Ranking SC reservoirs

[Judson1]

Did you ever fish in these lakes in 80s, 90s? catching 30-50 1.5 to 3LB spots isn't as fun to me as throwing spinnerbaits over the top of submerged trees and almost getting your arm broke with 5-11LB bass you may only catch 5-10 a day. Doesnt happen anymore at Russell with the big fish. Hartwell has prob held up the best with spots still a 20LB at best lake rare 25LB day here or there. Yes they had 23 there last week with 2 8LBs weighted rest of the year 20LB lake at best. Anybody that says spots made a lake better is somebody who couldn't catch 5 largemouth to begin with. Like I said you can still catch LM but that changes eventually time will tell. You bring in your 5 best spots that everyone is catching in a tourney and the 1 or 2 people who found the LM are gonna laugh you off the ramp. Hartwell as good as it has ever been? Im guesing your like 25 yrs old and didnt see these lake shine. I could be wrong. If you think Hartwell is the best lake in the state you havent made it 4 hours southwest many times where 25 to 30LBs sacks are the norm.

I agree on a lot you said but one thing. If Spots eat LM fry can’t LM eat Spot fry? Because in late April every fish is hungry and no fry is too big at that stage. The biggest issue with LM repopulation is lack of cover. Mainly the grass being eradicated at Clark Hill. Still there are good bags of LM to be had and while I don’t see as many 7+ fish I saw a lot of 20+ bags last year. It’s just specific techniques to catch LM now. Like unlocking a code now. You can’t just go down the bank and catch LM.

[kb_rn]

Did you ever fish in these lakes in 80s, 90s? catching 30-50 1.5 to 3LB spots isn't as fun to me as throwing spinnerbaits over the top of submerged trees and almost getting your arm broke with 5-11LB bass you may only catch 5-10 a day. Doesnt happen anymore at Russell with the big fish. Hartwell has prob held up the best with spots still a 20LB at best lake rare 25LB day here or there. Yes they had 23 there last week with 2 8LBs weighted rest of the year 20LB lake at best. Anybody that says spots made a lake better is somebody who couldn't catch 5 largemouth to begin with. Like I said you can still catch LM but that changes eventually time will tell. You bring in your 5 best spots that everyone is catching in a tourney and the 1 or 2 people who found the LM are gonna laugh you off the ramp. Hartwell as good as it has ever been? Im guesing your like 25 yrs old and didnt see these lake shine. I could be wrong. If you think Hartwell is the best lake in the state you havent made it 4 hours southwest many times where 25 to 30LBs sacks are the norm.

all you modern day tournament fisherman are all the same. If a lake doesn’t yield 25+ bags every weekend and it has spots in it then it sucks and the spots ruined it. I have been fishing hartwell several times a year since 91…….it’s as good or better now than it’s ever been. We have a lot of 50-100 fish days on that lake that will consist of more largemouth than spots. Have caught idk how many 20-25 lb bags on that lake fun fishing over the years. If you like to go and only get 5 bites a day and that’s fun for you then there are a lot of places to go do it. Come up to nc and I’ll show you a ton of lakes to go and waste all day for 5 bites. The only thing that I look for in a tournament are the amount of limits that get weighed, specifically the number of limits between 10-15 lbs. when most of the field has a limit somewhere in that range then the fishery is doing well. Sure, you might go to santee and catch 25-30 lbs but you also might go and fish 5 days without a bite. Those big clear lakes were made for spots and largemouth to coexist and they have done just fine.

[kb_rn]

I agree on a lot you said but one thing. If Spots eat LM fry can’t LM eat Spot fry? Because in late April every fish is hungry and no fry is too big at that stage. The biggest issue with LM repopulation is lack of cover. Mainly the grass being eradicated at Clark Hill. Still there are good bags of LM to be had and while I don’t see as many 7+ fish I saw a lot of 20+ bags last year. It’s just specific techniques to catch LM now. Like unlocking a code now. You can’t just go down the bank and catch LM.

that’s the way it is EVERYwhere with largemouth these days, especially on heavily pressure fish which is most lakes these days. They don’t handle pressure well at all……especially not the amount they get these days with the amount of people on the water and electronics, etc. I haven’t noticed much of a change in largemouth catches on Clark’s hill personally…..almost every time we go we catch a ton of largemouth and good size. The bank cover has changed which changes the fishing.

But I don’t know of a single largemouth only lake that is even close to being what it once was in the south. We used to have some truly incredible fisheries in central North Carolina……now they’re all really tough. They have their days where they shine particularly on week days under the right conditions but it’s sad what bass fishing has become. I’m thankful for the spotted bass lakes we have. Be fine with me if they filled all of our lakes with spots.

[FALCONflyer200]

that’s the way it is EVERYwhere with largemouth these days, especially on heavily pressure fish which is most lakes these days. They don’t handle pressure well at all……especially not the amount they get these days with the amount of people on the water and electronics, etc. I haven’t noticed much of a change in largemouth catches on Clark’s hill personally…..almost every time we go we catch a ton of largemouth and good size. The bank cover has changed which changes the fishing.

But I don’t know of a single largemouth only lake that is even close to being what it once was in the south. We used to have some truly incredible fisheries in central North Carolina……now they’re all really tough. They have their days where they shine particularly on week days under the right conditions but it’s sad what bass fishing has become. I’m thankful for the spotted bass lakes we have. Be fine with me if they filled all of our lakes with spots.

Keep your self away from Murray, Monticello and Santee then with your spots!!!!

[kb_rn]

Keep your self away from Murray, Monticello and Santee then with your spots!!!!

There are already spots in Murray…..and have been for years. For whatever reason there aren’t many in it yet like other places. I imagine at some point there will be though. Won’t hurt that lake a bit though. Will just make it better in the fall and summer when it historically sucks. Monticello already has some in it too as the broad river has spots in it. I’m not a fish mover……but if I ever met the guys that brought spots from keowee to norman years ago I would probably hug them.

[FALCONflyer200]

There are already spots in Murray…..and have been for years. For whatever reason there aren’t many in it yet like other places. I imagine at some point there will be though. Won’t hurt that lake a bit though. Will just make it better in the fall and summer when it historically sucks. Monticello already has some in it too as the broad river has spots in it. I’m not a fish mover……but if I ever met the guys that brought spots from keowee to norman years ago I would probably hug them.

Norman was the dead sea for real. Prob the last option for Norman 9Lb won a Bass event there. There isnt many spots in Murray or Monticello I fish them both A bunch and have not caught one yet but that will change if there is one in it. Spots are not the worst thing for a lake but it doesn't help a LM fishery that I want to fish. Will have to agree to disagree. You have to be a MLF fan? JK man this is all an individuals opinion poll sore mouth them dinks on Hartwell for me!

[2dwoods]

I have to disagree hot summer months are some of the best action on murray you can have since blue back,

[fishon!sc]

I am not a big fan of spots. They are in basically every Lake in SC. The are here to stay. The only lake that I have not caught one is Lake Monticello. They can be fun to catch but I prefer to chase larger fish. LM fishing in SC minus the spawn is offshore now. The LM are still there
They just changed and fishermen did not change with them. I starting to believe LM are spawning deeper now. There are spawning flats on some Lakes I have fished for close to 35 years. The LM are not coming back to them anymore.

[BWQK]

Lake Murray is better than Santee at the moment. This will be evidenced when the Bassmaters show up this spring.


Santee is my personal favorite, but is #2 now.

[fishon!sc]

Lake Murray is better than Santee at the moment. This will be evidenced when the Bassmaters show up this spring.


Santee is my personal favorite, but is #2 now.

Santee is going to humble some of them guys with the derby being at the end of April. Wish they would have not come to Murray. Lake is already getting hammered. Going to really get hammered after the elite derby.

[BobD2369]

The Cabela's Big Bass Tour is next weekend right after the Elite series, April 28,29,30. Yep, Murray is getting fished hard!

[Judson1]

The Cabela's Big Bass Tour is next weekend right after the Elite series, April 28,29,30. Yep, Murray is getting fished hard!

Isn’t there a MLF event there too?

[5 Alive]

I would trade spotted bass for these dam stripers in Murray any day!!!
They eat any and everything in the lake and I'm to the point where I don't like to throw anything with treble hook if they're around.

[BobD2369]

MLF is there April 2-7

[FALCONflyer200]

I would trade spotted bass for these dam stripers in Murray any day!!!
They eat any and everything in the lake and I'm to the point where I don't like to throw anything with treble hook if they're around.

They suck too but they cant reproduce. What chaps my a** is they dont mind spending money stocking those freaking things yearly but all they do for bass is kill the grass. Be nice if they started a share lunker deal in SC. We have lakes with the right climate to grow fish maybe not as well as Texas and CA but they could be much better. You would think they could see what those programs do for the local economies around those Texas lakes. Yes I think our lakes are crowded enough but if they started trying to help them out with a Florida strain and share lunker the sky could be the limit especially on the herring lakes.

[kb_rn]

They suck too but they cant reproduce. What chaps my a** is they dont mind spending money stocking those freaking things yearly but all they do for bass is kill the grass. Be nice if they started a share lunker deal in SC. We have lakes with the right climate to grow fish maybe not as well as Texas and CA but they could be much better. You would think they could see what those programs do for the local economies around those Texas lakes. Yes I think our lakes are crowded enough but if they started trying to help them out with a Florida strain and share lunker the sky could be the limit especially on the herring lakes.

stripers kill grass? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this.

[ChampioNman]

Stripers can reproduce Hybrids can't, never heard of them killing grass either.

[fishon!sc]

stripers kill grass? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this.

I think he means SCDNR is killing the grass.

[5 Alive]

Stripers can reproduce Hybrids can't, never heard of them killing grass either.

Nope but all the grass carp and poison SCDNR puts in the lake does!!!

Stripers just kill every fry and baitfish they can get in there mouths.

[FALCONflyer200]

I think he means SCDNR is killing the grass.

At least some one understands my broken English!!!