Just found out I might have a chance to fish this area from a kayak or small fishing boat this weekend. I’m not familiar with this area other than fishing for catch and release largemouth bass in early/mid summer. Would someone mind telling me what species are usually biting this time of year and whether artificials or naturals are used this time of year? Thanks
Largemouth should be biting shallow. Stripers are also fairly shallow now, but can be pretty much anywhere they want due to the water temp and O2 available now.
Try plastic worms (Green Pumpkin), jigs, shallow crankbaits for the bass.
Watch for schooling fish. If you see them try flukes or a chatterbbait.
The stripers will hit live herring, shad and big shiners. Also you can try bucktails, Arigs or swimbaits for them.
Perch are between 25’ and 35’ and hitting spoons well off of long shallow points. Or atleast they were a couple of weeks ago. Some bass and stripers might be out there with them too.
Thanks! That’s very helpful, the weather looks ideal for Friday right now at least, so I plan to bring an arsenal of artificials including some huge poppers, some shallow cranks and deep divers too in case they aren’t Shallow yet. Will likely not have a fish/depth finder with me (except a plumb line and lead weight) so I may need to spend time finding them
If the striper are around, I’ll be trying to target mostly them, but I’ll settle for whatever’s biting
I wouldn’t take up any space with deep diving crankbaits for largemouth. They are most definitely shallow right now (6’ and less). Some have begun bedding.
In the future, where every stranger poses a potential threat, knowing the predator mindset is the only safe haven.
Xpress H20B Bay Series
Yamaha 115 SHO
Thanks for the help. One more question, are there any nearby tackle shops?
There used to be a small tackle shop on Billy Dreher. Also, “The Station”, on the road to the island, usually has a good selection of baits too.
Personally, I’d stock up before you get there. Better selection and better prices in the Columbia area versus on the lake. I’m a huge fan of the new Palmetto State Armory Fishing Outpost in Columbia.
In the future, where every stranger poses a potential threat, knowing the predator mindset is the only safe haven.
Xpress H20B Bay Series
Yamaha 115 SHO
Thanks for all the help. Weather was uncooperative the first day (a little too windy for my little kayak to go too far). A lone osprey and I fished a relatively sheltered point for an hour before he gave up and flew to the other shore. He wind died a little, so I followed suit and picked up a small bass on a crank bait and missed another.
However, the next morning was dead flat and I decided to venture out significantly further to some areas I had in mind. No luck for an hour, but I thought I saw Nessie for a second before I realized it was a couple otters swimming in line 
Followed the ospreys again to the fish today at a different area with some felled timber and was greeted with a couple of godzilla sized stripers breaking the surface that made my heart skip a beat.I threw this pencil popper for a few minutes, then one of them swirled at my lure but didn’t take it. A few minutes later, a grenade went off where my popper used to be and my little penn conquest 2000 was crying uncle moments later. The water was pretty shallow and he stayed near the surface for most of the fight declaring himself quite a few times. Unfortunately, he managed to either spit the hook or dislodge it on some timber as he thrashed about but I got a good look at him a few times and it was easily the biggest freshwater fish I’ve ever had on the end of my rod. Probably just north of 40 inches (30-35 lbs I’d guess). Ospreys did a little bit better than me and managed to bring home some type of fish, maybe a bream, for their chicks. Started to get hungry so I paddled back to the campsite for breakfast.
Didn’t get much out of it but a great experience and a good story. I’d have to also recommend the tackle shop in the state park at the ramp. The dicks sporting goods near me didn’t have any pencil poppers, but the ramp store did and had a very good but s
A spring weekday morning on the lake is hard to beat! Glad you got into it!