July 14
Santee Cooper water levels are 74.29 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.20 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5), and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84-85 degrees.
AtRelaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area in upper Lake Marion, Chris Biddle reports overall fishing remains very good. Several species are providing good action around the cypress trees flats and the weedy areas found throughout the upper end of the lake. Fishing guides in this area continue to do well.
Captain Brian Fegan (843-468-1113; Two Thumbs Fishing on Facebook) reports
the crappies are still being caught on brush piles in 15 to 25 feet of water. Captain Brian’s bait of choice is live minnows. He prefers a slip cork rig to target the precise depth where he’s marking fish around the woody cover. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times, and some quality fish are being caught.
Captain Brian with a couple of recent slabs from the Jacks Creek area of Lake Marion.
He reports bream are being caught on beds at 3-10 feet. His bait of choice for bream and shellcrackers is red worms or crickets, and he reports his best action is fishing around Cypress trees or stumps in the Jack’s Creek area.
Captain Rodney Reed (803-825-9144; True Life Outdoors Guide Service on Facebook) reports that catfish are deep during the day, and that drifting cut bait in 25-30 feet of water is productive. At night, anchor fishing on shallow flats around mussel beds is very good in 3-6 feet of water.
Captain Rodney said bass are being caught during early morning on topwater lures, such as frogs, the Whopper Plopper, or buzz baits in 3-4 feet of water. Go early, before the sun gets high, or late in the evening, he advises. Fishing midday, he finds bass around cover at 10-15 feet and targets areas loaded with baitfish. He’s casting deep-diving crank baits or minnow-type lures in 3.5-to 6-inch sizes.
In lower Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, Captain Kevin Davis (803-312-3080) reports that catfishing is outstanding. He’s still targeting shallower water, with his best catches being made by drift fishing in water 8-15 feet deep. He’s working flats adjacent to deeper water, at least 20 feet deep. He’s primarily using cut blueback herring, but cut perch or bream works as well.
Captain Kevin said bass bite continues to be productive in lower Lake Marion and throughout Lake Moultrie. The best pattern is fishing along the edges of the eel grass or hydrilla growth, and the target depth is the deepest grass in the area you’re fishing. Working along the grass edge in water 10 to 15 feet deep is the prime depth to contact big bass. Fishing the base of these grass edges is best with deep-running crankbaits or Texas-rigged worms.
Terry Madewell
July 8
Santee Cooper water levels are 74.4 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.2 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5), and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84-85 degrees.
AtRelaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area of the lake, Chris Biddle reports overall fishing is very good. Still, much of the best activity for bass, bream, and crappie is early and late, and for catfish, the nocturnal hours are productive, too.
Captain Rodney Reed (803-825-9144; True Life Outdoors Guide Service on Facebook) said largemouth bass are providing consistent action in upper Lake Marion. The fish are holding in 5-8 feet of water during the day, orienting to woody cover and weed line edges throughout the upper end of the lake.
He reports the shallow-water topwater bite is good early and late in the day, with soft plastics worked tight to cover and crankbaits productive mid-day.
Captain Rodney said catfish are generally caught in 25-30 feet of water during the day while drifting cut bait, with perch, shad, and bream all productive. He reports that catfishing at night is very good in 2-6 feet of water on flats.
Captain DeWayne Proffit (740) 404-3900; (http://takiniteasyguideservice.com) reports that catfishing has been fair this week. He’s drift-fishing cut bait in 6' of water early in the morning, then deeper when the sun gets high. Captain DeWayne said to keep drift speed around .05 mph for best results. He said July is also a good time to use the smelly dip baits in skinny water early and late in the day.
Captain DeWayne said the catfish action is solid in uppper Lake Marion for big blues.
In lower Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, Captain Kevin Davis (803-312-3080) reports that catfishing is outstanding, even as catfish continue to spawn. His most recent trip produced a huge cooler of catfish by drift fishing in water 12-20 feet deep. He’s using cut herring and white perch as bait, and he’s drift fishing the big flats, and these flats are not necessarily close to the deeper water right now. That will change in post-spawn.
Captain Kevin is an avid bass angler and said the bass bite is strong in lower Lake Marion and throughout Lake Moultrie, and one solid pattern now is fishing along the edges of the hydrilla growth. He said that in some areas; it’s growing in 10 to 15 feet of water this year because of clear water conditions. Fishing at the base of the grass edges is excellent with deep-running crankbaits and Texas worm rigs.
That bass fishing is still good, working shallow cover. The early-morning bite is excellent around weeds, logs, and trees using topwater lures, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. Once the sun gets high, the bass retreat to 6-8 feet of water during midday.Once they back off deeper, soft plastics fished around woody cover are a good bet, as are small crankbaits on flats around stumps and ledges.
Terry Madewell
July 1
Santee Cooper water levels are 74.66 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8), and 74.80 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5), and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84-85 degrees.
AtRelaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area in upper Lake Marion, Chris Biddle reports overall fishing is excellent, with most species in solid summer patterns now and fishermen and guides from his landing are currently doing well on all species.
Captain Chris Platts, Kayak bass guide (843-743-413; Fishing with Platts on Facebook), reports the summer heat is impacting anglers and the bass, and the largemouth are now in stable summer patterns. He said the shallow bite has remained productive during the morning hours, using hollow-body frogs, buzzbaits, swimbaits, and squarebill crankbaits.
Once the sun gets high, he moves to deeper grass mats that hold baitfish, and this pattern can produce some big bass. When fishing the deeper grass, he suggests working a Texas-rigged worm or creature bait to tempt big bass into biting. Docks are another great target, providing shade and cover for bass. Captain Platt’s favorite bait to throw around docks is a scuppernong coike, a finesse bait for clear water.
Big Bass are still in play for anglers, and Capt. Chris said several tactics are productive.
Captain Chris said to pay close attention to baitfish and bream activity. During the summer months, bass can be very active early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Some of the best places to fish are areas where creeks meet the main lake, such as Persanti Island in Jacks Creek.
Captain Brian Fegan (843-468-1113; Two Thumbs Fishing on Facebook) reports
the crappies are in deeper water, in the 20-30-foot range, with the elevated water temperatures. Vertical jigging around brush or standing timber is the best tactic, especially around the Jacks Creek area during early morning and late evenings.
His live bait of choice is the smallest minnows he can find, or tiny 1-1.5-inch plastics on lightweight jigs. They can be fished under a cork/bobber setup or fished vertically on a tight-line rig. The best jig colors vary, but Captain Brian prefers the natural forage colors.
--Terry Madewell
June 24
Santee Cooper water levels are 74.92 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8), and 74.80 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5), and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 85 degrees.
AtRelaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area of the lake, Chris Biddle reports that bass fishing is still good, working shallow cover. The early-morning bite is excellent around weeds, logs, and trees using topwater lures, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. Once the sun gets high, the bass retreat to 6-8 feet of water during midday.
Once they back off deeper, soft plastics fished around woody cover are a good bet, as are small crankbaits on flats around stumps and ledges.
The catfishing action in the upper end of the lake is excellent, with Captain Dewayne Profitt making good catches first thing in the morning in water five feet or less using dip baits and cut shad. He’s catching an assortment of blue and channel catfish. Once the sun gets high, the catfish head back to the ledges in deeper water.
Capt. Dewayne Profitt is catching quality catfish in shallow water, early in the mornings.
Captain Rodney Reed reports that the midday bite is good, with catfish about 20-25 feet deep, and he’s drift-fishing and covering a lot of water. He also reports that on a calm evening, nocturnal fishing is very good by anchoring and fan-casting around the boat.
Biddle also reports that crappie and bream action continues to be good, with the crappie now in deep water and the bream still bedding, but also being caught scattered around weeds and cypress trees.
In lower Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, Captain Kevin Davis (803-312-3080) said the catfish action is excellent by drifting the flats and humps in 10-25 feet of water. Crappie are being caught on deep brush using small minnows or jigs fished vertically. The bream bedding activity continues in the shallows, but is much more scattered than last month.
Captain Kevin reports the bass are now in solid, hot weather patterns in this sector of the lake, and some of the best action is coming from the open-water drops and humps. But early morning, shallow water action is good for a short period around grass and weeds.
He also advised that the striperseason has closed until October 1.
Terry Madewell
June 9
Santee Cooper water levels are 75.3 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8), and 75.2 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5), and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 degrees.
AtRelaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area of the lake, Chris Biddle reports that bass and crappie fishing is excellent, and bream are still bedding. Several guides in this sector of the lake are making excellent catches.
Kayak bass guide Captain Chris Platts (843-743-4131) reports bass are now getting into their typical summertime patterns. One sure way to target big bass is to fish around bream beds, and he said to look for the close ambush cover near the bream bed to find these bass.
Captain Chris Platts says summertime patterns rule the bass fishing at Santee Cooper.
Captain Chris is targeting bass with speed worms, shallow-running crankbaits, chatterbaits, Frogs, and Texas-rigged creature baits. He advises anglers to use these baits in the bluegill color pattern to enhance the odds of hooking the bass of a lifetime.
Among his favorite target areas are the trees and cuts around Persanti Island. Also, docks, laydowns, and single trees near deep water are prime targets. And he advises that it often requires multiple casts to the same target to get the bass to bite.
And don’t overheat in the upcoming hot weather pattern, Captain Chris advises. Relaxed Retreat has food, cold drinks, and shade for a mid-day break.
Captain Brian Feagan (843-468-1113) reports he’s had crappie fishing success around the Jacks Creek area recently, with fish now in a reliable pattern on deep brush piles about 10-20 feet deep. The pattern should be they’ll gradually move deeper, but this is the ideal depth range for now. His most productive pattern has been using live minnows under a slip cork rig over the brush. Also, the Berkeley Gulp is productive when crappie are actively feeding.
In the Lake Moultrie area, Captain Kevin Davis (803-312-3080) said the striper action is excellent in the deepwater area near Pinopolis Dam. Fishermen are catching stripers using live blueback herring fished in deepwater, suspended over the deep water.
Targeting the depth at which he marks fish with his electronics, or slightly above in the water column, is his primary bait-presentation technique. Captain Davis said this last week of the season should provide plenty of action. The season closes after June 15 and reopens on October 1.
Terry Madewell
June 3
Santee Cooper water levels are up to 75.50 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.28in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the water has a little color from the recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees.
The black bass are in a transition period on Santee, and Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that he is still catching some fish in less than 5 feet of water but now a lot are moving out to 6-8 feet. As water levels rise they are also starting to get on trees more, in addition to the hydrilla they almost always relate to. Chatterbaits, wacky rigs, and Texas rigs are all catching fish.
While there will be some fish shallow around grass all month, as it moves towards July Captain David expects more and more fish to relate to brush piles and trees in 6-10 feet of water. For these deeper fish he will use crankbaits, Chatterbaits, and Texas-rigged worms.
The catfish bite continues to be outstanding on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore(843-751-3080) reports that for a month or two catches have been absolutely phenomenal. He has been drifting in 15-25 feet of water with cut blueback herring most of the time, but notes that in Marion a good tactic can be anchoring around shallow mussel beds right now. In June drifting the canal is traditionally a good tactic, and with fish keying so heavily on mussels small pieces of cut bait are ideal choices most everywhere. In the lower lake he expects to stay in 15-25 feet most of the month, although he may venture shallower if water levels rise.
In a similar vein, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 10-20 feet with cut herring is his go-to pattern all month. He agrees that the bite has been very strong.
While the season is set to close on June 15, Captain Bobby reports that striped bass fishing has been very good in deep water at night. Fishing with live bait in areas like the Moultrie dam has been very productive. However, during the day the fishing is painfully slow.
The crappie are slowing down as summer approaches, although Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) notes that they have not gone very deep with mild temperatures. However, by later June he expects most of the fish to be on brush in 25-30 feet of water.
At the same time bluegill and shellcracker are just coming off a very good spawn, and Captain Steve reports that last weekend they caught 15 fish a pound or better that were bedding. Even if shellcracker slow down fish should bed again on the new moon in the middle of the month and the full moon at the end of June.
May 20
Santee Cooper water levels are still low at 75.46 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8), and 75.40 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5), and the water is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 74 degrees.
Santee Cooper fishing continues to be productive for several species, with bream bedding throughout the lakes, bass still on a strong bite, catfishing action remaining good, and striper activity going well in the lower end of Lake Moultrie. The Bassmaster Elite Series bass tournament on Santee Cooper proved that bass fishing is excellent throughout the lakes, as the winning tournament weight topped the century mark, with over 113 pounds of bass.
Chris Biddle at Relaxed Retreat reports bass fishing is great throughout Santee Cooper.
At Relaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area of the lake, Chris Biddle reports that overall fishing is outstanding, with several guides in this sector of the lake recently making excellent catches.
Biddle reports that the Jack’s Creek area was a hotbed for the bass anglers in the tournament, and a tournament angler caught a big bass on live TV from under their pier at the landing.
Bream are being caught bedding throughout the lakes, and Captain Brian Feagan (843-468-1113) said he’s had a lot of success around the Jacks Creek area recently, and it’s only going to get better with the full moon approaching. He’s catching bream on the beds from 3 -10 feet of water, using side imaging electronics. Using crickets or red worms on a slip cork rig seems to be the best method for Captain Brian.
Catfish are moving deeper during the day with this heat, but they’re moving into water only 4-6 feet deep at night, according to Captain Rodney Reed (True Life Outdoors Guide Service on Facebook). Much of the best fishing is on mussel beds at night, he said.
Captain Dewayne Profitt (803-478-6479; takiniteasyguideservice.com) is finding catfish deeper during the day, with 23-25 feet of water a good starting depth, and he’s finding them around standing timber. Captain Dewayne said snails have been floating up, and the catfish have been full of them. Cut shad and white perch are working well as catfish bait for him. Drifting, or hooking to stumps and fishing around the boat, has been most productive during the low light of mornings and evenings.
Captain Kevin Davis (803-312-3080) said the bream, catfish, and striper action are all productive on Lake Moultrie right now. The stripers are being caught on live herring from deep water near the Pinopolis Dam.
May 14
Santee Cooper water levels are low at 74.85 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.00 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the water is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 74 degrees.
Fishing action continues to be excellent on Santee Cooper lakes, with good reports from both Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie. Captain Kevin Davis (803-312-3080) said that bream bedding is occurring throughout the lakes right now, and he's noticed in his fishing that the beds are often a little deeper this season. He thinks it’s likely due to the very clear water conditions caused by drought.
Captain Kevin reports that he's finding beds in the grass and weedy cover along or near the shoreline, but this native aquatic vegetation seems to be beneficial for the survival of these and other panfish. He reports that the lakes are full of big bream right now, with lots of limits being taken, along with big ‘bull’ bream.
Captain Kevin's son Gary with a 'bull' bream; the action is excellent.
He says to check around coves and pockets with sandy or gravel bottoms when searching for bream beds. And then, when you catch a big bream, work that area thoroughly. He said to use crickets for big bream, or to target bream and shellcracker, use redworms or nightcrawlers.
Terry Madewell
May 5
Santee Cooper fishing continues to be good for several species, and this report updates the fishing for the upper portion of Lake Marion. At Relaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area of the lake, Chris Biddle reports that overall fishing is outstanding, with several guides in this sector of the lake recently making excellent catches.
Captain Rodney Reed (True Life Outdoors Guide Service on Facebook), a local guide from Manning, reports that largemouth bass have almost finished spawning, with a few late spawners caught recently. The best bite is early morning and late evening in the shallows. When the sun gets high, Captain Rodney works deeper water in the 6-8 feet of water, and he’s targeting the shady areas of trees in the Jacks Creek area; Jack’s Creek has an abundance of cypress and gum trees to target. His most productive baits are weighted worms, Senko’s, spinner baits, and crank baits.
Kayak bass guide Captain Chris Platts (843-743-4131) reports bass are in full feeding mode, including trophy-sized fish, and he's catching them in 6-10 feet of water around grass edges, laydowns, and pads. Best baits are swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. The shad spawn is underway, and finding these areas will produce excellent early-morning shallow-water action. Captain Chris said the Jacks Creek area offers plenty of targets for working shallow flats near deep water, his ideal target for this current fishing trend.
Chris Biddle reports the catfish bite is still hot, with multiple anglers reporting big catches this past weekend. Top patterns are drifting along ledges or anchored in the mouths of creeks during the day. The action at night is improving in skinny water, with big blues and flatheads found in water 2-5 feet deep. Cut bait (herring or gizzard shad) or live bait (bream or white perch) is productive, with live bait having the edge if targeting big flatheads.
Captain Matt Outlaw (Outlaw Outdoors Guide Service on Facebook) has had an excellent spring for crappie and said they are transitioning to their summer patterns. They’re moving to brush in the 10-20-foot depth range. Captain Matt prefers to fish small jigs, specifically the K2 baits, but live minnows are certainly an excellent choice.
Captain Brian Fegan, another local guide from Manning (Two Thumbs Feagin Brian on Facebook), reports similar info as Captain Outlaw, with crappie having moved from the spawning areas to 10-25 feet of water on brush piles. Captain Brian said he’s catching them using minnows or jigs, with chartreuse or white color jig bodies the most effective. Early mornings and late afternoons have produced the best bite.
Captain Brian has also caught lots of shellcrackers and said they’re still spawning. Anglers can find the beds in water 5-10 feet deep around grass and lily pads. The bream bed bite is heating up, and good action is occurring in shallow water, from 3-5 feet deep. Anglers can find bream beds around grass and cypress trees, and while the shellcracker action on beds will soon slow, the bream bed action should improve as the water warms.
Capt. Brian said the scent of bream beds, a unique fishy smell, often clues him in that he’s in the right area. If you have that sensory gift, use it. If you smell a ‘fishy’ scent, work that area diligently; a bream or shellcracker bed is likely nearby. The best rig has been a slip-cork rig loaded with crickets or red worms, with worms often the preferred bait for shellcrackers.
Terry Madewell
April 30
Santee Cooper water levels are low at 75.01 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.00 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the water is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees.
The black bass fishing is still very good on Santee, and Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that right now there continues to be a strong shallow bite. Wacky-rigged worms, Texas-rigged speed worms, Chatterbaits, and frogs are all catching fish around grass. He also expects another wave of bedding fish on the May 1 full moon.
After the full moon and when the spawn is over then many fish will head out to brush, and generally they will start to feed “up” more. Topwater baits including Pop-Rs, frogs, and walking baits will all be good over brush and in the shallows during May. And of course, as long as there is grass there will be fish around it all year that will take soft plastics, Chatterbaits, and more.
The catfish bite also remains strong on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that he will be fishing the same pattern from now at least through the end of May. In 12 feet or less he will be trying to fish around mussel beds, with blueback herring, shad, and white perch. Chicken also gets very good as it gets hotter. If you are having trouble locating mussels look for current as moving water creates mussel beds.
From now through the end of May Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he will also be drifting and sometimes anchoring in 2-10 feet of water with herring. Fishing has been very good.
The striped bass fishing has been a bit confusing, and Captain Bobby reports that for some reason the fishing at the Moultrie dam has not been good despite all the bait being there. It should turn on sometime in May, however, and so he advises continuing to try to target deep fish on down rods in about 50 feet of water. Use live herring along with some sort of thumper or small motor that produces sound.
Today, however, they could only get bites in the canal where they caught five or six good fish near the bottom on live bait.
After several years of disappointment Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) continues to be optimistic about the health of the Santee Cooper crappie population. Yesterday fish weren’t on all the brush but they caught 25 fish on brush piles in 15-25 feet of water. That pattern should hold through May, although when water temperatures bump the mid-70s then brush in the 25-35 foot range may be more productive. Jigs continue to out-produce minnows, and it’s unclear if and when that will change.
Finally, Captain Stevie continues to wear out the bream over brush piles. However, he thinks that within the next few days they will move shallower where all but the smallest fish will stay through the end of May. Every year he has to find them again, but looking very shallow in 2 or so feet of water around trees, grass, or any other cover is the best pattern.
April 23
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.23 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.15 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the water is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are back to around 70 degrees.
It’s not a surprise in the post-spawn period, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappie are finally stacked up on brush and biting very well. Yesterday they already had 30 after just a couple of hours of fishing, and the type of brush didn’t seem to make a huge difference. Some fish were on shallow brush in less than 15 feet, some on deeper brush in 25 or more feet, and sometimes the brush was in flat areas and some was on drops. The fish were very aggressive and they were only fishing jigs.
Shellcracker seem to have slowed down for the minute, but the spawn should be on again next week on the full moon. Meanwhile small bluegill are easy to find on the brush, with a few better ones mixed in, but the bigger ones should also go shallow next week.
The black bass fishing is still very good, and Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that they are still catching are a mix of pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn bass, and they are all coming in 3-6 feet of water. Fish are around grass and stumps, and of course they are looking for beds anywhere those might be. Most of the fish are coming on soft plastics including Senkos and Texas-rigged worms, but some are being caught on Pop-Rs.
The clear water is great for bed fishing, but with the water down fish are less likely to want to get around trees in the upper lake with the high visibility.
The catfish bite is still strong on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that when the sun is up his boat is anchoring cut herring, shad, and white perch in 7-9 feet of water in the slight depressions that lead to shallow flats and on the flats, but in lower light conditions he is concentrating on 3-5 feet of water in the same terrain.
You can also catch fish in the same areas drifting, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he is pulling herring across the shallow flats to catch fish from 3-20 pounds.
While you can still mark a few striped bass in the canal, Captain Bobby reports that from what he is seeing the vast majority of the fish are in deeper water. He is marking a ton of fish in 50 feet, near the Moultrie dam or just in open water, and the best pattern seems to be down rods and live herring along with some sort of thumper or small motor that produces sound.
April 16
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.46 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.40 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the water is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees.
We should lead off with the best thing going on Santee, and Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that the black bass fishing is “wonderful”. Yesterday they caught 30-something fish up to 7 ½ pounds, and today mid-morning they were on their way to similar numbers. The fish they are catching are a mix of pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn bass, and they are all coming in 3-6 feet of water. Fish are around grass and stumps, and of course they are looking for beds anywhere those might be. Most of the fish are coming on soft plastics including Senkos and Texas-rigged worms, but some are being caught on Pop-Rs.
The clear water is great for bed fishing, but with the water down a little fish are less likely to want to get around trees in the upper lake with the high visibility.
The catfish bite has really improved on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the shallow action is finally coming together where they can catch fish all day long. That’s not because the water has gotten any dirtier, but something has turned things on.
When the sun is up then Captain Bobby is anchoring cut herring, shad, and white perch in 7-9 feet of water in the slight depressions that lead to shallow flats and on the flats, but in lower light conditions he is concentrating on 3-5 feet of water in the same terrain.
You can also catch fish in the same areas drifting, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he is pulling herring across the shallow flats to catch fish from 3-20 pounds.
While you can still mark a few striped bass in the canal, Captain Bobby reports that from what he is seeing the vast majority of the fish have returned to deeper water. He is marking a ton of fish in 50 feet, near the Moultrie dam or just in open water, and the best pattern seems to be down rods and live herring along with some sort of thumper or small motor that produces sound.
Similarly the crappie spawn is about over, with the caveat from Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) that in the upper lake they have found some good concentrations of later-spawning white crappie along the river channel on wood. However, black crappie are generally starting to return to brush although they are not yet stacked up on it.
Finally, bream fishing is a little unpredictable with both bluegill and shellcracker moving back and forth between shallow and deep water. Yesterday mostly small bluegill and occasional bigger ones were stacked up on brush, but no shellcracker were to be found. Last week they were shallow, but this week they are tougher to locate again. The big bluegill are similarly unpredictable right now.
April 3
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.51 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.39 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5), and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees.
Largemouth bass fishing remains highly productive on both lakes, and according toCaptain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566), the shallow water is still the place to focus your efforts, based on two recent trips. On one, he fished Lake Marion and worked the back of coves, around trees, grass, and lily pads in three to four feet of water. Fishing the trees, his clients caught some quality bass on Chatterbaits. Working the grass and pads, they found the Wacky Style Sinko most productive. Captain Murdaugh said he found bass on the beds on both trips and staging in pre-spawn areas. With the warm weather predicted this week, he believes there will likely be more bass on the beds by the weekend. The bass have made one strong spawning push already, and the early April push to the beds is usually the largest of the spring. The pattern for the trip to Lake Moultrie was similar in tactics and results for Captain David, with each trip producing 15-plus quality bass caught and released.
In the upper end of Lake Marion at Packs, the lack of water flow through the lake is hurting thestriper fishing, according to Steve Pack atPack’s Landing (803-452-5514). Pack said the striper run is slower than in recent years due to low water flow. He said fishermen are generally catching one or two stripers per boat, but last year, anglers were generally catching limits of stripers and culling fish at this time of year. He said the herring are mostly in the flats because of a lack of water flow.
The flip side is that shellcracker fishing has been excellent, and Steve believes it will get better as temperatures warm throughout the week. He said he also saw a couple of limits of big, blue bream this week, so that action should heat up by the weekend.
AtRelaxed Retreat (803-478-2800), located in Jacks Creek and the I-95 Bridge area of the lake, Chris Biddle said they’re seeing coolers full of big shellcrackers every day and are also beginning to see good catches of big bream, too. He thinks the action will be outstanding by the weekend. Worms and crickets are productive for both species, with worms having the edge for shellcrackers.
Biddle said kayak bass guide Chris Platts (843) 743-4131 is finding bass in all three phases of the spawn in both lakes, in depths from very shallow to 15-feet-deep. Platt said on Lake Marion to search for fry guarders and spawning fish in the holes of shallow grass mats. Running a frog or Speed Worm rig can be a great way to catch bass in this habitat. Post-spawn females are positioned not far from shellcracker beds and they’re hungry and aggressive right now.
On Lake Moultrie, Platt looks for big stumps on the edge of grass flats and works them with Texas-rigged soft plastics. Look for holes in the hydrilla and eel grass and use either a spinnerbait or chatterbait. During April, in pads and grass, a Frog is always a solid choice.
Biddle said Crappieaction is excellent in the upper end of Lake Marion. Crappie guide Captain Matt Outlaw (Outlaw Outdoors Guide Service on Facebook) said most of the crappie are on an aggressive bite. Some females are still in spawning mode in the shallows, and plenty of males are guarding the eggs in the shallows. But he thinks most of the females have spawned and are moving back to deeper water, a typical post-spawn condition. Most post-spawners are holding near woody cover at depths of 5 to 15 feet. Capt. Outlaw said he’s using a 1/16-ounce jighead with a K2 plastic grub, and while most colors are effective, the yellow and black/chartreuse patterns are the most productive for him.
Captain Bobby Winters withBob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) said the striper fishing remains slow for what’s normally occurring at this time of the year. The lack of current flow is making it difficult to find and catch stripers; he reports they’re scattered throughout the lakes. Captain Bobby said some current is available in the Diversion Canal, so that’s one area he’s fished, but more current would likely produce better action in the Canal. He recommends anchoring near the mouth of the Canal where it opens into Lake Moultrie and fishing an assortment of cut blueback herring and live bluebacks, or drifting live bluebacks suspended at the depth where fish are marked.
Captain Bobby said thecatfish action is still hampered by the clear water for shallow water setups once the sun is beating down. He believes plenty of big catfish are feeding in skinny water at night, and remain active on shallow flats and coves for a couple of hours after daylight before going deep. Night fishing is likely the best bet for consistent big catfish because early mornings are producing some quality fish in decent numbers.
Chris Biddle said on the catfish action, Capt. Dewayne Profitt (803-478-6479; takiniteasyguideservice.com) is working the upper end of the lake with good success. Captain Profitt is working shallow coves and flats, including areas with grass and weeds, and is catching plenty of quality catfish. Profitt is anchoring in about 5-feet of water and fan-casting around the boat. He’s using cut bait to target big blue catfish roaming the shallows looking for forage. With this warm weather, the forage opportunities are abundant.
March 25
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.44 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.27 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 60 degrees.
It’s the same story with the catfish bite on Santee, and at this point Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) has no choice but to conclude that high visibility is the culprit. Fish come in shallow at night to feed and will bite for the first couple of hours of the morning, but then they vacate shallow water. After about 10:00 the shallow bite is dead.
While he’s loathe to recommend this in the spring, perhaps deeper drifting is a better daytime pattern right now.
The striped bass bite also isn’t as good as it should be in the spring, but Captain Bobby reports that when they pull water the canal can be a good place to fish. They are marking tons of fish in there and it’s just a matter of whether they are biting. Live bait near the bottom is the best option.
Unfortunately it’s again no better of a report from Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514), where they still only report sporadic catches. At the same time fish are apparently in Columbia and Lugoff, and there’s only one way to get there. While they are still optimistic a good wave will come through water levels, unpredictable weather, and perhaps other factors may just mean the spring bite never materializes the way it should.
Meanwhile the crappie have all pretty much headed to shallow water now, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that they few remaining fish they were catching on brush have gone. The best pattern is fishing around the bank, although with so many fish having already spawned there are also a lot of fish just laying near the bottom and recovering in a post-spawn malaise.
Finally, while there have been some incredible black bass catches Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that the gin clear conditions have made for poor bed fishing. He has spent a significant amount of time going down the bank and looking but found very few fish on beds, and there are also aren’t a lot of pre-spawn fish hanging around the banks in the clear conditions.
With fish seemingly spawning just out of sight this year, the better pattern may be, once again, targeting pre- and post-spawn fish in the hydrilla with soft plastics.
March 18
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.57 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.26 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are pretty clear. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped back into the mid- to upper 50s.
The catfish bite should on fire right now, but Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that even though there were tons of big fish up shallow this weekend (bass fishermen report seeing 60-pounders swimming by their boats) due to all manner of species being near the banks the bite has not been as good as expected. Very early and at night you can catch fish, but perhaps because the water is so clear the shallow bite has not been great during the day. Instead of anchoring very shallow it may be better to anchor in 7-8 feet of water where a creek or depression creates an entry point to a flat, although at night having baits in just 2-3 feet of water is best.
While you can fish deep with such a high percentage of fish over 20 pounds shallow not many people are doing it right now.
The striped bass bite also isn’t as good as it should be, and Captain Bobby reports that fish are absolutely loaded in the canal and at the mouth of the canal on the Moultrie end but since they are pulling so little water they just aren’t feeding well. His last time out his boat was actually getting blown up the canal by wind there was so little water running.
Unfortunately it’s no better of a report from Captain Stevie Pack at Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514), who reports that striper just haven’t gotten there yet. However, the shellcracker bite was getting really good before the cold front knocked them back, and he expects it to be wide open again this weekend. There can be 40 boats in a single area all working shallow beds around islands and sloughs.
The catfish bite up the lake is just fair, as there hasn’t been enough rain to get the water rising which makes cats feed up the lake.
The crappie were all over the place even before the cold front, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he was still catching decent 10-12 inch fish in 30 feet on brush but the bigger ones had headed shallower. Before the cold front they were also catching them right up against the banks, and some may still be there (fishing activity has been almost non-existent since Monday), but there were also a bunch of better fish at the mouths of creeks waiting to go it.
From what Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) sees the biggest wave of fish doesn’t seem to have gotten super shallow yet but it could happen very soon with temperatures getting hot again. Additionally, the female fish they are catching are busting with roe.
More to follow once we can get additional current information.
March 12
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.59 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.4 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have risen into the mid-60s.
Following up on last week’s crappie report, tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt has finally figured out where all the Santee crappie have gone – to the banks. While they looked as shallow as 5 or 6 feet they didn’t look all the way to the backs, and it now appears that a string of 80 degree days have put the fish into the shallowest, warmest water they can find. Captain Matt Outlaw won with a very impressive seven fish for 17 pounds. Crappie aren’t everywhere in the shallows but most all the fish are shallow, so if one area isn’t producing you just need to move to the next bank and fish your favorite shallow water technique.
It's a similar story with the black bass, and tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the vast majority of the fish seem to have moved shallow. Stan and his partner were one of forty teams to weigh in excess of 20 pounds Saturday, and their 22.11 pound bag was only good enough for the last check in 25th place! The winners had almost 34 pounds and reported catching all their fish off beds, while Stan was fishing for pre-spawn fish and spawning fish in the Hatchery area in 2-3 feet of water around grass and stumps. As with the crappie, right now you can fish your favorite shallow water technique and catch fish.
But it’s a different story with the catfish, and part-time Bonneau resident Captain Bill Plumley reports that extreme, sudden heat usually shuts the bite down, and so after confirming a slow bite he has been targeting and catching American shad at Russellville (read more in the Charleston report). That’s consistent with the report from Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080), who reports that he believes the biggest fish are shallow but is still finding a tricky bite. His preferred way to fish shallow is anchoring and then fan-casting gizzard shad and river herring around the slightly deeper entry points to flats, but the only shallow bite is taking place early and after 10:00 they aren’t getting any action. You really need to be on the water at 6:00 right now.
There should be plenty of fish still deep but mostly a smaller grade.
Finally, in striped bass news Captain Bobby notes they are not letting water in through the lock doors at the Moultrie dam (perhaps because of the low water levels) and so there’s not a group of fish coming into the lake there. He is still hearing some reports of fish caught 48-52 feet deep on live bait, but anchoring in the canal seems to be the most productive pattern for targeting fish migrating towards the rivers. When there is less current anchor in the middle, and when there is more anchor on the sides. Live bait a couple of cranks off the bottom usually works the best, but fishing both mouths with cut river herring is also a good pattern.
We were really expecting a good report from Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) this week, as were they, but so far they are only catching one or two fish here and there. Weather has obviously been unusually warm and the water is not moving well, which could play a role, but they are still hopeful that the fish are on their way. They did expect them by now but maybe next week?
March 4
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.66 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.43 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are mostly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are 54 in most areas.
Even though it’s a bad report it seems best to start with the freshest report we have, and one of the finest crappiefishermen we know tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that after one and a half days of riding the lakes with his tournament partner looking for crappie they have yet to catch one or even mark one with certainty. Today he thinks they had a crappie chase a jig on LiveScope, but it didn’t bite and they certainly didn’t get to see it with their eyes. They have burned half a tank of gas running the lower lake today, checking brush, open water, backwater ponds, and everything else.
It's hard to even guess where the fish are, and they suspect they are still in deep water. However, it’s also clear that there are not a huge number of crappie in a very, very large expanse of water.
On Saturday all of our contacts report that the catfish action was slow on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that he tried fishing shallow but only caught a couple of fish. The bulk of the fish they caught were still in 45-55 feet of water, but with this weather he is almost certain that soon the best bite will be shallow. His preferred way to fish shallow is anchoring and then fan-casting gizzard shad around the slightly deeper entry points to flats. Sometimes the best bite is early and late during low-light periods, but at times it can continue all day when there are lots of bream, bass, crappie and bait up shallow to eat.
Captain Bobby notes that this weekend herring has out-fished bigger bait in deep water, perhaps because fish are on small bait.
In striped bass news, Captain Bobby has not targeted them himself but notes that they should be moving up. One good pattern is to anchor at the Moultrie dam with live bait for fish coming into the lakes, and another is do the same with live herring at both ends of the canal. Cut river herring can also be very effective at the mouths of the canal.
Speaking of river herring, Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) reports that the striper run is just getting started at the top of the lake but right now only about one out of six fish is a keeper. With the warm weather coming they are expecting the bite to get really good soon, but for now the catch has mainly been catfish. The river has been better than the flats and in both areas anchoring cut sections of river herring in 4-10 feet is usually the best pattern.
Finally, after a long day on the water today Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that the fishing is still not easy but they are catching some quality black bass. There are still some fish on deeper brush, fish will be on grass literally all year long, and there are some fish on trees. But they are also seeing more fishing moving up into the shallows, and while Captain David has not actually seen any fish on beds he is seeing more fish starting to swim around old beds. That’s always a really good sign that things are about to get started!
Overall jerkbaits, Chatterbaits, and worms have been his go-to lures this week.
February 26
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.50 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.34 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are back down to the upper 40s in most places.
Not even a week ago the black bass fishing on Santee was exceptional, and in the CATT tournament on Saturday Jeremiah Westburg was run off the water by a storm at 12:30 but not before he weighed in an incredible 41.92 pound bag! Apparently he was catching his fish deep with a jig on ledges in 20 feet of water.
But after a long day on the water yesterday Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that the cold snap has totally changed the fishing. They don’t mind stable cool weather and he found a good bite most of the winter, but once Santee bass start expecting spring weather and then overnight temperatures fall back below freezing, with brutal winds, it knocks them in the head. Major League Fishing is there fishing right now and while some people caught them Captain David talked to anglers who had two, one, and even zero fish all day!
For now his best suggestion is to fish protected areas on the northern shore where the wind has not been blowing, but very soon when we get some stable weather fish should come up and a first wave will spawn. Many of the bass he is catching are about to pop and they are clearly ready to get on beds when temperatures allow.
For now there’s very little change in the catfish patterns, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that from what he is seeing the bulk of the catfish are still very deep in 45-55 feet of water. They are holding so close to the bottom that they are very difficult to pick up on electronics, as in many cases they are actually burying their stomachs in the mud. With fish behaving this way if you want to drift for them you have to do so very, very slowly, and if you mark a couple of fish it might be a better option to spot-lock on them and anchor cut bait. Cut gizzard shad and blueback herring have been the most consistent baits for Captain Bobby.
He has tried anchoring shallow but doesn’t believe the fish are there yet.
Unstable weather isn’t helping the crappie, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that when temperatures were warming there were some good reports of fish that had moved up shallow in the Hatchery area. However, there weren’t many people fishing for them the last few days and it’s so unknown whether they pulled back out to deeper water when it got cold. Regardless, it’s a near-certainty that at the next warm spell there will be fish dying to move towards the banks and the shallow trolling and casting bites should take off.
Finally, because of light fishing activity and the bait situation Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) doesn’t know with certainty whether striped bass are in the river, but they are pretty sure they are. Come March 1 they will be able to supply the big, ocean-run herring and then it will be game on!
February 19
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.56 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.49 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are up to 50 degrees or more in places and the water is still pretty clear.
Fresh off the water after a day of fighting bad wind, Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that some black bass are just starting to move shallower. In one backwater pond he saw temperatures as high as 56 degrees, and so it’s possible that some fish could even get on beds by this weekend. However, yesterday Captain David still found the vast majority of the fish 6-8 feet deep. A few are on stumps, but again most of the fish are relating to grass. They caught them swimming a worm through the grass and on a Chatterbait. In difficult conditions they managed 13 fish, but no giants.
Since yesterday there were already a few fish that he could find in 3-4 feet of water, at least until the cold snap next week more should be shallow each day.
February 18
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.50 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.4 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 48 degrees and the water is still relatively clear.
Even though water temperatures have risen a little, Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that from what he is seeing the bulk of the catfish are still very deep in 45-55 feet of water. They are holding so close to the bottom that they are very difficult to pick up on electronics, as in many cases they are actually burying their stomachs in the mud. With fish behaving this way if you want to drift for them you have to do so very, very slowly, and if you mark a couple of fish it might be a better option to spot-lock on them and anchor cut bait near them. Cut gizzard shad and blueback herring have been the most consistent baits for Captain Bobby.
He has tried anchoring shallow but doesn’t believe the fish are there yet.
There are also some catfish in the mid-depths, and drifting Lake Moultrie yesterday part-time Bonneau resident Captain Bill Plumley reports that he caught 5-12 pound fish drifting in 28-38 feet of water. His most reliable bait continues to be frozen American shad from last spring.
Of course at the top of the lakes it’s a different bite, and Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) reports that the best action is now coming in the river instead of on the flats. Striped bass have not showed up in the area yet, but they are catching a lot of crappie around the old railroad trestle.
In the lakes Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the crappie are still biting well but deep, and the fish he is targeting are in sitting on top of brush in about 40 feet of water. He is catching them better on jigs than minnows.
Check back here for a black bass report.
February 11
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.38 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.37 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 46 degrees and the water is still relatively clear.
Fishing activity is picking up on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the crappie have been biting well for him. The fish he is targeting are in deep water sitting on top of brush in about 40 feet of water, and he is catching them better on jigs than minnows.
On the last trip they also managed two big catfish weighing 18 and 20 pounds over the brush.
That’s consistent with the report from Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080), who says that catfish are by and large still in deep water in the lakes. Deep drifting in 45-55 feet of water is probably the most efficient way to target them, but as we move towards March and all manner of fish move into the shallows then the shallow bite should come one.
Of course at the top of the lakes it’s already a shallow bite, and Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) reports that in 2-10 feet of water the catfish bite is really good. Cut threadfin shad and shiners have been working well, and the action is mixed between the river and the flats. Wind and other factors are moving the fish around.
There are probably some early striped bass around but nobody has been targeting them out of Pack’s yet, while Captain Bobby also reports that he’s only heard of a few caught deep in the lower lake by the dam recently.
Finally, it’s been an incredible week for black bass fishing on Santee. In a CATT tournament this Saturday 35.57 pounds was only good for second place as 38 ½ pounds won!
We don’t know how those fish were caught, but we do know how Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) was fishing in a good day on the water today. Captain David reports that despite windy, rainy conditions he decided to give it a shot and found the best bite around a mix of hydrilla and stumps. Grass has been a good pattern for months, but now the fish are starting to get around stumps in numbers. While he believes that most of the fish are still in a winter pattern, it does seem like some are starting to move up a bit. He caught most of his fish in 6 or less feet of water on a Chatterbait, Rattle Trap, and jerkbait, but he did get one in 8 feet on an Alabama rig.
February 4
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.35 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.22 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 46-47 degrees and the water is still relatively clear.
For the second straight week fishing activity has been really light on Santee, and Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) reports he hasn’t been back on the water since three inches of snow fell. But it’s unlikely the black bass patterns have changed much, and especially when temperatures drop the grass will continue to be a fish magnet.
Captain David is basically fishing the grass two ways, first of all working the edges with a crankbait or jerkbait. For this he targets 5-8 feet of water. Second, he is fishing a Texas-rigged worm and Chatterbait inside the grass patches, basically concentrating on 4-10 feet of water.
He is also finding a few fish on brush in 10-12 feet of water.
While Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that before the weather came in he was hearing some reports of catfish in deep water in the lower lake caught on mullet, he also hasn’t heard anything new since the weekend.
And looking out the window at Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) they report there is literally nobody going as the swamp froze and then all the rain has come today.
We should have much better news next week if the forecasts hold and people can actually fish.
January 29
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.17 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.11 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 47-48 degrees and the water is still relatively clear.
Despite some major weather changes it seems the black bass patterns are pretty stable, and Captain David Murdaugh, Sr.(843-452-9566) reports that’s because the grass is where the fish want to be on Santee. Their other main choices are stumps, trees, and man-made brush piles, and essentially nothing holds the heat like grass does. At other times of year it offers a variety of other advantages, essentially making it a peak year-round bass habitat.
Captain David is basically fishing the grass two ways, first of all working the edges with a crankbait or jerkbait. For this he targets 5-8 feet of water. Second, he is fishing a Texas-rigged worm and Chatterbait inside the grass patches, basically concentrating on 4-10 feet of water.
He is also finding a few fish on brush in 10-12 feet of water.
January 28
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.15 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.06 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 47-48 degrees and the water is still relatively clear.
There hasn’t been a lot of action on the Santee Cooper lakes themselves recently, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that he hasn’t seen a boat on the water drinking coffee at the canal the past few days.
However, it’s a different story at the top of Marion where Captain Stevie Pack of Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) reports that there is very good fishing for shellcracker and crappie. In the swamp they are tearing up both species, and with the winter drawdown and cold temperatures both species are stacked up in the deeper holes in the creeks and ditches. Crappie are also starting to bite well at the old railroad bridge beside Pack’s, and sometimes they want jigs and sometimes minnows.
Not many people are going after catfish in their area but for the few who have there have been some decent catches anchoring.
Check back here for a black bass report.
January 21
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.00 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.83 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 47 degrees and the water is relatively clear.
Reports are all over the place on the Santee Cooper catfish, but piecing everything together the common theme seems to be that the fishing was really good in deep water earlier in the week. Then things slowed down, and part-time Bonneau resident Captain Bill Plumley reports that drifting in about 15-30 feet he caught a fair number of teenage-sized fish the last few days but overall had to work for them. It may be that the better bites are triggered by cooler weather, but then when there are a few warmer days things get tougher.
If that’s the case anglers may be in for a real treat starting this weekend, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that if lows trigger a shad kill then the catfish will stack up and gorge on them. The best place to look is often deep water, although there is always the chance to catch a giant in shallow water.
Additionally, when conditions are slower then Captain Bobby finds drifting to be less effective and prefers anchoring. At the very least drift very slowly.
The crappie bite continues to over-perform for January, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the lower lake they are still catching fish 18-24 feet down over brush in 39-45 feet. Interestingly jigs have been working a lot better than minnows.
Finally, we’ve been saying things might significantly change with the black bass soon for a while now, but with the weather predicted for this weekend it could finally move them deeper or change the bite some other way. However, for now Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566) still reports that the best fishing continues to be around hydrilla in 5-8 feet of water although he is also catching some fish on brush. One other change is that jerkbaits and small crankbaits are part of his arsenal now, but the Chatterbait and Zoom UV Speed worm are also still working.
January 8
Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.90 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.83 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 52-54 degrees and the water is relatively clear.
The crappie bite has been better than expected this week on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that his last two trips out they have gotten good numbers of fish. Everything has come in the lower lake, and they can’t even mark fish in the upper lake right now. The ones they are catching are holding deep, 18-24 feet down over brush in 39-45 feet. Interestingly jigs have been working a lot better than minnows.
The catfish bite has also been good for quality fish, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he has been concentrating on drops in 30-40 feet of water in the lower lake and catching decent numbers but all fish in the teens and better. That’s not to say you can’t catch fish other places, and Captain Stevie knows guides in the upper lake fishing shallow and also getting some quality bites.
Meanwhile Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) is also concentrating on deep water, and adds that for drift-fishing you really need to slow down your drifts in the winter. .2 - .5 miles per hour is optimal.
It’s still a strong black bass bite for Captain David Murdaugh, Sr. (843-452-9566), who reports that for now the best fishing continues to be around hydrilla in 5-8 feet of water. The Chatterbait is still working well but he’s also caught a lot of fish on a Zoom UV Speed worm again this week. Again, patterns will change and he expects to fish a Rattle Trap and an Alabama rig more soon, but it likely won’t be until after this warm weather passes.
Finally, on the striped bass front, Captain Bobby reports that striper are still around points and other deep structure. Probably the best place to look for them remains at the Lake Moultrie Dam. Dropping live herring to the fish seems to be working the best.