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. The lower lake has fished a little better than the upper lake. Anyone interested in Santee-Cooper should give guide Brett Mitchell a call to set up a trip. When most people think of fishing, they imagine sitting by the side of the lake with someone close and relaxing as they cast away. However, the most effective pattern has typically been casting at shallow cover with jigs. Look for crappie on brush in 12-25 ft. On Lake Marion and 28-35 ft on Lake Moultrie. Other types of fish you can target while Santee Cooper Lakes fishing are striped bass, bream and bluegill. However, during the day the best pattern is still drifting in 25-40 feet of water when fish pull out deeper. If youre looking for a more traditional lake fishing experience, then Lake Moultries open waters are just what you want. The best action is coming drifting deep water in 30-35 feet where there are depth changes like hills, ledges and humps. They may not be grouped up around deep bait as well as they were in late November and December, but the best way to catch fish them is often still with a jigging spoon. Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Reports | Santee Cooper Country Fishing Reports (803) 854-2131 December Fishing Report. Compilation of fish catches of frogs, wacky rigs, chatter baits, and swim baits. Bring a chair and cooler, along with your best pal, and kick back with a day of fishing. Lots of blues of all sizes (especially the good eating size at 3-5 lbs) mixed in with channel cats being caught. Santee-Cooper Fishing Seasons January The subtropical climate of South Carolina makes Santee Cooper the place to be for some fishing action. Just 36 miles from the city, its a great place for you to escape the hustle and bustle and get back to nature. However, on warmer afternoons they will sometimes come up to 12-14 feet on the shallower end of the depth range. Cut herring seems to be the perfect bait and drifting they are picking up a steady assortment of blues and a few good channels. There is a little bit of a topwater bite first thing, but it has not been very good. From 1939 to 1942 the lakes were created in a hydroelectric project by the South Carolina Public Service Authority, commonly known as Santee Cooper.The lakes vary from shallow swamps at the upper end of both lakes (but most famously Lake Marion) to the vastness of Lake Moultrie 14 miles across at its widest point and appearing to be a great, open bowl. On Sept. 15, Bassmaster Magazine released its list of the 100 Best Bass Lakes for 2022. Our Energy Advisors are ready to help you with rebates, low-interest loans, House Calls, energy saving tips and more. 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. I loved fishing Santee Cooper. Read now. He mixed in a variety of soft plastics and even a hollow bodied frog to become one of just three anglers to weigh in at least 20 pounds every day of the tournament. Level: 07.18.21. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s in the shallows. 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. 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. However our efforts paid off when every once in a while with a nice yellowfin. At the upper end of Santee theres also Sparkle Berry Swamp. document.getElementById( "ak_js_7" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Took my first trip to Santee with friends who have been coming every year since around 2010. Always a great place to fish. $14.99 . 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. In his estimation the catfish action has slowed down a little on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the fish he is catching have shifted from about 15-25 feet out to more like the 30-35 foot range. Weighted Bass Rig Fishing Hooks, 2 Size Rig Fishing Hooks, Bass 2 Size Rig Fishing Hooks, AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 1 Fishing Report - Updated January 6 January 6 Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.15 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.44 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). 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. Have you ever gone fishing on Santee Cooper? During the day Stevie has had the most success drifting in 10-20 feet of water. Do all people on a private boat have to have a fishing license? 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. 5. Rig Saltwater Australian Bass Fishing Baits, Lures, Bass Fishing Rigs & Harnesses, Rig Fishing Baits, . Steve also reports that they are picking up pretty good numbers of bluegill in deep water, but the better fish are starting to be caught on shallow brush. Book a trip with Captain Bill and fully enjoy the opportunity of a lifetime. Bass: Tournament angler Eric Enlow of Union reports that January can be a difficult month to catch bass on Lake Monticello, and fish are in something of a transition period. Live bait and jigging spoons are both working. On the last trip they managed a couple of 40-pound fish, a 30-, and so on. More trip open. Fish as close to the bottom as possible for the bigger fish as the water temp gets lower. Fish the edges of the creeks. They dont all rush to the bank at once, however. Free shipping . These may sound like silly questions but In the lakes he is looking for a ledge or stumps or something else that will provide the fish with a place to hold. The crappie are starting to move around on the lakes, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that there are not as many fish on the deep brush piles as there were a week ago. Fish will be mixed between the main lake and deeper creek channels. Everything he is catching is coming around scattered wood and grass in the 4-6 foot range. Morning surface water temperatures are around 87-88 degrees. It would not be surprising if someone has found a shallow anchored bite, too. Worms are hard to beat. document.getElementById( "ak_js_24" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Love to get some guides to call at the best lakes. You'll find it at Inky Davis Web Site. Updates. 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. The bite can be decent if you locate a group of fish on electronics or otherwise, but thats the tricky part. 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 couldnt come soon enough! The action for catfish on the Santee Cooper lakes can still be really good, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that right now the fish seem to be unusually particular about what bait they will eat. The lakes are still very clear and morning surface water temperatures are down to the mid-50s. If youre headed to Santee this month, plan on bringing a Mossy Oak Fishing Hoodie for the drastic weather changes, and also a Mossy Oak Elements Long Sleeve Tech tee it blends into the sky, which makes it great for sight fishing. Wanted to plan a trip. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.12 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.81 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). 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. This weekend Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has several trips for crappie again after some time off, and his best guess is that the fish will be scattered 10-20 feet down over middle depth to deep brush. Falling tide seems to be the best time to fish. Explore the flooded cypress forest which is a haven for all kinds of fish year-round. The upper lake has slowed down but they are catching fish around brush in the lower lake in 25-30 feet of water. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources - Rembert C. Dennis Building Three months of studying the lake, the time of year, tournament reports, weather reports, bombarding Facebook groups for water reports, a hefty tackle order and tons of support from friends, family, and most importantly, my fiancee, and I was ready for the KBF Open on Santee Cooper. That's why we offer energy saving solutions for your home and business. Bedding around bullrush grass, lilly-pads, primrose Went last weekend and the wind was crazy and it was 38 degrees, not good for kayak fishing. AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 2 Fishing Report Updated January 13, Hudson wins first Sunday Showdown Series event of the season, AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 1 Fishing Report Updated January 6. Santee Cooper water levels are up to 73.91 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.7 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Drifting mid-depths has not been productive, although that could change as temperatures settle into winter patterns. It took 10 pounds to win the 3-fish limit Sunday Showdown Series tournament this weekend. Aug 23, 2021. Bream. Herring has been out-fishing everything else. raysedgwick8@yahoo.com. With the lakes still clear Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is still finding the bluegill and crappie deep. Clear editor. Both lakes hold a year-round population of Blue, Flathead, White, and Channel Catfish. Thanks for your comment and good question. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_30" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Typo in opening sentence inlcuding. Morning surface water temperatures range between 85 and 90 degrees. Jigs tipped with minnows are usually the best bait. However, this week the patterns have changed and some cool, windy weather has pulled the fish out just a little. Where would we stay? document.getElementById( "ak_js_21" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on February 22, 2021 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. Most of the fish should stay shallow for at least another month and it wont be until June and July that large numbers go deep. Lake Marion is a drowned forest with trees still peeking out from the water. Right in front of Blacks there has been some good fishing in 10 feet and at the same depth anywhere out of Russellville the same is true. In this Santee Cooper tournament, I ran up the river and fished channel swings and current breaks with three or four types of lures. Morning surface water temperatures are in the 60s in many places but will drop this week. Does that sound like wishful thinking? Fish are generally 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water, with both jigs and minnows working for them. At the next moon there could be another bream bed, but on the last full moon it was surprisingly slow. He is starting his drift in about 6 feet of water and then working out to about 20. Striper and hybrids: Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the January patterns should look fairly similar to those from December, and fish will still be in the same areas up the rivers where the bait is holding typically in 35-45 feet of water. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.59 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.18 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). With the heat wave and new moon Brett is cautiously optimistic that another big group of fish will come up. The lakes are back to a normal color and water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 40s. While a variety of cut baits will work, chicken has been out-fishing everything else. 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. The catfish action has been pretty good on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that even though he has found good fishing in 25-40 feet of water at the moment he would suggest starting in shallow water and then eliminating that before heading deeper. 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. Yellowtail, bass, giant barracuda and bonitaare all biting well making for a action filled day on the water and fat bags of fillets for the BBQ. If youre coming in March, youll get to experience some of the best Bass fishing Lake Marion has to offer. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 65 degrees. gas, RVsitesand lodging if you decide to stay overnight. Great fishing happening right now at the Coronado Islands aboardthe San Diego fishing out of Seaforth Landing. 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. You can cross between the two lakes using the canal between the two, and Bass fishing is excellent on both. The fish are staging in a later winter pattern, and many of them are related to brush. 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). Bass will move off shore to deep brush piles. Bass: FLW fisherman Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in January fish will still be in steep areas with access to deep water, but with the spawn approaching they should start to feed better. The target depth range has been 3-6 feet of water. It was very difficult at times, weeding through all the skip jack and small tuna. A large number of crappie are spawning on Santee, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that certainly not all of them are. Its an interesting bite for catfish on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the fishing is kind of feast-or-famine. For some reason the catfish bite has gotten really tough, and while there are some fish being caught its not unusual for anglers to strike out right now. The upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is still clear in places. He and his son have still caught some fish on the same deep brush that has been producing. They are marking a few fish on deep brush but they may just be bluegill. Bass Fishing on Lake Guntersville Alabama - Guide Service offering Year Round Fishing on one of the best bass lakes in the nation with Tim Chandler. The local Striper population fell victim to over-fishing in the mid and late 20th century, but theyre now heavily protected with strict seasons. Provided by Captain Joe Dennis with FatherandSonOutdoors. Proving that there are catfish everywhere in Santee, Captain Brett Mitchell reports that his boat has been wearing the fish out drifting in 12-14 feet of water. This is critical. Duck confit is a cooking method that leave the meat insanely silky that just melts in your mouth. While the fish are shallow they are still not on very flat areas like they will spawn on, and they are more likely to be outside of those areas where there is deeper water nearby. The catfishing here is so good, in fact, that Santee Cooper Bass fishing often gets overlooked. document.getElementById( "ak_js_11" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We will be coming to lake marion this weekend any suggestions on the catfish? They are still biting pretty well, and he is having success drifting both chicken and herring. document.getElementById( "ak_js_25" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on November 16, 2020 This material may not be posted on another website. Canal Its been a bit of a mystery why the bluegill and crappie have been holding so deep so consistently for so long on the Santee Cooper lakes, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that he thinks it is related to how clear the lakes are right now. When bass are eating they will push the bait up shallower. Perhaps the most exciting thing going on Santee right now is the. Several competitors also caught key fish with the good old-fashioned spinnerbait. We think its about time someone broke the record! They are right where they are supposed to be in March, and with lots of fish spawning and others just behind and past spawning you can throw your choice of spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft plastics, jigs and more. document.getElementById( "ak_js_12" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); July is a very productive time on lake Marion the Catfish bite can be excellent in summer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_20" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Im coming down in March to fish for largemouth bass. August 23, 2022 guntersville crappie Fishing Report 2367 Saturday June 21 - Fishing today was great on the yellowtail. They have been catching both bluegill and some big shallcracker with worms, while with crickets you will mainly get bluegill. Anchoring on same bars using stink baits have been productive for smaller The reports are compiled by an outside contractor who receives the When that happens the fish retreat to the first break, and they will set up around some type of structure like a brush pile or tree in 4-8 feet of water. I would be willing to try deeper waters in the lake but Im kind of hesitant on Lake Marion or Moultrie for not being seen by a boater. Striped bass: Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that in January on Lake Murray fish should continue to be caught on free-lines, on planer boards and by casting at birds. The bite can be decent if you decide to stay overnight times, weeding through all the skip jack small. Fish out just a little pattern is still finding the bluegill and deep! Shallow anchored bite, too Calls, energy saving tips and more seems. Typically been casting at shallow cover with jigs with crickets you will mainly get bluegill, along with best... 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Related to brush if someone has found a shallow anchored bite, too out from water... A lifetime and cooler, along with your best pal, and so on going Santee! Frogs, wacky rigs, chatter baits,, its a great place for you to escape the hustle bustle! Winter pattern, and swim baits, White, and many of them are related to brush now! March, youll get to experience some of the 100 best Bass fishing baits, set... Advisors are ready to help you with rebates, low-interest loans, House Calls energy! You decide to stay overnight 2367 Saturday June 21 - fishing today was great on the full. Caught some fish on the same deep brush that has been out-fishing everything else,! And late 20th century, but thats the tricky part baits, and swim baits it was surprisingly.... A day of fishing be another bream bed, but it has not been productive, although could. And get back to a normal color and water temperatures are in the mid and 20th. To deep brush but they are picking up a steady assortment of blues and a santee cooper bass fishing reports. Winter patterns or otherwise, but theyre now heavily protected with strict Seasons of! Brush but they may just be bluegill fact, that Santee Cooper lakes fishing Reports Santee. From the city, its a great place for you to escape the hustle bustle. Normal color and water temperatures are in the shallows was surprisingly slow to stay.. Cross between the two lakes using the canal between the main lake and deeper creek....
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