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



Mountains Area

Lake Jocassee:

* Black Bass: Fair to good. Captain Pat Bennett reports that Lake Jocassee bass fishing has improved, but fishing near visible cover remains spotty at best. Best action is coming 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. Most trout fishermen also report picking up black bass as a by-catch when trolling live herring or shiners.
* Trout: Fair. Captain Steve Pietrykowski reports that trout fishing is starting to improve again on Lake Jocassee, and in the last Jocassee Outdoor Center tournament catches were up. Fish can still be caught in the main lake, but the best concentration of fish will be found up the rivers. Troll from the surface down to 50 feet with live bait, including free lines far back from the boat, planer board rigs, and weighted baits at a variety of depths.

Lake Keowee:

* Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Guide Brad Fowler reports that after being spread out for much of the fall, spotted bass are now bunching up in their winter holes. Look for fish around depth changes including humps, depressions, drops and channels in the 35-65 foot range. Shakey head worms, jigging spoons and drop shot rigs are good winter bait choices.

Lake Hartwell:

* Black Bass: Good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that as water temperatures plummet, Lake Hartwell bass are moving into a winter pattern. Fish were spread out at a variety of depths only a week or two ago, but now bait and fish are bunching up around creek channels, drops and other winter holes in the 25-40 foot range. Jigging spoons, drop shot rigs and jigs will all catch fish.
* Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Bill Plumley reports that he continues to catch small blue catfish up to about 10 pounds on cut bait in 30-40 feet of water. Numbers remain good, but the big fish are still out in deeper water. Over the next few weeks the fish will move en masse into the creeks, but the migration hasn't happened yet.
* Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Captain Bill Plumley and Captain Steve Pietrykowski report that striper fishing slowed down in the latter half of November even before the cold weather arrived, but the cold fronts of the last week or two have hurt the bite even more. Most fish are moving up the Seneca and Tugaloo Rivers following bait concentrations, and they are best targeted with live herring rigged on free lines and planer board rigs. When water temperatures drop below 50 degrees umbrella rigs will become productive.
* Crappie: Fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that crappie fishing continues to pick up, with the best bite now being reported around brush in 15-25 feet of water. Jigs tipped with minnows have been most productive.

Piedmont Area

Lake Russell:

* Black Bass: Fair to good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the spotted bass pattern remains about the same, but as water temperatures drop below peak ranges a good day will go from 40-50 fish to 15-20 fish. Fish 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. Most of the fish are in the 1-2 pound range, and about 90% of the bass catch is spotted bass. The best bet for catching largemouth is fishing a jig around brush on steep bluff banks.
* Crappie: Fair. 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. Look in the same areas where spotted bass are feeding and fish live minnows.
* Catfish: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the best bet for catching winter catfish is to fish cut bait on the bottom in 35-40 feet of water in the creek channels.
* Striped bass: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that gulls are starting to arrive, and they will provide clues about where the bait schools and feeding striper are located. 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. On sunny days temperatures will start off lower because of the lack of cloud cover, and fish may only feed for the first hour in the morning.

Lake Thurmond:

* Crappie: Good to very good. Captain William Sasser reports that he has been loading the boat with nice fish all over a pound, with many over two, in the Georgia Little River (to see the proof check out the photos on his site). Fish are suspended 20 feet down over trees in 30-50 feet of water and will take a small minnow fished vertically. Fish may move a bit deeper as water temperatures drop further, but in the afternoon on warm days crappie will move up as the shallows warm.
* Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. Captain William Sasser reports that the best striper pattern remains free lining live herring in the backs of creeks. Fish are also being caught on herring pulled away from the boat with planer boards around 12-14 foot deep points in front of the dam. In the lower half of the lake from the 378 Bridge to the dam and the Little River Bridge to the dam, fish are being caught 35 feet down on down lined live herring in the backs of deep coves. As water temperatures continue to drop, more fish will move into the shallow backs of creeks and coves.
* Black bass: Slow. Buckeye Lures in Augusta reports that bass fishing is pretty tough as fish are transitioning into a winter pattern. Some fish remain out on the points where they are following roaming schools of baitfish; these bass will take a fluke or a jerkbait. As temperatures drop, though, the winter pattern for which Clarks Hill is known will be dominant and more and more fish will move into the ditches. Jigs and blade baits will both catch fish.

Lake Wylie:

* Catfish: Good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that winter has arrived early this year, which means bait has moved deeper and the catfish are following. The channel catfish bite may slow down as temperatures drop, but the blue catfish bite usually improves. Areas to target for blues include anywhere current is present, which often means the upper lake because of natural current and the warm water discharge from the power plants. The warm water of the Hot Hole is also a bait magnet, and channel catfish will feed much better in areas where the water is even a few degrees warmer.
* Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. FLW Professional and Guide Matt Arey reports that fish are moving into a winter pattern as the first and second "extreme" cold front of the season make take effect. Shad are starting to die off, and in another sure sign of winter boats are starting to flock to the area below the warm water discharge into the South Fork. Away from the Hot Holes, fish will be suspended and relating to creek channel bends, main river ledges, and other depth changes. Since these fish are mainly feeding on shad, the best baits will imitate stressed or dying baitfish. Jerkbaits, flukes, crankbaits with a tight wobble such as a #5 or #7 Shad Rap, and Yamamato single tail grubs fished behind a quarter or 3/16 ounce jighead will all catch fish. Be sure to work the bait slowly and try an erratic retrieve.

Midlands Area

Lake Greenwood:

* Catfish: Very good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that channel catfish are biting very well right now. The thermocline has disappeared and the majority of the fish have moved deeper. Both anchoring and drifting will produce, and the best areas have been around channel ledges, flats next to the channel and in the channel. 22-30 feet is the most productive depth range. It has gotten too cold for stink bait, and fresh cut bait is the best option for drifting or anchored fishing.
* Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. Sportsman's Friend reports that schooling activity is scattered from the mid-lake down to the State Park, with largemouth, small striper and white perch all mixed together. In the backs of coves bass are taking shallow running crankbaits and spinnerbaits as bait and fish have moved shallow.
* Crappie: Fair. Sportsman's Friend reports that crappie are being caught drifting in coves with jigs and minnows, or fishing minnows around brush 12 feet deep.

Lake Wateree:

* Largemouth Bass: Good. Camden's Dearal Rodgers reports that bass have mostly moved off the flats and creeks and back into the main lake. Areas with depth changes will hold the most bass during winter, and the best spots include 45 degree banks and steep drops off points. The most productive baits will imitate shad, and crankbaits and single bladed spinnerbaits will both work. When shad start to die jerkbaits will also be a very good choice.
* Catfish: Good. Captain Rodger Taylor suggests anchoring up the river when current is present and trying to hook up with a big fish. For numbers of fish, drift cut bait around June Creek, Colonel Creek and below. Look in 22-30 feet of water, but most importantly locate the schools of bait before beginning a drift.
* Crappie: Fair to good. Will Hinson of the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail reports that the cold weather has less effect on Wateree crappie that it might on some other species, and the productive winter pattern regardless of frontal conditions from one day to the next is fishing the river ledge in 22-30 feet of water. Fish will be laying very near the bottom just beside the ledge, and recently the Wateree Creek area has been very productive. Jigs and minnows will both catch fish.

Lake Monticello:

* Catfish: Good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the bite is still a little inconsistent, but he has been catching some monster fish up to about 60 pounds. Some days the best fishing is off steep ledges, but other days the biggest fish are feeding on long sloping points. Be willing to try different things. Cut bait is the ticket for large catfish, and the free line drifting bite also remains strong.

Lake Murray:

* Catfish: Very good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that drifting cut bait such as herring, perch, bream and shad at depths of 25 to 45 feet is working best. Each day is different, and some days the productive zone will be 25 to 35 feet, the next may be 40 to 45 feet, and some days they will be feeding at all depths. Watch at what depth the baitfish are holding, because the catfish will not be far away. Be willing to change spots if the first place you try isn't producing, because one location change may turn the action around.
* Striped Bass: Good to very good. The best reports are coming up the lake from the Big and Little Saluda Rivers, and where the rivers meet the lake. Strong schooling activity has been reported, and at times anglers chunking topwater baits and bucktails have been doing very well. Fish are also being caught with live herring fished on planer boards, free lines and mid-depth down lines, and some anglers are also catching fish trolling lures.
* Crappie: Fair to good. Captain Brad Taylor reports that anglers are starting to catch fish in a traditional winter pattern, tight-lining in the channel up the Little River. Most fish are being caught in 12-18 feet, and for now jigs and minnows are both productive. As temperatures continue to drop, plain minnows should become the most popular bait.
* Largemouth Bass: Slow. Captain Doug Lown reports that the cold fronts are definitely having an effect on the fish. While some fish continued to be caught shallow after last week's cold snap, many of the bigger fish seemed to have already backed off or shut down feeding. For the past month some anglers have been jigging spoons in deep water, and as temperatures drop that pattern will only get stronger. Targeting steep banks with shakey head worms is another option, and getting out of the wind is a must this time of year.

Santee Cooper System

* Catfish: Good to very good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that cold weather has arrived and the regular winter pattern is just getting started. Large, dense schools of baitfish can be found in deep water now, and catfish are beginning to show up around these bait concentrations. As temperatures drop more and more catfish will arrive in the depths. Still, don't overlook the sides of hills in 15-25 feet where fish can be caught by anchoring. On the lower end of Lake Moultrie, menhaden, threadfin shad, juvenile blueback herring and American shad have begun to get bottlenecked at the Pinopolis Dam, where they are likely to stay through the winter or until they exit the lake or die. Most catfishermen will fish the deeper water from 45-55 feet on the lower end of Lake Moultrie, and drifting with standard bottom rigs should produce. Some blue cats will be suspended, and for these fish anchoring (or drifting very slowly) with baits 30-40 feet down in 55 feet of water will produce. On the lower end of Lake Marion and along the deep edges of the river channel fish will also be caught, and there have been some good reports of successful drifting near the upper lake dam and around Little River near Randolph's Landing. As always, fresh cut bait is the ticket.
* Bream and crappie: Good to very good. Steve English reports that bream and crappie are still schooled up 15-20 feet down over brushpiles in 25-35 feet of water. His boat is still catching numbers of good sized bream on crickets and crappie on minnows, but the bream fishing should drop off when temperatures get a few degrees colder. Crappie are more tolerant of the cold.
* Striped Bass: Good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that striped bass are turning on in and around schools of bait. Suspending live herring, gizzard shad, or menhaden in 30-40 feet of water should catch fish. Good numbers of short fish are being reported, but some 26 plus inch fish are also being caught.
* Largemouth bass: Fair. Captain Inky Davis reports that, after a very strong fall, bass fishing is slowing down as winter temperatures arrive. Work crankbaits or soft plastics slowly, or slow roll spinnerbaits around cover.