South Carolina DNR Freshwater report 3-24

StriperFishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Verify the site for latest updates and in depth reviews.

Mountains Area

Lake Jocassee:

* Black Bass: Excellent. Captain Pat Bennett reviews that the bass ultimately appear to have started off to move toward the financial institutions and into prespawn feeding mode. The greatest baits have been soft plastics, particularly green pumpkin plastic worms rigged Carolina or shakey head type.
* Trout: Fair to very good. Captain Steve Pietrykowski reports that fishing has been very good despite the fact that getting keepers in the boat has been a challenge some days. Fish are pushed up in the creeks around bait, and they can be caught from the surface down to 40 feet on Sutton 31s and stay shiners.

Lake Keowee:

* Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Honest. Guideline Brad Fowler reports that even however water temperatures have risen considerably, fish on a lot of areas of Lake Keowee bass have not completed their springtime move towards the banks. Nonetheless, around the warm water discharge from the power plant, and in the northwest places of the lake, h2o temperatures have risen sufficient that some fish may well currently be on the beds. Wind-blown pockets have also been productive, and fishing tiny crankbaits that imitate the bait can be powerful.

Lake Hartwell:

* Catfish: Really great. Captain Bill Plumley reviews that he is even now catching quite robust numbers of blue catfish in the 15-25 pound range, and breaking off some bigger ones. Appear all around principal lake and secondary factors in the ten-20 foot variety and fish cut bait on the bottom.
* Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair to great. Captain Bill Plumley continues to catch fish no cost lining massive bait, specifically around pockets. Fish are scattered across the total lake, but pulling the two gizzard shad and significant herring ought to support locate fish.
* Black Bass: Honest. Guide Brad Fowler reviews that fish are even now in prespawn mode, but any day they could start off to spawn. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits have been most successful, but once fish are on the beds the very best baits will adjust.
* Crappie: Captain Bill Plumley reports that some anglers are catching crappie on minnows and jigs fished about blow downs near the banks. Look in approximately four-10 feet of drinking water.

Piedmont Area

Lake Russell:

* Black Bass: Excellent. Guideline Wendell Wilson reviews that bass are starting up to move towards the banking institutions, and whilst they have not nevertheless gone onto the beds they are feeding well in medium depth water. Soft plastics have been the go to baits, particularly Carolina and Texas rigs.
* Crappie: Fair. Guidebook Wendell Wilson reviews that crappie fishing is bettering, but the bite is a minor behind what he is obtaining on Clarks Hill, For now some fish can be located in shallow pockets with wood in about 2-3 feet of drinking water.
* Striped bass: Slow. Guide Wendell Wilson reviews that the striper bite continues to be elusive on Lake Russell, The most productive pattern should be fishing free of charge lined dwell shiners (because of their sturdiness).
* Catfish: No reviews. Guidebook Wendell Wilson reviews that the catfish bite need to start to get off quite quickly.

Lake Thurmond:

* Crappie: Excellent. Captain William Sasser reviews he is catching fish throwing minnows to shallow brush and casting jigs at the financial institutions. Look in the shallow coves and the backs of creeks all across the lake, including the Georgia and South Carolina Tiny Rivers. On the upper finish of Clarks Hill Manual Wendell Wilson reports that the crappie bite is quite powerful. He is anchoring and casting minnows 2 feet beneath a float in the direction of minor pockets with driftwood and spawning banks, which are characterized by steep sandy or gray dirt bottoms (not clay or rock) with scattered stumps, trees and rocks.
* Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Captain William Sasser reports that striper are currently being caught on lower bait and lures by anglers fishing proper in front of the dam in the evenings. Fishing down lines close to the bottom in 20-22 feet of h2o is also productive, and pulling herring slowing behind weighted planer boards has also been efficient.
* Black bass: Very good. Buckeye Lures in Augusta reports that bass have moved towards the banking institutions in planning for the spawn, and some fish have began to go onto the beds. Fish can be caught shallow on soft plastics, jigs and spinnerbaits.

Lake Wylie:

* Catfish: Good to extremely great. Captain Rodger Taylor reviews that drift fishing for blue catfish has been extremely sturdy in main creeks mouths. The channel catfish bite in the upper Catawba has also been quite powerful where creeks are flowing into the major river.
* Largemouth Bass: Good. FLW Expert and Guideline Matt Arey reports that bass are hunting to move into safeguarded spawning pockets with firm bottoms and great cover. Spinnerbaits, shallow crankbaits and jigs are all excellent for pre-spawn fish that are staging.
* White perch: Good. Captain Rodger Taylor reviews that he has been obtaining white perch feeding nicely in the upper sections of major feeder creeks.

Midlands Region

Lake Greenwood:

* Largemouth Bass: Very good. Sportsman’s Pal reports that bass have moved shallow and they can be caught in pockets, close to docks and in the vicinity of shallow cover. Plenty of fish are being caught in two-four feet of drinking water over most of the lake, even though some larger fish can be caught in ten-twelve feet off points. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastic worms are all functioning.
* Crappie: Very good. Sportsman’s Good friend reports that crappie can be caught close to most any shallow cover with jigs and minnows. Catfish: Slow to honest. Captain Chris Simpson reviews that channel catfish are even now shifting in and out of the principal river channel and they can be hard to locate from one particular day to the subsequent. Cut herring, gizzard shad and threadfin shad are the very best baits appropriate now.

Lake Wateree:

* Crappie: Extremely good. Will Hinson of the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail reviews that crappie fishing is on fire in the backs of practically any creek and fish are moving really shallow. Extremely strong fishing ought to carry on for the subsequent few of weeks, and trolling, tightlining in 2-three feet of h2o, casting to cover and dock fishing will all make. Catfish: Excellent to quite excellent. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that an early spring signifies that several fish are moving into the river or laterally into the creeks. The very best baits consist of gizzard shad, crappie heads, and white perch.
* Largemouth Bass: Fair to excellent. FLW Specialist Dearal Rodgers reviews that the fish have manufactured a huge move shallow, and big prespawn females can be caught all around rocks, docks and shallow brush – most any shoreline cover. Jigs, Rattle-trap sort baits and shallow crankbaits will all catch fish, as will a variety of soft plastics. When there is some wind spinnerbaits are a excellent wager.

Lake Monticello:

* Catfish: Very good. Captain Chris Simpson reviews that the baitfish are shifting shallower and the massive blues are subsequent. Numerous fish are also feeding on mussels. The most productive depths have been 10 to forty feet deep, and fishing mid-way to all the way back into the coves has been productive. Shallower humps and factors are also creating. Anchoring has been most successful, and right now fish are taking a variety of measurements and types baits.

Lake Murray:

* Shellcracker: Really good. Lake World reviews that shellcracker are nevertheless turned on and fish are biting very effectively all around points and secondary points in two-ten feet of h2o. Fish worms on the bottom.
* Striped Bass: Very good. Lake World reviews that some monster fish have been caught recently and a 38 pound fish was caught final week on reduce bait. Little to no schooling activity has been reported.
* Largemouth Bass: Very good. Captain Doug Lown reviews that pre-spawn, spawning and publish-spawn fish can all be caught appropriate now, but the majority of fish are pre-spawn or spawning. The jerkbait and crankbait bite is about more than and right now fishing Texas rigs and shakey head worms has been most powerful.
* Catfish: Honest. Captain Chris Simpson reviews that drifting the far upper reaches of the lake in 15 to 35 feet of water is the most steady way of obtaining fish in the boat proper now. Minimize herring has been the very best all close to bait, but anchoring on factors and employing 50 percent minimize bait and half stink bait will be most effective very soon.
* Crappie: No new report. Captain Brad Taylor reports that crappie fishing has been inconsistent at finest, particularly for numbers of fish.

Santee Cooper System

* Crappie: Good to really good. Captain Steve English reports that crappie can be discovered each deep and shallow, and not all the fish have started to spawn however. For shallow fish look about shoreline cover and use a minnow or jig beneath a bobber.
* Largemouth bass: Very great. Captain Inky Davis reviews that largemouth bass fishing has been very robust and pre-spawn and spawning fish can be caught all around most any shallow cover. They will consider soft plastics bumped on the bottom and response baits pulled via the drinking water column.
* Shad: Great. Captain Jim Glenn reviews that American shad are getting caught in the Tailrace Canal on curly tail grubs. In the Rediversion Canal shad fishing has slowed.
* Striped Bass: Few reviews. Captain Jim Glenn reports that striper fishing is speedily increasing, and striper are being caught on the flats and in the river involving Pack’s Landing, Elliotts Flats and below Lower Falls. Steve Pack is anticipating a greater season than in current a long time primarily based on catching in the previous couple of days. Most fish are in the 23-25 inch range, but some 26 inch keepers have also been in the mix. Cut and live herring will the two work.
* Bream: Honest. Captain Jim Glenn reviews that in equally lakes red ear sunfish (shellcracker) are beginning to feed in their conventional spring regions. Red ear may congregate at the mouth of the diversion canal on possibly side inside of and outside the channel. They will regular regions on the flats Northwest of the canal toward Angel’s landing above to Russellville flats. Captain Steve English reports that a handful of bluegill are starting to present up around the brushpiles.
* Catfish: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reviews that in the two lakes catfishing is only fair during the daytime when blue catfish can be caught the two deep and shallow. Fresh lower herring and shad are the baits of choice and a handful of catfish are getting caught in the river and on the flats out of Pack’s Landing.