Striper Fever In The Carolinas
by Herb Allen
LEXINGTON, SC--Striped bass are the superstars of freshwater lakes and impoundments throughout the Carolinas, but especially here at Lake Murray, a 78-square-mile body of water created in 1930 by the construction of an earthen dam which, at the time, was the world's largest.
Although Lake Murray anglers wax enthusiastic over largemouth bass, speckled perch, and bluegills, it's a striper, first stocked in 1961, that gets the true fisherman's pulse beating rapidly.
Until a recent trip to this beautiful area of the Southeast, we had never tackled this game fish until striped bass specialist Ronnie Shealy took us in tow for a morning safari onto Lake Murray where water depths often exceed 100 feet.
On this particular day, Shealy deemed that live bait was the ticket to success and who were we to argue?
Soon after putting out a half dozen rods arranged in holders similar to spokes on a bicycle wheel around his wide, spacious boat we connected with the first fish of the day, a dandy five-pounder that dug deep, made long runs, and battled courageously before being subdued by a stout spinning rod and 17-pound-test line.
Stripers in Lake Murray are known to grow to 49 pounds, but Shealy's topper so far is a 26-pounder caught five years ago in roughly the same area in which we were fishing within a couple of miles of the dam.
"That one is a keeper, but still a little below average in size," said the guide. "I think we can do better...much better."
And, while we enjoyed steady activity that morning by landing and releasing a half dozen others, we failed to boat one of those sho 'nuff big 'uns targeted by striper aficionados.
Unlike some of the river systems in northern Florida where striped bass are primarily taken in the cooler months, these heavily stocked transplants are a year-round challenge.
"During the warm months, anglers usually fish in deeper waters ranging from 40- to 60-foot depths where temperature stratums are more comfortable," advised Shealy.
Stripers are frequently seen on the surface ambushing schools of shad. At other times, they are taken on jigs, spoons, bass plugs, and a variety of live baits while anchored, drifting, or trolling.
"When on a feeding frenzy, they'll usually hit anything crossing their paths," said the guide who can be contacted at 803-276-6496 or through the Lake Murray Tourism and Recreation Association by dialing toll-free 1-800-951-4008.
Due to a tight schedule, we were unable to fully explore the furious action that this fish is capable of providing. However, thanks to Shealy, we were able to put our first stripers into the boat and lust for future encounters with a target of great promise.
Who knows? Maybe one that'll break the current lake record of 49 pounds.
