Of course, the catfishing on lakes Marion and Moultrie is also excellent during the winter. In addition to the potential for big catfish at these lakes on a year-round basis, the potential to catch plenty of 2- to 10-pound fish on a given day is also outstanding.

For these lakes, the wintertime catfish action will often occur around the drops and ledges. However, the fish also orient to the actual forage of the catfish during this time of the year, the threadfin shad. Both lakes Marion and Moultrie have a forage base of threadfin shad. The shad will congregate in large, tight schools during the colder months, especially during December and January. These schools of shad (called "pods" by many anglers) will drift with the wind over the lake.

The catfish will at times essentially use these bait pods as structure and follow the bait regardless of the bottom structure beneath them, until the water begins to get too shallow.

In another situation, and the one you can rely on to be the most dependable, anglers locate a bait pod over a drop that also holds catfish. Using a graph, you can mark both the catfish and the baitfish and you often see the catfish off the bottom as they actively feed on the shad. When you find the two (catfish and shad) in combination with a structure that is potentially productive anyway, you're in for some serious catfish catching.

Most Lake Marion catfish experts will use threadfin shad for bait. They'll catch the bait with cast nets early in the morning. A couple of throws will usually net enough bait for a whole day of fishing. Depending on the size of the shad, one, two or even three small shad will be hooked on for bait.

Also, this fishing is usually done vertically. The best technique is to anchor over a pod of shad and drop the bait down to the specific depth the fish are depicted on the graph. Usually, they're close to the bottom, but not always. That's why you need to pay close attention. Keep the bait a foot or two above the level of the catfish for best results.

You can use multiple rods, but sometimes the action gets so fast one rod is all you can handle. Most of the local experts I've fished with prefer the DriftMaster rod holder when fishing for the wintertime blues on lakes Marion and Moultrie.

Just because cold weather has set in and the water temperature is dropping, don't forget about the great Christmas time catfish action available in South Carolina. Lakes Wateree, Marion and Moultrie all produce great wintertime catfishing.

Find more about South Carolina fishing and hunting at: SCgameandfish.com