once again the lake started to get dirty. That suspended fish all over again. It’s not that you can’t fish doing anything else, but basically the only people doing well right now are throwing Alabama rigs. They are fishing channel swings, point drops and channel edges in 10-18 feet of water in the creeks and the main lake. 

It’s still worth grinding a shallow crankbait around the banks but don’t expect many bites.    

Check out the new Lake Wylie Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Reid.

The catfish bite is still pretty good on Lake Wylie, although Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that quite a few anglers report struggling to catch fish. From what he has seen these anglers are drifting, while the key right now is to set up and anchor. The fish do move so fishermen don’t need to worry about fish not seeing their baits.

The best places to fish have been ledges, points and drop-offs in the mouth of creeks, and they are anchoring the baits at a variety of depths in 6-20 feet of water. However, one change is that they are also catching some fish further back in the creeks. Gizzard shad have been the bait of choice. 

While Rodger is not fishing the river channel much right now, if there are some windy days then instead of fighting it he will try drifting the channel again.

January 7

Lake Wylie is at 96.9% of full pool and surface water temperatures range from about 48-50 degrees. The lake is finally clearing. 

The bass fishing also finally seems to be looking up on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in the last couple of tournaments on the lake there have been 16 pounds bags brought to the scales – with 14-pound sacks right behind them in both. It seems that what is finally happening is that fish are starting to get on some of their normal winter spots instead of being suspended all over the place.

One winning pattern is throwing Alabama rigs around channel swings, point drops and channel edges, and jerkbaits have also been fishing well on main points that have some wind blowing on them. You can also grind a shallow crankbait around the banks, and instead of catching 4-6 bass in a day of fishing they are starting to get more fish on this pattern.  

All of these patterns seem to be getting more consistent and should only get better going forward. 

Check out the new Lake Wylie Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Reid.

The catfish bite is also picking up on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the action has gotten better and he now rates the blue cat bite as pretty strong. The numbers are good with 20 plus fish on recent trips ranging mostly from 8-19 pounds, and the average catch is 12-14 pounds. They have also landed a 32- and 37-pounder recently. 

The best places to fish have been ledges, points and drop-offs in the mouth of creeks, and they are anchoring the baits at a variety of depths in 6-20 feet of water.  They have not had much action back in the creeks.  Gizzard shad have been the bait of choice.