Fishing a new area Wednsday

tankstarus · March 11, 2013, 07:48:49 PM

Hey guys, I plan on fishing a new area down here on Lake Murray this wednsday. The area usually has clear water. Recent tournaments on Murray have been won catching pre spawn stagers on docks and other staging areas. Water temps have been in the 50 to 56ish range. I saw 56 this past weekend in more dirty water in a different area of the lake. So the big mamas are moving up. It has been a warming trend past couple of days with air temps in the 60s and 70s. There is a small front with a little rain moving in tonight and will be clear and sunny by Wednsday.

My gameplan is to fish the banks and points that have channel swings or deeper water nearby. I will have a jig, medium crank, soft plastic jerkbait (fluke), rattletrap, and maybe a spinnerbait tied on.

So how would YOU approach this area! Let the convo begin!

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Fisher of Men · March 11, 2013, 08:54:52 PM

I would fish south, the pockets and channels off of the main lake. The water temps will be warmer down south. All of the docks on the way to the back of the pocket while searching for the closest structure before getting to the back. If its cloudy like our tourney was sat, the big moma were out roaming and not holding tight to structure and it took me a little while to firgure that out. If so, fish a shallow crank or swim a jig across hard bottom flats. If its sunny like you predict, then they will probably be sunning and holding near structure. Our water was 58ish and 59 and our fish had bloody tails. Fishing fyour way out of a pocket you can judge where the fish are setup... Good luck and let us know how it goes

Mike Cork · March 12, 2013, 10:28:23 AM

I'm cheating because I've fished this water before during a National Event. If you're launching from Dryer Island State Park, the bridges that you cross getting there have some great flats and humps that will hold staging and spawing bass.

I'd also spend some time in Crystal Creek, run about halfway up it and start working towards the back. Or run to the back and work your way out. Somewhere between halfway and the back you'll find the bass. Cover water, cranks, rattle traps, spinnerbaits if you have some dingy water (BTW it will warm the fastest). Always have a jig ready for those isolated pieces of cover you come across. I would keep the boat moving until I figured out where they were staging and then concentrate efforts in similar spots. As the day gets brighter bass will likely migrate further back in the creek arms.

Morning bites can be good this time of year but stay confident in that the afternoon bite will be better. This time of the year a slow start doesn't ruin the day.

EdgemanP1 · March 12, 2013, 05:05:07 PM

I have fished Murray some, and this time of the year I tend to prefer to fish the area south of Dreher Island. The back half of Rocky Creek and Hollow Creek are very productive. You have all types of cover, as well as structure for the bass to use to move to the backs. Then there are also many little sloughs and cuts with no names that have small flats, stumps, and rock piles that are often over looked for what would appear to be obvious targets.

Wherever you decide to try, start half way to 2/3 of the way back in the creeks. As the sun gets higher, the bass should get more active. Some of my best bass have come on t-rigged beavers fished in the limbs of lay downs, when the sun was bright.

Good luck!

tankstarus · March 12, 2013, 07:10:39 PM

Alright guys I actually went out today and fished this area from 3 til about 730. I started halfway back of crystal creek. Fished everything to the right as seen in the pics of the topo map. Fished the secondary points, and the docks. Caught 2 dinks out roaming on a shad color rattletrap. About 5 or so i locked up with a 3lb prespawn "lil mama". She bit a worm under dock in one of those fingers that come off the main creek area. About halfway back into that finger. So I tried duplicating it but that was the last one I caught.

The front we had this morning had moved through and it was clear skies with a lil wind. I am going back tomorow to see if Ican put 5 in the boat. The wind is supposed to get up to around 10mph if it hasn't changed since I've checked. I'm going to try those docks around where i caught her and try to finish covering the area I didn't get to today.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

tankstarus · March 13, 2013, 01:39:50 PM

Well the old lady wanted to go this morning. And there was a lake wind advisery...AND the air temp dropped about 10 degrees. Needless to say I didn't make the run back to the spot

. But we did fish around the ramp in a seperate creek for a few hours and managed a lil 2lb fish. Anywho I'm going to try and get back down to the Crystal Creek area this weekend. Ill drop back by and update. It is supposed to be nice this weekend so there will be a lot of boat traffic but I will be riding solo

tgraham · March 15, 2013, 08:06:31 AM

Tank that is a pretty good area to fish. Stay below the bridge and stay on the main creek docks. If you do go back into the coves don't go more than a 1/4 ways in them. We had our club tournament there 3 weeks ago and we had one bag out of there that was pushing 17 lbs. I live in Camden so if you want to get together sometime and go let me know.

tankstarus · March 15, 2013, 08:28:44 AM

Quote from: tgraham on March 15, 2013, 08:06:31 AM
Tank that is a pretty good area to fish. Stay below the bridge and stay on the main creek docks. If you do go back into the coves don't go more than a 1/4 ways in them. We had our club tournament there 3 weeks ago and we had one bag out of there that was pushing 17 lbs. I live in Camden so if you want to get together sometime and go let me know.

That sounds like a great idea. Anytime you have got a back seat open let me know!

I did catch one 3lb fish out of one of the mini coves. She was around 1/4 of the way back off the main creek. I've just been wanting to fish some new areas. I've beaten up the area around the Saluda River split and I'm ready to branch out into more of the lake. Plus it seems from dreher to the dam is fishing better, judging by recent tournaments.

tgraham · March 15, 2013, 06:00:09 PM

They have been catching them like crazy from Dreher to the dam. I am not a fan of clear water at all but have figured a few little tricks out to make me some what comfortable fishing it. Don't be afraid to throw an Alabama Rig around the docks HINT HINT!!!!