Winter Bass Fishing on Lake Murray by Darryl Starkey Date: 12/17/2009 7:06:48 PM

I have to start this off by saying that I have found wintertime to be the second hardest time of the year to catch Murray bass. I hate fishing in the summer, so for that reason, I’m going to claim summer as the most difficult time of the year to fish. The HOT weather, lack of wind, tough bite, and having to deal with all the boat traffic, just makes for a tough time on the water. Therefore, I have no summertime knowledge to pull from as I don’t get anywhere near the lake when the water temperature climbs into the 80’s. Having said that, let’s try to get a game plan for some chilling cold weather fishing on Lake Murray! If prepared, this can be a very rewarding time on the water.   Before I hit the lake in the winter, I always check the local weather report, wind speed, and wind direction. This not only gives me clues to where I may need to start, but it allows me to dress appropriately. I actually love fishing when it is super cold, because I feel I may have the advantage over the next guy. I have invested in some very nice clothing to keep me both dry and warm in the worst of conditions. My team partner, Chris Daves, is a big snow skier, and he uses that same protective clothing for fishing. I’m big on layering, but only with three layers: base (underwear), middle/insulation (fleece), and an outer shell. In the wintertime, my outer shell is always a GORE-TEX bib & jacket. Not only does the GORE-TEX act as a water barrier, it also acts as a wind blocker. I use think InGenius socks, waterproof insulated boots, wind-block headgear, ski goggles, and a couple different pairs of gloves. I like to have heavy-duty gloves that I use to ride across the lake, and I like to fish with a thin pair, especially if the air is cold enough to warrant. One of my favorite things to do is to buy those hand warmers, and place one in each glove. Those things work! I have fished a few tournaments in weather that was in the teens, and though there were times I was miserable, it was not because I was cold. It was only because I was unable to figure out how to get a bite. Well, lets start talking about what we all love to do with every second of our spare time, FISHING!   If I have no preconceived notion of what the fish are doing, I will usually start fishing rocky points deep with a Carolina Rig, or rock jig. If I hit that special feeling bottom, and don’t get bit, I usually pick up a DD22, or a big spinner bait, and slow crank, or roll, the bait through the sweet spot. This time of the year, I like middle of the lake humps, and points that change in depth rapidly. I try to stay around the 18+/- foot mark when trying to find these bass that are tight to rock cover. If I can generate one bite after hitting three points, I will stick with this presentation. Otherwise, it’s on to plan B. Plan B consists of hitting those super deep brush piles that may be as deep as 30+ feet. I like to comb these deep piles with either a ¾ to 1-ounce jig, or a ¾ ounce Carolina Rig. I keep saying that I am going to master the drop shot ring, and these type brush piles would be perfect for that presentation. However, I’ve been successful with the jig & rig, so it has been hard for me to move on to another type presentation. However, I’ve been successful with the jig & rig, so it has been hard for me to move on to another type presentation. I also like to position the boat over the brush, and jig a light spoon over, and near, the brush. The first time I ever did this, I caught a beautiful five pounder in a 35’ deep brush pile in the middle of winter. It was in the first few minutes of bouncing that jig when that nice bass smacked my bait. It felt like something hitting that jig with an underwater baseball bat. It is a very addictive way to catch bass, but you better learn quickly when to abandon this fun presentation. I only will give this method a few hours of my time before it’s on to another presentation. If a front just passed through, it’s extremely windy, or bass fishing is tough in general, this can be a fun way to get some nice bites. I also like to idle over points, around bridges, and creek channels in the 20-30’ depth range looking for wads of baitfish. You need good sonar, a set of marker buoys, to help with boat position. If the bait is moving, it is almost impossible to stay with them. You need to be on a ledge or channel where the bait are maintaining their position, so that you can just sit over them bouncing on your jig/spoon beneath the school. It’s best to find the bait with some feeding activity under the wad of the bait. You have to be very patient for this kind of fishing, but if you hit the right spot (at the right time), it can be very rewarding. I first mastered this technique over on Lake Monticello back in the early 90’s. The first time I ever jigged a spoon we must have boated 6 over 4 in less than 35 minutes. I was amazed, and quickly learned a spoon works on any lake, not just Monticello. I have also learned a great deal about spoon fishing from Tony Alexander. It’s his favorite method of boating wintertime bass, and he can consistently pull them in the boat. Christ Daves and I spent a day on the water with Tony recently, and it was a lot of fun watching Tony in action. Tony will be the first to tell you that the high blue skies, moon overhead, and post front conditions, are best for jigging a spoon. If the conditions are not conducive for spoon fishing, or I have spent a few hours with no bites, I will then start hitting docks, and docks with brush. I would much rather fish a dock with brush, but let me be the first to tell you there are no rules in bass fishing. I’ve ruined good naked docks by dropping a brush pile. You have to fish all the docks, and let the bass tell you where they are setting up shop. This time of year, I like to use crank baits, spinner baits, and jigs around docks. I’m a fast fisherman, but you better slow down this time of year, and cover those sweet spots with a fine toothcomb. Force yourself to present the bait slowly. In other words, if you locate what should be the strike zone, make sure you work the bait slowly so that it stays in the strike zone as long as possible. I will also fish shallow in the dead of winter, but I like to do this after the weather has been mild for a few days (weeks is even better) and the water temperature is above 50 degrees. I struggle shallow, in the winter, when the water temperature drops below 50 degrees. Shallow shad usually start dyeing off when the water temperature hits the mid 40’s. Fishing shallow in the winter can be very rewarding though, so you need to always rule it out before spending all your time deep. My favorite way is to just start covering water. I’ll fish the points, shallow docks, and pockets, until I can start getting bit and put a pattern together. I love any kind of small crank bait on 8lb test for winter cranking. I like trying to imitate shad, so I go with natural shad like colors, white/gray/silver. I’ll also have a spinner bait, and a jig, tied on for shallow brush piles and shallow docks. If I can’t get bit shallow in the first few hours of fishing, I usually will go back to the presentation I enjoyed the most, or the presentation that resulted in the most bites. If I end up spending a few days on the water, and cannot put anything together, I then start calling all my fishing pals and beg them for information. If that does not work, I usually hang out in front of my indoor fireplace, watching Bill Dance, because he always seems to be catching them! Although this copout can be very comfortable to the body, as well as relaxing to the billfold, my heart is still out there on the water.   To me, fishing in the dead of winter is a great challenge. I really like it when fishing gets tough on everyone. Knowing it’s tough just gives me that extra incentive to find a way to figure them out. If you know your strengths, work on your weaknesses, you will eventually have many methods to catching bass. Always remember there are so many different ways to catch bass, so mix it up, and never quit without a good fight. Come up with a strategy, or a plan, stick to it, and spend quality hours on the water while dressed appropriately, and you will eventually figure out what the winter time bass are doing on Murray. Good luck, stay warm, catch & release, and God bless you and your family.     Darryl Starkey 19 years – Lake Murray Bass Fisherman 15 years – Lake Murray Bass Tournament Fisherman

Lake Murray - Early Spring, Spawning Bass Fishing by Darryl Starkey Date: 10/3/2008 6:37:53 PM

I love fishing all year round, but this has to be the most exciting time of the year to be on the water. The trees are starting to bud, flowers are starting to bloom, Easter is upon us, and the bass are moving shallow in masses. After what is normally a cold winter, the shallows begin to warm with an onslaught of warm days. I like to  rotate between deep and shallow water until I can locate that magical  number of 58-60 degree water in the shallows. My dad always told me to  find those pockets sheltered by the northern winds and off the main lake. Those should be the first areas to locate the bucks moving up. The bucks are the first to arrive, and will make beds in extremely shallow water, usually near structure. The shallow water is the first to warm. Eventually, wave after wave of more fish will arrive, making their beds in deeper, and deeper, water. They are comfortable bedding in deeper water because that water column eventually warms too. The bucks will stay on the bed four or five days before the females move up. The girls are not far off, but much harder to locate then the shallow bucks. I like to search for the deeper females on deep brush or rock piles. This can be a slow process, but can end in a gold mine. When Lake Murray had grass, I used to worship the rattle trap type baits to search out the larger staging females. Now that brush piles, docks, and rocks, have replaced the grass, I have been forced to slow down and use a jig, spinner bait, and/or texas rigged plastics. Locating those large groups of staging bass can be some of the most rewarding finds in this sport. Nelson Walker and I milked one brush pile in 17' to win a two day tournament during the spawn. That was a very memorable win because the fish were all over the banks, but we were able to do well fishing deep, and away from the other anglers. We had 60 pounds, and failed to haul in the limit of 20 bass. We only caught 16, but they were fat ones. Regardless, It is easier to catch the active biting shallow water bucks. It is not unusual to get between 15-25 bites fishing shallow in late March, and April on Murray. The sad thing is your best 5 may not weigh more then 10 pounds. You almost have to locate the females if you are searching for some lunkers. One early sign that the spawn is fast approaching are the orange eyes characteristic of March/April bass. That is always an exciting sign that the full blown spawn is approaching. This tell~tell sign is due to the fish hormones going wild (I remember how excited I was on my honeymoon with my lovely wife Missie~my eyes were probably orange too!!!!). Let me first point out that there are a million different ways to catch bass, so I will only share a few of my favorites. This is a great time of the year to share the water with an inexperienced wanna be angler. If you are a parent, it is a wonderful time to teach those young ones about bass fishing. My three kids, Susannah-12, Jack-10, and Garrett-8 love fishing this time of year, but can't handle bait casters. For that reason, I like using spinning tackle with light line (I love 6-8 pound CXX P-Line) rigged with a finesse or trick worm on a very light jig head. My good friend Chris Daves, has taught me a great deal about spinning tackle techniques, and he has been a Godsend. I rarely caught the quantity of fish that I do now. I'm convinced it is due to light line, along with that slow fall, on pressured bass. These light jigs are called shaky heads, but I don't like to shake them unless I'm hung on cover. I fish them slow from the edge of the shoreline out into about 6' of water. That bait falls slow, so a fish has plenty of time to move a good distance to engulf the bait. After a long cast, I lift the line slowly and carefully to determine if a bass is "on". You rarely feel a tick; you have to recognize the heavy feel or line movement. I love trying to detect when a fish is on my line using light line and spinning tackle. There really is something special about this presentation using light line and light tackle. I guess the best way I can describe this technique is to fish the bait on a slack line. If you don't fish with that bow in your line, the fish can easily feel you and spit the bait before you have time to stick that hook. The other fun part to this type presentation is the hook set, or I should say, lack of a hook set. This is hard for even the best guys on the water to master. I love to set a hook hard, but it does not work with 6-8 pound test line. You have to slowly sweep the rod tip in the opposite direction the fish is taking the bait, and just reel into him. I rarely miss shaky head jig fish as they will hook themselves as they swim against that tight line. If the weather has been steady, and the pockets are between 58-60, stay in the pockets as that should be the active areas. If a front has past, I like to back out of those same pockets to the nearest dock to the closest point, or the point itself. I continue to use the shaky head until those BIG females come shallow. When that happens, you better not have 6 pound test on your shaky head reel. At that point, I like to use 10-12 pound in clear water, and throw either a texas rigged lizard or a tube bait. You can fan cast to the same areas you were fishing just days before. When the bucks and females pair up, you better just cover water fast looking and fan casting ahead of the boat. When you spot the pair on a bed, you just have to properly control the trolling motor and boat, so that you do not disturb the 'friendly fish'. Once I get the boat situated, and you can either use a push pole or anchors, then you can start throwing every bait in the tackle box into the bed. Everybody has their own favorite bait to present to a bedding fish, so I will not even go there. If I find that ideal fish that sticks to, or closely to the bed, I like to try and bump that fish with my bait. It's my favorite way to get a fish mad. 9 times out of 10, that fish does not quickly blow my bait, but carries it 3 feet away from the bed. This long transporting of my bait, gives me plenty of time to react with a nice hook set. I promote catch and release, but suggest this be done very quickly during the spawn. The better the spawn, the better Lake Murray maintains it's current level of greatness. When you spot a male and female bumping or rolling, that is the process in which the female is releasing her eggs onto the bed. It's pretty cool to watch! Personally, I do not like to bother the pair when they have reached this stage of the spawn. They are both hard to catch, and if you can catch one, it can disrupt a good spawning season. Sadly, time passes by, and April comes and goes. When you get to the point that only the bucks are left on the beds, you have to come to the realization that the spawn is about done. Those tired females have backed out to deeper water, and are harder to catch until they start getting some of their strength back.  --  darrylstarkey@bellsouth.net Darryl Starkey   18 year Lake Murray Bass Fisherman   14 year Lake Murray Bass Tournament Fisherman

Shellcracker Fishing on Lake Murray Date: 10/3/2008 8:09:56 PM

In South Carolina, shellcracker fishing is common among panfishermen.  Pound for pound there is no other fish that out pulls these bullies!  I have experienced it first hand.  I’ve almost had (many times) a light action 6’6” rod pulled out of my boat, and also thought it was a catfish on the end of my line.  These fish pull very hard, even when they’re not biting that well.  When they DO bite, you will know it.  Usually by the end of March, depending on water temps, water levels and the moon phase shellcrackers start migrating to the shallows to spawn.  When the nights are in the hight 50’s and days in the 70’s , spawning will occur.  Severe weather fronts will delay spawning.  They will move back out to the nearest deep water, not far from where they spawn.  From my personal experience on Lake Murray, shellcrackers do prefer cooler water temperatures than bream. Locating prime spawning areas can be a little tricky. Offshore structure will produce bigger fish in my opinion here on Lake Murray.  Humps or ridges that are in the mouth of the main creeks or the secondary creeks will be productive, especially is there are stumps.  Shellcrackers do like areas where wood is present.  Also, the red clay banks and points with rock, gravel or shell beds.  But most of my prime shellcracker fishing areas on Lake Murray are secondary points with either stumps or rocks or gravel on them.  Shellcrackers are bottom feeders. Lures and Presentations My favorite way to fish for shellcrackers is with what I call a mini Carolina rig.  I use a 6’6” light action spinning rod with a Shirmano 2000 reel spooled with 8 pound Berekley Vanish fluorocarbon.  I use the 8# line because of the cover and clear water I’m fishing.  To the main line, I use a 1/8 ounce walking sinker, a small red bead, then a small barrel swivel.  To the other end of the barrel swivel I use at least a two to two and a half foot leader with a #4 eagle claw bait holder hook.  My bait of choice is wigglers, red worms, then baby night crawlers – in that order.  My #1 choice is a wiggler.  I anchor down in ten feet of water and will fan cast around until I find them.  Let the bait sink.  Let it sit from say maybe ten seconds to ten minutes, then pull the bait maybe a foot.  Then let the bait sit.  I usually fish with three rods, cast two out and let them sit.  The third cast out and move it along until you figure out what they want.  You may set that rod down and move the other two along the bottom.  You can also rotate all three along.  Caution – because this is how I’ve almost lost rods out of the boat.  Shellcrackers don’t mess around when they bite.  I don’t sit on one spot very long – maybe an hour at the most.  I may stay in that area and move deeper, but never deeper than 30 feet.  Then, after say another 30 minutes with no bites, I will move to a different spot.  Early spring and spring is when I find them shallower than ten feet. Winter, fall, and all summer you may as well start on points with rocks or stumps in at least 20 feet of water.  The better fishing on Lake Murray can be in 30 feet of water in December. Now, if you keep getting snagged and are constantly breaking off rigs, you can use a slip float rig.  But, your bait must be within three inches of the bottom if not right on it.  Remember, shellcrackers are bottom feeders.  I have caught tons of fish on a slip float rig. But, your bait must be close to the bottom. Cold Fronts Cold fronts can make shellcrackers vacate the shallows in a hurry.  Colder temps and high winds that drop water temp only a degree or two will move shellcrackers out to deeper water.  Just find the nearest deep water close to where they were and you will start catching them again. To me, Shellcracker fishing here on  Lake Murray is very, very exciting!  It’s also very addicting.  The greatest rate of growth for a fish is between the time you catch it and the time you first tell your friends about it. Tony Alexander

Power Fishing For Crappies Date: 2/17/2007 10:01:32 PM

I call this the fastest route to spring crappies you will ever take. while other folks are parked on brushpiles dunkin jigs or minnows waiting for a bite. I have my trolling motor on low and start casting. One rod will have a jig spinner, the second rod a very small crankbait that dives two to four feet, and the third rod a two inch storm swim shad. After your bait hits the water, let it sink to the bottom and then fish the bait slow and easy back to the boat. Fish in pre spawn, spawn, and post spawn don't want a lot of action in the baits. Slow and easy is best. While everyone else is using a saturation approach. I'm using a shotgun approach to cover more water and catch more fish. Crappies use depth contour when moving in and out of spawning areas. Dropoffs are a plus. With the lake being back up this year, there is plenty of flooded grass and broom straw. There is also lots of docks with water this year. This type of fishing is great for newcomers and kids who tend to get antsy. Casting to constantly changing targets is fun, rather than being parked on a brushpile all day waiting for a bite.