Whats the best way to go about striper fishing on Lake Murray at night? I fish a lot during the day but never at night. Do you look for fish and then anchor like during the day or are you better off to anchor and try to draw them in with lights?
I’ve seen people do both ways. I never anchor. I use my trolling motor and drift. The fish schools seem to be moving around alot. I would like to go at night as well. Its cooler and less boat traffic.
I’ve heard catching bait is hard when the fish run through the schools and scatter the bait fish. I see alot of people coming in fron NC like fishing at night. I always wonder why they dont like fishing in the day.
It’s hard to find/see the schools moving at night. The most effective way that I have caught stripers at night is to anchor over a large hump or structure in the same area where you troll for them. We used to troll herring on top with circle hooks until dark, and then anchor up. Carolina rigging is ok, but I have more luck just free lining. If you drop in your live bait over the side with a hook in it’s nose, it will go deep and start bumping around that structure or hump. Usually doesn’t take long at all for some action. Chumming the water a little is a good idea too, cut the pieces small enough not to satisfy the fish.
Fillet and Release
I prefer night fishing, a lot cooler and the lake is usually calmer. Went last night and fished from 6 till midnight. Caught 3 before dark and 15 after dark. We were using down rods and freelines. fish seemed to be hitting around 20’ + - 5’. we ran out of bait. gave a guy a jump and swapped our stripers for more bait (only kept two that were caught deep and would have died) Went back and caught two more.
Keep the sotlight handy for the jerks riding around without running lights. Usually isn’t a problem during the week but on the weekend lookout.
kloudking1
I’ve had the experience! you’re right about using a spotlight to shine on YOUR boat, not in the eyes of other boaters. Most people wave it around like a weapon. Tight lines.
Fillet and Release
You guys are both right. I’ve been boating on Murray for years, exspecially at night. I owned a ski boat, which my wife (red hair, fair skin) loved watching the sun go down after work. Watching the purple martins on Bomb Island, etc, etc. We stayed on the water till Midnight many a night. I have most of my problems with people trying to catch herrin with thier huge lights. They dont really shine down into the water, more out from the side. Alot of large CC boats have spot lights to shine down on the back of thier boats. They shine out and not down as well. Yes, docking lights tick me off too. People use them to find marker bouys. FACT: It takes your eyes 20 minutes to get to their optimun night vision potential. One flash of light or glance into a bright light, the pupil goes back small and the process starts over. My real pet peeve is when people back down boat ramps with their Vehicle lights on. The other people backing down cant see Nothing. Makes me want to scream. I wish more people were as curtious as yall are. Have a great day.
Lights off when backing the boat in is just common coutesy. Too bad more people don’t know that. Goes in the same category as waving when someone let’s you in traffic, opening the door for women/elders, or filling someone’s tank if they let you borrow their car/truck/boat. It’s the little things that make the South the South and keep everyone friendly.
Fillet and Release
Holding the door gets to me. I try to do it for everyone, not just women or elders. I don’t get upset if someone doesn’t hold it for me but I can’t stand to see someone walk through a door and just let it slam behind them without even looking to see if there is anyone else coming through.
My biggest pet peeve is letting someone out in traffic just to see the come right out and never acknowledge the favor. They’ll just keep chatting away on the cell. I want to ram them.
Another thing I can’t stand is people that shine flashlights in your eyes while you drive. The worst are the people who walk with their kids all spread out in the road. Several times I have been driving, seen this ahead, slowed down to a crawl and gone to the opposite side of the street, just to have the ignorant moron shine their seemingly trillion candlepower flashlight right in my eyes so that I will know they are there. Don’t you think that it would be better if you allowed me to maintain my ability to see while I pass your herd?
People just don’t use common sense anymore.
Where are you driving that people wander the streets with flashlights?
Fillet and Release
I guess it’s an Irmo thing. People walk through their subdivisions at around dusk and they all carry the dmn things for some reason.
You live in spermo? wow, that explains so much. out to lunch, later fellas
Fillet and Release
I’m actually a transplant. I grew up downtown. I’m not a full blooded Irmite.
And what’s with the Irmo hate? Aren’t you a Lexington boy? Irmo is basically Lexington with a haircut.
Noooooooo sir, It’s a lot more than that! If you didn’t grow up there, that’s a plus for you. There is a lot of shady, shady stuff that goes on in irmo, and more drugs over there and in Irmo highschool than the rest of the state (except for maybe orangeburg) Lexington is fishing, and the lake with much nicer houses than the irmo side too. I know, I had/have a lot of friends on the water on the irmo side. Traffic over there is ridiculous too. Ever since the malls went up, it got ridiculous from harbison to the dam
Fillet and Release
The way I had the drug scene pegged here is cocaine on the Richland County side of the dam, crystal meth on the Lexington County side. Not a toursit draw for either I’d say.
Traffic in Irmo is ridiculous. They are finally widening Hwy. 60 from Irmo Drive all the way to the dam so that should improve it a little, but I’m not holding out hope for any real relief.
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of Irmo. It’s semi quiet but I miss the semi urban feel of downtown. Columbia is no metropolis but at least it is an aspiring poseur.
haven’t heard of any meth in lex in a long time, Definitely a lot of cocaine busts at irmo high that I’ve heard about. Stupid kids with too much time and money. If their parents had them out mowing the lawn and washing the truck they wouldn’t have time for that crap. Not enough space there or downtown, and the fishing is kind of blah on that side. Not bad for stripers, but the lex side has better trolling, and good structure and cuts for bass too. Never have run trot lines over there, not sure about the catfish
Fillet and Release
To be honest with you, I’ve never fished that much on Murray. I grew up fishing Lake Wateree. Now I mostly fish the river.
I can’t deal with how crowded Murray gets in the summer.
whalerdriver,
Let’s see! Do you mean the anchor light is the little white dealy-bob on the back of the boat? Thanks for setting me straight! I know what navigation lights are and I know what the anchor light is. I was referring to other boaters running on the lake without running (navigation) lights on. Not docking lights. I almost T-boned a guy july 4th that cut in front of me and didn’t have any lights on at all. Just barely missed him. I keep my spotlight on the seat behind me and usually if I’m running and someone doesn’t see me then I will shine the bow to let him know I’m there and yes if I’m anchored and someone is heading my way and getting too close, I’m not going to shine the light in his eyes and blind him but I will make my pressence known with my spotlight.
kloudking1
Please get out off the light issue and get back to fishing.
cogg,
Lets see. We went from fishing to the light issue to the drug problem in Irmo and now we are back to fishing. Ok I’m going sunday evening for largemouths. Buddy of mine has been slaying them in the upper part of the lake early in the morning and late in the evening. Going to try for stripers early monday morning hopefuly.
kloudking1