Post by Steve Sutton on Jun 4, 2010 21:07:22 GMT -5
June 7, 2010 DNR News (803) 667-0696
The following information is provided courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site
for recent updates and detailed reports. DHEC Fish Consumption Advisories:
www.scdhec.net/environment/water/fish.
Freshwater Report
Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee
Largemouth bass: Fair. Some fish hanging on blow downs guarding fry. Fish are pretty
doing the same thing at numerous locations. A slow fall senko off the deep side of the
blow downs seemed to be the ticket. Trout: Captain Steve Pietrykowski recommends fishing
at the intakes early in the morning and pulling spoons for the first few hours of
daylight. As the sun rises moves out to the main lake and fish both spoons and live
shiners.
Lake Keowee
Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good to very good. Captain Chris "Fishboy"
Schuber reports that the shallow bite remains very good. Chris has been catching fish in
less than 10 feet of water off main lake points and in the backs of main lake pockets on
the south end of the lake, and the topwater bite is starting to come on. Nemire Lures
Baby Buzzers, shakey head worms and shallow running crankbaits are all productive. Sammy
topwater lures are also reportedly doing very well, and this is a good time for Carolina
rigging.
Lake Hartwell
Largemouth Bass: Good. Guide Brad Fowler says that the blueback herring spawn is over,
but there is still good topwater action early in the morning. Spooks, flukes, and
topwater lures will all catch fish. Some fish still remain shallow, especially in the
brush that grew up when the water was down. Crappie: The bite remains poor.
Piedmont Area
Lake Russell
Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson advises that some fish can still
be found fairly shallow in shady coves and near-shore around rocky points, but fish are
moving deeper and into a summer pattern. Fishing main lake points with a Carolina rigged
finesse worm or a Spot Remover is a good pattern for spotted bass, and if you want to
catch largemouth in the same areas try a Carolina rigged lizard. Crappie: Fair. Guide
Wendell Wilson advises that the best crappie fish is in more stained water, such as above
Middleton Bridge in Beaverdam Creek. The best depth to target crappie is 3 feet down over
10-12 feet of water near brush piles, using live minnows or casting small jigs. Striped
bass: Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the best striped bass fishing is coming between
the Highway 72 Bridge and the dam. Free line live herring or down line live herring
20-25 feet deep.
Lake Thurmond
Striper/hybrid: Good. Herring Hut owner William Sasser reports they are catching good
numbers of striper on down lined live herring fish 30 feet deep, over whatever depth (40
feet, 80 feet, etc.). Striper are generally running in the 7-10 pound range. Crappie:
Good. Sasser reports they are catching most of their fish 16 feet deep over 20-25 feet of
water around brush piles and trees. Anchoring and fishing vertically with either minnows
or white popeye jigs is working well. Shellcracker: Fair. Anchor on points in 5-6 feet of
water and with fish worms
Lake Wylie
Catfish: Good. The big three (channel, blue and flathead catfish) are cranked up and
biting well. Channel catfish are tearing it up in 15 feet to 4 feet of water on the
southern end of Lake Wylie in the major creeks. Fresh cut baits are the ticket to a great
bite. Blue catfish are best sought after in the river arms where anchoring in current is
producing good numbers of fish in the 10-20 pound range. The classic presentation for
flatheads is night fishing with live bait. Bottom fishing at night can produce both blues
and flatheads.
Midlands area
Lake Greenwood
Bream: Good. Sportsman's Friend reports that bream have moved onto the beds for a second
wave of spawning. Look in coves and on the side of points, and fish with crickets and
red worms. Largemouth Bass: Few reports - look around deep brush or up the Saluda River.
Lake Murray
Striped Bass: Fair. Lake World reports that early in the morning fish are being caught
shallow around shoal markers on topwater lures. Later in the day fish are being caught
from Bomb Island down to to the dam on down lined live herring fished along the river
channel 40-60 feet deep. Crappie: Good. Fish 4 to 10 feet off points with worms
Lake Monticello
Catfish: Slow. Captain Chris Simpson reports when the water isn't moving the bite is
poor.
Lake Wateree
Crappie: Fair. Fishing is day to day, with fish cooperating some days and not others.
Best fishing is coming over brush piles in 15-22 feet of water vertical jigging or
tightlining. Minnows will work, and Fish Stalker jigs in Ugly Green or Pearl White and
mini jigs in yellow/ white and dark green/ chartreuse will also catch fish. Catfish:
Fair. Some scarred up male fish are being caught which indicates the major part of the
spawn is ending as these fish start to leave nests and get into post spawn patterns.
Drift fishing will produce about half blues to channels on the shallow flats. Large fish
are taken on occasion in water less than 10 feet drifting cut bait near shore.
Santee Cooper System
Catfish: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that recent day time drift fishing has produced
some nice blue cats in the early part of the day, but it's still not on par with what is
expected right now. Cut white perch has been the bait of choice. Crappie: Good. Captain
Steve English reports that they are catching some good stringers of crappie in the lower
lake around brushpiles 15-30 feet deep. Both minnows and jigs are working.
Purchase a SC fishing license at: www.dnr.sc.gov/purchase.html
South Carolina freshwater recreational fishing regulations: (Pdf file): www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/pdf/freshfishing.pdf
The following information is provided courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site
for recent updates and detailed reports. DHEC Fish Consumption Advisories:
www.scdhec.net/environment/water/fish.
Freshwater Report
Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee
Largemouth bass: Fair. Some fish hanging on blow downs guarding fry. Fish are pretty
doing the same thing at numerous locations. A slow fall senko off the deep side of the
blow downs seemed to be the ticket. Trout: Captain Steve Pietrykowski recommends fishing
at the intakes early in the morning and pulling spoons for the first few hours of
daylight. As the sun rises moves out to the main lake and fish both spoons and live
shiners.
Lake Keowee
Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good to very good. Captain Chris "Fishboy"
Schuber reports that the shallow bite remains very good. Chris has been catching fish in
less than 10 feet of water off main lake points and in the backs of main lake pockets on
the south end of the lake, and the topwater bite is starting to come on. Nemire Lures
Baby Buzzers, shakey head worms and shallow running crankbaits are all productive. Sammy
topwater lures are also reportedly doing very well, and this is a good time for Carolina
rigging.
Lake Hartwell
Largemouth Bass: Good. Guide Brad Fowler says that the blueback herring spawn is over,
but there is still good topwater action early in the morning. Spooks, flukes, and
topwater lures will all catch fish. Some fish still remain shallow, especially in the
brush that grew up when the water was down. Crappie: The bite remains poor.
Piedmont Area
Lake Russell
Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson advises that some fish can still
be found fairly shallow in shady coves and near-shore around rocky points, but fish are
moving deeper and into a summer pattern. Fishing main lake points with a Carolina rigged
finesse worm or a Spot Remover is a good pattern for spotted bass, and if you want to
catch largemouth in the same areas try a Carolina rigged lizard. Crappie: Fair. Guide
Wendell Wilson advises that the best crappie fish is in more stained water, such as above
Middleton Bridge in Beaverdam Creek. The best depth to target crappie is 3 feet down over
10-12 feet of water near brush piles, using live minnows or casting small jigs. Striped
bass: Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the best striped bass fishing is coming between
the Highway 72 Bridge and the dam. Free line live herring or down line live herring
20-25 feet deep.
Lake Thurmond
Striper/hybrid: Good. Herring Hut owner William Sasser reports they are catching good
numbers of striper on down lined live herring fish 30 feet deep, over whatever depth (40
feet, 80 feet, etc.). Striper are generally running in the 7-10 pound range. Crappie:
Good. Sasser reports they are catching most of their fish 16 feet deep over 20-25 feet of
water around brush piles and trees. Anchoring and fishing vertically with either minnows
or white popeye jigs is working well. Shellcracker: Fair. Anchor on points in 5-6 feet of
water and with fish worms
Lake Wylie
Catfish: Good. The big three (channel, blue and flathead catfish) are cranked up and
biting well. Channel catfish are tearing it up in 15 feet to 4 feet of water on the
southern end of Lake Wylie in the major creeks. Fresh cut baits are the ticket to a great
bite. Blue catfish are best sought after in the river arms where anchoring in current is
producing good numbers of fish in the 10-20 pound range. The classic presentation for
flatheads is night fishing with live bait. Bottom fishing at night can produce both blues
and flatheads.
Midlands area
Lake Greenwood
Bream: Good. Sportsman's Friend reports that bream have moved onto the beds for a second
wave of spawning. Look in coves and on the side of points, and fish with crickets and
red worms. Largemouth Bass: Few reports - look around deep brush or up the Saluda River.
Lake Murray
Striped Bass: Fair. Lake World reports that early in the morning fish are being caught
shallow around shoal markers on topwater lures. Later in the day fish are being caught
from Bomb Island down to to the dam on down lined live herring fished along the river
channel 40-60 feet deep. Crappie: Good. Fish 4 to 10 feet off points with worms
Lake Monticello
Catfish: Slow. Captain Chris Simpson reports when the water isn't moving the bite is
poor.
Lake Wateree
Crappie: Fair. Fishing is day to day, with fish cooperating some days and not others.
Best fishing is coming over brush piles in 15-22 feet of water vertical jigging or
tightlining. Minnows will work, and Fish Stalker jigs in Ugly Green or Pearl White and
mini jigs in yellow/ white and dark green/ chartreuse will also catch fish. Catfish:
Fair. Some scarred up male fish are being caught which indicates the major part of the
spawn is ending as these fish start to leave nests and get into post spawn patterns.
Drift fishing will produce about half blues to channels on the shallow flats. Large fish
are taken on occasion in water less than 10 feet drifting cut bait near shore.
Santee Cooper System
Catfish: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that recent day time drift fishing has produced
some nice blue cats in the early part of the day, but it's still not on par with what is
expected right now. Cut white perch has been the bait of choice. Crappie: Good. Captain
Steve English reports that they are catching some good stringers of crappie in the lower
lake around brushpiles 15-30 feet deep. Both minnows and jigs are working.
Purchase a SC fishing license at: www.dnr.sc.gov/purchase.html
South Carolina freshwater recreational fishing regulations: (Pdf file): www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/pdf/freshfishing.pdf