santee cooper bass fishing reports

The weather is very nice and they are having good kelp fishing, with a good sign of Bluefin. Long before the first turkey gobbles or the barred owl hoots, the pre-dawn spring air rings with the iconic call of a night bird, repeatedly chanting its name, whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will. Call Seaforth at (619) 224-3383 to get in on the action. I've fished as a co-angler twice so i have a very basic understand of the lake. . Hit up the deep waters of Lake Marion or Moultrie in summer, and you can expect plenty of 20-pounders. Free-lines, planer boards and down-lines could all work depending on where and how deep the fish set up. The fish are staging in a later winter pattern, and many of them are related to brush. Fish will be mixed between the main lake and deeper creek channels. Come in spring or fall, and get your hands on these beasts. Overall its been a slow late spring for crappie, and with real summer heat on the way it probably wont be until the fall that fishing really picks up. document.getElementById( "ak_js_21" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on February 22, 2021 previous next Print . Crickets are working for bluegill, while minnows are working for crappie. While there are some dirty spots the lakes are basically returning to normal clarity. While there are still some crappie on brush, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the best crappie fishing has come trolling jigs and minnows in 8-15 feet of water in the creeks. In the cold weather the bream fishing has really slowed down, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that they are still catching some nice crappie even though they are having to work for them. Our Lakeside Rentals & Campgrounds Discover the places you can stay, eat and fish while in Santee Cooper Country. Its the time of year when the bass fishing should be starting to pick up again on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that is exactly whats happening. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.46 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.3 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Santee Cooper is a great place to start, not only for its thriving fish population but also because of its incredible natural beauty! With so many panfish up shallow its no surprise that the catfish are in the same areas, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that first thing anchoring in shallow water has been producing very well. Overall its a good bet to have a wide selection of cut bait as well as chicken available. document.getElementById( "ak_js_25" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on November 16, 2020 Crappie: Captain Bill Plumley reports that in January fish should continue to be caught around deep docks and bridges in both the creeks and on the main lake. document.getElementById( "ak_js_36" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); What is the smallest size motor you would take out I see people on kyaks but everyone says not our 5 hp for around the banks. Anglers looking to explore north Lake Moultrie and the canal will be hard-pressed to find a better spot. It shouldnt be long until fish start to move into the creeks following shad and become catchable on topwater lures, swimbaits and square-billed crankbaits. Fish as close to the bottom as possible for the bigger fish as the water temp gets lower. Bass Top water baits and swimbaits are turning on with some furocious explosive bites, Stripers Season is open October 1st good catches have been coming in and the fish are schooling. How are creel limits counted on a private boat with more than one licensed fisherman? The tournament features a 3-fish limit and goes every Sunday through their April 5 final, all in support of the SC High School Bass Challenge. Bass: Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that in January fish will still be concentrating on shad, and just about anywhere you can find baitfish is worth fishing. However, we will be looking around and will be targeting the best opportunities. The bass on Santee Cooper are doing exactly what they are supposed to doing, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that they have been catching fish that are chasing shad in the backs of pockets. document.getElementById( "ak_js_6" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on October 27, 2021 Based just 8 miles from the northern lakes shores, Summerton not only offers you the chance to get out onto the water, but its also far enough away for you to engage in other sports. They continue to pick away at the crappie on Santee, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the bite in both lakes is pretty much tracking and fish are only sporadic. Santee Cooper water levels are up to 73.81 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.51 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The son of Bass Pro Tour pro Marty Robinson, it looks like the younger Robinson has a good dose of his dad's fishing talent. 1000 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201 Conditions are still a little tough for bass on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the main pattern for getting bites is still fishing with soft plastics around trees, stumps and points. document.getElementById( "ak_js_19" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on February 26, 2021 AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 2 Fishing Report Updated January 13, Hudson wins first Sunday Showdown Series event of the season, AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 1 Fishing Report Updated January 6. Bass: Tournament angler Eric Enlow of Union reports that January can be a difficult month to catch bass on Lake Monticello, and fish are in something of a transition period. Just make note Ive heard inexperienced can get lost in that area so be careful. 2023 FishingBooker.com. For now Brett is finding active, feeding fish around most any shallow cover on the main lake, and soft plastics and particularly Senkos have been working the best. White perch has been completely unproductive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for getting in touch, were happy to answer any questions you have! For shellcracker use worms while bluegill prefer crickets and worms. Perhaps the most exciting thing going on Santee right now is the. This includes spinnerbaits, swimbaits and crankbaits. When trying to locate turkeys, here are some options to consider. While many anglers love flipping a big jig or creature baits around the cypress trees or flooded timber, anglers have tremendous success throwing a squarebill. A total of 98 pounds even over four days was a virtuoso performance by The Prodigy, from whom weve come to expect nothing less. That's a nice bass. Caught some nice size black crappies to. Its a pretty simple pattern for catfish right now, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that early you need to be anchoring in shallow water. Thanks for your comment and good question. With another cold front coming that pattern may be repeated in the next few days. Cast plastic swim baits into the schools. Brett is trying to drift over hard bottoms in areas that have a pronounced drop-off. 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. Catfish: Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in January drifting deep water is usually still his best bet, and cut herring, shad or white perch will all work. Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. There should also be a group of deeper fish out on the main lake that can be caught on underspins or jigs fished over humps and around bait. His son Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is catching them in about 25-30 feet of water. Wanted to plan a trip. However, the most effective pattern has typically been casting at shallow cover with jigs. The State Farmers Market has convenient parking and easy access to both I-77 and I-26. With the lakes still clear Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is still finding the bluegill and crappie deep. Still havent made up your mind about going fishing on Santee Cooper? Morning surface water temperatures range wildly from the mid-50s on the lower lake in the big water to the mid-60s in protected backwater ponds. For beginning trappers, it is vital to understand what a dog-proof trap consists of and how they work. I lived there for 8 years and only discovered a fraction of the lake. Most detailed Lake Hartwell The lakes are still very clear and morning surface water temperatures are down to the mid-50s. Anchoring on same bars using stink baits have been productive for smaller Cut herring are good for numbers while white perch will work to try for a bigger one. The catfishing here is so good, in fact, that Santee Cooper Bass fishing often gets overlooked. Herring, shad and mullet have all been working for his boat. The crown jewel of the nearly 50 publicly accessible green tree reservoir hunting area is the famed George H. Dunklin, Jr. Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area (WMA) south of Stuttgart. Report this item Report this item - opens in new window or tab. For some reason jigs are working better than minnows, out-fishing them 5-1 or so. These fish are still loaded up with eggs and they expect it to be a few more weeks until the spawn is played out. While the numbers of crappie on brush has dwindled, Steve notes that there are some huge groups of bluegill stacked up on the brush. 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. Now that fall is near Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is back after the crappie, and even though he has had a few good days there are also times when the fishing is slow. Like the bass the crappie are moving around a lot, and even though a lot of fish had gotten shallow into the creeks by early in the week Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) discovered they had pulled back out and he was again catching them on deep brush 20-plus feet down in 30-plus feet of water. Brush in 25-35 feet of water is holding the most fish, with most of the fish about 10-12 feet off the bottom. Clear editor. Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. The area doesnt seem to make a whole lot of difference with smaller fish very spread out, and he is just going. We are also starting to catch some real nice fish long lining in 30 ft. Bass. Three of South Carolina's favorite fishing spots made the list. Kayaks I feel are better for smaller areas or pockets off of the lake, creeks, etc. More trip open. Even after this cold snap overall mild temperatures mean that the crappie bite has stayed extremely good for the season, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in the lower lake they are still catching fish just over brush in 25-30 feet of water. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.46 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.3 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5).