scfox11

I have a free weekend down here at Fort Benning GA and I have found 3 plantations with lakes where you can rent boats on them. Little River seems to be the cheapest and easiest for me. If anybody has any experience with them, Live Oak plantation, or Old Spring Hill plantation, please let me know. Thanks.

Has anybody fished any of the ponds on Jackson? Specifically the ones in the training area like Dupree, Messers, and Davis? I have fished Weston lake a good bit as well as Varn lake on McCrady TC. I have driven by Davis pond during training and saw a lot of grass in the lake. I was just wondering if anybody has an experiences out there or could tell me if it is even worth going to the training area ponds. Thanks for any help.

..Following.., i'll be on Benning from May till August for Master Gunner school. I used to have some success on Twilight pond and Kings pond when I was stationed there in 04-06, but that was 10 years ago.

The Goose creek reservoir is an option as well as the Cooper river. Here is a link to a tourney they had earlier in the year on the Cooper, winner had a 42 pound bag.. simply amazing. http://www.scfishingreport.com/42-pound-sack-caught-on-cooper-river/

On the way to fish a new lake/pond, I hit some rough patches in the road. I went to put my jon boat in the water and started fishing but after a few I noticed I started collecting water pretty badly in the jon boat. I saw that the battery knocked off a rivet in the stern so I was taking in water. I had to drag the boat on land and lift it to drain the water (not a light boat). after that I put a finesse worm in the hole to plug it so I could keep fishing. This was sketchy because I was sinking in the lake where Susan Smith drowned her kids and where the SUV full of people drowned in it as well. Another embarrassing moment was I borrow my brothers skiff to take to the beach while my center console was in the shop. I went to put in the boat landing on the inter coastal and the ramp was steep. I backed it down and hit the breaks and thereeeee went the boat. The eye came apart from the boat and the boat went drifting off in the heavy current, luckily there was somebody there in the water that wrangled the boat and docked it for me.

I was wondering if anybody has fished this lake? I live in Columbia and look to get out of town once in a while and thought about heading up there for a day. I just was wondering if there was a decent enough bass population to make the 2 hour drive worth it. While i'm at it, has anybody fished Chester SP as well? I looked into that lake too, if anybody has any info that would be great. Again, not looking for specifics just asking if there are decent bass in there to make the drive worth it, thanks again.

Sorry, I should have said I got one bite, and one thing worked, once...

Not much of a report but went out today on a lake on Fort Jackson SC, ... nothing worked. I will start with I tried everything in every area and not even 1 bite. I have never caught less than 8 fish out there on an outing. But I did manage a very large one on a small white frog in some pads. My scale battery was broken but it was 24 inches by 14' girth. It was totally worth the trip. I can't edit it to flip the picture but here is a sideways shot of it.

Thanks, I looked into the floating worms I just don't have time to get them before I head out on monday. I will have a drop shot tied on as well though, thanks again.

I have searched and read about C-riggin where there is grass in the lake. I know this topic has been beat a little also. One of the spots I fish has a lot of green on the bottom, though not to tall, maybe 6'', give or take a couple inches. I use a fluro leader and am sticking with that. I have some fly fishing strike indicators I use for fly fishing, do yall think that will work sticking one towards the worm to keep it up a little bit? I am aware of the Bettis carolina floater but nobody carries then in store around here and I am heading out monday, but it is something like this.. http://www.orvis.com/p/stick-on-oval-indicators/25ac

Thanks for the replies. The boat is pretty light since I took out the back platform and what not. I will give it a try and go from there.

I have never seen lake Shamokin, or Kendal and Goodale for that matter. The state park website says boats and personal craft are allowed if used by electric motor or less. I thought about rolling my jon boat to the water there. It just looks cool and inviting due to all the willow trees and what not. It looks to be very shallow, is it about 5' or less throughout the whole thing?

Has anybody fished or been on this body of water? Was looking to check it out, any info would be appreciated, thanks.

Does anybody use a jon boat dolly to get their boat to the water? I have a 1436 duracraft with a little added weight to it, probably close to 220lbs. It is on a trailer but there are a couple ponds/lakes i fish that don't have a trailer-able boat ramp. I was thinking I could pull it off the trailer and put the bow on something I make, with 2x4's and 2 wheels, and drag it by the rear handles and roll it down to the water. Anybody else do anything like this?

Yea I am the exact same way. They told me to throw them on the bank if I didn't want to keep them. No way I could do that. I understand why they want smaller fish gone everynow and then but there isn't enough people to fish it to do the dirty work other than me.

I went out to my favorite pond thursday from 4-8. I managed to catch around 30 bass and missed around 8 of them. Caught a couple on paddle tail swimbaits, jerk baits, spinnerbaits, but most were from a Senko texas rigged and weightless. There were times where I would change out a senko and throw it in the water and go to adjust my reel and a fish would have it in its mouth already. It was insane. I could throw to a pile of timber and call a bite. I had a lot break off in the timber before I switched to heavier braid. Biggest was 4 lbs with several 2 and 3 lber's in there as well. I will post pictures later. *Note- i normally don't keep fish but the pond owner wanted me to keep fish that were around 1 lb or less, so I kept 8 of them.

Thanks for the info. I fished a week ago or so when it was 15+mph wind. Same pattern, I caught some throwing a spinner bait over main lake windy points. I am going to give it a shot friday afternoon.

What percentage of fishing outings to you get skunked (Zero Bass)?- Usually never, but sometimes it is just 1 or 2 fish. Do you primarily fish public or private water?- Both, I fish big lakes, Murray and Wateree, and simi private reservoirs/ponds, and private ponds Do you fish from a boat or from the bank?- Both, but usually I prefer the boat. I have a 17’ cc that I use on the big lakes and a 14’ jon boat I use on the smaller bodies of water. What is your favorite/most productive body of water (optional)? Depends on how I’m feeling. There is a private pond I fish where I will catch 15-20 fish 2lbs and up every time. Max depth of 7’ and lots of timber. I also like Lake Murray a lot because within the last year I really learned how to fish it. I can also take a break and fish for stripers as well. Usually on the big lakes I don’t catch as much either but I will catch fish and I like being on the water as well so that’s why I enjoy the big lakes. On the smaller waters fronts really affect the fish a lot, at least that is what I have encountered. I have fished a 6 acre pond and caught 40 fish in one outing with good low pressure. I went out to the same pond with high pressure and caught 3. When things are tough I usually go to the senko, either weightless or texas rigged. I have found what works on the waters I fish though. I will pm you some possible spots to try out in the midlands.

Has anybody made or seen any ideas for a home made pond boat? I use a 14 jon boat for ponds I can back a trailer in to but it is too heavy to pull off the trailer and drag to water. There are a couple ponds I fish that I cannot back a trailer in. I wouldn't mind one of those plastic 10' boats but really don't want to spend 500$ on a new one or 300$ on a used. Has anybody made anything with say, big pvc pipes and ply wood? ...maybe like a catamaran.. I would put a 30lb thrust trolling motor on it. Any ideas welcome!

Went out for the first time on a friends pond. Water temp was 47 outside was 42 with clouds and light rain. Caught approx 12 from 1-4 lbs. Got my first ever bass on a jig so I was happy about that. Missed a good one on a jig too. Things were slow with a jig and worm so I decided to switch to a spinnerbait and throw around around some brush in the water and the water caught fire. I caught about 7 on that and had my possible new PB break off. It was 8-10lbs, I set the hook and it came up and splashed and pulled drag out(I was using 50lb braid and the drag was almost maxed out) then it broke the hook on my spinnerbait. All in all it was a good day to fish.

Not ready just yet, I go on a cruise on Saturday for week, so when I get back from that I will clean up my boat and post it. I hope to get it sold by early January so I can start shopping around then.

I have just been looking for references but also have been looking on boattrader and different sites. I have to sell my center console first but will look around sc, ga, and nc. Thanks for the insight.