Wildlife

Area winter patterns impact lake fishing

Terry Madewell

Fishing is still good on lakes Marion and Moultrie but the colder weather and dropping water temperatures are having an effect. As is usually the case, changes such as this are not necessarily bad. Fishermen just need to adapt to them.

 

Post-season scouting for whitetail success

Terry Madewell

For many of the consistently successful deer hunters in South Carolina, the hunting season never ends. Granted, the legal shooting of deer has specifically defined seasons, but the searching process never ends for dedicated hunters. These hunters are the ones who generally have the big trophies mounted on their den wall, referred to by others as “the luckiest hunters in the world!”

 

Catfish, largemouth action remains good

Terry Madewell

Weather changes from cold to warm to cold – seem to be playing havoc with the several species of fish right now and to some extent even the catfish. But overall, they are one species that can be caught fairly consistently right now based on recent reports. But depending on the weather, the action can get red-hot during January when conditions are right.

 

Evans spends two years in ‘Hunt for Houdini’

Terry Madewell

Deer hunting is a challenging sport and taking a big buck is the overriding goal of most hunters. But hunting a specific buck, especially with a bow, is one of the greatest challenges in deer hunting. It takes patience, perseverance and preparation to be successful.

 

Patterns change as weather, water cools

Terry Madewell

This is the time of the year when fishing reports get a little tricky. A lot always hinges on water temperature and some things can create a big change in fishing quickly, based on water temperature. Right now, we’re still experiencing productive striper fishing and good catfishing. The largemouth action is steady but not spectacular, but the overall bite is good.

 

Time to live the outdoors dream in 2013...

Terry Madewell

Christmas has come and gone and while the season was great, it’s time to start gearing up for another great year in the outdoor world. But this one’s not quite over yet. We’ve still got a little deer hunting to do and maybe some fish to catch, and small game opportunities abound. The time to start using those outdoor gifts you got for Christmas begins now.

 

Fishing for stripers continues excellent

Terry Madewell

The excellent fishing noted for stripers last week just seems to be getting even better. Not only are a lot of stripers being caught, but some truly large ones have been taken as well. Guide Don Drose had a 24-pound striper caught by one of his parties last week along with others in the mid-teens being reported from various sources. Overall, fishing for striper continues to be red hot. While a lot of the fish continue to be undersized, there are some keeper-sized and larger fish being taken.

 

If you’ll slow down, you’ll find paradise

Terry Madewell

Sometimes we get so busy during this time of the year that it’s easy to forget what the spirit of Christmas is all about. I know I certainly get caught up in all the hustle bustle of the holiday, having places to go and things to do, as well as buying and wrapping presents. Sometimes – all too frequently – the reason we’re celebrating gets forgotten, misplaced or simply taken for granted.

 

Colder weather creates hot striper fishing

Terry Madewell

There’s been a lot of activity on striper fishing this fall in Lake Marion but a lot of the fishing stories have been about the many stripers being caught, but there have been few if any keepers (26-inch minimum length).

 

Fishing for stripers is excellent – go now!

Terry Madewell

Pushing into the middle of December, we’re seeing some excellent fishing on Lake Marion right now. The biggest news continues to be the sensational striper fishing, but some good catches of largemouth bass continue to be made, along with some crappie and catfish. The weather has been just cool enough to get things cranked up but not so cold to slow the bite down. Now is a great time to get out and catch a variety of fish species.