When two of the top catfish guides in the state join forces in early April on Santee Cooper, good things likely happen.

Capt. Chris Simpson (Clarks Hill) and Capt. William Attaway (Murray, Monticello), are longtime friends and took time off guiding to go catfishing on Santee Cooper, headquartering at Black's Camp on the Diversion Canal early this week. Their first catch of the trip (first photo) was a big blue catfish in the mid-seventy-pound class, caught by Capt. Simpson while drift fishing, using a whole bream as bait in 49 feet of water in Lake Moultrie. They performed CPR (Catch, Photograph, and Release) on the blue, and Attaway joked that they were hoping to have a big fish fry for friends, so they were going to move shallower to hunt eating-sized catfish for that event. But the next morning fishing together Capt. Attaway caught a 72-pound blue (second photo). Remarkable success even for two professional guides. Big cats are on the move at Santee Cooper.

--Terry 

(And as always, if you have something you'd like to share for "catch of the day", please email jay@usfishingreport.com.)