Is there any place on Murray to buy good bait?

Saltwater Striper Fishing
1

I am considering coming to Lake Murray but will not make the trip to purchase green bait. Is there anyone down there with good, cured out bait?

2

Not that I know of. IMHO, that is the main reason no one ever catches any stripers on Lake Murray on live bait.

Seriously, there may be somewhere, but I personaly don’t know of anywhere to buy bait where you can be assured it was not caught only hours before you got there. If that is your criteria, you probably don’t want to make the trip.

'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki

3

OK, excuse my ignorance, but what do you mean by “green bait” and “cured out bait”?
Thanks, Bob

Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069

4

green bait is bait that has not been cured out. it is fine to use if you are going to fish cut-bait, however if you want to pull bait, it is best to get cured bait. That is bait that has been kept and cured out with salt and other chemicals to make the scales stay on and work the bait out. if you want to see some good cured out bait go to the bait hole on clarks hill. The owner is Rob Hedrick (the guy who won the big tourny with over 50 lbs of striper. (see what cured out bait can do)

5

I think one of the problems with the bait on Murray is the warm water. Bait caught in the warm lake water only last 2 to 3 days after being caught once the water warms. I’m not sure how long it takes to cure the bait, but I know most of the time the shops have one tank with newer bait that hasn’t evacuated yet and one that has. I’ve had the best luck getting water from the river, adding my own salt and bait saver and catching my own with no curing at all. I fish nights so that is easier for me.

Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude

6

MHO is i have always done the best with bait i have caught myself only minutes or an hour or so before fishing…match the hatch…if thats what they are eating feed it to them. I have caught fish using dead bait out of a fishs stomach while my buddy cant geta hit on live bought bait. But when it all comes down to it, if you are there and the fish are there AND they are “FEEDING” you’ll catch fish…but like i said JMO

Edit: Or is this thread meant for advertisement for the up coming MSC tourney?

7

Thanks for the info.

Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069