South Carolina DNR freshwater fishing report 2-16

StriperFishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.

Mountains Area

Lake Jocassee:

Trout: Fair to good. Captain Steve Pietrykowski reports that fishing has picked up and trout are eating a little bit of everything. Live shiners still seem to be the most productive bait, but small spoons and Rapala plugs are also working. There is a good concentration of bait up the rivers, but fish are also spread out throughout the whole lake. Fishing from the surface down to 50 feet has been the best depth range.
Black Bass: Slow. Captain Pat Bennett advises that water temperatures are warmer than typical for this time of year, but getting bit is still difficult! The best winter action traditionally is found fishing over deep water for suspended fish. Look for bait schools on your graph, and then lower down a jigging spoon or drop shot rig. Bait and fish are on the move, but locals know deep spots with underwater structure that will often produce.

Lake Keowee:

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Guide Brad Fowler reports that fish are spread out across the whole of Lake Keowee, from deep to shallow, and so it’s difficult to name a predominant pattern. A typical winter pattern on Keowee is to fish around very deep structure with drop shot rigs or shakey head worms, and fish can be caught this way. Blade runners and jerkbaits have also been productive in 15-30 feet of water.

Lake Hartwell:

Black Bass: Fair to good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that fish are spread out across much of the lake from deep to shallow. Fish can be caught in 35-40 feet of water using traditional winter fishing techniques, such as working drop shot rigs and spoons near channel swings, drops or other structure proximate to deep water. There is also a pretty good crankbait and jig bite in shallow water.
Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Bill Plumley reports that the blue catfish bite remains fairly strong, but this month fish should move into the creeks and the bite should really turn on. Right now most fish are being caught in 15-30 feet of water off points near the main river channel. A variety of cut baits will work. The channel catfish bite remains very slow, although a few fish can still be caught on cut herring.
Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that some striper are being picked up pulling umbrella rigs over deep water along channel edges. Rigs are being set about 80 feet behind the boat and pulled at 2 ½ to 3 miles per hour. The biggest fish, though, are being caught pulling large gizzard shad with planer boards and on free lines in 4-6 feet of water in the creeks.
Crappie: Fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that crappie fishing on Lake Hartwell is decent dropping bait 12-20 feet down over brush in 25 feet of water. His boat is fishing almost exclusively with minnows right now.

Piedmont Area

Lake Russell:

Black Bass: Fair to good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that a mix of spotted and largemouth bass can be caught fishing drop shot rigs baited with either worms or minnows just off the bottom in 25-35 feet of water. In addition to plenty of spots coming on this technique, 3-5 pound largemouth have also been taking the drop shot rig. The best areas have been clean bottoms near creek channels, and of course finding bait schools is critical. Some anglers are also having success throwing Alabama rigs/small umbrella rigs over the tops of very deep timber in 70-80 feet of water. A mixture of bass and striper can be found in those areas, and the traditional striper fishing technique of following the birds will give away fish locations. Bass are feeding on threadfin shad and so small jigs that have the appearance of bait broken away from the large school are hard for fish to pass up.
Striped bass: Good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that striper and bass are being caught together over deep water timber on small umbrella rigs, and right now fish are taking the jigs better than live bait. However, pulling large baits over timber on the south end of the lake is also a good technique to catch a Lake Russell monster.
Crappie and perch: Fair to good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that it has not gotten warm enough for fish to move very shallow yet, but those times may not be far off. For now the best bet is fishing jigging spoons in 25-35 feet of water over clean bottoms in the same areas where bass are being located.
Catfish: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the best way to catch catfish right now is to anchor in 25 feet of water and put out a lot of chum to attract fish. One inch sections of cut herring is the best bait.

Lake Thurmond:

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Captain William Sasser reports that fish are very sensitive to fronts right now, and on warmer days they will be found in the backs of creeks but on cooler days they will be at the mouths. His boat is spending the most time fishing the mid-lake area in the South Carolina Little River and Soap Creek. In the morning he is pulling planer boards shallow in 10-12 feet of water, and they caught a 33 pound fish on this technique last week. They are also fishing down lines in 40-45 feet of water. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that at the top of Clarks Hill near the junction of the Broad and the Savannah they have found some excellent action for striper, hybrids and white perch.
Black bass: Fair to good. Buckeye Lures in Augusta reports that the bite is improving and fish are getting close to moving into a pre-spawn pattern due to warmer than typical temperatures. Some fish are still in a typical winter pattern, and they can be caught in ditches 15-25 feet deep on lead head fluke rigs and spin blades. Others have moved up into shallow pockets both in the creeks and the main lake, and these fish are hitting crankbaits well.
Crappie: Fair to good. Captain William Sasser reports that crappie are essentially in pre-spawn mode, and that means it is dock time. In the morning fish can be caught under deeper docks in 25 or so feet of water, but in the afternoon they will be found shallower around docks in 5 or 6 feet of water. Both minnows and very light 1/64 ounce jigs will produce, but cold fronts will temporarily set back the fishing.

Lake Wylie:

White perch: Very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that white perch fishing remains consistent, and fish are feeding in open water on the edges of humps 30-35 feet deep. Schools are a mix of large and small fish, so don’t move on just because you catch a few small ones. Fishing small minnows on a modified Sabiki rig is the best technique.
Catfish: Good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that unstable weather systems are making for a bite than can change from day to day. Colder temperatures huddle fish in the main river channel, but warmer periods typically spread fish out shallower and into the front of creeks. Drifting cut bait for blue catfish in the river channel in 35-40 feet of water is a good bet, but be willing to move in order to locate fish. For the first time this winter Captain Taylor has recently started to find a vertical bite for suspended channel catfish.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. FLW Professional and Guide Matt Arey reports that fluctuating weather patterns have slowed the bite recently, and tournament weights have been down. Fish are scattered, but for the most part the fish are still almost totally related to bait. Bait schools are typically at the mouths of creeks, and in warmer period bait can be found in the front half of creeks. The best bite is probably coming on jerkbaits, but fishing spoons and grubs – such as Yamamato single tail grubs rigged behind a ¼ or 3/16 ounce jighead – around channel swings, points and at the mouths of creeks in 20 feet of water is producing. As always in the winter on Lake Wylie fish can be caught near the lower and upper hot holes using a variety of shallow water techniques.

Midlands Area

Lake Greenwood: (unchanged from Feb. 9)

Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try using crankbaits off main points or jigging around brush piles and deep holes.
Stripers: Fair, using live bait, herring or shad 20 to 25 feet deep. White Perch: Fair, jigging bucktails and berry spoons 15-20 feet deep.
Crappie: Fair, using minnows and mini jigs in black and chartreuse over brush in 10 to 20 feet of water.
Catfish: Fair, using cut bait and worms on the bottom.
Bream: Poor. Try using crickets and red worms.

Lake Monticello: (unchanged from Feb. 9)

Catfish: Fair. Anchoring on main lake humps and points with steep ledges is most effective for putting big blue catfish in the boat; being patient and staying in one spot for a while can really pay off. Cut gizzard shad, big threadfin shad, and white perch seem to be the best baits.

Lake Wateree:

Catfish: Good to very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that “winter” catfishing on Lake Wateree is strong right now, and both numbers of fish and good-sized blue catfish are being caught. Be willing to fish a variety of different areas, including the river channel, flats between the major creeks and creek mouths, as changing conditions have fish on the move. Bait is abundant but not bunched up, and so netting shad is difficult.
Crappie: Good. Will Hinson of the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail reports that fish are temperamental due to changing weather conditions, and on warmer days they will move into the creeks and on cooler days they will hold closer to the main channel. Beaver, Dutchman’s, and Taylor Creeks have been fishing the best. The best fishing has been in 8-16 feet of water, and on colder days fish are holding closer to the bottom and on warmer days they will move up the water column. A few people are long-line trolling, but the best technique remains tight-lining with jigs and minnows. Fish are still a month or more from spawning.
Largemouth Bass: Slow to fair. Captain Chris Heinning reports that bass fishing has slowed due to cold and murky water in the system, plus the lake being down a few feet. Most of the bait is around the mid-lake region. Some bass can still be caught around main lake rocky points with bright colored cranking type baits. Also, some fish can be taken around docks near deep water with brush around them using jigs and shakey head worms. Work depths of 8 feet or less due to murky water.

Lake Murray:

Catfish: Very good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that water temperatures are cold enough to put fish in winter locations, but warm enough for a hot bite. Blues, channels and white catfish seem to be feeding best in 40-80 feet of water, and they are orienting to ledges along the main river channel or deeper creek channels. Drifting cut herring, gizzard and threadfin shad is the best technique, and anglers should drift along the ledges or crisscross the channel multiple times on a drift. On warmer days fish may move up shallower in the late afternoon.
Striped Bass: Good. Lake World reports that fish are in a typical early spring pattern and they are spread out all over the lake. The best fish will be caught on free lined live herring pulled across shallow areas, and fish can be caught from the rivers to the dam area. Look for the birds to locate bait and fish.
Shellcracker: Good. Lake World reports that the shellcracker bite has gotten hot in 2-8 feet of water using worms.
Crappie: Fair to good. Captain Brad Taylor reports that there are two major patterns for catching crappie right now. One is a traditional winter tight-lining pattern up the Big and Little Saluda Rivers, pulling minnows and jigs 8-12 feet deep in 15-20 feet of water. The other pattern is fishing around bridges and deeper docks with jigs. For this pattern fish from the bottom to the top to locate the depth where crappie are feeding.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. Veteran bass angler Doug Lown reports that even though everything is a few weeks ahead of schedule fish are still almost totally keyed on bait. The best fish are being caught on crankbaits fished around deep rocky points, but smaller fish can be caught running warm pockets with drains and ditches and casting small crankbaits. There is also a decent jerkbait bite early, but it’s been difficult to catch a good sack fishing worms on the bottom. A few fish are holding around docks at the mouths of creeks, but that bite should improve soon. Right now it is rare to catch fish in the very backs of creeks as fish are still closer to deep water.

Santee Cooper System

Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that catfishing continues to be moderately strong, with fish scattered in both deep and shallow water. Anchoring in the shallows has been productive, as has deeper drifting in 25-40 feet of water. Baits of choice continue to be menhaden, mullet and gizzard shad.
Striped Bass: Fair to good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that striped bass are being caught throughout the system, and some limited schooling activity has been reported in both lakes. Striper have been caught in the bigger creeks of Lake Marion with shiners, shad and artificial lures including jigs, spoons and diving baits.
American shad: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that American shad have begun their annual spawning run up the Tailrace Canal and the Santee River, and fishermen are starting to have intermittent success casting and trolling small jigs. Shad fishing will continue to improve as the normal peak of the recreational shad season is a month or more away.
Largemouth bass: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that largemouth bass fishing has improved over the past few days, particularly in shallow water. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits have been the most productive lures.
Crappie: Fair. Captain Steve English reports that crappie are moving into an early spring pattern, and particularly in the upper lake some good fish have been caught in shallow water. Early and late fish will be in shallower water, around the edges of creeks, grass and trees. Mid-day most fish will be suspended in the middle of creeks, when trolling will be the easiest way to target them.