South Carolina Bass Forecast

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LAKE WATEREE

Lake Wateree on the Catawba River chain offers a diversity of fishing opportunities for bass anglers and the early spring is when this lake really shines for largemouth bass.

Over the course of recent years the lake has morphed from a very good bass fishery to one that during March and April can post eye-popping weights in tournament results. The shallow-water action is still very strong for numbers of fish and there are plenty of quality fish available, too.

The lake is not huge, but its 13,000-plus surface acres have great diversity, with several large creeks emptying into the main river. Wateree Creek on the upper end of the lake is an early season hotspot and often seems to be the place that cranks out excellent catches. The water here is often turbid, even muddy at times during spring, but seems to warm early, prompting an early and substantial move to the shallows by the fish.

Further down lake are Dutchman, Singleton, Beaver and Colonels creeks. All are prime areas for bass. The lower end of the lake is full of large coves and smaller creeks too numerous to mention, but are obvious on a good lake map. And they all offer good springtime fishing.

Longtime angler Chuck Porter from Sumter said to be prepared to fish a variety of targets because the bass are on the move during the early season.

“Points, rocky shorelines that drop in several feet of water and smaller pockets off of the major creeks are all prime areas throughout the spring,” he said. “As spring progresses look for coves with weedy cover and woody objects. Also docks are prime targets during this time of the year.”

Porter said as the lake warms with approach of summer, bass typically stack up on points and mid-lake humps and drops.

“Lake Wateree is absolutely full of mid-lake humps and ledges and once the weather turns warm, many of the big bass will be found in these areas.”

LAKE MURRAY

Lake Murray has a strong spring and early summer largemouth pattern and ranks high on the list of many mid-state anglers.

Early spring patterns are varied depending on the specific part of the lake being fished. The upper end of the lake above Dreher Island is often considerably different in terms of bass patterns and depth than the lower end of the lake, due to water color and temperature. In the deeper, clearer lower end bass are typically deeper.

Early season bass tend to move to points in 10 to 2 feet of water as well as on large flats with plenty of cover, usually around ditches and deeper cuts coursing through the flats. Rock piles and shallow humps that come within 10 feet of the surface from deeper water are good targets as well.

As the water warms the fish move to the shallows and a lot of the best action will be forage dependent. Locating areas where shad and/or blueback herring are in shallow water is crucial.

Early morning action is good with shallow-water lures including spinnerbaits, buzzbaits off points and Zara Spooks and Pop R’s back in cover-filled pockets. Mid-day action is deeper and bottom bumpers and crankbaits rule. Late evening fishing patterns typically return to shallow water action with forage again helping anglers to pinpoint the best areas.

As shallow-water spring fishing morphs into summer patterns, good fishing continues with deeper water being the focal point. Mid-lake humps and ledges near the channels are good as well as long points that drop into deep water. Fishing at night, however, usually allows anglers to get away from boat traffic and provides the option of fishing shallower water than by day.

LAKE MARION

The upper of the two Santee Cooper lakes is prime early season fishing and the lake typically produces monster bass from the February through April.

Inky Davis (803-478-7289), a long-time professional guide on Lake Marion, says the specific places will vary from February through April, but a lot of big bass will be found shallow at that time.

“One reason shallow water is a key area is we simply have so much shallow-water cover throughout the lake, but especially above the I-95 Bridge,” Davis said. “In addition, a lot of natural vegetation is available and that’s another key to shallow-water bass action.”

Davis says he fishes a lot of different lures on any given day, but he has a preference for soft plastics early in the year.

“But I’ll experiment with different lures on different structure and cover patterns until I lock onto what’s happening on a given day,” he said.

“Weather fronts in early spring will change patterns, but if I can adapt to changing conditions the fishing can still be very productive,” he said. “On post-frontal days the bite may not be as aggressive but I’ve found that the opportunity to hook a really big fish still exists. As a basic rule I’ll have to slow down and work heavy cover. And the best depths may drop a bit deeper, but usually not a lot in the upper end of the lake.”

Davis listed a variety of lures that produce, including soft plastics and jigs, plastic worms, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. As the water warms, a variety of topwater lures produce explosive action. They include soft frogs worked through the pads and weedbeds. Other productive lures include the Zara Spook, Skinny Dipper and buzzbaits.

Make a plan now to hit one or several of these South Carolina bass fishing hotspots and take advantage of the outstanding fishing available throughout the state.

NEW BASS SPECIES RECOGNIZED IN SOUTH CAROLINA

According to Ross Self, Chief of Fisheries for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), recent studies and work has led to a new species of black bass being named in South Carolina.

The fish, found in the Savannah Basin, represents a distinct genetic Redeye line called “Bartram’s Bass.”

“The species has yet to be formally described, but South Carolina populations of Redeye Bass are already commonly being referred to as Bartram’s Bass,” Self said. “It is the only ‘shoal loving’ black bass native to South Carolina and occupies an important ecological niche in the streams where it is found as a top predator.”

Self said threats facing this native bass are primarily from introduced species. The Bartram’s will hybridize with smallmouth and spotted bass and the unauthorized release of spotted bass into the reservoirs of the upper Savannah Basin has led to the spread of that species throughout the system. The impact of this non-native species to Bartram’s Bass has been catastrophic in those reservoir habitats.

“Most recent survey work by the SCDNR has shown that through hybridization Bartram’s Bass have been eliminated from Lakes Keowee and Russell and are in sharp decline in Jocassee and Hartwell,” Self said. “Except for isolated tributary streams separated from reservoirs, pure Bartram’s Bass populations may no longer exist.”

Self said the Bartram’s Bass is valued not only as a species of concern, but also because it is an excellent game fish. It is a hard-fighting fish and even small individuals are a lot of fun to catch on light tackle.

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