Midlands fishing report

LAKE GREENWOOD: Largemouth bass: Good. Conditions continue to improve, particularly around brush piles in the State Park area. Strike King Sexy Shad crankbaits and plastics worms in black with red fleck or green pumpkin with red/ green fleck colors are catching fish. Striped Bass: Good. Striper are scattered, but schooling action has been reported around the State Park. Some nice fish have been weighed in. Catfish: Good. Drifting cut bait and shrimp in 18-28 feet of water along the river channel and across points and humps will catch both numbers of fish and good-sized channel cats. Crappie: Fair. Crappie seem to have moved from deep brush piles into channels in about the 10-foot depth range. Use jigs tipped with minnows.

LAKE WATEREE: Catfish: Excellent. The drift bite has been excellent for 8- to 12-pound blue catfish and some fish in the high 20s have been caught. In the recent Catawba Catfish Club tournament, a monster 62-pound blue catfish was landed. The middle section of Lake Wateree from Taylor Creek to Colonel Creek is a good area to fish. Fall is a transition period and so catfish are generally scattered, and it is important to cover a good amount of water and try a variety of depths. Cut white perch, bluegill and gizzard shad will work. Striped Bass: Fair. There are reports of striper being caught 20-30 feet down in the mid-lake area. Reports are also coming in of small striper following baitfish up the creeks toward the bridges; this would usually be early in the season for that bite. Crappie: Fair. Look around bridges up the creeks and fish minnows vertically against the pilings. Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish were scattered shallow and deep.

LAKE MONTICELLO: Catfish: Good. Good numbers of fish continue to be caught, as well as several big blue catfish each trip. Anchoring over humps, ledges and other structure in 25-60 feet and fishing with cut bait seems to be the best pattern. White perch is durable, but the type of cut bait does not seem to make a difference. The key to big bites seems to be waiting at least an hour in each spot.

LAKE MURRAY: Striped Bass: Excellent. Conditions continue to be excellent and numerous 15-pound fish have been weighed in along with several 20-pounders. There has been very good schooling action from the dam to the mid-lake, and topwater lures are working well. Fishing down lines in the lower lake at depths down to about 40 feet has also been very productive. Dooley's reports that free-lining live herring and trolling Road Runners, Stretch 25s and spoons is also catching fish. Be sure to enter the SCFishingReport.com October Striped Bass Tournament on Lake Murray. Bream: Very good. Shellcracker have moved shallower and are being caught in 4-6 feet. Use baby nightcrawlers and red worms. Catfish: Good. Fish in 8-15 feet around shallow humps, points and islands; at night, fish the same areas in 3-15 feet. Fresh-cut herring and nightcrawlers will work. Crappie: Good. Fishing the edges of drop-offs down about 20 feet and fishing over deep brushpiles in 18-30 feet with both minnows and jigs will work. Anglers are starting to troll again with jigs tipped with minnows. Largemouth Bass: Fair. The largemouth bass have moved shallower with the cool weather coming in, and schooling activity is improving. Buzzbaits and floating worms are both productive.