Starting to see some real nice stripers coming from trolling stretch 25 and Alabama rigs deep in 40-50 ft of water. August 23, 2022 guntersville crappie Fishing Report 2367 Saturday June 21 - Fishing today was great on the yellowtail. The lakes are extremely clear for Santee and morning surface water temperatures are about 61 degrees. While at the visitor center launch, if you kayak out and follow the left shore past the cabins youll come into a small cove that is fairly quiet of boat traffic. The lower lake has been much better than the upper lake, and a lot of days jigs have been out-fishing minnows. Hit the canal that joins the lakes for Stripers in spring, or explore the numerous ditches out in the heart of the lake year-round for Bass and Crappie. At times minnows and then jigs are both out-fishing the other so try both. previous next Print . wigglers and crickets are the best baits. That's a nice bass. The photo under the title Cross is not a picture of Cross SC. Crappie and white perch: Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that in January fish will be set up in the front sections of creeks in deep water. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s in the shallows. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.51 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 74.53 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). document.getElementById( "ak_js_22" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Where would one rent a boat in that area. Top water and swim baits will work good. Theres a number of things that tend to flare ducks from your hide, but weve narrowed down some of the best of the worst. Both lakes are clear and water temperatures are in the upper 70s in the morning and low 80s by the afternoons. Herring is his bait of choice. He is a friend of mine and wins virtually every tournament he fishes there. Crappie. If the CBC goes forward somebody will still crush them, but its anybodys guess what the pattern will be. Minnows are working the best. Team Supreme. 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. Bream are moving in shallows setting up to spawn leading 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. Call Seaforth at (619) 224-3383 to get in on the action. Traffic and wind conditions are definitely important considerations when youre fishing from a kayak. They are tired, beat up, and trying to recover, and so the bite will likely be off for a few more days. 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. Top Rated Plus . Bass Top water baits and swimbaits are turning on with some furocious explosive bites, Stripers Season is open October 1st good catches have been coming in and the fish are schooling. Some days you find the fish biting and fill the box, and other days you struggle. Wed love to hear from you! Operating as a retreat for plantation owners in its early days, Summerton is still a place for relaxation. Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. Worms are the ticket. Lakeside Marina seems to be your best bet for renting a boat on the Santee Cooper lakes. If youre looking for a more traditional lake fishing experience, then Lake Moultries open waters are just what you want. Overall, right now its important to be flexible because fish are moving around a lot. 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. Lots of speckled trout and slot size reds are being caught mainly on live mullet/mud minnows and shrimp under a slip or popping cork. Even though he is hearing those same reports from deeper water, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is still spending more time drifting in shallow water and he is having the best success in 10-15 feet. The 94 Bassmaster Elite Series anglers returned to post-Classic competition just two weeks after the Champion was crowned, but they didnt make it far down the road. Compilation of fish catches of frogs, wacky rigs, chatter baits, and swim baits. Crappie: Captain Roland Addy reports that in January most of the crappie on Lake Greenwood will be found suspended where the creeks meet the main channel. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.67 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.31 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Bass: Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Greenwood reports that the bass pattern in January is largely dependent on the weather, and some years a crankbait fishes well shallow. May is a great time to fish these lakes, with the warmer weather combined with active Bass making for perfect conditions. When trying to locate turkeys, here are some options to consider. Usually they are back in protected areas, and grass is often a magnet for them. . 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. Ive learned that when I fish my style of bassing, I usually can place in the money in a tournament. Herring has been out-fishing everything else. Read on and find out some of the lakes top secrets. Anyone interested in Santee-Cooper should give guide Brett Mitchell a call to set up a trip. document.getElementById( "ak_js_21" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on February 22, 2021 Thanks for reading and for your good question. While there are some dirty spots the lakes are basically returning to normal clarity. Springtime spells crappie in South Carolina's Low Country. Most detailed Lake Wateree 10 . Upload or insert images from URL. reports. Its a good idea to have both. Shallower brush in 14-15 feet of water is still not producing and it has only been the trees in 20-35 feet that have produced. Overall he is finding the best action drifting in 15-25 feet of water during the day, and anchoring in shallower water at night. Despite this, a bit of a topwater bite is starting to come on and there are also some bass chasing bait fish. Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he is seeing about the same thing, and on one recent trip the sweet spot was about 16-18 feet. 5. The bluegill are also still piled up on the same brush, and they are catching some really nice bream on crickets. I've fished as a co-angler twice so i have a very basic understand of the lake. Santee Cooper provided a challenge from the weather gods in the form of constant changes. 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). However, as the biggest prizes in Santee Cooper are further out in the middle of the lakes, fishing from shore is not a popular choice around here. The bite can be decent if you locate a group of fish on electronics or otherwise, but thats the tricky part. document.getElementById( "ak_js_33" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for reading and for sharing your experiences. The lakes are very clear and water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s. gas, RVsitesand lodging if you decide to stay overnight. There should also be a group of deeper fish out on the main lake that can be caught on underspins or jigs fished over humps and around bait. These fish can be caught casting a jig or with a minnow under a cork. Casting at diving birds with Alabama rigs or bucktails is the technique of choice. Great time fishing. The lakes are dingy in places but not muddy and morning surface water temperatures are about 51-54 degrees. It might occasionally result in heartbreak, but with a little strategy and finesse, youll win more than you lose. If those arent working then Brett suggests looking a little deeper with Ned rigs and shakey heads in the same areas. Minnows and crickets are out-fishing everything else. It should take a minimum of 31 or so pounds of bass to lead the first day and no less than 80-85 to win. A large number of crappie are spawning on Santee, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that certainly not all of them are. Canal Lakes Fish Camp Santee Cooper Lakes Hwy 45 (on the Diversion Canal) 139 Canal Landing Road, Cross, SC . Not to mention Moultrie can get pretty violent if the winds pick up out of no where. Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm. i will be honest.not how i expected this trip to go.ran a lot of water and finally found a pattern..but then couldnt fish the area because my buddies had. We know there is Wahoo around and we will be trying for them tomorrow. We are a family-owned business committed to providing our customers with the best prices and customer service on all of our merchandise. Youll also want to bring spinning gear with a wacky worm or a dropshot because even though the fishery is massive, these bass do get pressured, and sometimes you need to downsize. Its been an outstanding bite for catfish recently, and in a tournament over the weekend Brett reports that a 106-pound fish was weighed in as part of a 3-fish limit that went over 200 pounds! document.getElementById( "ak_js_20" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Im coming down in March to fish for largemouth bass. Santee Cooper is a great place to start, not only for its thriving fish population but also because of its incredible natural beauty! detailed Santee Cooper System Updates. Other types of fish you can target while Santee Cooper Lakes fishing are striped bass, bream and bluegill. Drop live baits or throw swim baits into the bait schools. Monticello Updates. You can still catch some crappie on deep brush in 20-35 feet, but the numbers are dwindling. Fishing Guide Locations on Santee Cooper, SC Santee Cooper lakes - Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie - are famous for their copious fishing grounds. March 23, 2021 in Fishing Reports. best baits. Updates. Whatever youre looking for from your freshwater fishing adventure, Santee Cooper has it and more! It shouldnt be long until fish start to move into the creeks following shad and become catchable on topwater lures, swimbaits and square-billed crankbaits. 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. You can post now and register later. Brett also reports that a few people like him are drifting for bigger fish, again in shallow water. Brush in 25-35 feet of water is holding the most fish, with most of the fish about 10-12 feet off the bottom. Whether you opt to search for feeding fish by throwing artificials or covering water by pulling herring on free-lines and planer boards, following the birds is key. 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. For fish that are coming off the spawn Steve is less concerned with water depth, and more focused on location. Field staff update the fishing reports each week through the fishing season, reporting on fishing success, lake levels, water temperatures, and other important information. frogs and buzzbaits are working well, Brushhogs, Texas rigged worms, Senko's fished slow, Series 1 Bandit , 1.5 KVD Strike King, and Spro (John While he is not chasing them there are also still fish on trees and brush in the shallows that will take soft plastics. 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. To locate fish Brett is largely fishing history in areas that he knows shad stack up, but anglers with less experience on Santee should use their depth finder to look for bait in the deeper parts of pockets adjacent to the shallow areas where they are fishing. Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General. Water Tmp: 10.04.20. document.getElementById( "ak_js_31" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for reading and for your eagle-eyed observations! However, it seems that bait is not making a huge difference as pretty much whatever he puts on the hook has been getting eaten. The tiny village of Cross may seem like a strange location to include on our list, but its a hotspot for boaters due to its public ramp. 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. While the fish are still pretty deep, Steve expects them to start to move into the creeks this week and he will be expecting to find them in 10-20 feet of water. Its 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. However, if it gets very cold then fish should go deep and be caught on spoons bumped off the bottom. It sounds like youve had some great times in Santee Cooper! January can be really fun. with sandy bottomsis the areas to look for. When conditions warmed up again they started to move back into the creeks, and with up-and-down early spring conditions Steve characterizes the fish as scattered and confused. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.92 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.75 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Learn more about how Santee Cooper can help you lower your energy use and save you money. 843-753-2271 Try this link and get in touch with a captain. They are still biting pretty well, and he is having success drifting both chicken and herring. These creatures are available in the shallow waters as they prepare to spawn. Feb 26, 2021. Youll want to flip and pitch a Texas Rig, too. Its the time of year when the bass fishing should be starting to pick up again on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that is exactly whats happening. Etc. Late this month some of the shallower creeks could also turn on. The upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is still clear in places. barsin 4' to 8' of water using cut bait are catching the bigger fish . We will be fishing the Coronado Islands. Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that on one recent trip they caught 25 over 1 pound and fish up to two pounds. While drifting mid-depths is still working pretty well, it seems that some of the biggest fish were caught around shallow stumps. Feb 23, 2021. 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. For now Brett is finding active, feeding fish around most any shallow cover on the main lake, and soft plastics and particularly Senkos have been working the best. Thurmond Updates. Live herring and shad will work the best. The AHQ Report is your source for exclusive fishing reports, tournament updates, and more! During warm periods the fish will be in just 2-3 feet of water and sometimes less near the banks around wood off the main lake or in creeks, but when the water gets colder the fish will back off into deeper water in pockets in 4-6 feet of water. Overall the action for catfish has been a little off-and-on at Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the weather has certainly not helped with a mix of wind and rain in the past week before it got prettier. Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. 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santee cooper bass fishing reports