Fishing Report (Updated 1.28.2012)

Water levels are about 3 feet below full pool in Lake Marion and 2 feet below full pool in Moultrie. 

Catfish: Good.  Captain Jim Glenn (843-825-4239) reports that catches have improved recently in terms of the number of fish being caught.  The blue catfish bite has been fairly consistent, and depths from a few feet to 55 feet have produced fish.  Targeting blue catfish in deep water remains a fairly consistent winter strategy.  Both lakes are fishing very similarly right now, and anchoring and drifting with fresh cut gizzard shad, menhaden, perch or mullet will catch fish.   

Striped Bass: Fair to good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that anglers are catching plenty of striped bass in both lakes, but there are still few 26 inch fish being landed.  The keeper ratio remains very low without about 1 in 50 fish being of legal size.  Schooling activity has slowed down in both lakes, as cooler water temperatures likely mean that shad are less likely to come to the surface when being pursued by stripers.  The key is fishing in and around dense schools of bait, whether that bait is deep, shallow or in between.  While much of the activity is in 35-50 feet of water, some fishermen have caught stripers in a few feet of water if bait is present in the area.  Fishing with live bait, spoons, jigs or trolling plugs are all effective right now.  Some folks are having success drifting large shiners under a float, or suspended under the boat with a sinker and swiveled leader. 

Largemouth bass: Fair.  Captain Jimmie Hair (843-553-1139) reports that the primary pattern remains similar.  Fishing around eel grass with Gambler Super Studs and swimming jigs will catch fish, and in the swamp working square-billed crankbaits around cypress trees is effective.  Soft plastics will also catch fish around trees.  In the Cooper River some big bass should be caught on bucktails and jigs thrown at breaks in the rice fields. 

Crappie and Bream:  Slow.  Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappie and bream bite has slowed down for the winter.  There are occasional reports of crappie or shellcracker being caught, but they are rare.

DHEC fish advisories: Largemouth bass and bowfin (mudfish) should only be eaten once per week.        

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