Lake Murray breakdown: I’ve found there is thread Fin shad, herring ,bluegill and yellow perch Also gizzard shad. There is Pond weed that is native to the lake that grow 5 to 15 ft which will be dormant during the January BFL so not a player ! There are a few spotted bass and some small mouth but the largemouth are the dominant species. There are some points and I think the ditches and steep drop off edges will be an opportunity there is a hydro electric plant that will have warmer water running the west end of the lake is where the Saluda river runs into the lake comparing google earth with a topographical map making it more stained on this end . there are some docks that are in deeper water.( Do any of you think that would be something to try out?). This isn’t everything but it’s what I have so far. what else do we need to look into for the January tournament?


I’d be looking for any kind of rock I can find to crank. Believe it or not …. I like the shallower docks in the winter as well.
This is one of the tournaments that could leave me in the back of the boat in the middle of the lake lol
Nathan Sipes even in the middle of the lake, you can use a crank bait as a search bait to see what is on the bottom. Figure out the depth from the boater then throw a crank that will get down that deep. If the treble hooks scare you, throw a jig around and slow roll it across the bottom
This is the great struggle for me, even with all the good information. What depth should I start looking? The shallow docks are a clue, I think, but I'm starting to believe there always a small number of fish up shallow. Understanding when to look deep or shallow is the key. At least for me.
Tim Dodson so far I’ve read that the herring and shad run the channels and stay where the water goes from 8 feet to 20 ft or deeper. On ledges and steep banks. This could be wrong but it’s what google says lol