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Freshwater Fishing Trends - February 18, 2008

DNR does not endorse or otherwise sanction the following Web page. Statewide reporting courtesy SCFishingReport.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 or herring) in the same zone. In the tournament last weekend the big fish weighed over 10 pounds and several more very large fish have been caught recently. Night fishing has also been productive lately with large fish and good numbers being caught; troll the rivers for best success.
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 Bass: Very good. 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. 
bulletSpotted bass: Very good.  Good catches of spotted bass are being reported on the upper end of the lake. In the tournament early this week the winning 5-fish stringer was over 14 pounds. Fish are moving shallower so target the backs of creeks with jerkbaits until 10 a.m. and then switch to fishing docks in 5 to 30 feet using shakey head jigs or traditional jigs. Jigs will land bigger fish but less bites. Also try drop shotting in 30 to 40 feet on the flats.
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 gotten better this week. Best results have come using crankbaits.
bulletCrappie: 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 continue to catch lots of 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. Striped Bass fishing continues to improve each week. The water temperature approached 55 degrees over the weekend and some nice fish were caught in Little River, Baker Creek, and Buffalo Creek. Also try the areas around Red Bank Island in Georgia. Some large striped bass are being caught right now and multiple fish over 25 pounds have been weighed in this week. 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 to good. Largemouth have moved shallower over the last week or two and the fishing has improved. Fish secondary points and creek backs with a small #5 Shad Rap or spinnerbait.
bulletCrappie: Very good. The crappie bite continues to improve 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. Fish main points with jigs in the morning and then move shallower later as the sun rises using shad raps. Fishermen over the last few days report that bass are also 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.
bulletCrappie: Good. After a slow winter the crappie fishing is fast improving. Limits of crappie are being taken fishing shallow using 1/32 ounce jigs in bright Chartreuse. Target docks with brush in 4-6 feet of water. Once the water hits 55 degrees the trolling action will pick up; if water is being pulled out of the lake trolling in South Fork is productive now.
bulletWhite Perch: Very good. Fishermen who locate large schools of white perch report catching 50 or 100 nice fish. Target mouths of creeks and main lake humps.            

Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:

bulletUnlike most lake in the Midlands area Lake Greenwood is at full pool.
bulletStriped Bass: Fair. Locate striped bass by finding feeding gulls. Use jigging spoons in 18-20 feet of water.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Fair to good. Jigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits are all productive right now. Look for fish to continue to move into shallower water as the pre-spawn approaches.
bulletCrappie: Good. Fish in 18-20 feet 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:

bulletStriped Bass: Good. Fish in the lower part of the lake using topwaters, shiners, or goldfish.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Use crankbaits around secondary points and jigs around docks. Also fish spinnerbaits in the Stumpy Pond and Taylor’s Creek areas.
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. Multiple 40 pounders have been taken in the last two weeks. Target big blue cats using cut bait fished on the edges of holes.    

Lake Murray:

bulletStriped Bass: Fair to good. Stripers remain scattered. For keeper-sized striper the fishing is fair right now, but for sheer numbers of fish it is very good. 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 and fish the lower part of the lake as striper have not made their way up the river. The Black’s Bridge area is productive right now.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Fair. The bass are tricky currently but fishermen who figure them out can still do very well. The winning stringer in a tournament last weekend was five fish weighing more than 21 pounds. Those fish were taken fishing shallow water using jigs. Other productive patterns recently include fishing lipless crankbaits, finesse jigs, and soft plastics (Texas, Carolina, or shakey-head rigged) in 3 to 8 feet of water. For a deeper bite try fishing 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 improve and fishermen are taking nice catches of crappie. Fish minnows and jigs around brushpiles in 8 to 15 feet of water.   

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: Slow. Fishermen are picking up the occasional striper trolling but the drifting action has pretty much dropped off and the fishery remains depleted. Try large plugs or live shad. Legislative proposal H-4548 may soon affect the landscape of striped bass fishing throughout the Santee Cooper system.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Nice catches of bass are being taken around structure but the lake remains dangerous to run. Look for bass to enter pre-spawn mode very soon.
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. Target the old woods part of Lake Marion fishing cut shad in 10-12 feet of water. One guide reports catching 21 fish weighing 300 pounds in three hours and needing to use the marina’s endloader to lift his cooler once he was back on dry land. Look for more active catfish to continue to move shallower in the next couple of weeks and to begin to key in on shallow structure such as stumps and creek channels. Expect better catches when a slight 5-10 knot breeze ripples the water than on calm days.
bulletCrappie: Good. The crappie bite is improving each week. 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. Look for crappie to move into 4 to 10 feet of water in the next few weeks.
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). See the Lake Marion striped bass discussion for more information.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. The bass bite is improving and fish are beginning to move into shallower water. Use crankbaits and worms.
bulletCatfish: Very good. Catfish are biting well and 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. Catfish will continue to move shallower over the next couple of weeks.
bulletCrappie: Good. Crappie are moving shallower—fish in 8-10 feet of water around structure using minnows.

South Carolina Rivers

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 stripers come 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 angler 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 are being pulled by. Remember, only two fish over 27 inches may be kept and no striper, hybrids or white bass under that size.
 

 

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