Lake Murray help

I am going to lake Murray on a camping trip in about 2 weeks. I am used to fishing marion and Moultrie which one average depth is 30' and the other 50' and the deepest either are is 70' There is a lot of shallow water on both lakes as well as deeper. There are not too many sharp drops into deep water but rather a slope or stair steps. Lake Murray looks to be a deeper lake with little shallow water. I also hear it is a colder clearer lake as well as not being as wide having lots of fingers like tributaries to a river. I saw the map and it looks a lot like a tree to me if you look at it dam towards you and the map shows it deep. I need to know how fish are going to position themselves. While I plan to catfish some (I think I got that covered) I also may do a little bass fishing as well what lures/rigs work best in this type of situation. As I said I fish rather shallow stump/tree/weed filled lakes and know what to do there but I would figure with deeper open water things are diffrent.

Re: Lake Murray help

Peterfishbuster,<br />Just saw your post, in Nothing to do with boats. I wish I could tell you something, about fishing on Lake Murray, but I'm clueless. In 95 I caught a few little whatevers from shore, but nothing, while out in the boat. Last year I don't think I caught anything. <br />This July I think I'm going to Lake Lanier in Ga. I've had equally bad luck there in the past.

Re: Lake Murray help

Thanks I guess i am captining the ss sunbather for the day then because from all reports my experience will not help me as the lake is compleetly diffrent than what I am used to. I guess it will be time to find out how well the fishing gods favour me on the weekend of the 14th. <br />Next time you are heading out for a vacation trip try Santee Cooper while not as good as we once were I can say this you can't go too wrong fishing the lake because I know people that have caught more fish on accident than others have on purpouse elsewhere.

Re: Lake Murray help

I did spend a few days at Santee Cooper before going on to Lake Murray in 95. The engine I had on my former boat was giving me all kinds of problems. Never did any fishing there. I understand there's supposed to be some huge salt water fish there that adapted to the fresh water when they set up that whole area.

Re: Lake Murray help

Ya we are the original home of the landlocked striped bass and in fact all other lakes with stripers can trace them back from the hatcherie to ours. They are not as numerous on Santee as they were years ago due to overfishing but there are still a few.

Re: Lake Murray help

hey fishbuster Im from the columbia area and would like to someday come catch some of the big cats in santee cooper. Maybe we could could hook up and you could show a congaree catfisher the ways of the coopper system.<br /><br />Craig<br />Columbia, SC

Re: Lake Murray help

Re: Lake Murray help

Craig it sounds like a good idea. The problem is the way my year last year went and this one is starting I won't have time or money to go fishing much let alone finish mounting the motor on the pontoon. I can say about the best time to go is in the spring after things level off and start warming the cats go crazy in the shallows and if you have never caught a catfish over 20# in 6' of water or less with tree tops and stumps all around then you have never fished right. Just after duck season I usually start fishing the insides of the Hatchery prety hard and don't stop till the catfish leave the shallows which depends upon the weather and recently the water levels.

Re: Lake Murray help

thanks for the info, I myself am having boat problems as well. guess if owning a boat was easy everyone would do it. thanks for the info.<br /><br />Craig