South Carolina freshwater report 2-17

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

Mountains Area

***Note winter fishing conditions will make for sporadic reports***

Lake Jocassee:

* Trout: Fair to good. Captain Steve Pietrykowski reports that trout fishing continues to improve. The best pattern is trolling 25-30 feet deep behind down riggers or dipsy divers with spoons and small Rapala plugs.
* Black Bass: Slow. Captain Pat Bennett reports that the bite is tough, as is typical for this time of year. Most of the fish seem to be suspended offshore where they are difficult to locate. Try looking for bait schools on your graph, and then lower down a jigging spoon or drop shot rig.

Lake Keowee:

* Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Slow to fair. Guide Brad Fowler reports that Lake Keowee bass are still very much in a winter pattern. The best spotted bass fishing is in the lower part of the lake in 50-80 feet of water. Brad is finding that fish are bunched up around depressions, creek channels and ditches. Fishing drop shot rigs, jigging spoons and doodle rigs (akin to shakey head worm fishing, with minimal motion) very slowly should produce for deep winter fish. Largemouth bass are very difficult to catch right now.

Lake Hartwell:

* Black Bass: Fair. Guide Brad Fowler reports that fish are staying deep this winter. Many fish are lying just off the bottom, and drop shot rigs, jigging spoons and doodle rigs worked very slowly will all catch fish. Captain Brad’s boat is also picking up a few fish by dragging a football jig slowly.
* Striped and Hybrid Bass: Slow to fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that the striper bite remains off, although slightly improved from a few weeks ago. When the water is very cold Captain Bill spends most of his time pulling big gizzard shad on planer board or free line rigs, or trolling umbrella rigs to produce a reaction strike. Right now live bait is not productive, and almost all the fish his boat is catching have come on umbrella rigs.
* Catfish: Slow. Captain Bill Plumley reports that he continues to catch a few small blue catfish up to about 10 pounds on cut bait in 25-40 feet of water. Water temperatures are very cold, but as temperatures start to warm fish will head into the creeks and start to feed more actively.
* Crappie: No new reports from Captain Bill Plumley. Water temperatures remain very cold and few Hartwell anglers are targeting crappie right now.

Piedmont Area

Lake Russell:

* Crappie: Slow. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that crappie are in deep water in the 30-35 foot range, and because most brush piles on Lake Russell are shallower they are relating to bait schools and depth changes instead of brush.
* Striped bass: Slow. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the striper bite remains elusive so far this winter. The most successful pattern is fishing free lined live shiners (because of their durability), and cloudy days will offer the best and most pleasant window to catch fish.
* Black Bass: Tough. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that bass fishing is really tough, and it only took one fish to win a recent tournament on Lake Russell! Spotted bass continue to be bunched up in 20-30 feet of water in coves off the main channel. Look for schools of bait on your depth finder before choosing an area to fish, and then lower a drop shot rig baited with either a medium minnow or a four inch finesse worm to the bottom.

Lake Thurmond:

* Crappie: Good. Captain William Sasser reports that good sized fish are still feeding well on Clarks Hill, even in the cold water. His boat is fishing in the back of mid-lake creeks like Soap Creek and marking fish about 18-35 feet down over the creek channel in 20-40 feet of water.
* Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Captain William Sasser reports that the water is very cold and herring are thick down by the dam. Most of the striped bass have also moved back down towards the dam. Fish are being caught around rocks, coves and points within a mile of the dam and most of the fish are in about 30 feet of water. Small live herring and Little Fishies are both catching fish, but most of the striper are on the smaller side.
* Black bass: Slow. Buckeye Lures in Augusta reports that bass fishing remains tough, although it’s possible to pick up a small limit fishing crankbaits up shallow. The bite offshore has been almost non-existent, and the traditional winter pattern of fishing ditches and drains has been similarly unproductive because bait hasn’t stacked up in them.

Lake Wylie:

* Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that up the lake fishing has slowed in the dinghy water. Further down the lake the water clears up and drifting cut bait in 40 feet of water has been productive. Fishing later in the day when a little wind picks up seems to be ideal. The suspended bite has slowed down from earlier this winter, but blue catfish remain most aggressive with a few channel cats thrown in.
* Largemouth Bass: Fair. FLW Professional and Guide Matt Arey reports that boats are clustered around the warm water discharge in the South Fork, where the bite has been consistent for most of this winter. Outside of the hot hole, fish are suspended and relating to creek channel bends, main river ledges, and other depth changes. Look for bait on your graph and then fish grubs or jerkbaits.

Midlands Area

Lake Greenwood:

* Largemouth Bass: Fair. Greenwood Bassmaster Stanley Gunter reports that some anglers have been catching bass jigging deep water, but the winning pattern recently has been fishing medium running crankbaits about 8-9 feet down off the banks.
* Catfish: Slow to fair. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the cold weather has the channel catfish congregated in the main river channel. On days when the wind will allow it, try drifting parallel to the channel and in and out of it. On other days, try anchoring in the channel and waiting for the fish. Cut herring, gizzard shad and threadfin shad are the best baits right now.

Lake Wateree:

* Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that there can be a pretty good bite for blue catfish drifting cut bait on the mid lake flats in 17-21 feet of water. For bigger fish, head up the river and anchor large cut bait offering in the current.
* Crappie: Fair. Will Hinson of the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail reports that fishing has improved in the last few weeks. Most of the fish are grouped up on the upper end of the lake above Wateree Creek, where they are holding near the bottom in the main river channel. Look in 16-22 feet of water, and fish jigs and minnows about a foot off the bottom.
* Largemouth Bass: Slow. FLW Professional Dearal Rodgers reports that bass fishing remains tough on Lake Wateree – but should improve very soon. Look for fish where steep or long, sloping points intersect the main river channel. Jigs or Carolina rigs worked very slowly may catch fish, and using your graph to work a jigging spoon precisely can also be effective.

Lake Monticello:

* Catfish: Good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the bite for blue catfish in the 10-20 pound range is still good, and for patient anglers big fish are still available. Many shad and catfish remain glued to the bottom, and the most productive depth range has been 50-65 feet. White perch, gizzard shad and even herring are working well, and cutting the bait in cubes about the size of a mussel has been catching the majority of the fish.

Lake Murray:

* Crappie: Fair. Captain Brad Taylor reports that rapidly changing weather has hurt the consistency of the bite, and there are some good days and some bad days right now. Overall the most consistent pattern is tight-lining up the rivers around the channel ledges, and the Little Saluda is producing best right now. Fish are spread out at a variety of different depths, and Captain Brad is using jigs, minnows and combinations of the two.
* Catfish: Fair. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the pattern is unchanged from a few weeks ago, but the fishing has gotten much less consistent. Some days are strong, while getting bit on other days is tough. In general 25-50 feet has been the best depth range for numbers of fish, and drifting cut herring is the best pattern. Fish are moving around a lot, so don’t expect to fish the same spot from one day to the next. Jigging a spoon off the bottom while drifting has also been catching a variety of fish, including lots of white perch, some striper, big largemouth and occasional cats.
* Striped Bass: Fair. Lake World reports that striper reports are coming in from all over the lake, with fish being caught from way up the rivers down to the mid-lake area. It’s hard to pattern the fish, and they are being caught from the bank out to 110 feet of water. Down-lined herring, herring fished off planer boards and umbrella rigs are all catching fish.
* Largemouth Bass: Slow to fair. Captain Doug Lown reports that the bite has improved somewhat, and a few people are starting to weigh in heavy sacks in tournaments. The best bite is taking place for about two or three hours early in the morning, and then the fishing is slowing down. At night the bait seems to come up relatively shallow, bringing the bass with it, and then when the sun gets up the bait and bass pull out.

Santee Cooper System

* Catfish: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that for most fishermen catfishing on Lake Moultrie has slowed down and identifying a pattern has been difficult. The lower end of the lake from Eutawville across to Wyboo Creek and down to the Lake Marion dam has been strong, and fishing has been particularly good near the river channel bends where schools of bait are concentrated.
* Striped Bass: Slow. Captain Jim Glenn reports that striped bass can be caught on spoons, jigs and trolled lures, as well as live bite. Largemouth bass: Fair. Captain Inky Davis reports that bass fishing remains in a winter slow-down. Still, some days fish will feed well. Work crankbaits or soft plastics slowly, or slow roll spinnerbaits around cover.
* Bream and crappie: Slow. Captain Steve English reports that bream and crappie have essentially shut down because of the cold water temperatures.