Season drawing down

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

This season was one of changes. We moved, TWICE, in 2012. In the end I saw a lot of countryside, had some false starts and ended up broke, but happy enough. I now live within 10 minutes of Lake Murray, SC.

I've learned about what works (some of the time) in this lake instead of the usual black river haunts I was accustomed to. The big bait story here were the Beetle Spins and Johnson Silver Minnow. Both were producers for me.

I also got into a kayak - this one with pedals. Yep, you can pedal it as well as paddle it. This keeps the hands free for fishing. The kayak also lets me access places I cold never reach before. I don't go far mind you, but I get farther from the bank than I was used to. One of these days I'll have a real boat.

It seems I cannot change one thing: I buy more fishing crap than I need. Just let a nice Zebco appear on ebay and I'm on it. Or the thrift store spinning reel for $4 I just got. Or yet another pile of lures, jigs... well, you get the idea.

The best change is the fact that I live close to a great expanse of fresh water. That alone, just knowing it is there, is rewarding.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Lake Murray is nice and holds some great fish with a great variety.  I loved fishing the beetle spin for some big SC bream. Glad you are still able to make some time for fishing during all the moving stuff. I know what you mean about acquiring too much stuff. With several big tackle boxes and a few small ones I had to go and take up fly tying! Add two large storage bins with drawers two organizers and considerable shelf space and over half my garage is devoted to fishing!

I hear you Mark - I've had a few bigguns fall to the beetle spin 

AS you not it is a constant struggle to resist acquiring stuff. I don't think Ill ever win.

[Mark Stine]

Lake Murray is nice and holds some great fish with a great variety.  I loved fishing the beetle spin for some big SC bream. Glad you are still able to make some time for fishing during all the moving stuff. I know what you mean about acquiring too much stuff. With several big tackle boxes and a few small ones I had to go and take up fly tying! Add two large storage bins with drawers two organizers and considerable shelf space and over half my garage is devoted to fishing!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Thanks, JB. Yep two moves - one to North Carolina and then BACK to South Carolina. Like I said, that kinda thing will burn through whatever cash reserves you might have. Wont do anything even remotely like it again, I assure you.

What a small world - you moving near Lake Murray, too. Well, in name, anyway! LOL

I have seen your Lake Murray on google searches. There is also one in Oklahoma.

We have one member that I know of who lives near me, Tony Alexander, although I have never met him. So, yet another coincidence surrounding Lake(s) Murray, et al.

The Lake Murray here in SC is by far the champ. At at an average coverage of 56,000 acres, it has more than 650 miles of shoreline and touches on 5 counties. It is known locally as South Carolina's, "Freshwater Coast." It was constructed in the 1920's to produce electricity and in it's day had the distinction of being the world largest earthen dammed reservoir. Today is well developed for both it's natural resource value and it's residential opportunities... although, I'd need to win the lottery to live there.

It offers three distinct aqua-vironments and innumerable microtopes. At the depths near the dam, it can be over 200 feet deep (depending on levels) and supports a large striper fishery. At the upper end, where I live, it is more like a "regular" lake, or even a pond in places. Go even further up and it becomes riverine. It is often remote, even sparsely populated, in some of the places where I fish. An angler could, without stretching it, fish his entire life there on Lake Murray and never do it all.

[JBplusThuy]

Two moves in a year, wow! I just finished moving once and that was bad enough!

Amusingly, I, too, have moved to within 10 miles of (a) Lake Murray, but this one is in San Diego and clocks in at less than 200 acres, I think lol.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Ive actually done a bit of tackle saving here at BBG. Dick Tabbert bequeathed someof his old bass gear to me and I used some of tit to catch fish. But all in all, it only added to the pile I already have.

Ive also taken a fancy to making my own Idaho and Colorado spinners. SO I'm adding a few of those. And because I where multiple species are always possible, Ive now gotten the idea of building up a collection of bass spinner baits!

One good thing in all of this is my wife Lori promotes my angling pursuits. Just last night she found a little Christmas ornament for me. It is Santa sitting a atop a giant fish, his pole in hand and the hook in the beasts mouth. She said, "Oh look, honey, this is perfect for you!"

She rarely calls me honey.