Anglers could face a mud bath at Murray
The last time the Wal-Mart FLW Tour visited South Carolina, in March of 2000, competitors arrived to find the bass population in the clear waters of Lake Murray in full spawn. That led to lots of five-bass limits and lots of nice, big largemouths during the tournament.
But this isn’t the same Lake Murray we saw three years ago.
Low water levels due to a heavy drawdown and cooler-than-normal winter temperatures likely mean that this year’s Lake Murray tournament will be anything but the bed-fishing bonanza FLW anglers and fans saw in 2000.
Lake history and facts
Located just to the west of Columbia, Lake Murray is a 55,000-acre impoundment with over 500 miles of shoreline. It is 41 miles long and 14 miles wide at its thickest. It was created with the construction of the Saluda Dam on the Saluda River in 1930, which provides central South Carolina with electricity. At 208 feet tall and a mile-and-a-half long, Saluda Dam was the largest earthen dam in the world when it was completed.
While home to a number of fish species, the favorites of Lake Murray anglers include the largemouth bass, striped bass, bream and crappie. The lake boasts the white crappie, white perch and white catfish state records.
Strategy: Sight out of mind?
The sight-fishing specialists were licking their chops when they saw the Lake Murray tournament slated for mid-March on the 2003 FLW Tour schedule. After all, the 2000 tournament there was the third-heaviest FLW event of all time in terms of total catch weight, and the majority of bass were caught by sight-fishing.
But the sight-fishing enthusiasm has been tempered considerably by Lake Murray version 2003. This year, engineers have dropped the water level by 15 feet below normal pool in order to perform work on the Saluda Dam at the impoundment’s east end. A heavy rain last week, about 4 inches’ worth, caused water levels to rise. Subsequently, dam officials have been briskly pumping water through the lake to keep levels down.
“It’s almost like a new lake to me,” said South Carolina pro Davy Hite, who calls Murray his home lake. “I’m fishing out in new territory just like everyone else.”
The rain and the water flow have muddied a number of otherwise prime, clear fishing areas.
“The lake is really flushing right now, and that’s causing a lot of off-colored water,” said 2003 pro points leader Gary Klein, who finished second at the 2000 Lake Murray FLW tournament. “It is going to be different this time around.”
Pro Clark Wendlandt, who is the defending FLW Lake Murray champion, said that water clarity in up to two-thirds of the lake is murky. The dirtier water is generally concentrated toward the upper half of the lake, while the lower end is somewhat cleaner.
“I’m just sitting here in muddier water than I’ve ever seen here,” he said Monday from the lake. “That’s what is going to make it challenging.”
The Midlands region of South Carolina experienced a colder winter than usual, and Murray’s water temperatures are just now starting to creep up into the low- to mid-60-degree range in certain areas. That has pushed back the spawn.
“Where the water’s warm is where the water’s muddy,” Wendlandt said. “I don’t think I’ll spawn-fish. Sight-fishing is not going to be a dominant player this week.”
“I’ll be surprised if there are any bed-fish caught here,” Klein agreed. “If there are any spawners, they’ll be caught by guys who don’t even see them.”
That doesn’t mean the bass aren’t biting. A lot of prespawn fish are staging in 6 to 12 feet of water in the lake’s numerous grass mats. Several pros agreed that the event could be won or lost in the grass as competitors zero in the fish that are really on the move. Spinner baits and crankbaits will be prime lures throughout the week.
“The water being low is not going to hurt this great fishery,” Hite said. “I expect you’re going to need a 3-pound (per fish) average at least to make the cut. And if more of those sight-fish move up, that weight could go even higher.”
Pro estimates ranged from 27 to 29 pounds to make the cut out of the two-day opening round. Air temperatures have risen to the 70-degree mark in South Carolina early in the week. If the balmy spring weather continues through Saturday, look for that cut weight to go even higher.
“It’s going to be a good tournament,” Wendlandt said. “I just know I’ll have a chance at a lot of good fish.”
Links:
Destination: Lake Murray
Pundits’ Picks
Pros’ Picks
Pro field
Co-angler field
Tournament details and payouts
Pre-tournament press release