santee cooper bass fishing reports

The lakes are joined by the 6 mile long Diversion Canal to form a system with 160,000 acres of water and 450 miles of shoreline spanning parts of 5 South Carolina counties Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg and Sumter. As we learned throughout this tournament (primarily from Brandon Palaniuks multi-faceted attack), its possible to catch spawning, pre-spawn and post-spawn fish at the same time, often in adjacent areas. Captain Brett Mitchell agrees with that, and Brett reports that the majority of anglers after a big blue are anchoring in 4-6 feet of water around cypress tree clusters. March, of course, is a time of transition for bass throughout the mid-south. Learn more. Apologies for the lack of bass update last week Brett gave us a post-tournament report but we failed to publish it. $14.99 . You can find plenty of stripers in 30-45 ft this time of year. We couldnt get the new depth finder to work 2 years ago and still left with plenty of fish and variety being confined to the bank and familiar water near the house we rented. By Lunkers are still in shallow, with a little spawning Herring, shad and mullet have all been working for his boat. Fishing from shore gives you exactly that opportunity. Big worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs will all work around brush. document.getElementById( "ak_js_37" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for reading and good question. Get to grips with a rod and reel as you cast for them. The fish they have caught have been 8-12 feet down over brush in 15-20 feet of water. Wigglers,wax,chartreus January can be really fun. The shad are spawning around lily pads, grass and clusters of trees, and when you find fish feeding on them they will eat anything that imitates a shad. document.getElementById( "ak_js_21" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on February 22, 2021 It was very difficult at times, weeding through all the skip jack and small tuna. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.27 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.20 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are clear. Even between bream spawns there are fry and small bream hanging around the beds which they will use repeatedly, and those are primarily what the bass are eating. Stripers Upstream The striped bass spawning run is wide-open by March. There was even an off day when heavy winds forced postponement of Day Three, resulting in the rare Championship Monday.. Channel catfish and flatheads will be close to dormant. Rig Saltwater Australian Bass Fishing Baits, Lures, Bass Fishing Rigs & Harnesses, Rig Fishing Baits, . outside structure 15' to 25'. Nov 16, 2020. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Etc. Look for gull and pelicans diving on the menhaden. When water temperatures hit about 50 degrees then the creek bite should really turn on. The lakes are extremely clear for Santee and morning surface water temperatures are about 61 degrees. Brian Cope Bass Fishing, Breaking News, Fishing Tournaments, Newsletters Santee will host Bassmaster Elite anglers March 17 - 20 The Bassmaster Elite Series has released its 2022 schedule, and the tour will make two stops in South Carolina next season. Explore the Congaree National Park, Santee State Park, or any special wildlife areas, and youre in for a treat! Water temperatures have dropped enough that smaller bass are starting to move into the creeks, but Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that things are running behind this year and so there has not really been a rush of bait in there yet. Morning surface water temperatures have hit the lower 60s. Thus, to the Ring of Honor memorializing Americas all-time greats of conservation, please add The Honorable John W. Weeks. Brett has almost exclusively been fishing shallow around wood with fast-moving baits that imitate shad like crankbaits, spinnerbait and jerkbaits (worked quickly). Very soon, if they have not already, some male fish should get around the banks. Among catfish the current world record channel catfish was caught in Lake Moultrie (58 pounds caught in 1964) and the current state record flathead was caught in the Diversion Canal (79-4 caught in 2001). On the other hand the catfish are not a fan of the warm weather, and the bite has generally been erratic. This sleepy town is a great base for all your vacation needs. In the lakes he is looking for a ledge or stumps or something else that will provide the fish with a place to hold. Warmer water is often found at the very backs of the creeks on Santee Cooper, and as a result Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that a lot of bait is also back there right now. Its still a good catfish bite on Santee Cooper, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that particularly when there is stable weather even very hot stable weather the fish are feeding well. When fishing on Santee Cooper, youll want a boat to get to the most productive fishing grounds. I hope this helps. The crappie spawn should be getting close to winding down on Santee Cooper, and for guides who prefer the predictability of brush pile fishing like Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) it couldnt come soon enough! Whether you opt to search for feeding fish by throwing artificials or covering water by pulling herring on free-lines and planer boards, following the birds is key. Read on and find out some of the lakes top secrets. He said that he is booked all weekends in March and April, but still has weekdays open. During spawn season, you can try exploring the shallow waters around Taylors Landing on Lake Marion, or around Elliotts Landing on the other end of the lake. We caught a 47lb blue catfish along with several other weighing over 30. What more could you want from your fishing trip? Morning surface water temperatures are still about 79 degrees. However our efforts paid off when every once in a while with a nice yellowfin. You dont want to fish large, flats pockets like the ones fish would spawn on. Read more fishing reports fromSantee Cooper and other popularplacesat the AHQ Report! document.getElementById( "ak_js_20" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Im coming down in March to fish for largemouth bass. We had 13 on 1 trip and 9 on the next. Most detailed Lake Greenwood The catfish action has been more consistent for Brett, and his last trip started out slow but they ended up catching a bunch of fish drifting a flat with stumps in 20-25 feet of water. If youre lucky, you could even write your name into the history books and land a 40 lb monster. Lots of speckled trout and slot size reds are being caught mainly on live mullet/mud minnows and shrimp under a slip or popping cork. Salt water Bushy Park. Our fishing Rain Jacket and Rain Pant should never leave the boat, and thats particularly true over the next handful of weeks, as April showers bring May flowers. In the lakes, drifting across clay & mussel shell bars in 4' to 8' of water using cut bait are catching the bigger fish . The Big Cat Brawl with $10,000 on the line is on Santee this weekend, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he expects a lot of catfish to be caught. The lower lake has been much better than the upper lake, and a lot of days jigs have been out-fishing minnows. One fish reigns supreme in the Santee Cooper lakes, and that's Catfish. A mix of cut bait including gizzard shad and herring will work as well as chicken. Some of the biggest ones have been coming in the 20-22 foot range. To fill a cooler with eating size catfish Captain Stevie reports that his boat is drifting with herring in 15-30 feet of water, and they have found a pretty fast bite for channels and smaller blues. We drive like 12 hours one way to come to this beautiful place. Or, stay onshore and hit up the Santee-Cooper Country Club for a round of golf, or just take in the wonders of the green forest against the contrast of the azure lake. Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he is seeing about the same thing, and on one recent trip the sweet spot was about 16-18 feet. Today we went out with 6 passengers who ignored yesterdays fish count and understand that fishing is more about spending time in nature than harvesting meat. For some reason the catfish bite has gotten really tough, and while there are some fish being caught its not unusual for anglers to strike out right now. As is often the case there are several different ways to catch catfish on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports the best action he has found has been in very deep water from 25 out to 50 feet. Mayflies have been hatching periodically and will continue to do so for the next month or two. Updates. Bream are moving in shallows setting up to spawn leading The Santee Cooper Lakes offers some of the best fishing in South Carolina and we have some of the top fishi ng guides in South Carolina working out of Blacks Camp. These include around grass, trees, and wood. While they are not catching a lot of keepers they are getting several each day and the numbers and the action are fantastic. This material may not be posted on another website. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.92 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.75 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). On the last trip they managed a couple of 40-pound fish, a 30-, and so on. Again, its best to have a mix of cut baits including gizzard shad, American shad, river herring and blueback herring because fish have been showing different preferences on different days. The remote lakes are surrounded by stunning scenery, giving you the perfect getaway. North Iowa fishing report for Feb. 8. Click here for 30 day free trial! The Santee Cooper lakes came in at No. While the numbers of crappie on brush has dwindled, Steve notes that there are some huge groups of bluegill stacked up on the brush. We will be fishing the Coronado Islands. Catfish: Santee Cooper Lakes Hwy 45 (on the Diversion Canal) 139 Canal Landing Road, Cross, SC 29436 Open 5:30 AM 843-753-2271 Santee-Cooper Fishing Report - FishingBooker Great savings on Santee-Cooper, United States fishing charters. When that happens the fish retreat to the first break, and they will set up around some type of structure like a brush pile or tree in 4-8 feet of water. Overall the bass are generally still deeper in 8-15 feet around brush piles, drop offs, and shell bars. Click here for 30 day free trial! The best shellcracker fishing seems to have already occurred, and while there were some bluegill spawning in shallow water the action was not great. The reasons arent exactly clear, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bass fishing is tougher than its supposed to be. Spring is generally the best time to target Bass from shore, but you can hook into something good any day of the year. While the striped bass do not seem to be schooling right now on Santee Cooper, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the lower lake they have been catching a ton of fish deep. Look for the BIRSDS. After our 3 hour drift everyone onboard had either landed or fought and released a fish of a lifetime. Suitable for kayaking. After a fishing morning recently, Freeman did some riding around, looking for shellcracker beds in areas he hasn't fished yet. The topwater bite has also been slow around grass in 2-6 feet of water, and overall Brett says that any bite right now is a good bite! document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My wife and I have kayaks and we live in Santee. Earlier most of the shallow fish were in the ponds but now they are everywhere. While at the visitor center launch, if you kayak out and follow the left shore past the cabins youll come into a small cove that is fairly quiet of boat traffic. 06.01.21. Updates. We have finished our boat work and will be running our first trip on Saturday, February 3rd. In fact, on the same trip, you can target that trophy catch and help the kids reel in their first-ever fish. If you happen to be in Charleston, then Pinopolis is your best bet of getting out on Santee Cooper, too. For shellcracker use worms while bluegill prefer crickets and worms. Well, the worlds biggest Channel Catfish was caught at Santee Cooper way back in 1964. Im delighted to hear that you want to get into fishing! Feb 23, 2021. Bass: Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that in January bass should still be caught deeper in the main lake and at the mouths of creeks. Come in spring or fall, and get your hands on these beasts. On a warm trend fish will head into the creeks where they can be caught trolling jigs and minnows in 8-15 feet of water, while another group of fish (so far mostly males) will be up on the banks looking for areas where they will spawn. Catfish are moving into the upper and lower ends of the When it comes to fishing, youre close to some of Lake Marions best fishing grounds. The first thing you need to consider is that fish retreat to the deeper waters after their spawn, and this is where youll find your Catfish. document.getElementById( "ak_js_13" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I have never fished. Anglers seem to either be on them or not, and in this weeks Sunday Showdown Series the best 3-fish limit was an impressive 18 pounds. Nothing is good but brush in about 14-20 feet has been the most productive, and generally the fish are 8-10 feet down. shallow waters around grass beds of bullrushes being the best. Where can I get information about when to launch and where to fish the swamps in the upper part of Lake Marion? Shop by brand or reel type. When the fish arent on top they can be caught down-lining for suspended for fish or looking for striper that are stacked up on the bottom. He has had the best luck drifting in 10-20 feet of water on cut herring, although at night he is finding much better fishing out deep in 25-40 feet. Whether on your own or in a group, a charter is usually regarded as the best way to go fishing. Thats why its the number-one stop for freshwater anglers in the Palmetto State.. While there are tons of little fish out in very deep water, the best action has generally come drifting Santee-style in 25-35 feet of water. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.22 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 75.2 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The Columbia full-service Licensing and Boat Usually fish will still bite crankbaits and swimbaits, but if water temperatures get very cold then spoons will be a good choice. Crankbaits, worms and jigs fished around rock should catch fish. Free-lines, planer boards and down-lines could all work depending on where and how deep the fish set up. In clearer areas jigging a spoon should also work this month, and an Alabama rig can also be in play. While he is still fishing soft plastics around trees right now, very soon fish should start to follow shad into the creeks and he will be getting on more of a shad bite. The bite can be decent if you locate a group of fish on electronics or otherwise, but thats the tricky part. Learn more. Just before the last new moon they could literally see the fish moving onto beds in droves. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.71 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 72.64 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). 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