Freshwater Fishing Trends - Nov. 24, 2011
Fishing Information



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



Mountains Area

Lake Jocassee:

Black Bass: Fair to good. Fish are starting to move back into creeks and coves following the bait and some schooling activity is beginning to be seen. The baitfish should continue to bunch up tighter and tighter and the bass action should continue to improve for the next month.
Trout: Slow. Try trolling minnows and spoons around 80 feet deep.

Lake Keowee:

Largemouth Bass: Fair. Deep drop shotting and fishing shakey head worms will also catch fish and in 10-30 feet using a 3/16 ounce Falcon Lures shakey head jig with a watermelon seed worm.

Lake Hartwell:

Crappie: Slow. Try setting out lights at night in the Martin’s Creek area and fishing 12-20 feet deep with minnows.
Striped and Hybrid Bass: Slow. Fish are moving into bigger creeks. Go with freelining, planer boards and downlines in 20-35 feet of water.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. Creek fishing should be decent until temperatures get very cold, but the patterns are basically unchanged from recent weeks.
Catfish: Good. Channel catfish can be found 20 feet down with nightcrawlers while the blues are moving into the creeks around 17-25 feet. Use gizzards and shad for blues.

Piedmont Area

Lake Russell:

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Spotted bass can be had on main lake points in 12-18 feet of water. Use a spot remover with a finesse worm in cotton candy or green pumpkin color. Schooling action continues to be reported on the main river channel where bass are keying in on schools of small shad. When these fish are on the top cast for them with a Tiny Torpedo, but fishing a spoon or drop shot rig vertically in 15-25 feet of water in the areas where they show themselves is also effective.
Striper: Fair. Fishing patterns are the pretty much the same as recent weeks, but some birds are arriving, which will make it easier to locate fish.

Lake Thurmond:

Bream: Good. The Herring Hut reports that shellcracker are being caught in the lake off long sloping points with mussels. Fish with nightcrawlers on the bottom. Below the dam in the Savannah River the bream bite is starting; fish besides ledges 15-17 feet deep.
Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish around grass for best results in 15 feet of water. Use spinner bait and jigs, but the key is grass.
Striper: Fair. Fish are midway to the back of creeks with some reports of 9 and 11 pound fish. Planer boards, downlines and freelines are producing. Best action around Raysville and the South Carolina Little River. No reports of much schooling.
Crappie: Good. Fish around Raysville and the South Carolina Little River. Check the creeks and fish with minnows in 16-20 feet of water along creek channels.

Lake Wylie:

White perch: Good. The best bet remains fishing small minnows on the bottom from 18-22 feet deep.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. Similar pattern as in weeks past, but fish have move about halfway up the creeks following shad. Jerk baits and grubs should start catching on soon.

Midlands Area

Lake Greenwood:

Catfish: Good. Drifting cut bait and shrimp in 18-28 feet of water along the river channel and across points and humps will catch both numbers of fish and good sized channel cats. A big flathead or two may be mixed in with the catch. Catfish can also be caught by bank fishermen using cut bait or worms; try suspending the bait slightly off the bottom with a float to imitate a Santee drifting rig.
Largemouth Bass: Good. Some schooling reported with bass scattered all over the lake. Popping a bug behind a cork or jigging off points near schools are both producing. Also try a berry spoon. Fish should be moving shallow soon.
Crappie: Fair. Crappie seems to have moved from deep brush piles into channels in about the 10 foot depth range. Use jigs in 6 to 16 feet and try spider rigging.

Lake Monticello: (unchanged from Nov. 17)

Catfish: Good. Anchoring over ledges holding baitfish and catfish and fishing with cut bait continues to be effective. Depth is not very important right now but be sure that there are baitfish before setting up. Remember, patience is key.

Lake Wateree:

Largemouth Bass: Slow, but improving. Follow the shad to find bass.
Crappie: Very good. Fish around Dutchman's Creek to the upper dam for best results. The fish are all along the old river channel with some days in the channel and some on the ledge. Minnows and jigs are working just off the bottom.

Lake Murray: (unchanged from Nov. 17)

Catfish: Slowing. The fishing has slowed down for catfish, but is still decent. Drifting cut bait in 20-35 feet of water through large feeder creeks is producing. Cut herring is hard to beat as a bait choice on Lake Murray.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. The best bite is coming in clear water with poor results in stained water. Get on the points early and then to the docks when the sun rises. Fish are shallow, but deep. Rocky areas are the best with shakey head worms and jigs.
Striper: Fair. Lots of room to look for fish from mid-lake up to Black's Bridge (Hwy. 391). Some schooling reported so look for the birds. Use planer boards, drifting with live herring and downlines in 20-30 feet of water.
Shellcracker: Fair. Best results in 4-10 feet of water. Crickets and nightcrawlers always make good bait choices.
Crappie: Fair. Fish in 4-10 feet over brush in a creek mouth. Minnows and jigs are the bait of choice.

Santee Cooper System

Bream: Good. Fish over deep brushpiles in the 22-24 foot range. Nightcrawlers are a good bait. Striped Bass: Good . In the morning good schooling activity is being reported and the rest of the day free-lining live bait seems to be the key.
Catfish: Good. Good catches are being reported both deep and shallow. Right now deep water means 30-40 feet and shallow water is 4-10 feet deep. Shallow water is better at night, even with chilly winds, because the water is usually too clear for good day time fishing; however, the shallows will also produce during the day when there is some wind to break up the surface. On nights when there is current in the diversion canal that area can be hot. The best baits include cut herring, shad and mullet and both drifting and anchoring will work.