T_boy
01-02-2009, 03:16 PM
FRESHWATER
Midlands
LAKE GREENWOOD: Catfish: Very good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that drifting cut herring and shad in and out of the big feeder creeks and across baitfish-filled flats remains a productive method for channel cats right now, especially earlier in the day. By mid-day the bite will often fall off in these areas; move back out to the bigger water and drift in and out of the main river channel. Largemouth Bass: Good. Heavy schooling action is being reported all over the lake, although the mid lake area between Goat and Mud Islands may be best. Topwater lures and particularly bucktails are popular choices. White perch but not striped bass are mixed in with the largemouth schools. When the fish are not on top, throw plastics worms and crankbaits in 12 to 15 feet. White perch: Good. White perch and largemouth are mixed together in schools on top.
Quantcast
LAKE WATEREE: Catfish: Very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that this is the best time of the year to catch blue catfish on Lake Wateree, particularly great eating juvenile fish in the one to four pound size. As a starting point target the southern end of the lake and look for large schools of gizzard and threadfin shad in open water in 22 to 28 feet; when striped bass tear through these schools catfish are waiting underneath ready to eat their scraps. Striped Bass: Very good. Striped bass are schooling and feeding aggressively on tight schools of gizzard and threadfin shad in the lower part of the lake. Rattle traps, topwater lures, and bait are all effective; when fish are in a feeding frenzy most anything will usually work. Crappie: Good. Lake Wateree has played host to several national crappie tournaments in the last two weeks, and catches have been good but not outstanding. Best fishing is coming in the main river channel in 18 to 20 feet using minnows and jigs fished on the bottom.
LAKE MURRAY: Catfish: Excellent. The catfish bite is hot on Lake Murray right now and the fish are shallow. Shrimp and nightcrawlers fished on the bottom in 6 to 12 feet of water will almost certainly catch fish. Crappie: Very good. Crappie are about the hottest species on the lake right now, and best fishing is coming up the Big and Little Saluda Rivers. Fish in 3 to 15 feet of water along the bank and around brushpiles using minnows and jigs under a cork. Striped Bass: Good. While some fish remain in the lower part of the lake, fish are moving up the rivers. Lake World reports that the area from Kempson's back to the Twin Island is most productive, and Dooley's reports that Ramps 3, 4, and the river split are good areas. Look for birds and fish working the surface; bucktails and ice flies thrown into the schools are most effective. Traditional herring fishing methods will also work.
Mountains
LAKE KEOWEE: Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Some anglers are finding fish and doing quite well, while others are coming up empty. Gerald Foster at The Fishing Hole reports that best action is coming drop shotting or doodling plastic worms in 60 feet. Ride around until you find the schools of bait fish, and then start fishing there. A recent tournament on Lake Keowee had small sacks weighed in with mostly small fish; until lake levels come back up expect tough fishing.
LAKE HARTWELL: Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Anglers report very good fishing for striper and hybrids, with largemouth mixed in, fishing jigging spoons in 25 feet of water around river channels – the Martin's Creek area is a good place to start. Trout and gizzard shad fished on planer boards are also working well around the mouths of major creeks. Largemouth Bass: Bass are concentrated around main channel points in 25 to 30 feet of water. Jigging spoons and jig and pig combinations are both effective, and if you can find rip rap or rocks fishing large crankbaits in those areas. Crappie: Good. Fish in 18 feet of water around standing trees.
Piedmont
LAKE RUSSELL: Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish topwater lures early in the morning and later in the day drop down and fish soft plastics on the bottom. Crappie: Fair. Fish in 12 to 15 feet around brushpiles.
LAKE THURMOND: Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. On days when the Russell Dam is generating fish can be caught just below it. Palmetto Angler in McCormack reports that the fish are up in the rivers and feeding on the surface all day long. Use live boat or throw Little Cleos and look for birds working the top. The Key Creek and Little River on both the South Carolina and Georgia side remain strong, and planer boards remain popular. Fishing down the lake is slower. Bream: Fair to good. Shellcracker have been feeding well on worms fished in the Plum Branch area.
LAKE WYLIE: White perch: Very good. White perch action continues to be hot and some very large fish up to two pounds and more are being reported caught — the best time of the year is approaching. Look for large schools in 18 to 24 feet, and fish live minnows vertically or small spoons. Crappie: Good. Few reports are coming in but crappie should be found in 18 to 20 feet over brush. Fish small minnows or jigs.
Santee Cooper System
LAKE MARION: Catfish: Excellent. Catfish are feeding heavily in the trees in 10 to 15 feet of water. When gizzard shad are unavailable salties, available at Randolph's Landing, are often the best bait.
LAKE MOULTRIE: Catfish: Excellent. Catfish are deep but feeding extremely well in the lower lake; gizzard shad drifted or anchored are very effective. Several very large catfish up to 80 pounds were weighed in again this week at Hill's Landing.
SALTWATER
Little River
Spottail bass: Very good. Very large red drum continue to be caught at the Little River jetties and at nearshore reefs. Inshore good numbers of spottails are being caught in the creeks and in the Little River Inlet. Artificials are working consistently right now. Trout: Good. Trout are feeding well in deeper holes and drops. Gulp! shrimp imitations have been most effective.
Grand Strand
Spottail Bass: Very good. The spottail bass fishing improved significantly in the last week, while fishing for trout and black drum dropped off. Lots of spottails are being caught around the jetties, and most of these are slot sized fish. The very large bull drum do not seem to be around. Gulp, DOA Shrimp, live mullet or mud minnows, and cut bait will all work. Sheepshead: Very good. Sheepshead fishing at the jetties continues to be extremely productive. Fish fiddler crabs on a Carolina rig. Trout: Fair to good.
Charleston
Sheepshead: Excellent. Fish around the Charleston jetties or inshore bridge pilings and docks with fiddler crabs or clams; look for heavy barnacle growth. The state record sheepshead was caught in the Charleston area last winter, and the sheepshead bite will continue right through to spring. Trout: Good to very good. Fishing is down in the last week. Fish seem to have moved a bit deeper than last week, although the best way to locate fish remains to use your trolling motor and cast DOA shrimp under a popping float along oyster rakes, then slow down and fish soft plastics. Gulp! Jerkshad rigged with a flutter style hook or most any other "grub" fished on a standard ¼ to 1/8 ounce jighead will produce; work baits slower as temperatures drop and try slow rolling grubs on the bottom.
Hilton Head
Spottail Bass: Excellent. Spottails are starting to form large schools and some nice sight casting action is coming on low tide. Live shrimp has been the hottest ticket. Large numbers of bull red drum are being caught at nearshore wrecks and reefs; catches have been so fast some days that the tagger has not been able to keep up. Sheepshead: Very good. Although sheepshead are around all year anglers target them most during the winter months, and catches of sheepshead are really starting to pick up around inshore structure. Fish fiddler crabs (available at Lowcountry Outfitters) vertically on a Carolina rig. Trout: Good.
Midlands
LAKE GREENWOOD: Catfish: Very good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that drifting cut herring and shad in and out of the big feeder creeks and across baitfish-filled flats remains a productive method for channel cats right now, especially earlier in the day. By mid-day the bite will often fall off in these areas; move back out to the bigger water and drift in and out of the main river channel. Largemouth Bass: Good. Heavy schooling action is being reported all over the lake, although the mid lake area between Goat and Mud Islands may be best. Topwater lures and particularly bucktails are popular choices. White perch but not striped bass are mixed in with the largemouth schools. When the fish are not on top, throw plastics worms and crankbaits in 12 to 15 feet. White perch: Good. White perch and largemouth are mixed together in schools on top.
Quantcast
LAKE WATEREE: Catfish: Very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that this is the best time of the year to catch blue catfish on Lake Wateree, particularly great eating juvenile fish in the one to four pound size. As a starting point target the southern end of the lake and look for large schools of gizzard and threadfin shad in open water in 22 to 28 feet; when striped bass tear through these schools catfish are waiting underneath ready to eat their scraps. Striped Bass: Very good. Striped bass are schooling and feeding aggressively on tight schools of gizzard and threadfin shad in the lower part of the lake. Rattle traps, topwater lures, and bait are all effective; when fish are in a feeding frenzy most anything will usually work. Crappie: Good. Lake Wateree has played host to several national crappie tournaments in the last two weeks, and catches have been good but not outstanding. Best fishing is coming in the main river channel in 18 to 20 feet using minnows and jigs fished on the bottom.
LAKE MURRAY: Catfish: Excellent. The catfish bite is hot on Lake Murray right now and the fish are shallow. Shrimp and nightcrawlers fished on the bottom in 6 to 12 feet of water will almost certainly catch fish. Crappie: Very good. Crappie are about the hottest species on the lake right now, and best fishing is coming up the Big and Little Saluda Rivers. Fish in 3 to 15 feet of water along the bank and around brushpiles using minnows and jigs under a cork. Striped Bass: Good. While some fish remain in the lower part of the lake, fish are moving up the rivers. Lake World reports that the area from Kempson's back to the Twin Island is most productive, and Dooley's reports that Ramps 3, 4, and the river split are good areas. Look for birds and fish working the surface; bucktails and ice flies thrown into the schools are most effective. Traditional herring fishing methods will also work.
Mountains
LAKE KEOWEE: Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Some anglers are finding fish and doing quite well, while others are coming up empty. Gerald Foster at The Fishing Hole reports that best action is coming drop shotting or doodling plastic worms in 60 feet. Ride around until you find the schools of bait fish, and then start fishing there. A recent tournament on Lake Keowee had small sacks weighed in with mostly small fish; until lake levels come back up expect tough fishing.
LAKE HARTWELL: Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Anglers report very good fishing for striper and hybrids, with largemouth mixed in, fishing jigging spoons in 25 feet of water around river channels – the Martin's Creek area is a good place to start. Trout and gizzard shad fished on planer boards are also working well around the mouths of major creeks. Largemouth Bass: Bass are concentrated around main channel points in 25 to 30 feet of water. Jigging spoons and jig and pig combinations are both effective, and if you can find rip rap or rocks fishing large crankbaits in those areas. Crappie: Good. Fish in 18 feet of water around standing trees.
Piedmont
LAKE RUSSELL: Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish topwater lures early in the morning and later in the day drop down and fish soft plastics on the bottom. Crappie: Fair. Fish in 12 to 15 feet around brushpiles.
LAKE THURMOND: Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. On days when the Russell Dam is generating fish can be caught just below it. Palmetto Angler in McCormack reports that the fish are up in the rivers and feeding on the surface all day long. Use live boat or throw Little Cleos and look for birds working the top. The Key Creek and Little River on both the South Carolina and Georgia side remain strong, and planer boards remain popular. Fishing down the lake is slower. Bream: Fair to good. Shellcracker have been feeding well on worms fished in the Plum Branch area.
LAKE WYLIE: White perch: Very good. White perch action continues to be hot and some very large fish up to two pounds and more are being reported caught — the best time of the year is approaching. Look for large schools in 18 to 24 feet, and fish live minnows vertically or small spoons. Crappie: Good. Few reports are coming in but crappie should be found in 18 to 20 feet over brush. Fish small minnows or jigs.
Santee Cooper System
LAKE MARION: Catfish: Excellent. Catfish are feeding heavily in the trees in 10 to 15 feet of water. When gizzard shad are unavailable salties, available at Randolph's Landing, are often the best bait.
LAKE MOULTRIE: Catfish: Excellent. Catfish are deep but feeding extremely well in the lower lake; gizzard shad drifted or anchored are very effective. Several very large catfish up to 80 pounds were weighed in again this week at Hill's Landing.
SALTWATER
Little River
Spottail bass: Very good. Very large red drum continue to be caught at the Little River jetties and at nearshore reefs. Inshore good numbers of spottails are being caught in the creeks and in the Little River Inlet. Artificials are working consistently right now. Trout: Good. Trout are feeding well in deeper holes and drops. Gulp! shrimp imitations have been most effective.
Grand Strand
Spottail Bass: Very good. The spottail bass fishing improved significantly in the last week, while fishing for trout and black drum dropped off. Lots of spottails are being caught around the jetties, and most of these are slot sized fish. The very large bull drum do not seem to be around. Gulp, DOA Shrimp, live mullet or mud minnows, and cut bait will all work. Sheepshead: Very good. Sheepshead fishing at the jetties continues to be extremely productive. Fish fiddler crabs on a Carolina rig. Trout: Fair to good.
Charleston
Sheepshead: Excellent. Fish around the Charleston jetties or inshore bridge pilings and docks with fiddler crabs or clams; look for heavy barnacle growth. The state record sheepshead was caught in the Charleston area last winter, and the sheepshead bite will continue right through to spring. Trout: Good to very good. Fishing is down in the last week. Fish seem to have moved a bit deeper than last week, although the best way to locate fish remains to use your trolling motor and cast DOA shrimp under a popping float along oyster rakes, then slow down and fish soft plastics. Gulp! Jerkshad rigged with a flutter style hook or most any other "grub" fished on a standard ¼ to 1/8 ounce jighead will produce; work baits slower as temperatures drop and try slow rolling grubs on the bottom.
Hilton Head
Spottail Bass: Excellent. Spottails are starting to form large schools and some nice sight casting action is coming on low tide. Live shrimp has been the hottest ticket. Large numbers of bull red drum are being caught at nearshore wrecks and reefs; catches have been so fast some days that the tagger has not been able to keep up. Sheepshead: Very good. Although sheepshead are around all year anglers target them most during the winter months, and catches of sheepshead are really starting to pick up around inshore structure. Fish fiddler crabs (available at Lowcountry Outfitters) vertically on a Carolina rig. Trout: Good.