Thread: How to catch striper on wateree?

Live shad or herring if you drive by a place that sells them. Find fish on your graph and drop down baits to there. A lot of guys use planar boards and a couple down lines. Have some spoons in case they are hard to come by. Might also see them busting bait especially in the early morning so a topwater ready to go or something to throw in there would be smart.
If ya need more than that hopefully someone else will chime in!

Best bet is to take a trip to Lake Murray. Fish from Dreher Island State Park up the rivers and pretend to be crappie fishing. Works every time!!

Toplines (free lines, planer boards and balloons) work best this time of year. Let you cover more water. And catch bigger fish by getting your baits away from the boat IMO.
Tight Lines!

Shiners aka large minnows are effective. I know the biker bar at the 97 intersection near stumpy pond has em on the Kershaw side of the lake and Nichols on 77 has them as well . The Flying Dutchman on the fairfield side used to sell em. The trick me and the Raccoon discovered to catch the Wateree striper is to use your normal crappie gear but with a large minnow on the hooks instead of the usual "paramecium" minnows. Tightline and free line like you normally do for crappie. When we fish for stripers using the usual shad, big rods, etc, all we get are slimers and skunks.

Originally Posted by whiskerwhipper

Shiners aka large minnows are effective. I know the biker bar at the 97 intersection near stumpy pond has em on the Kershaw side of the lake and Nichols on 77 has them as well . The Flying Dutchman on the fairfield side used to sell em. The trick me and the Raccoon discovered to catch the Wateree striper is to use your normal crappie gear but with a large minnow on the hooks instead of the usual "paramecium" minnows. Tightline and free line like you normally do for crappie. When we fish for stripers using the usual shad, big rods, etc, all we get are slimers and skunks.

How far are the striper usually off the bottom? or are they more of a surface fish? Sorry im a newb, but if thy eat shiners and minnows and hang out at mid to deep depths, a walleye rig would probably work well. Just brain storming for when i come out and give it a go myself.

a week and a half ago they were very scattered. caught them from 12 to 40 foot of water on live bait trolled very slow. water temps were 46-48. personally im waiting until water temps are back up into the 50's and they are schooled up again for wateree.
Now the upper end of murray is cold and muddy and the fish are just gorging on small baits.

Originally Posted by bassandkittys

with a semi warm week and a seriously warm weekend i might just take the boat out! So What is the best way to do it this time of year?

bass and kitty,

I thought you were the one that always catches the bass and stripers on Wateree, if past post don't lead me wrong, but anyways large shiners and deep water (river channel) should get you a bite.

Been killing them at murray, casting buck tales, caught 52 yesterday, 110 two weeks ago.