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Freshwater Fishing Trends - February 11, 2008

DNR does not endorse or otherwise sanction any of the following webpages. We do appreciate their reporting on fishing trends and offer this information as another resource -- Statewide reporting with SCFishingReport.com; Lake Murray - Dooley's Sport Shop - DooleysSportShopInc.com; Lake Marion - Randolph's Landing - Randolphs-Landing.com.

Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:

bulletTrout: Red hot. Troll from the surface down to 40 feet using Bad Creek trolling spoons. Also try drifting live bait (large shiners) in the same zone. Cool temperatures have turned the trout feed on.
bulletLargemouth and Redeye Bass: Very good.  Try jigging vertically in 60 to 80 feet of water using ¾ ounce jigging spoons and jig n pigs.  Also try fishing plastics such as finesse worms and trick worms deep and just off the bottom.
bulletSmallmouth Bass: Fair. Any day now the smallmouth bite should start; try live bait, vertical jigging spoons, and crawling plastics (crayfish imitations, worms) across the bottom around rocks.
bullet Jocassee Outdoor Center 2008 Annual Trout Fishing Tournaments - March 8, April 12.

Lake Keowee:

bulletLargemouth and Spotted Bass: Very good. In the BFL tournament last weekend the winning five fish limit was 14 pounds.  A wide range of techniques are successful right now, ranging from fishing jerkbaits shallow in the backs of creeks to deepwater dropshotting.  Anglers are also reporting good catches fishing shaky head jigs.  The bass seem to be spread out and willing to feed. 
bulletCrappie: Fair. It’s still early for crappie but try minnows and jigs in 25-30 feet of water around brush piles and other structure.

Lake Hartwell:

bulletStriped and Hybrid Bass: Very good.  The striper bite is really heating up on Lake Hartwell.  Locate fish on the depth finder and then fish live bait in 18 – 35 feet of water to catch them.  Umbrella rigs are also deadly right now, and some anglers continue to have success jigging spoons.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. The largemouth bass fishing has picked up a bit this week as most of the bass fishing pressure has been on Lake Keowee for last weekend’s tournament.  Fishermen continuing to fish on Lake Hartwell have been doing best using crankbaits. 
bulletCrappie: Good. The crappie are feeding well in 8 to 20 feet of water.  Locate brush piles and fish minnows and colorful jigs.
bullet 2008 Bassmaster Classic competition Feb. 22-24

Piedmont Area
Lake Russell:

bulletStriped and Hybrid Bass: Fair.  Fish early morning with bucktails, cut and live herring and jigs, especially when water is running below the dam.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good.  Fish crankbaits about 20 feet out from the banks. 
bulletCrappie: Excellent.  Lake Russell anglers are tearing up the crappie.  Fish in 12 – 18 feet of water around treetops using small minnows.  Limits of very nice fish are being taken daily.
bulletCatfish: Good, using cut bait and nightcrawlers along the bottom.              

Lake Thurmond:

bulletStriped and Hybrid Bass: Good.  Large striped bass are being caught right now and multiple fish over 25 pounds have been weighed in this week. Fish are in the Partsville/Bass Alley/Georgia Flats area down to the dam.  Fish live herring in 40 feet of water.  From now until mid-March is the best time of the year to try for a 40 – 50 pound trophy. No schooling activity to report.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Fair. The unpredictable weather and cold snap of a couple of weeks ago (which took the surface temperature down to 46 degrees) have destabilized the bass bite.  Fish secondary points and creek backs with a small #5 Shad Rap or spinnerbaits.
bulletCrappie: Very good.  In the last few days the crappie have turned on and catches of real slabs are being reported.  The upper end of the lake is better for crappie right now, particularly from Snap and Pistol Creek down to Landrum.  Pull slider jigs or fish minnows around brush tops in 14 to 18 feet of water. 

Lake Wylie:

bulletLargemouth Bass: Good.  Fishermen in the last few days report that bass are biting well on soft plastics fished slowly around the mouths of creeks.  Look for shallow areas with easy access to deep water but don’t venture up the creeks yet.  In a tournament a week ago the winning stringer consisted of 5 fish weighing 18 pounds, and the most successful anglers fished jerkbaits in 2-3 feet of water.  Successful anglers fished a shallow running #5 shad rap or shaky head jigs tipped with 4" Zoom finesse worms from 2 feet of water on out. Go with pumpkinseed color with a red tail and fish very slowly.
bulletCrappie: Good.  The crappie are still biting but seem to have moved deeper.  Fish off deep drops in 18 to 20 feet of water and around main river channels.  Crappie are taking both minnows and jigs.
bulletCatfish: Slow.  Serious catfish guides have mainly moved off the lake and are pursuing lunkers by fishing deep in the river.           

Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:

bulletBetween vacillating temperatures and tough conditions for fishermen, fishing has been slow for the last couple of weeks on Lake Greenwood. Only one type of fish appears to be biting well despite the weather.
bulletCrappie: Good.  Fish deep around mid-lake structure using small minnows or jigs.  Look for schools of fish on the depth-finder before anchoring as fish are grouped very tightly in certain areas – and not in others.

Lake Wateree:

bulletWindy conditions for the last few days slowed down fish and fishermen alike.
bulletStriped Bass: Good. Fish in the lower part of the lake using topwaters, shiners, or goldfish.
bulletCrappie: Great.  As the water warms the crappie bite continues to get better and better.  Target the Fishing Creek and Beaver Creek areas using minnows.
bulletCatfish: Very good.  Fish deep holes in 18 to 25 feet of water using cut bait on the bottom.
bulletBream:  Good, biting around the banks using worms and crickets.     

Lake Murray:

bulletStriped Bass: Fair to Excellent.  For keeper-sized striper the fishing is slow right now, but for sheer numbers of fish it is excellent.  Fishermen willing to put in the time could still land a monster.  This time of year striper will take either herring or large shiners drifted and trolled from the surface down to 35 feet.  Continue to look for birds to locate striper. Also consider bucktails and Ice Flies.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Slow. Fish slowly using jigs and spinnerbaits in 12 to 20 feet of water and around points.
bulletCrappie: Very good. The crappie bite is really starting to heat up and fishermen are taking nice catches of crappie.  Fish minnows and jigs around brushpiles in 8 to 15 feet of water.
bulletCatfish:  Good, using worms or cut bait on the bottom.  Bream: Good, using crickets and worms.     

Santee Cooper System            
Lake Marion:

bulletThe water level in much of the lake remains significantly down and a majority of boat ramps on the lake remain inoperable. Recent rains in the Midlands and Upstate have raised water levels slightly but not yet enough. Area marinas, boat ramps and tackle stores are hoping that traditional spring rains return water levels to normal. For now call ahead to be sure ramps are operable before making a trip. Randolph’s Landing lower down the lake has a usable boat ramp and offered the following report:
bulletStriped Bass: Fair.  Fishermen are picking up the occasional striper trolling but the drifting action has pretty much dropped off.  Try big plugs or shad.  The fish are not schooling in significant numbers but look for the schooling to pick up in the next few weeks.
bulletCatfish: Excellent.  Fishermen are bringing in coolers full of catfish every day and the catfish action remains red hot as it has been for most of the last three months.  This is particularly unusual because the traditionally strong catfish season is only now arriving.  Fish in 18 – 30 feet of water using cut threadfin shad on the bottom.  Randolph’s Landing is making sure to have plenty of these baitfish on hand.
bulletCrappie: Good.  While people haven’t been catching huge numbers of fish fishermen have been taking some of the biggest slabs seen in a year or two out of the lake.  Several boats have come back with stringers of 8 – 15 really big crappie.  Use minnows or jigs around brush in 8-20 feet of water.
bulletBream: Fair.  The bream bite is starting to improve as temperatures rise.  Fish vertically around standing timber in 10-22 feet of water.  

Lake Moultrie:

bulletMost ramps remain unusable, but for fishermen willing to put in at the Diversion Canal and slowly navigate down to the big water (the low water conditions make fast boating extremely dangerous) the concentrated fishery is very good.  If rain raises the water a couple of feet look for extremely good fishing this spring.
bulletStriped Bass: Slow. Try trolling large plugs or live bait (shad and herring). 
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. The bass bite is improving and bass are beginning to move into shallower water.  Use crankbaits and worms.
bulletCatfish: Very good. Catfish are biting well but are also beginning to move into shallower water.  Fish cut herring or other large, oily chunks of baitfish in 8-10 feet of water on the bottom and around stumps. 
bulletCrappie: Good. Crappie are moving shallower – fish in 8-10 feet of water around structure using minnows.

Cooper River

bulletShad: Excellent.  The shad run has begun in the Cooper River and the bucks are making their way from the ocean up the river towards the tailrace to spawn. Conventional fishermen should use a small green grub and fly anglers should use a chartreuse Clauser on a #4 hook. Males range from 2-6 pounds and roe laden females should begin to show up in the next 4-6 weeks. 
 

Saluda River

bulletTrout:  Good.  Brown and rainbow trout were stocked in November and these fish are starting to get to a decent size.  Use flies and try to enjoy the trout fishing for numbers of fish before the striper came back up the river and thin the population in April.

Savannah River

bulletYellow Perch: Excellent.  Huge yellow perch are being caught in the two to three pound range.  One fishermen caught four perch and weighed them in on certified scales at 8 pounds, 1 ounce.  Perch sizes have steadily increased for the last five or six years since the Lake Thurmond Dam turbines had holes cut to oxygenate the water.  Oxygenation, plankton, shells, and perch sizes have ballooned ever since. 
bulletStriped/ Hybrid Bass: Excellent.  Fish are being caught directly under the Lake Thurmond Dam in the slack areas where baitfish is being pulled by. Remember, only 2 fish over 27” may be kept and no striper, hybrids or white bass under that size.

 

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