I’ve never tried it before, but I got a few gallons of E gas I want to run out of the boat before filling it back up with E free, so I want to give it a try while out there this weekend.
After seeing all the info on here, I feel pretty confident about being able to jig some up if I find some and I got a pretty good idea from recent post on depths to look.
My only real question is what kind of areas to look? Points? Humps? Creek mouths?
TIA
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
On the types of areas you mentioned, I would respond “all of the above.” Knowing you prefer to fish lower lake, I would say any of the type areas you mentioned in 45-60 could work near the mouth of Bear, Johns, Beards, and Wateree. Look for fish glued to the bottom and stacks that present as a double bottom on your graph. Jig away!
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
Back of beards and half way back in beards has been full tim. Striper have been there as well but the stripers move around a lot in there. One minute they are there gone the next. And they come and go all day. The perch move around some but not alot. Once you find them. Game on…give me a shout if u need more details.
“All fisherman lie. And if they say otherwise, then they’re lying”
“Sea~N~Stripes”
21’ Hewes Craft Custom
115 Evinrude
Take a variety of spoon colors and sizes from 3/8 to 3/4 ounce. All of these have worked for me on different days this fall and winter. Try several until you find which one works the best. Their preference can vary from day to day. If you find them “on the feed” almost anything will get quick results. I’ve heard they are thick in Crystal lake too, around 42’ to 47’ deep, mixed in with stripers and largemouth.
If you can only take one spoon, the 1/2 ounce white Berry with the silver reflector would be my choice for most dependable over a wide variety of conditions.
hey guys, Caught’m in 66’ of water yesterday on the Berry spoon. And also caught a 4# largemouth and 2 blue cats…question is what is a largemouth doing that deep…never ceases to amaze me…and they are excellent table fare…
Fishing is a prefectible art…in which nevertheless, no man is perfect – Gifford Pinchot
Key West Sportsman 1720
Ice Blue Pathfinder 2200
“Kemosabe”
<’}}}><
Most all of the big black bass I’ve ever caught have been on spoons in 40+ feet of water. I’m convinced that there are populations of largemouth in deep, clear reservoirs that never move shallow. Occasionally, I even catch 6-8 pounders in the summer while deep downrodding for striper.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
I agree whole heartedly on the big deep largemouth bass! All of the ones I’ve ever caught over 8 lbs were atleast 35’ deep. That includes my “wall hanger” that went 10 lbs 3 ounces, also caught on a 1/2 ounce Berry during the last week of February a few years ago. Most of the guys in my bass club think bass are “deep” in 20’ and seldom if ever fish for them deeper than 25’, and then only in a deep brush pile. They don’t know what they’re missing. I guess they think all of those big shallow bedding bass in the spring disappear for the rest of the year until it’s time to spawn again. The action can be extremely fast when you drop a spoon into a school of deep largemouth, as fast as any schooling I’ve ever seen on top.
Fog, how many bass was it that you and your Dad caught in one day on Monticello with the spoons? How many over 5 lbs. in a day? How deep? Remind me how big the biggest one was that day. Oh yeah… call me if you’re ever going over there again and need some company!!
That was 6-7 years ago I believe. I seem to remember that we had 6 black bass in the 5-8 pound range. We were fishing a small road bed, bumping in 45-55 feet of water. We also had over 100 good perch, some blue cats, and a few white bass mixed in. That bite was insane! Might have to ride back over there after the next striper tournament. You know you’re welcome as always Spoon.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
Where is the best source for those spoons? Yall have me wanting to try it also.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Tigerfin, Are you located near lake Murray? If so, both Lake World and Dooley’s usually have spoons. Walmart sometimes has them, and Sportsman’s Warehouse, in Irmo, usually has both brands. I basically bought out a rack of the 3/4 ounce CC spoons from Sportsmans last winter. Dick’s Sporting Goods would not carry them when I worked there despite many requests from former customers who were looking for them.
You need a trolling motor to hold you on the fish and a passable depthfinder to help locate them. The depthfinder doesn’t have to have all of the bells and whistles. Even an inexpensive depthfinder will usually be all you need to find the perch.
Fog, I should be over this flu bug by then. If possible, my cousin would also like to fish with us whenever he’s in town and if you have room. He wants to hook a few stripers and learn how to catch the white perch. I told him I can handle the perch fairly well and that you can show him all about the striper rigging. I suggested that he consider joining Midlands Striper Club and attend the programs y’all have. He’ll be in and out of town on business for around 6 or 7 months.
I’ve been thinking about starting Spoon’s Fishing School specializing in remedial fishing ed. for challenged fishermen. I could cover perch and largemouth and you could be the instructor for the advanced striper class! It probably wouldn’t work to well with the largemouth guys. Most of them will think I’m crazy when I start fishing more than 50 yards from the bank!!
You can get them at Lake World, near the dam.
Rick K
Spoonmaster, I live in Orangeburg, but work in Lexington and fish on Murray from time to time, just not regularly. I got all the equipment necessary, except for the spoons. I have seen a few at sportsman’s warehouse, but they are usually cleaned out. I’m hoping to find a nice selection and buy enough to cover all the bases to start my spoon box. Thanks for the response, BTW. I’ll have to check lake world the next time I go to the dam.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Academy has a spoon of every shape and size and are really cheap. I have been getting all mine from there lately.
“All fisherman lie. And if they say otherwise, then they’re lying”
“Sea~N~Stripes”
21’ Hewes Craft Custom
115 Evinrude
Hopkins silver 3/4 oz…hands down the best spoon for Murray. CC’s are mimics and the finish doesn’t hold up. I also switch the hooks to Owner 2x trebles. I fish 3oz and down Hopkins. Little more $ but worth it IMHO.
Got a handful of the one’s MM is preaching and they aren’t bad and actually have decent hooks on em.
While your stocking…get a few Silver Buddy’s. Been playing with them this Winter and it’s a “bigger” perch machine.
“I may be going to hell in a bucket. But at least I’m enjoying the ride”
Thanks to all, I stopped by sportsmans and academy yesterday and stocked up on about fifteen different ones. Sportsmans was cleaned out of the berry’s spoons, but I bought a few other ones to try. Now I just gotta get out there and spend some time on the water.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Tigerfin, If you do get the Berry spoons I reccommend changing out to better and larger hooks on them as well. Sooner or later you will hook some really big fish on the spoons. As long as the water stays cold the spoons will be my choice of bait to produce a lot of fish.
Will do, plan on going in the morning and stopping by lake world. Gonna try to find some fish in the lower to mid lake.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Launching in Ballentine about 10 am to give the perch a try. Maybe catch up with you out there. VHF CH 71 or cell 803-429-7729
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
quote:Good advice there. Broke one barb off of a treble myself. That barb just happened to be implanted in the upper lip of a catfish that probably weighed in excess of 20 lbs.
Originally posted by SpoonmasterTigerfin, If you do get the Berry spoons I reccommend changing out to better and larger hooks on them as well. Sooner or later you will hook some really big fish on the spoons. As long as the water stays cold the spoons will be my choice of bait to produce a lot of fish.
-The size of a fish is directly proportional to the time between when it’s lost and the story is told. - Me
-What’s the best eating fish, you ask? I’ve found that for a lot people, its the ones that they happen to be able to catch, clean, and cook. - My Dad
-Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. Anatole France (paraphrased)
-RIP my “Puppy Dog” 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013. I’ll never forget him. What a special friend he was.
Ok now you boys got me wanting to try this. What kind of tackle set up are you using?