A warming trend with near spring-like temperatures this week could not have come at a better time for the S.C. Division Bass Fishing League Tournament Saturday on Lake Murray.

“The water is real cold, but it should be warming up quick this week,” said Jeremiah Jensen of Columbia, S.C., who finished second in the SC BFL tournament on Lake Murray a year ago this Saturday. “I think there will be a lot of fish starting to move up and in the pre-spawn phase so they will be hungry. I think fishing will be pretty good this weekend.”

In fact, he said, it was already starting to get better a week ago though the bitter cold weather still prevailed at that time.

“I went last weekend and caught a pretty fair number of fish in the mid-depth areas, 6 to 12 feet deep. And the fish were fairly active. I caught several fish in pretty quick succession last weekend,” he said.

“There will be a lot of fish caught shallow Saturday, but there will possibly be some deep brushpile and jigging spoon fish for guys who want to do that. But I am going to try to get to where they are going, not where they have been.”

In the BFL tournament last February, Jensen caught a limit of bass that weighed 15 pounds, 7 ounces, on medium running crankbaits and jigs.

“I anticipate the fishing will be about the same scenario Saturday – mid depth,” he said. “But it all depends on what part of the lake you are fishing. Upriver you could catch them in three feet of water. Down near the dam you would be fishing in 18 to 20 feet of water.”

The disparity, he said, is because of the water clarity. The further down the lake the clearer the water and the deeper the fish. The further up the rivers feeding into the lake there is more stain in the water and the fish will be shallower.

“There are better quality fish down the lake, but they are harder to catch, so you just have to pick your poison,” he said. “A lot will depend on the weather the day of the tournament, as far as wind and cloud cover. It’s been warming up all week and Friday and Saturday it is supposed to be in the mid-70s, with overnight temperatures up in the mid to high 40s, almost 50 degrees. If we get a little wind I think it will turn them on.”

If the wind is blowing, he said, the crankbait will work. If it’s not blowing he will probably rely on the jig.

“My only concern right now is the weather is gong to get so good everybody will be catching them. As cold as it has been all winter long, it has kind of held things back and now it seems like they are ready to go all at once, not just feeding fish, but fish starting to work their way in,” he said.

“I know some guys are catching them out deep on spoons, I’ve been catching them at the mid-depth range and I know there will be some up the river catching them shallow. So whatever you like to do will be working this weekend.”

Jensen said he had a good year on the SC BFL trail last year with top five finishes on Lakes Murray and Wateree and he finished 15^th in the BFL Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville. With a brand new baby in the Jensen household, the Columbia angler has decided to cut back on his tournament schedule this year and plans to just fish the SC Division BFL tournaments along with some local benefit tournaments.

But he is really excited about the 2011 BFL circuit in the Palmetto State.

“They did a really good job of picking the lakes at the right time of year,” he said. “The Lake Murray tournament is first followed by the tournament at Lake Wylie when the fish will be in late pre-spawn. When we get to Santee the fish will be in full spawn, some even in post-spawn. Then at Lake Wateree they will be in post-spawn which should mean some good topwater fishing. The tournament at Lake Hartwell will be in the fall and that tends to be a pretty good lake in the fall, at least from my experience. I think the whole season is shaping up really good for the BFLs in South Carolina.”

 

FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) SC Division

Sat. Feb 19, 2011

Lake Murray

Dreher Island State Park

www.flwoutdoors.com