Hello all. Newbie here fishing for tips(pun intended). Me and my dad fished lake moultrie years ago, but just stopped for whatever reason. We have a new boat and are looking to get out there again. We usually put in at the hatchery and fish next to the tall grass, but Ive only caught one small channel cat in 3 trips. Right now Im using a slip sinker rig with a float, and not so fresh Shad. Any tips on rig setups, locations on the lake, and bait would be much appreciated.
Hey Andrew, welcome to the USCA. I'm not from SC but wanted to say hello. Make sure to add your state to your profile. And a picture of you and one of your catches would be great, too. If you need any help just give me a holler.
We fished Marion this past weekend with some success. Water temps were 68-73. We drifted santee rigs during the day with floats in 8-20 FOW with fresh caught shad. We caught blues mostly from 5-15lbs with a few channels mixed in. We did NOT do well anchor fishing at night in deep or shallow. I know it's the sister lake but I hope that helps some. Good luck to you Andrew!
Have not fished down there in about 6 years, but love it. Fresh shad or blueback is probably better, the last time I went I took some raw chicken breast marinated in garlic poweder, thats what a lot of us use on Lake Norman and I caught some blues with it. The good thing is you can make it up ahead of time and know you have bait. the bad thing is, it is raw chicken, so you have to be really careful messing around your mouth or eyes later. I normally try and have it and some cut perch or bream on hand. I'm sure shad and herring would be the best, but I do know the chicken will work. bk
If you want eater size cats, get some stink bait, and hit the diversion canal. Doesn't matter what time you are there, they are on the bottom or suspended. If you don't catch any in a few minutes move to the other side of the canal, or just move around. You will eventually find them. Moultrie is a beautiful lake, but it can be rough if the wind is blowing ever so slightly. The only tips I can give about the lake is to not run too fast in a section you don't know very well, and watch out for storms.
I fished the canal on the 4th this year drifting along on the current. I failed to catch any all day until around dusk I caught 3 from 3 to 8 lbs in about 20 mins. I did stay mostly in the middle of the canal. Should I have been on the sides in more shallow water or is July too late and the weather too hot?
I've had my best success in the Canal. We normally use fresh shad & livers. I've caught them drifting with cut bait or anchored on either side of the canal. For some reason, my best luck has been above the bridge. We've used normal carolina rigs & santee rigs. As Matt said, Moultrie can get rough, so if you have a smaller jon boat like me, the Canal is an ideal spot to fish & be safe. I've always had a good time fishing in the canal.
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