Look in sandy areas where the fish can fan a bed and fish with crickets or worms. Catfish: Captain Bill Plumley reports that in January some blue catfish should be catchable that have moved out of the deep timber, and they should begin to be found in the creek channels. The synonymous state park that engulfs South Carolinas inland sea is truly a thing of beauty. As we learned throughout this tournament (primarily from Brandon Palaniuks multi-faceted attack), its possible to catch spawning, pre-spawn and post-spawn fish at the same time, often in adjacent areas. Trolling numbers have not been incredible. 8 oz. enjoyyour visitwith us. It was another good weekend for bass on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the Sunday Showdown Series tournament was won with a three-fish limit of 19 pounds! The son of Bass Pro Tour pro Marty Robinson, it looks like the younger Robinson has a good dose of his dad's fishing talent. detailed Santee Cooper System Updates. Spread them out and different depths and speeds until you get a pattern. At times minnows and then jigs are both out-fishing the other so try both. Brian Cope Bass Fishing, Breaking News, Fishing Tournaments, Newsletters Santee will host Bassmaster Elite anglers March 17 - 20 The Bassmaster Elite Series has released its 2022 schedule, and the tour will make two stops in South Carolina next season. That's a nice bass. Overall the bass are generally still deeper in 8-15 feet around brush piles, drop offs, and shell bars. It seems as if the majority of the fish are post-spawn. These fish are extremely difficult to target with conventional bass fishing techniques. Water temperatures are in the low 60s and there is some dirty water rolling into the lakes. The feat has become a growing trend among the turkey hunting community in recent years with hunters across the country making the Super Slam a lifelong hunting goal. 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. Phone Numbers | Accessibility | The fish have been coming from 10-15' of water around drop offs and creek channels. The crappie still havent really turned on as water temperatures need to drop a few more degrees, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are picking up decent numbers of fish by looking at deeper brush. He is a friend of mine and wins virtually every tournament he fishes there. Your previous content has been restored. Catfish: Captain Rodger Taylor reports that in January catfish on Lake Wateree should be mixed between shallow and deep. Results 97 - 144 of 1458 Professional Bass Fishing Guide Service. Its a pretty good crappie bite right now on the lakes, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are catching some good fish on deep brush about 22 feet down over 38 feet in the lower lake. Clear Lake: Ice thickness is 12 to 18 inches. Reel in the big fish with one of our handpicked fishing reels. This is critical. Crappie, bream, shellcrackers, stripers and cats make Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion hot spots Brett Mitchell agrees that the deep bite is good during the day, but he also notes that first thing in the morning there have been good reports of fish caught shallow. Kayaks I feel are better for smaller areas or pockets off of the lake, creeks, etc. 267 sold . Where would we stay? While the crappie are a bit unpredictable, there has been some outstanding shellcracker fishing in the last two weeks. Again, its best to have a mix of cut baits including gizzard shad, American shad, river herring and blueback herring because fish have been showing different preferences on different days. A general pattern can be to anchor in deep water early and then try the shallows later in the day when the water warms. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.21 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 74.19 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). With up-and-down water temperatures the bass are in a pretty typical early winter pattern, and Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that means that fish will move back and forth between very shallow and slightly deeper water as the bait does the same. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.92 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.89 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). On the last trip they managed a couple of 40-pound fish, a 30-, and so on. Post-spawn fish are supposed to recover from the spawn around cypress trees in 2 to 4 feet, but right now hes not finding as many hungry fish up there as expected. Pretty much everything has come on soft plastics this week. Like the bass the crappie are moving around a lot, and even though a lot of fish had gotten shallow into the creeks by early in the week Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) discovered they had pulled back out and he was again catching them on deep brush 20-plus feet down in 30-plus feet of water. When water temperatures hit about 50 degrees then the creek bite should really turn on. Never left with out at least 100 pounds of cat fish. Open 5:30 AM Their depth will vary, and the best way to target them is with a double minnow rig fished vertically. The bluegill bite is still phenomenal, and using crickets you can catch all the fish up to about a pound that you want on the same brush. 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. Description. Whether on your own or in a group, a charter is usually regarded as the best way to go fishing. Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm. Read This Before Posting! The upper lake has slowed down but they are catching fish around brush in the lower lake in 25-30 feet of water. We caught a 47lb blue catfish along with several other weighing over 30. Herring and chicken have gotten the most bites although they havent found anything the fish are swallowing very well. They are around brush piles, drop offs, and shell bars. Today we spent the day tuna fishing. Shop our collection of fishing rods to find the one that best matches your needs. into the May full moon. Wed love to hear from you! Santee gets really tough after May. While there are tons of little fish out in very deep water, the best action has generally come drifting Santee-style in 25-35 feet of water. A cagey few mixed in some pre-spawn action and by the end of the tournament a few competitors were even targeting fry-guarders. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for getting in touch, were happy to answer any questions you have! Crankbaits, worms and jigs fished around rock should catch fish. The fish are still on deeper brush and wood in 20-35 feet, and on his last trip out Steve caught a bunch of fish including five over 2 pounds. You can also anchor, but drifting is often more exciting. Both lakes are clear and water temperatures are around 80 in the morning. Water Tmp: 10.04.20. The town of Pinopolis is located on a peninsula on Lake Moultrie. Three of South Carolina's favorite fishing spots made the list. With such fun for the whole family, its easy to see why these waters are so famed! I meant Lake Marion in my post, but I have some friends in Columbia that have told me that the fishing is picking up in the Dreher Island area. 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. Carolina rigs, shakey heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait. document.getElementById( "ak_js_10" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on August 23, 2021 In the lakes he is looking for a ledge or stumps or something else that will provide the fish with a place to hold. Updates. Springtime spells crappie in South Carolina's Low Country. The area doesnt seem to make a whole lot of difference with smaller fish very spread out, and he is just going. Everything here is built for tourism, so take advantage of some of the finest hospitality on offer in Santee Cooper. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Even after this cold snap overall mild temperatures mean that the crappie bite has stayed extremely good for the season, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in the lower lake they are still catching fish just over brush in 25-30 feet of water. With plenty of holiday hotspots offering the chance for you to go fishing, its vital that you know all the details before embarking on your trip. Crickets and minnows are the best baits. Water temperatures have gotten cool enough that fish are really starting to move around again, and as the shad just start to get into the creeks the bass should not be far behind. Hope this helps, you can also find more information about regulations here. There were certain key backwaters and areas that seemed to hold more and bigger fish, but the true Holy Grail was to find a place that would replenish itself with one 20-plus-pound bag opportunity after another. document.getElementById( "ak_js_33" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for reading and for sharing your experiences. 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. Some days you find the fish biting and fill the box, and other days you struggle. Im glad to hear you always have success on the lakes, and wish you even more this fishing season! West Columbia, SC 29172. 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. Crews signature series) shallow around trees for post spawn. Thats whats made it one of the most storied destinations in the history of professional bass fishing. They provide a home to various fish species, especially Catfish. These fish are still loaded up with eggs and they expect it to be a few more weeks until the spawn is played out. Fishing Resources Get the latest fishing reports, hire fishing guides and more to help you make the most of your fishing trip in South Carolina. However, for right now the fishing is really good and Brett reports that with water temperatures where they are anglers should look as shallow as possible. While they arent targeting them they are also picking up a fair number of big bream while fishing minnows on the same crappie brush, and so it may be time to start bream fishing! 10 . 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. 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