image linking to 100 Top Bass Fishing Sites image linking to 100 Top Saltwater Fishing Sites image linking to 100 Top Fly Fishing Sites image linking to 100 Top Walleye Sites image linking to 100 Top Small Game Sites image linking to 100 Top Birds and Waterfowl Sites
* * * IMPORTANT NOTICE * * *
You are currently viewing the old OUTDOOR CENTRAL.COM website ARCHIVES.  For the latest in hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation related news, and an ALL NEW experience, including user friendly navigation, search capabilities, an Outdoor Central Video Network, and more, be sure to visit our NEW WEBSITE, located at http://www.outdoorcentral.com.    Visit the new, improved website, you'll be glad you did!  CLICK HERE
 

NEWS RELEASE
May 1, 2006
DNR News (803) 734-3950

Freshwater Fishing Trends:

Mountains Area

Lake Jocassee: Largemouth Bass: Good, casting crankbaits and dark green plastic worms up rivers. Trout: Good, during the day fishing nightcrawlers and minnows 40to 55 feet deep. Smallmouth Bass: Fair. Try drifting large minnows along red clay and rocky points. Crappie: Slow. Try using small minnows. Catfish: Fair, using night crawlers or cut bait on bottom. Bream: Slow. Try worms or crickets.

Lake Keowee: Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try casting topwater lures and jerk baits off points and deep banks early and late. Crappie: Excellent. Try small minnows and jigs in 5 to 10 feet of water around brush piles and bridge pilings. Catfish: Fair. Try using nightcrawlers and cut bait on bottom. Bream: Fair. Try using red worms and crickets around brush piles.

Lake Hartwell: Largemouth Bass: Good, casting topwater lures and jerkbaits. Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good, free-lining live blueback herring up in the creeks. Crappie: Good, using medium and small minnows in about 10 feet of water. Catfish: Good, using cut herring in 2 to 3 feet of water. Bream: Excellent, using crickets and worms 5 to 8 feet deep.

Piedmont Area

Lake Russell: Largemouth Bass: Fair, casting worms and lizards. Yellow Perch: Fair. Try fishing minnows deep. Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Try jigging bucktails. White Bass: Poor. Try bucktails, spinners and live bait below dam. Crappie: Fair. Try using minnows and jigs around brush piles and bridges. Catfish: Fair, using cut bait on the bottom. Bream: Fair. Try fishing along steep banks with crickets and earthworms.

Lake Thurmond: Largemouth Bass: Good, casting plastic worms and spinnerbaits into the banks. Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good using jigs and Cleos. Crappie: Excellent, around docks using jigs and minnows. Catfish: Good, using worms on the bottom. Bream: Fair. Try crickets and worms 3 to 8 feet deep around brush.

Lake Wylie: Largemouth Bass: Good, casting Carolina-rigged worms along shallow points and banks. White Bass: Good, casting small spinners and jigs. Crappie: Good, using jigs and minnows around piers about 10 to 15 feet deep. Catfish: Good, using nightcrawlers on the bottom. Shellcrackers: Fair. Try using redworms and crickets on the bottom. Bream: Fair. Try red worms near the bottom. Also try nightcrawlers.

Midlands Area

Lake Greenwood: Largemouth Bass: Good, casting topwater worms, plugs and buzzbaits. Stripers: Good, using live bait, herring or shad 15 to 20 feet deep. White Perch: Good, using berryspoons in 12 to 15 feet of water. Also some schooling activity reported. Crappie: Fair. Try using minnows and mini jigs over brush in deeper water. Catfish: Good, using cut bait and worms on the bottom. Bream: Fair. Try using cricket and redworms along shore and brush piles.

Lake Wateree: Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try casting spinnerbaits in shallow water. Striped bass: Excellent, using bucktails, cut bait and live shad at Cedar Creek dam. White Bass: Good, using small live shad and jigs. Crappie: Excellent, using minnows and grubs around piers and in shallows, also trolling and drifting with jigs. Catfish: Good, using live minnows or worms in the creeks. Bream: Fair, using crickets and earthworms in warmer areas of coves.

Lake Murray: Largemouth Bass: Good, casting Carolina-rigged worms and topwater lures early from bank to 8 feet deep. Striped Bass: Good, try drifting shiners in 6 to 8 feet of water. Crappie: Good, using jigs and small tuffies around bridge pilings and brush piles. White Perch: Good, using live minnows near the bottom. Catfish: Good using cut herring and nightcrawlers on the bottom. Bream: Good, using crickets and worms shallow around docks and bushes.

Santee Cooper System

Lake Marion: Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try using lizards and worms in the shallows. Striped Bass: Fair. Try casting bucktails to schooling fish or fishing live small blueback herring, shad or shiners. White Perch: Slow. Try jigging off the bottom with Hopkins spoons. Crappie: Fair, using small and medium minnows over deep brush piles, bridge pilings and piers. Catfish: Good, using cut shad in the shallows. Bream and Shellcrackers: Fair. Try red-worms, wigglers and nightcrawlers.

Lake Moultrie: Largemouth Bass: Good, using topwater lures and plastic worms in 5-8 feet of water. Striped Bass: Fair. Try trolling lures or fishing live herring if available. Crappie: Fair. Try minnows around fish attraction areas. Catfish: Good, using cut bait 20 to 35 deep. Bream: Fair. Try using crickets, redworms, and small minnows, around manmade fish attractors. Shellcrackers: Slow, try redworms along the banks along river runs and points.

REPORTERS: The S.C. Department of Natural Resources appreciates the cooperation of fishing trend reporters for South Carolina's major lakes: Jocassee - Jocassee Outdoor Center; Keowee - Fishing Hole; Hartwell - Lake Hartwell Fishing and Marine; Russell - Tony's Bait and Tackle; Thurmond - Bladon's; Wylie - Catawba Tackle; Greenwood - Sportsman's Friend; Wateree - Wateree Marina; Murray - Dooley's Sport Shop, Lake World; Marion - Randolph's Landing; and Moultrie - Atkins Boat Landing.

- Written by Brett Witt -

For South Carolina freshwater fish regulations: http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/regs/pdf/freshfishing.pdf


 

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page

<%server.execute "/bottom.asp"%>