Freshwater Fishing Trends
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Piedmont Area
Lake Russell
Black bass: Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that in November bass should get out deep around bait schools on both the main lake and in the creeks. They will be caught on jigging spoons once temperatures cool and soft plastics before that.
Striped and hybrid bass: Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in November fish will start out the month still a little scattered, but they will soon concentrate into the middle section of the lake. They will group up tighter as the month progresses, and fishing baits higher in the water column will become more effective.
Crappie: Guide Wendell Wilson reports that November should continue to be an excellent time for Lake Russell crappie. Fish will be caught in both the main lake and the creeks around mid-depth brush with minnows.
Perch: Guide Wendell Wilson reports that as it gets colder both white and yellow perch will bite minnows well. The fish will be on the bottom in deep water.
Catfish: Guide Jerry Kotal reports that catfish can be found in the creeks and coves on the main lake fishing with cut herring on the bottom.
Most detailed Lake Russell Updates
Lake Thurmond
Black bass: Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews report that in November fish should continue to make their move back into the creeks. Square-billed crankbaits should work well around natural rock, and it can also be a good time for flipping jigs around creek docks. Especially at the beginning of the month continue to look out for schooling fish.
Striper and hybrids: Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that this month fish will head up the rivers and into the backs of creeks and the bite should really turn on. Down-line fishing should still be effective, but as the fish get shallower and scattered out in the backs some anglers will switch over to free-lines and planer boards.
Crappie: Little River Guide Service reports that in November fish should gang up around mid-depth brush piles and submerged timber in the backs. Generally, creeks in the middle and upper part of the lake will fish best, and crappie will eat minnows or jigs. The latter part of October was already very good for crappie.
Catfish: Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that November is one of the best months of the year to catch a big catfish on Lake Thurmond, and he has every expectation that very large blues and flatheads will continue to be caught this month. October was excellent. Anchoring on deep structure is about the most consistent way to catch big fish this month. The creeks can be good depending on whether bait has moved into them, and gizzard shad and white perch are hard to beat for the bigger fish.
Most detailed Lake Thurmond Updates
Lake Wylie
Bass bass: Tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in November more fish should move into the creeks as temperatures finally cool, although the presence of spotted bass means another group of fish will stay on the main lake. The bite should transition from a topwater bite to crankbaits, swimbaits, jigging spoons and more.
Catfish: Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that as it gets colder in November fish should start to group up in deep water where they can be caught drifting or anchoring with cut gizzard shad or white perch.
Crappie and perch: Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that at the end of October both species were stacked up at creek mouths and in the channels, and in November this pattern should hold until it gets much cooler. Tight-lining with minnows is an effective way to catch them. Crappie can also be caught around docks in the creeks until temperatures drop below about 60.
Most detailed Lake Wylie Updates
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood
Bass: Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Greenwood reports that in November bass fishing should continue to improve on Lake Greenwood, and many fish should be in the creeks following bait schools. Rattle Traps and spinnerbaits should both catch fish, and there could be some schooling activity.
Crappie: Captain Roland Addy (864-980-3672) reports that in November fish will be around structure near the main river channel or major creek channels. Bridge pilings, brush, stumps and trees can all produce. Down the lake fish will generally be deeper in the clearer water, while up the lake and in dirtier creek runs they can be shallower. Both minnow and Fish Stalker jigs will catch fish.
Catfish: Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that drifting the flats with shrimp or cut bait will still work this month. Flathead catfish will also be caught at night on live bream or perch until it gets cold.
Most detailed Lake Greenwood Updates
Lake Monticello
Bass: BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that in early November fishing buzzbaits and crankbaits can still be effective. However, later in the month he will almost exclusively be fishing a spoon around deep bait schools.
Catfish: Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that November is one of the best months of the year to catch big fish on Lake Monticello, and both drifting and anchoring in deep water can be very strong. Cut white perch and gizzard shad are the best baits.
Most detailed Lake Monticello Updates
Lake Murray
Bass: Tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that in November the fishing should improve after the fall turnover settles out. Some fish will stay suspended on offshore structure and start taking a jerkbait or underspin, while some fish will move shallow and relate to the sides of rocky points and areas with hard bottom. A shakey head worm can be very good this month, but if bait is around a #5 Shad Rap fished in small ditches and pockets can work well. There will also be another group of fish that can be caught on the bottom deep.
Striped bass: Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that in November more and more fish should move up the river where they can be caught on free-lines, planer boards, and by throwing double rigs at schooling fish. Look for the birds and like clockwork expect good numbers of fish to be above Black’s Bridge by about Thanksgiving.
Crappie: Captain Brad Taylor and veteran angler Tommy Slice of Chapin report that up the lake in November fish will move off of brush and start to school up in open water where they can be caught tight-lining with jigs and minnows. Down the lake in the clearer water, they will stay on brush this month, but instead of deep brush they will get on mid-depth brush in the 14- to 20-foot range.
Catfish: Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that November is usually one of the peak months for catching catfish on Lake Murray – especially blue cats. Anchoring with cut bait in the river channels is the best pattern, but you can catch them all over the lake in deeper water. The end of October was outstanding for catfish on Lake Murray.
Most detailed Lake Murray Updates
Lake Wateree
Bass: Tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in November the bite is almost all about where the bait schools are located. Fish will be in the creeks if the bait is there, and if the bait is on the main lake that is the place to look. Bass will relate to points that are near the bait, and shad-colored crankbaits, lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits will all catch fish.
Crappie: Veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that in November fish should get almost completely off of brush and become oriented to the schools of bait. A large percentage of the fish will gradually move up the lake and they should be caught on minnows and jigs.
Catfish: Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that in November fish should start to group up better around the deeper bait schools. Drifting is the best way to catch them.
Most detailed Lake Wateree Updates
Santee Cooper
Bass: Captain Kyle Austin (843-209-3726) reports that when it finally gets cooler in November fish will start to follow shad into the backs. In addition to soft plastics, swimbaits and crankbaits will produce in shallow water. There should also continue to be fish caught offshore on brush and submerged grass.
Striped bass: Captain Bobby Winters (843-751-3080) reports that early in the month November patterns look pretty similar to October patterns, and trolling in shallow water with umbrella rigs or live bait on planer boards can be productive. You should also look out for schooling fish all month. However, in mid- to late November after menhaden move into the fresh water to spawn in the lakes they will stack up at the dam on their way back out to the ocean. You can fill a nice box fishing around the balls of bait. The fishing should improve once muddy water settles out this month.
Crappie and Bream: Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that this November the bite should improve for both species around mid-depth brush, particularly as the lakes clear. Both lakes will produce crappie vertical fishing with minnows, even though the population is clearly a little down, and as temperatures finally drop the big bream will get tighter on the brush where they will eat crickets.
Catfish: Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in November fish will generally move deeper as water temperatures cool. Drifting in deep water with cut shad should be the best pattern.
Most detailed Santee Cooper System Updates
Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee
Bass: Veteran angler Chip Cranford of Boiling Springs reports that in November fish should move fully into the creeks and they should become more bait-oriented. In the earlier part of the month topwater lures will work well, but as temperatures cool down underspins and even jigging spoons should come on. As always there should be spotted bass that can be caught deep on main lake points with soft plastics.
Trout: Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that November is usually about the toughest month for trout fishing on Lake Jocassee, as it is not until the lake really cools down that the fishing gets good again. A warm October has done nothing to hasten the onset of better fishing, and the fishery continues to be down. While nothing is expected to be especially productive this month, generally fish are oriented to treetops in deeper water and trolling spoons or live bait is generally the preferred technique.
Most detailed Lake Jocassee Updates
Lake Keowee
Bass: Guide Charles Townson (864-324-2065) reports that anglers should continue to look out for schooling activity in November, particularly earlier in the month, but some of the best fishing should be with spinnerbaits and crankbaits off points. Shakey heads in the 15- to 20-foot range will also produce as will drop shots in the 30- to 40-foot range.
Most detailed Lake Keowee Updates
Lake Hartwell
Bass: Guide Scott Allgood (864-364-1733) reports that in November fish should be eating bait in the creeks, but while they are unlikely to be feeding on the surface as much as last month they will often still take a bait fished higher in the water column like a swimbait or jerkbait. Drop shots and shaky heads fished around brush will also work for spotted bass.
Striper and hybrids: Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that in November anglers typically look for fish to set up off the end of long tapering points where they can hold on the bottom in 35-40 feet of water. Points that are too shallow, or drop off too sharply, will not hold as many fish. Fish should be about half-way back in the creeks and a similar distance up the rivers, and typically they will relate to the bottom. Finding bait is absolutely key. This pattern should hold through December when fish will eventually head deeper.
Catfish: Captain Bill Plumley reports that in November bigger blue catfish will come shallower and move out of the timber. They can be caught with cut bait in the creek runs. This is also a good month for flatheads on live bait unless temperatures really drop.
Most detailed Lake Hartwell updates
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