December 22
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.50 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.16 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 50s.
There have been some unpleasant fishing conditions most of this week, and it looks like it will get worse before it gets better. Still, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that bass fishing may actually get more predictable with this big cold front. Frequently the bass will get on shad and run them up as the baits get lethargic and easy to find in very cold conditions. The best place to look for fish is around sharp drops in the creek, and while you want to be fishing shallow where the bass are usually feeding there needs to be deep water nearby. Swimbaits, Shad Raps, 1.5s and Rattle Traps will all work.
The crappie continue to do about the same thing on Santee, which means that Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is finding some big schools but having trouble picking off more than a few of them. They did have one 2 ½ pound crappie and they hope to get some more slabs in the cold. For now the fish are still on mid-depth brush 12-18 feet down in 25-35 feet of water, but the cold front is expected to push them deeper.
Some days jigs are working better and some days minnows, and it can even vary over the course of the day with jigs often better early.
While the bluegill bite has been really good on the same brush with crickets, once it gets very cold they should slow down. The cooler it gets the longer it can take for the bluegill to get active, and they will also move deeper.
It’s still a pretty good bite for catfish on Santee Cooper, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore(843-751-3080) reports that he was catching the best numbers of fish very deep in about 50 feet in the lower lake drifting with blueback herring and gizzard shad.
However, we are getting into the period when the biggest fish come shallow and the cold front should accelerate that. The best structure to look for them around is mussel beds, and you can either anchor or drift for them.
While Bobby usually doesn’t target them in January, for now the striped bass fishing in the lower lake is still good around the dam on down-lines. The fish are in very deep water but they can be found at a variety of depths throughout the water column. Use your electronics to pinpoint how deep to fish live herring.
December 15
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.60 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.65 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 50s.
It’s a pretty good bite for catfish on Santee Cooper, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that he is catching the best numbers of fish very deep in about 50 feet in the lower lake. Most of the fish are 5-15 pounds, but he did get one big fish. Drifting with blueback herring and gizzard shad has been working the best.
Most of the bigger fish seem to be in less than 20 feet of water right now. The best structure to look for them around is mussel beds, and you can either anchor or drift for them.
There has also been some decent action for striped bass in the lower lake, and they are being caught around the dam on down-lines. The fish are in very deep water but they can be found at a variety of depths throughout the water column. Use your electronics to pinpoint how deep to fish live herring.
The crappie fishing is still about the same on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the fish are still on mid-depth brush 12-18 feet down in 25-35 feet of water. They are hoping that the bite improves when temperatures cool because the fish are still unpredictable.
Some days jigs are working better and some days minnows, and it can even vary of the course of the day with jigs often better early.
The bream continue to be the best thing going around brush, but again they are a bit scattered with mild temperatures. They are again showing up in shallower water, but that should change very soon. Crickets are the best bait.
While he hasn’t been able to target them this week, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that bass should stay for a while in the creeks as temperatures are in the ideal range. Fish will often be adjacent to steep banks in 8-15 feet of water, but the best concentration of catchable fish is shallower in 4-6 feet of water. Bouncing a crankbait that dives 6-8 feet off the bottom around stumps is an excellent pattern, and small swimbaits and spinnerbaits will also catch fish.
There are also still fish on trees and brush in the shallows that will take soft plastics.
December 2
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.20 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.51 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 50s.
It sounds like a broken record but the crappie fishing continues to be unpredictable on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that even though there are some schools of crappie that have been sitting in the same place for over a month it’s still tricky to get them to bite. Fish generally remain 12-18 feet down over brush in 25-35 feet of water, and recently the upper lake has produced better. As temperatures cool more of the fish will move towards the river channel, but for right now they are still spread out.
Some days jigs are working better and some days minnows, and it can even vary of the course of the day with jigs often better early.
While the bream continue to be the best thing going, and you can catch plenty of them on the deeper side of the same brush as the crappie, up-and-down water temperatures also have them on the move. In fact, Steve has started seeing everything shallow again from bluegills to shiners to bass. A cold front will push them out, but then since temperatures have so far not stayed really cold another 70-degree day will bring everything back up. A prolonged cold period (before it gets very cold) will usually concentrate the biggest fish best.
Crickets are the best bait.
Even with water temperatures about to drop again on Santee, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports bass should stay for a while in the creeks as temperatures are in the ideal range. Fish will often be adjacent to steep banks and 8-15 feet of water, but the best concentration of catchable fish is shallower in 4-6 feet of water. Bouncing a crankbait that dives 6-8 feet off the bottom around stumps is an excellent pattern, and small swimbaits and spinnerbaits will also catch fish.
While he is not chasing them there are also still fish on trees and brush in the shallows that will take soft plastics.
Even though he’s only been on the water sporadically this week, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the information he is hearing from a wide range of catfish guides indicate that the fishing is a little below average. The patterns are about the same but the fish just aren’t feeding that well. Perhaps they need a real cold front to set in.
When that happens Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that one pattern that just started is drifting in about 52 feet of water. The catfish will also follow bait like menhaden into deep water, and if it stays cold they will group up very deep. He’s already catching lots of 5-15 pound fish out there.
The other winter pattern is on the opposite end of the spectrum, fishing in 10 feet of water or less. Bobby says that once it gets cold there’s really no in-between.
He also looks for the striped bass to go deep, but right now Bobby reports that you can catch some striper in the canal fishing live bait on down-lines. When temperatures do drop and the menhaden and other bait schools get very deep in Lake Moultrie near the dam the striper will follow them. They will be in almost 60 feet of water, but you will see birds diving on bait balls and can fish for them either trolling umbrella rigs or with live bait.
November 17
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.70 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.55 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the lower 60s and water temperatures are still relatively clear.
This week we are pleased to be joined by another expert Santee Cooper guide, and we look forward to Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) giving us information about the striped bass as well as catfish news. Right now Bobby reports that you can catch some striper in the canal fishing live bait on down-lines, but if it keeps getting colder the hot pattern is about to come when the menhaden and other bait schools get very deep in Lake Moultrie near the dam and the striper follow them. They will be in almost 60 feet of water, but you will see birds diving on bait balls and can fish for them either trolling umbrella rigs or with live bait.
The catfish will be making a similar move, and one pattern that just started is drifting in about 52 feet of water. The catfish will also follow bait like menhaden into deep water, and if it stays cold they will group up very deep. He’s already catching lots of 5-15 pound fish out there.
The other winter pattern is on the opposite end of the spectrum, fishing in 10 feet of water or less. Bobby says that once it gets cold there’s really no in-between. Shad will also be up there in shallow water, and this week he caught a 35-pounder in less than 12 feet of water.
With temperatures dropping Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bass should also be on the move, and like they did during an earlier cold snap the bass will be following the bait into the creeks. They will get on a shad pattern again, and you can catch them with swimbaits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. If you can find current it will concentrate the fish.
The crappie fishing continues to be unpredictable on Santee, and even though Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is still marking some good schools of crappie 12-18 feet down over brush in 25-35 feet of water a lot of days you can only pick a few bites out of them. Some days jigs are working better and some days minnows, and it can even vary of the course of the day with jigs often better early.
Fortunately the bream are frequently saving the day, and they are all over roughly the same brush as the crappie but usually a little deeper in it. Steve is no longer seeing big bream around the docks in the canal, and so pretty soon all the big bream should be stacked up deep, but for now they are still catch a mix of sizes on crickets.
November 10
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.49 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.47 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-60s.
There’s been a tremendous amount of wind on Santee the last week, and either because of that wind or because it’s been harder to fish the bite has been a little worse for crappie.
Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the fish are still over brush in 25-35 feet of water, suspended 12-18 feet down, but they just aren’t eating very well. Some days jigs are working better and some days minnows, and it can even vary of the course of the day with jigs often better early.
While wind has also limited bass fishing, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that with water temperatures still warm he expects that the bait is still spread out in the main lake and the bass scattered. Once the storm passes and colder weather sets in fish should move back into the creeks and get on a shad pattern again, and the action should improve.
But until that happens the best bet is to look around trees in 2-4 feet of water with soft plastics, crankbaits and jigs.
The bream fishing has not changed, and until water temperatures drop they will have no reason to all go deep. However, there are still plenty of bream in the same areas as the crappie towards the bottom of the brush or beside it. After the cold snap all the better bream should stack up on brush.
There was a flurry of really good catfish action right around the full moon when the fish seemed to be gorging, but Captain Brett Mitchell reports that action has now returned to more normal. He is still finding the best catfish bite drifting in 20-30 feet, and he is doing the best fishing around shell beds right now. They will eventually go very deep but that has not happened yet.
Herring, shad, mullet or about any cut bait is working.
November 3
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.53 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.48 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the canal is still clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 66-67 degrees.
Last week Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bass followed the shad into the creeks and started feeding better, and in mid-depths you could catch fish around bait schools on crankbaits, swimbaits and jerkbaits. However, as temperatures started to rise again everything got really scattered, the bait spread out and returned to the main lake, and the fishing got tougher again.
Until temperatures drop and everything gets more concentrated the best bet is once again to look around trees in 2-4 feet of water with soft plastics, crankbaits and jigs.
It’s unclear why but there have been some really good crappie days recently, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the upper lake he has found good schools that – some days – are very willing to bite. They had one day where they caught 30 fish up to about 2 pounds, including some white crappie, while on other days getting 10 is a success. The fish are generally over brush in 25-35 feet of water, but they are only suspended 12-18 feet down over it. Some days jigs are working better and some days minnows, and it can even vary of the course of the day with jigs often better early. In the lower lake numbers have been much thinner.
Even though the bream have not all left shallow water there are some nice fish to be caught, and they are usually towards the bottom of the brush or beside it. This week Steve did see some really big bream around the dock at Black’s.
The catfish action has been pretty good according to Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138), and he reports that fish are very spread out but he has found the best action in 20-30 feet of water. His biggest fish came in 30 pounds.
Captain Brett Mitchell is finding the best catfish bite in a similar depth range at 20-30 feet, and he is doing the best fishing around shell beds right now. They will eventually go very deep but that has not happened yet.
Herring, shad, mullet or about any cut bait is working.
It’s been a tougher for week for striped bass in the lower lake, and most of the fish that have been caught are on the smaller side. It seems that the best action is coming in 20-25 feet of water with down-lines, and basically the pattern is marking the schools and parking on top of them. The fish are highly bait-oriented right now and so you basically have to find the bait to locate the fish. Keep your eyes open for the birds.
October 26
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.54 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.47 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 65-67 degrees.
There are a few updates from Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138), and he reports that they are still catching a bunch of bream over brush in 15-30 feet. That bite continues to be very good, with the fish eating crickets fished beside the brush or close to the bottom.
The catfish bite has also been pretty good, and a fair summation seems to be that the best numbers of fish are coming drifting in about 20 feet. However, out in 35 feet some larger blues have been landed.
Finally, this week there has been some good striped bass fishing in the lower lake. It seems that the best action is coming in 20-25 feet of water with down-lines, and basically the pattern is marking the schools and parking on top of them. The fish are highly bait-oriented right now and so you basically have to find the bait to located the fish. Even though Stevie is not seeing a lot of schooling action, birds can tip you off to where the fish are located.
October 21
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.54 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.46 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The upper lake is now a bit dingy and even muddy in places (including Santee State Park and above). Morning surface water temperatures are around 65-66 degrees.
There may be other bass fishing patterns in play right now, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that when he finds a good fall pattern he usually sticks with it. And right now he has located a lot of fish on trees in 2-4 feet of water! There is some small bait around the trees, and the bass is up there for the bait.
The fish are both scattered and clumped up, and they could be on trees most anywhere. However, it’s not unusual to go an hour or so without a bite and then get several bites off one tree – or catch a fish on successive trees.
As for baits, soft plastics have generally been pretty hard to beat. However, depending on the day crankbaits and jigs can also be effective. Brett has not seen or heard of a topwater bite.
After a couple more cold snaps shad should move further back into the creeks and the bass will follow them, but Brett’s not seeing that yet.
The crappie are biting pretty well on Santee, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that numbers are still not fantastic. They found one really good spot that they caught 10 fish off of yesterday, but they only caught a few on other spots. Overall it just seems like the crappie population is in a bit of a down cycle on the lake.
The best action is coming 12-16 feet down on brush in 20-30 feet of water, with jigs sometimes working better in the morning and minnows in the afternoons. Try both because it always varies from day to day.
The bream fishing is still fantastic on all the brush piles, although it’s not unusual to catch 10-15 fish and then have the smaller ones move in. Bluegill will eat crickets, and generally the fish are close to the bottom in the brush or just beside it.
There are also some shellcracker around.
It’s also been a pretty good bite for catfish, and Brett reports that most guides are able to at least half-fill a cooler when they go out. Drifting hard bottoms, shell beds and breaks in 20-25 feet has been the best patterns, and there really hasn’t been any magic bait. The fish are eating everything.
October 13
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.66 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.59 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the upper lake is now a bit dingy. Morning surface water temperatures are around 69 degrees.
Even though they have managed to catch some really nice fish, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that overall the crappie fishing has slowed a little on Santee. Fish are still in the same areas, and the best action has been 12-18 feet down on brush in 25-32 feet of water. Right now they are getting more on jigs than minnows and the upper lake seems to be fishing a little better than the lower lake.
But while the crappie have slowed the bream have been at the same depths and going gangbusters! They will eat crickets, and generally the bluegill are a little closer to the bottom in the brush or just beside it. It’s a great time to fill up a cooler with bream including some big ones.
The catfish bite has slowed a little this week, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that they are still getting some nice big fish. He is finding the best fishing drifting in the 10-20 foot range, although there are reports of better numbers but much smaller fish in deeper water.
Cut herring and bluegill are working as well as anything.
Bass report to follow.
October 6
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.66 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.59 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the upper lake is now a bit dingy. Morning surface water temperatures have fallen all the way to 68 degrees!
The crappie fishing is still pretty good on Santee, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are marking a lot more fish than they are catching! The best action has been 12-18 feet down on brush in 25-32 feet of water, and right now they are getting more on jigs than minnows. The upper lake seems to be fishing a little better than the lower lake.
While Steve’s boat has not been targeting them very much with a good crappie bite, bream are still all over the same brush and they are hammering his jigs. Sometimes they get them and sometimes they don’t! With crickets they would all be getting caught.
In general the bluegill are close to the bottom in the brush or just beside it, while the crappie are generally suspended on top of the brush or to the side.
October 3
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.55 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and up to 75.00 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and visibility is high. Morning surface water temperatures are around the mid-70s.
It would be a lie to say that a ton of people have been out bass fishing the last few days, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that with this cooling weather fish should be getting shallower. He is basically fishing trees and weeds, with soft-plastics the go-to lures. However, on days like today when the wind is up spinnerbaits can play well.
Water temperatures are still a little warm but when they drop just another degree or two he looks for the fish to start really chasing the shad, and then he will be throwing swimbaits, crankbaits, topwaters and more. Fish should get in the creeks and if you can find areas with current they will be a magnet for bait and fish.
There also weren’t very many people after catfish over the weekend, but anglers willing to brave the conditions found a very good bite in 20-25 feet of water. Fish are scattered over hard bottoms and shell beds, and the best bite has been drifting. There hasn’t really been any bait the catfish won’t eat, from herring to chicken to perch to shad.
The next major move the fish should make will be going deeper as the thermocline goes away. Then the bait schools will head into 45 plus feet and the blues should follow them.
September 29
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.51 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.38 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and visibility is high. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s but dropping.
At long last the crappie fishing has significantly improved on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are now getting 20-25 fish on recent trips to the upper lake. The fish are still pretty deep, and the best action has been on brush 14-18-20 feet down, generally in 25-32 feet of water. The bream are also starting to stack up on the same brush, with really good numbers caught. In general the bluegill are close to the bottom in the brush or just beside it, while the crappie are generally suspended on top of the brush or to the side.
In the morning crappie seem to be biting jigs the best, while once the sun gets up they are taking minnows better. Crickets work all day for bluegill.
At the same time the catfish bite has been a little slow recently, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that even though a few big fish are being caught numbers are down. The best concentrations of big fish that he has seen are in the 40-foot range, while for numbers he has been concentrating on 10-15 feet of water. He did lose a big one in the shallows, however. Drifting has been working the best.
Cut herring and bluegill are working as well as anything.
Bass report to follow.
September 15
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.12 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.97 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 79 degrees.
There’s been a bit of a slowdown with the catfish on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that numbers are pretty significantly down right now. Instead of filling up a cooler the last few days guides have been lucky to get 7 or 8 fish overnight, and daytime fishing has been no better.
At the same time they have had had some pretty good fish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that drifting in 20-25 feet he managed several in the upper 20s on cut bream. However, numbers were certainly down. To catch a bunch of eating-sized fish he has been targeting channel catfish holding near shallow cover with dip baits.
The crappie fishing is still improving on Santee, and Steve reports that in both lakes the fish seem to be feeding a bit better again. They still aren’t jumping in the boat but you can scratch out enough for a small fish fry if you put in the work – whereas in the heat of the summer there wasn’t much you could do.
Steve has looked around the shallower brush 10-12 feet down and been unable to find much, and it’s not until he gets into the deeper brush and fishes 16-18 feet down that they mark fish and get bit. Minnows are working the best right now. However, sometimes in the morning jigs get more bites.
There are also starting to be a lot more good bream in the brush, and catching a bunch of keeper bluegill is getting easier and easier. As temperatures cool more and more good ones will stack up out there.
There is still very little change with the bass, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that patterns are not going to change much until there is more cooling than we have seen so far.
Once fish move shallower and get more active a variety of patterns will improve, but what Brett looks to happen next is for bass to start following shad more. They will cruise the flats looking for bait, and instead of the deep-running crankbaits you need to use right now shallow-running crankbaits will come into their own. If you can find areas of current it will concentrate the bait.
Soon the topwater bite should also improve after a pretty lackluster summer.
September 8
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.89 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.80 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lake is surprisingly clear despite the recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are around 82 degrees.
Sometimes it’s good to know that catfish can be caught in totally different patterns at the same time on Santee Cooper, but then sometimes it’s good to confirm that at other times most of the fish are in the same type of areas. This is one of those second times, and both Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) report that fish are in a similar depth range. Steve is catching fish in the 10-14 foot range drifting with herring, and he is not finding much of a deep bite. They are running an average of about 10 pounds.
Brett also isn’t finding much in deep water, and he is having the best success drifting the 10-20 depth range over hard bottoms. That’s where the mussel beds are and where the shad are stacking up, and in turn where the catfish want to be. He is having the best results at night when they are catching more 20- and 30-pound range fish than during the day. A mix of baits including herring, perch, chicken and more are all working.
To catch the biggest fish Brett notes that some anglers are marking a fish and anchoring on it until it bites, but this can be a pretty slow way of fishing.
The crappie fishing is still improving on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in both lakes the fish seem to be feeding a bit better again. They still aren’t jumping in the boat but you can scratch out enough for a small fish fry if you put in the work – whereas in the heat of the summer there wasn’t much you could do.
Steve has looked around the shallower brush 10-12 feet down and been unable to find much, and it’s not until he gets into the deeper brush and fishes 16-18 feet down that they mark fish and get bit. Minnows are working the best right now.
There are also starting to be a lot more good bream in the brush, and catching a bunch of keeper bluegill is getting easier and easier. As temperatures cool more and more good ones will stack up out there.
There still very little change with the bass, and Brett reports that patterns are not going to change much until there is more cooling that we have seen so far. For now we are still in the period where you need to fish early, late and grind it out in the shade in-between.
Once fish move shallower and get more active a variety of patterns will improve, but what Brett looks to happen next is for bass to start following shad more. They will cruise the flats looking for bait, and instead of the deep-running crankbaits you need to use right now shallow-running crankbaits will come into their own. If you can find areas of current it will concentrate the bait.
Soon the topwater bite should also improve after a pretty lackluster summer.
August 31
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.00 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.95 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lake is surprisingly clear despite the recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are around 81-83 degrees.
Even with only slight early fall cooling the crappie fishing is starting to improve on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in both lakes the fish seem to be feeding a bit better again. They still aren’t jumping in the boat but you can scratch out enough for a small fish fry if you put in the work – whereas in the heat of the summer there wasn’t much you could do.
Steve has looked around the shallower brush 10-12 feet down and been unable to find much, and it’s not until he gets into the deeper brush and fishes 16-18 feet down that they mark fish and get bit. Minnows are working the best right now.
There are also starting to be a lot more good bream in the brush, and catching a bunch of keeper bluegill is getting easier and easier. As temperatures cool more and more good ones will stack up out there.
On the other hand, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that for the bass fishing to change much it’s going to take more cooling that we have seen so far. For now we are still in the period where you need to fish early, late and grind it out in the shade in-between.
Once fish move shallower and get more active a variety of patterns will improve, but what Brett looks to happen next is for bass to start following shad more. They will cruise the flats looking for bait, and instead of the deep-running crankbaits you need to use right now shallow-running crankbaits will come into their own. If you can find areas of current it will concentrate the bait.
Soon the topwater bite should also improve after a pretty lackluster summer.
The consensus seems to be that the bite for big catfish has gotten a little tougher, and Brett reports that even though they are still catching plenty of fish up to 10 pounds getting one much bigger is tricky. The best pattern for numbers has been drifting 20-25 feet over hard bottoms, and whether you use perch, herring, chicken or shrimp the results seem to be about the same.
To catch bigger fish in the late summer some people like to anchor in the shallows, but the grass has gotten so abundant on Santee that finding clean spots to anchor baits is a little tricky. That’s part of the reason some anglers like Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) are drifting very deep water at night in the 30-55 foot range. Stevie is finding the best daytime drifts in 30-40 feet right now.
August 22
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.99 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.91 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and morning surface water temperatures are around 83 degrees.
Water temperatures are starting to drop on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that when they go down a few more degrees it should effectuate some major changes with the bass. For now we are still in the period where you need to fish early, late and grind it out in the shade in-between, but very soon fish should move shallower and get more active.
All the patterns will get better when that happens, but what Brett looks to happen next is for bass to start following shad more. They will cruise the flats looking for bait, and instead of the deep-running crankbaits you need to use right now shallow-running crankbaits will come into their own. If you can find areas of current it will concentrate the bait.
Soon the topwater bite should also improve after a pretty lackluster summer.
There are still big catfish that can be found deep-drifting in 42-50 feet at night on Santee Cooper, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that some nights you can mark the fish but they won’t feed. Other people are anchoring shallower at night and finding some fish, but for the last few days the most consistent pattern for Stevie has been day-drifting in 20-25 feet.
Bluegill continue to out-fish other baits for quality bites while herring is pretty good for numbers of fish. Chicken has also been producing.
August 18
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.81 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.69 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s.
There are certainly still anglers catching catfish shallower on Santee, but for big bites Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) has now turned to deep drifting at night. He’s fishing in 42-50 feet of water, and while it’s a not a pattern for numbers of fish it’s an excellent way to catch some large ones. The last night he was out he had four fish that went over 100 pounds including a 37-pounder. You might get more bites if you used smaller baits, but for the big fish Stevie is targeting he’s using large sections of bluegill.
With the full moon last week it was possible to catch some bream bedding on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that he found some pretty good beds in shallow water. However, the bream are also really starting to stack up on brush and they caught about 200 fish another day on a deep brush pile. Most of them were smaller but there were some better ones and the numbers speak for themselves!
The crappie are still pretty slow, and you really have to work to scratch out a few fish. The fish are generally 10-20 feet down over medium to deep brush, and right now it’s mostly a minnow bite.
Bass report to follow.
August 3
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.97 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.87 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lake is still pretty clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 88 degrees.
The bass are in a typical summer pattern on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the fishing is still really tough. You have a better chance of getting bites if you head up into the swamp and fish current and shade, but the chances of catching a quality fish are better down in the lakes.
Some people are concentrating on 8-15 feet of water around brush piles, drop-offs and shell bars with Carolina rigs, jigs and shakey heads, but Brett is still spending most of his time fishing grass and trees with soft plastics and looking for a few good bites. Unfortunately the topwater bite remains tough.
But luckily Santee is also full of catfish, and Brett reports that they are feeding well right now. During the day his best pattern is drifting hard bottom areas in 15-25 feet of water, while at night the fish will slide across the depth breaks into shallower water. Herring, shad, and chicken have all been working.
While he’s not on the same depth pattern, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) also reports a pretty good bite for catfish. He has mostly been targeting smaller blues and channels in shallower water with cut herring, but at night he has been having success deep drifting in 30-40 feet of water.
While herring have been working very well when Stevie has switched over to white perch the fish will hit it but won’t eat it.
There’s not much excitement to report with the crappie, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the fishing is still slow but the best bet is still looking for fish around brush in 20-35 feet of water. Some days they will show a preference for jigs and other days for minnows.
On the bream front, while shellcracker can be a little hard to find there are still a bunch of bluegill up shallow around lily pads. Certainly there are more fish shallow and spawning around full and dark moons, but there are at least some fish up there spawning all the time in the summer.
Crickets and worms will both work.
July 22
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.32 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.15 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lake is still pretty clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 89 degrees.
Traditional bass fishing patterns have gotten really tough in the lakes, and on the water yesterday Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that they had to work hard for four or five baits. The fishing has just gotten slow and tough. In the lakes Brett can’t find a topwater bite at all, and you really just have to fish targets of opportunity like grass and trees. He is throwing soft plastics and hoping!
The swamp is so vast that you can find some fish shallow up there if you happen upon the right areas and look for current, and there are certainly some bass that can be found in 8-15 feet around brush piles, drop-offs and shell bars with Carolina rigs, jigs and shakey heads. But everything is tough right now.
The catfish have slowed a little in the last week, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the typical patterns are drifting in 10-20 feet of water on lake flats during the day and then anchoring in shallow water at night. Herring has been fishing the best. However, at night Stevie is starting to switch over to deep drifting in 30-40 feet of water which usually works for him in late summer when the shallower patterns slow.
They are pulling a little water but the canal is basically slow.
Captain Brett Mitchell isn’t seeing anything too different with the catfish, and Brett concurs that most of the time you have to drift during the day right now since fish are so scattered. However, you can also mark big fish and then try to set up on them on at anchor and just wait them out. This is a more productive pattern for targeting a trophy than numbers.
On the bream front, while shellcracker can be a little hard to find Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that there are still a bunch of bluegill up shallow around lily pads. Certainly there are more fish shallow and spawning around full and dark moons, but there are at least some fish up there spawning all the time in the summer.
In crappie news, Steve reports that the fishing is slow but the best bet is still looking for fish around brush in 20-35 feet of water. Some days they will show a preference for jigs and other days for minnows.
However, there are still times when the fish will move much shallower following spawning shad. Steve had one of his best days ever in the summer on a full moon when crappie were grouped about around 10-12 foot brush only 6 or 7 feet down eating spawning shad.
July 14
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.69 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.92 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures range from about 85-88 degrees.
It’s a strong catfish bite on Santee Cooper, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the weather seems to have the fish feeding even better after a pretty good late June. The best day-time pattern has been drifting in 10-20 feet of water on lake flats with herring, while the canal continues to be unreliable.
At night the drift bite really slows down, but there have been some good catches anchoring in shallow water.
The lake bite is still a little tough for bass, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) still reports that if you go way up the river into the swamp you can find a totally different bite. Fish are shallow in less than 2 feet of water around the banks, and Brett says the key to catching them is to find small areas with current. The best bet is soft plastics.
In the lakes the bass are generally still deeper in 8-15 feet around brush piles, drop-offs, and shell bars. Carolina rigs, shaky heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait.
On the bream front, while shellcracker have been a little hard to find Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that there are a bunch of bluegill up shallow around lily pads right now. Certainly there are more fish shallow and spawning around full and dark moons, but there are at least some fish up there spawning all the time in the summer.
In crappie news, Steve reports that the fishing is slow but the best bet is still looking for fish around brush in 20-35 feet of water. Some days they will show a preference for jigs and other days for minnows.
However, there are still times when the fish will move much shallower following spawning shad. Steve had one of his best days ever in the summer on a full moon when crappie were grouped about around 10-12 foot brush only 6 or 7 feet down eating spawning shad.
July 1
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.02 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.92 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the mid-80s in most areas.
On the crappie front, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the fishing is still tough and likely won’t get better for some time. Most of the fish they are marking are 12-15 feet down over brush in 22-28 feet of water, and at times they will take jigs and at times minnows.
The bream bite has been a little better, and on the recent new moon they caught some fish on deeper beds in more than five feet of water.
June 28
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 73.92 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.89 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures range between 85 and 90 degrees.
In the lakes the bass fishing has not changed too much on Santee, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that if you go way up the river into the swamp you can find a totally different bite. On the last trip they caught 30 fish, and most of them were between 12 inches and 3 pounds. However, they did land a monster 8 plus pounder. In the dirty water the fish were all shallow in less than 2 feet of water around the banks, and Brett says the key to catching them was to find small areas with current. Everything came on soft plastics.
The strong shallow catch in the swamp was just “swamp fish being swamp fish,” and Brett says that in the lakes the bite is still sporadic. Overall the bass are generally still deeper in 8-15 feet around brush piles, drop-offs, and shell bars. Carolina rigs, shaky heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait.
Fish in the swamp were not more cooperative because of cooler temperatures, and Brett notes that he saw 91 degrees up there!
The catfish bite continues to be good on Santee Cooper, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that on his last few trips they have filled the box with 5-20 pound fish. They are catching their fish drifting flats in 10-20 feet of water on herring. Without much water moving through the canal it has been slow, and the action in the lakes has been better.
Fish can be caught at anchor but drifting has been more reliable.
June 23
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.12 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.09 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are clear. Morning surface water temperatures range between 85 and 90 degrees.
The bass patterns are mostly unchanged on Santee, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that one thing which can create some variation during a generally stable, hot period is a mayfly hatch. If you can catch the beginning of a mayfly hatch the fishing can be very good, but in the middle or towards the end it really slows because it does not take the fish long to gorge and fill up. Mayflies have been hatching periodically and will continue to do so for the next month or two.
Overall the bass are generally still deeper in 8-15 feet around brush piles, drop offs, and shell bars. Carolina rigs, shakey heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait. The bite can be decent if you locate a group of fish on electronics or otherwise, but that’s the tricky part. And then getting them to feed can also be a challenge.
At the next moon there could be another bream bed, but on the last full moon it was surprisingly slow.
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. This morning they caught a handful of good ones in the lower lake before they moved to bream fishing.
Fish are generally 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water, with both jigs and minnows working for them.
Even between moons they have picked up some bedding bream, and they have generally been on deeper beds in more than five feet of water.
It’s 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. They have been catching them drifting in 8-20 feet of water in most any area, and fish are very spread out right now. You can also anchor in 10-20 feet around likely areas such as ledges and at the mouths of the canal.
Herring has been out-fishing everything else.
June 17
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. Morning surface water temperatures are around 87-88 degrees.
The crappie fishing has still been pretty slow on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the upper lake they are picking up a few fish 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water on minnows and jigs. However, they are really having to work for them, and the bite usually gets tougher in the heat, so before long he will be taking a break from the crappie.
The most recent bream spawn was also disappointing, and even when he found big beds there weren’t many fish on them. They will be after the bream again this weekend and will report back.
Luckily the catfish bite has been really good on Santee Cooper, and both Steve and his son Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) report that they are filling boxes with fish pretty quickly. The fish are on shallow flats in 7-11 feet of water and they are feeding on mussels. Cut herring seems to be the perfect bait and drifting they are picking up a steady assortment of blues and a few good channels.
June 14
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.29 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 75.19 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 87-88 degrees.
It’s not the way he prefers to catch them, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bass on Santee Cooper have moved deeper and he’s now having to target fish in 8-15 feet. They are around brush piles, drop offs, and shell bars. Carolina rigs, shakey heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait. The bite can be decent if you locate a group of fish on electronics or otherwise, but that’s the tricky part. And then getting them to feed can also be a challenge.
With the full moon there should be a bream bed bite right now, but Brett says he has been looking but really hasn’t found one. 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! It took 10 ½ pounds to win the 3-fish limit Sunday Showdown Series tournament this weekend.
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. He has been mainly fishing chicken but shad has also been working. White perch has been completely unproductive.
June 10
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.33 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 75.29 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s.
The crappie fishing has improved marginally, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that it’s still not where he would like it to be. Overall it’s been a slow late spring for crappie, and with real summer heat on the way it probably won’t be until the fall that fishing really picks up. Right now it looks like the lakes are in a bit of a down cycle for crappie.
The upper lake has been fishing a bit better than the lower lake recently, and the best action has come 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water. At times minnows and then jigs are both out-fishing the other so try both.
With a June full moon right around the corner expect some really strong bream fishing for the next week, and Steve reports that he is already starting to see fish making beds. Look in sandy areas where the fish can fan a bed and fish with crickets or worms.
It’s been a good week for catfish on Santee Cooper, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that you can catch them pretty much everywhere right now. At night he has been anchoring in shallow water, and in the canal area he is looking for somewhere just out of the current when he sets anchor. In the lakes he is looking for a ledge or stumps or something else that will provide the fish with a place to hold.
Stevie’s boat has also been drifting in 10-25 feet of water and finding a good bite during the day, but he has heard reports of drifting out to 40 feet and catching fish. Some of the biggest ones have been coming in the 20-22 foot range.
Overall the catfish are just eating really well right now, although they are displaying a strong preference for herring.
May 24
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.23 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 75.1 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Both lakes are clear and water temperatures are around 80 in the morning.
Strong summer patterns are starting to take off for bass on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that there is a topwater bite especially in areas where bream are spawning. These include around grass, trees, and wood. 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. Early in the morning buzzbaits are working well and shallow running crankbaits are also good, in addition to a wide range of topwater lures such as prop baits.
While Brett has been targeting the topwater action and bream fish more, there are also fish that can be caught on soft plastics in 2-4 feet around trees and there are also fish around deeper brush piles. Big worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs will all work around brush.
As we are between moon phases at the moment, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the shallow bream bite is a little off but they are getting nice numbers of bluegills around brush on crickets. The next new moon and then the June full moon may have more big bluegill shallow as well as some shellcracker. For shellcracker use worms while bluegill prefer crickets and worms.
The crappie fishing remains a little slow, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the afternoon they are only picking up a few fish here and there on brush. The best brush has been in the 20s, and the fish are 10-12 feet down. At times minnows and then jigs are both out-fishing the other so try both.
The catfish bite seems to be improving, and Captain Stevie English reports that drifting in relatively shallow water he is catching lots of good blues and channels on herring. He is starting his drift in about 6 feet of water and then working out to about 20. You can also anchor, but drifting is often more exciting.
The spawn is underway and will continue through the summer.
May 19
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.22 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.18 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Both lakes are clear and water temperatures are in the upper 70s in the morning and low 80s by the afternoons.
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. The target depth range has been 3-6 feet of water. There is a little bit of a topwater bite first thing, but it has not been very good.
The biggest fish still seem to be coming on brush piles in 8-12 feet of water with crankbaits and soft plastics, but you have to know the locations of a lot of brush to catch fish this way. The bass are not on every piece of cover.
With the full moon this past weekend the bream fishing was decent, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in the end the May full moon seems to have been kind of in-between. 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 next new moon and then the June full moon may have more bluegill shallow. For shellcracker use worms while bluegill prefer crickets and worms.
With the crappie fishing slow Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) took a break from them last week, but this weekend he will be after them again. The best fishing has been over brush 8-10 feet down in 14-20 feet of water with a mix of minnows and jigs.
It’s a tale of two lakes with the catfish, and Captain Stevie English reports that in the upper lake action has been really slow for him – while the fishing in the lower lake has been good. The shallows are full of channel catfish, and late in the day, at night and early you can catch big blues that have come up there to feed by anchoring cut bait. During the day Stevie is having the best success drifting in 15-25 feet of water with 20 feet the key depth.
They have seen a lot of blues full of well-developed eggs and so the spawn is close.
May 12
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 upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 73 degrees.
The verdict is in from the recent CBC tournament, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that a few people are whacking the bass but most people are not. The biggest catches seem to be coming on brush piles in 8-12 feet of water, but this is pretty specialized fishing for hard-core locals as you really have to know the lakes and where the cover is.
The more general pattern seems to be fishing with soft plastics like Trick Worms around trees, stumps and points. About 3 feet of water has been the magic number for catching these fish.
Again, a topwater bite should be taking off Brett hasn’t really found very much, and he characterizes it as only “sporadic.”
The crappie fishing has slowed a little more, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the fish are still pretty tough to locate. Nothing is good but brush in about 14-20 feet has been the most productive, and generally the fish are 8-10 feet down. Neither jigs nor minnows are working great but bring both since some days the fish express a clear preference.
The bream fishing has slowed up between moon phases, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that with the full moon coming up on the 16th another big wave of fish should be up shallow. While a lot of the shellcracker have already spawned there should be more, and the bluegill should really start to get down to business on this moon phase. Worms are best for shellcracker while bluegill will also take crickets.
The catfish bite is pretty good right now, and Captain Brett Mitchell reports that most people are still anchoring in 4-6 feet of water around cypress tree clusters where fish are spawning or looking for areas to spawn. However, he is also doing well drifting as deep as about 12 feet.
A mix of cut bait including gizzard shad and herring will work as well as chicken.
While you can still catch a lot of small eating-sized fish drifting in 15-30 feet of water, Captain Stevie English is most excited that the canal bite is finally turning on. It should have happened a few weeks ago, but the fish are just now starting to feed well in the canal. Drifting and bouncing the bottom is working well, and there are also intermittent spots where you can anchor up and catch fish.
May 6
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). While there are some dirty spots the lakes are basically returning to normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are mostly in the low to mid-70s.
The reasons aren’t exactly clear, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bass fishing is tougher than it’s supposed to be. Post-spawn fish are supposed to recover from the spawn around cypress trees in 2 ½ to 4 feet, but right now he’s not finding as many hungry fish up there as expected. The fish they are catching are coming on soft plastics.
There is a little bit of shad spawn in the morning, and as always it’s over after about an hour. 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. This includes spinnerbaits, swimbaits and crankbaits.
While the topwater bite should be taking off Brett hasn’t really found very much, and he characterizes it as only “sporadic.”
The crappie fishing is basically “fair” right now, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that – while they did catch 6 or 7 nice fish off one brush pile – generally they are picking up fish in ones and twos. Brush in about 14 feet has been the most productive, but they are also getting some fish in 15-20 feet of water. Generally the fish are 8-10 feet down. They are marking a few fish on deep brush but they may just be bluegill.
The lower lake has been much better than the upper lake, and a lot of days jigs have been out-fishing minnows. It’s a good idea to have both.
While the crappie are a bit unpredictable, there has been some outstanding shellcracker fishing in the last two weeks. Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that on one recent trip they caught 25 over 1 pound and fish up to two pounds. The fish are shallow on beds, and spawning activity peaks on the new and full moons. Just before the last new moon they could literally see the fish moving onto beds in droves. They are around weeds and both red and green worms are working very well.
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. The area doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference with smaller fish very spread out, and he is just “going”. You can also fish dip baits in the canal to catch a lot of fish. In contrast, to catch a bigger fish concentrate on shallower water.
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. Brett also reports that a few people like him are drifting for bigger fish, again in shallow water. Some of the fish have already started to spawn while others are shallow looking for spawning areas.
They will take most any bait when they are feeding.
April 21
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.31 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.57 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The lakes are getting muddy and morning surface water temperatures are around the low to mid-60s.
After a strong spawning wave last week, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bass are starting to get into a bit of a post-spawn lull. They are tired, beat up, and trying to recover, and so the bite will likely be off for a few more days.
Despite this, a bit of a topwater bite is starting to come on and there are also some bass chasing bait fish. If you fish very, very early you can also find a shad spawn around dawn in some places.
For fish chasing bait flukes, Spooks, Pop-Rs, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits will all work. You can also fish soft plastics around trees. Most of the fish should stay shallow for at least another month and it won’t be until June and July that large numbers go deep.
The crappie fishing has been really tough again this week, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports they aren’t exactly sure why. There is some speculation that the population is down right now, and they do generally go in cycles, but there also seem to be some seasonal factors at play. The fish they have caught have been 8-12 feet down over brush in 15-20 feet of water.
Before the cold front at the beginning of this week there were starting to be some bream around the banks, but for now the weather seems to have pushed them out to the same brush the crappie are on. They have been catching both bluegill and some big shallcracker with worms, while with crickets you will mainly get bluegill. A few more warm days should bring the fish shallower again.
There are a few different ways to catch catfish right now, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that for him the cold front seems to have put off the blue catfish bite. He switched over to catching channel catfish, and on dip baits they have been wearing them out in the canal.
The best patterns for blue catfish seem to be anchoring early and then drifting during the day in 10-30 feet of water.
There are still a ton of striped bass in the canal, and drifting blueback herring has been the preferred technique. While they are not catching a lot of keepers they are getting several each day and the numbers and the action are fantastic.
April 8
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.55 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.68 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s and – while the mud is coming – it’s still only dingy in the lakes.
The bass have been surprisingly quiet this week on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that’s because we are in a minor lull between waves of the spawn. The new moon was a week ago and the full moon is not until next week. At the April full moon it should be gangbusters again, while this week they have caught decent numbers and a few big fish but nothing has been hot.
The fish they are catching are still shallow in 5 feet of water or less, and they are holding tight to grass and trees. Pretty much everything has come on soft plastics this week.
The crappie fishing has also been surprisingly off this week, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) notes that in addition to the moon phases the weather has been another factor that has really slowed the bite. In the wet, windy conditions there have not been a lot of people out chasing crappie but the shallow bite has been surprisingly tough. It seems as if the majority of the fish are post-spawn.
Some of the fish are starting to get out on brush again, and they have had some decent days on brush. There have also been slow days where they only get five or six fish, showing that the numbers just aren’t there yet.
Even with the crappie spawn winding down the shellcracker spawn is about to explode, and Steve reports that they are already catching a few in shallow water but it’s about to get really good. The fish are already starting to spawn in shallow water around grass but numbers are about to go way up. Worms are hard to beat.
It’s 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. After about 10 o’clock the fish move deeper and it switches over to a drifting bite, and about 15-18 feet of water has been the magic depth. The fish are tearing up river herring right now.
Perhaps the most exciting thing going on Santee right now is the striped bass bite in the canal, and drifting blueback herring over the rocks has been dynamite. While they are not catching a ton of keepers they are getting several each day and the numbers and the action are fantastic.
April 1
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.24 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.82 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the low 60s and there is some dirty water rolling into the lakes.
As predicted the Elite Series Pros absolutely wrecked the bass at Santee Cooper two weeks ago, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that most of the fish were caught very shallow and often looking at them on beds. However, this week the patterns have changed and some cool, windy weather has pulled the fish out just a little. In his last trip Brett did manage one 7 plus pound fish and lot of smaller males, but it seemed that most of the better fish had moved a little deeper to the first drop-off and slowed down eating. The fish only wanted soft plastics worked slowly and they were just out from the areas where they had been spawning.
Warming weather will get them shallower and more aggressive again soon, and the new moon this weekend will also help to get another group of fish up looking and then on beds. Overall the fish should continue to roam the shallows for another three to four weeks as several more waves of fish come up and spawn.
In the next week or two there should also start to be a topwater bite, but that really doesn’t usually kick off until water temperatures hit a magic range of about 75 degrees.
Apologies for the lack of bass update last week – Brett gave us a post-tournament report but we failed to publish it. We will do our best to make sure that does not happen again.
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 couldn’t come soon enough! There are only a very few feeding fish on brush right now, and the vast majority of the fish are in less that 6 feet of water. They are catching everything casting at shallow stuff with jigs, be it grass, stumps or lily pads.
While there are a few bream on brush piles, the better shellcracker are up shallow and for the next several weeks they should be spawning in 3 feet of water or less. Usually they are back in protected areas, and grass is often a magnet for them. Red wigglers are hard to beat.
With so many panfish up shallow it’s 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. Throughout the day drifting in 5-15 feet of water has been productive.
River herring is fishing the best right now.