Thread: Buggs

Originally Posted by Fishbud

Dan , I always keep my boat on the trailer and go to whatever ramp we intend to fish. You get a free ramp pass when staying at the park that can only be used at the park. I just booked the lodge for early March this year . Have an annual trip with about 10 of us. Some large crappie are always caught at that time period. Bluestone Creek was hot last year giving up multiple 3 lb fish. Caught my personal best 3.5 lb there last year. Help you anyway I can. FB

Been reading with interest the comments about Buggs. I have never been fished the lake but have thought about trying. Is there anyone familiar with both Buggs and the Santee lake Marian that can compare the two, in other words does Buggs have the flooded timber, cypress trees, grass, pads, stump flats, black water ponds etc. that santee has or is it more similiar to High Rock, Norman or Jordan. Would like to see detailed comments about the characteristics of the lake and the tecniques most popular for fishing it, Thanks!!! (also does NC and Viginia have a reciprical fishing license agreement)

I cannot seem to break the 2 lb mark at Hyco either. Some close and they are few and far between. FB

polarcrafter, I FISH BOTH LAKES MANY TIMES,THEY ARE DIFFERENT ,BUGGS DO NOT HAVE STANDING TIMBER,LILLIE PADS,GRASS BEDS,IT IS A FLOOD CONTROL LAKE WITH MANY BRUSH PILES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN,DOCKS IN SOME CREEKS,AND IN EARLY SPRING GOOD TROLLING IN UPPER CREEKS,BUT RARELY DO I EVERY TROLL,BOTH HAVE LARGE CRAPPIES.SANTEE IS COMING BACK HAD GOT SLOW AFTER THEY SPRAYED IN THE 90 I THINK,BEFORE THEN WAS THE BEST LAKE I EVER FISH BUT WHEN IT GOT SLOW I QUICK GOING TO IT

Originally Posted by genec

polarcrafter, I FISH BOTH LAKES MANY TIMES,THEY ARE DIFFERENT ,BUGGS DO NOT HAVE STANDING TIMBER,LILLIE PADS,GRASS BEDS,IT IS A FLOOD CONTROL LAKE WITH MANY BRUSH PILES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN,DOCKS IN SOME CREEKS,AND IN EARLY SPRING GOOD TROLLING IN UPPER CREEKS,BUT RARELY DO I EVERY TROLL,BOTH HAVE LARGE CRAPPIES.SANTEE IS COMING BACK HAD GOT SLOW AFTER THEY SPRAYED IN THE 90 I THINK,BEFORE THEN WAS THE BEST LAKE I EVER FISH BUT WHEN IT GOT SLOW I QUICK GOING TO IT

Thanks for the reply. I bass fished Santee lakes back in the late '80s and early '90s and thought that was the most "fishie" lake I had ever been on, never crappie fished it much, but plan on going after the crappie and shellcrackers this year.

A word to the wise: everyone seems to think spring is the best crappie season. My records prove otherwise. I've been guiding on Buggs for several yrs now and have crappie fished there for over 40 yrs. The most consistant crappie fishing there is in the Fall/Early Winter time frame. If you plan a spring crappie trip now, most likely the weather will wreck the fishing or the water conditions. We make some great catches in the spring, don't get me wrong. But we catch more fish more consistantly in the latter part of the yr. For a better shot at a good spring trip you've got to watch the weather and go when its rite,IMHO.

Originally Posted by fishdoc

A word to the wise: everyone seems to think spring is the best crappie season. My records prove otherwise. I've been guiding on Buggs for several yrs now and have crappie fished there for over 40 yrs. The most consistant crappie fishing there is in the Fall/Early Winter time frame. If you plan a spring crappie trip now, most likely the weather will wreck the fishing or the water conditions. We make some great catches in the spring, don't get me wrong. But we catch more fish more consistantly in the latter part of the yr. For a better shot at a good spring trip you've got to watch the weather and go when its rite,IMHO.

You are right about that doc. But it's real hard for me to get out of the woods that time of year!

Ahhh....my favorite time of the year..... When the hunters (and I hunt some) are itching to kill deer, that's when the lakes crank up... Striper and crappie anyhow. Love to see them birds diving, clouds looking like it could snow. My biggest dilemma is now I'm enjoying catching those fall and winter trout too.