Ross Self noted that there has been some re-growth of weeds in the lake but not to a significant extent. This largemouth bass fishery continues to be very good and certainly continues to be a prime area for taking trophy fish, he said.

Lake Marion not only remains a quality fishery for big bass, but it has the potential for good numbers of bass. The springtime spawning period is perhaps a South Carolina bass fisherman’s best chance of hooking a wallhanger hawg anywhere in the state. Plenty of South Carolina lakes have trophy bass potential. But the shallow, warm and fertile waters of this lake seem to grow numerous big fish. Certainly, the chance for double-digit-sized largemouths exists, but however you define a trophy bass, this lake will give you one of the most realistic opportunities of any.

Local experts are quick to point out that the “big bait-big fish” rule is alive and well at Lake Marion. Some suggest using the 10-inch plastic worms, which may look more like a small snake, when searching for huge largemouths. But oversized topwater lures are effective during late March, April and May. In addition, one vastly overlooked trophy largemouth technique at Lake Marion is the use of live bait. One of the best is monster-sized shiners, which are awesome springtime baits for big fish. But be prepared: I’ve done this and caught big bass, but occasionally a huge blue or flathead catfish will load on and instead of 8 pounds of largemouth, you have 40 pounds of catfish on the business end of the rod.

That’s not a bad thing, just something to be aware of.

The Broad River is a long, winding waterway that is becoming highly touted for smallmouth bass fishing. Originally stocked by the SCDNR, the smallmouths have thrived and are an excellent fishery. However, in addition to the smallmouth fishing, the largemouths provide outstanding action on this river as well.

The largemouth factor is one reason for selecting this fishery as one to watch in 2008. However, the other is the continued expansion of smallmouths down the Broad River. In fact, according to Self, the fishery has expanded as far south as Columbia.

“This smallmouth fishery is really exciting and is continuing to expand,” Self said. “We’re now seeing smallmouths being caught in the upper end of the Congaree River. Actually, fish are being caught between the Blossom and Gervais street bridges. The biggest issue here is access to the river. It is very limited, so that will have a restricting impact on the fishing. But the species is doing extremely well.

“Also, this area is quite limited in size and overfishing can be a future issue. That concern is actually true for the resource as a whole. We’re looking at this fishery to consider ways to keep this great resource from being over-exploited and be maintained at a high-quality level.”

The smallmouths can be caught in the Broad River from the upper reaches of the river in the Upstate and downstream to Columbia throughout the year. During the dead of winter, the action can be slow, but for those tough enough to go, smallmouths can still be caught.

The moving water areas, such as riffles, are key to success throughout the year for smallmouths. Behind big rock boulders, below bridge pilings and in eddies formed by the swirling currents are all great places to hunt for the smallmouths.

Shiny, spinner-type lures seem to get the attention of the smallmouths. Use of light tackle, with 6- to 8-pound-test and small to medium lures seems to work best. A good number of smallmouths in the 1- to 2-pound class can be caught. However, larger smallmouths in the 3- to 4-pound class, and even larger, are possible.

In the big pools of slower moving, deeper water, you can find ample numbers of largemouths. Typical largemouth tactics will work, with small crankbaits, Texas-rigged plastic worms and topwater lures producing plenty of the action.

Public access to the river is limited throughout, so you’ll need to prepare ahead and have a good game plan. You can check bridge crossings as well as with private landowners for access. Typically, the fishing scenario will be floating down the river in somewhat remote country. Thus, the trip will likely require leaving a vehicle at the pick-up point and then going upriver to where you begin your trip.