River herring is fishing the best right now. The current state record blue catfish (109-4 caught in 1991) was caught in the Tailrace Canal below Santee Cooper and held the world record until 1996.As would be expected to support so many trophy-caliber fisheries, the Santee Cooper lakes have an extensive forage base. outside structure 15' to 25'. Right now minnows are working better most days, but you should also have a chartreuse, straight-tail jig ready just in case. on Santee Cooper There is a little bit of shad spawn in the morning, and as always its over after about an hour. Herring, shad and mullet have all been working for his boat. Brett also reports that a few people like him are drifting for bigger fish, again in shallow water. South Carolina Fishing Reports. Bream are moving in shallows setting up to spawn leading Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.05 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.03 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). So, why go fishing on Santee Cooper? Jim at 912-210-2877 to book your catfishing adventure. Santee Cooper striper season closes June 15. We have all your baits, live or artificial for your needs, food in Mac Daddy'srestaurant,Liscense, Morning surface water temperatures are still about 79 degrees. Morning surface water temperatures range between 85 and 90 degrees. The biggest catches seem to be coming on brush piles in 8-12 feet of water, but this is pretty specialized fishing for hard-core locals as you really have to know the lakes and where the cover is. However, at times anchoring shallower produced better in January so be flexible. Thats not to say there are not fish being caught long-line trolling in the creeks, but after the cold snap a lot of fish seem to have pulled out. The Santee Cooper Lakes are filled with a wide variety of fish for all levels of sportsman. My first shiner fishing trip certainly hooked me. He is fishing soft plastics in and around spawning coves, and pitching baits at shallow structure. Bass: Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that in February fish will still be concentrating on shad, but what lures they will be willing to eat will depend on water temperature. Join AHQ Premier for unlimited Free Shipping & access to the AHQ Report. 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. Catfish: Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that muddy water scattered the fish and made for a slow January, and the quality of the bite in February will again depend on water conditions. With a relatively mild winter the crappie fishing has not slowed down yet on Santee Cooper, and even though Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that by the middle of December he has usually abandoned the upper lake both lakes are still fishing very well. Chartreus Red wigglers are hard to beat. They have seen a lot of blues full of well-developed eggs and so the spawn is close. You can also fish dip baits in the canal to catch a lot of fish. In the cold weather the bream fishing has really slowed down, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that they are still catching some nice crappie even though they are having to work for them. West Columbia, SC 29172. Trout: Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that in February the trout fishing should continue to improve from what has been a good January. The target depth range has been 3-6 feet of water. They have been catching them drifting in 8-20 feet of water in most any area, and fish are very spread out right now. When the fish are up shallow then Brett is pretty much fishing with Senkos and other soft plastics, although in windy conditions he will also fish a spinnerbait. Stevie reports that they are still catching some fish shallow at night but the daytime bite has been pretty tough. He notes that they have been topping of plenty of coolers this week. Shop by brand or reel type. In the lakes, drifting across clay &mussel shell These differ for residents and non-residents, with discounts for military personnel, too. There is a little bit of a topwater bite first thing, but it has not been very good. Bass. However, later in the mouth when water temperatures rise fish will push further into the creeks and prepare to spawn in March. There are mixed signals on the catfish action, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that most days it seems like the fish are feeding pretty well. Catfish: Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that February can yield some big fish on Lake Monticello, and anchoring around deep structure is usually the best pattern. It should have happened a few weeks ago, but the fish are just now starting to feed well in the canal. While the numbers of crappie on brush has dwindled, Steve notes that there are some huge groups of bluegill stacked up on the brush. Are you in the know? We use cookies on our website to give you the best shopping experience. The weather has turned warmer and water temps are climbing. The best range for drifting right now is in 25-40 feet, and on cooler days they will move towards the deeper end of that range. Updates. The two reservoirs cover over 170,000 acres combined, plus a 6-mile . Its been a good week for catfish on Santee Cooper, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that you can catch them pretty much everywhere right now. a day guarantee. They are catching everything casting at shallow stuff with jigs, be it grass, stumps or lily pads. He has been mainly fishing chicken but shad has also been working. The crappie fishing has improved marginally, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that its still not where he would like it to be. Its a pretty simple pattern for catfish right now, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that early you need to be anchoring in shallow water. They will usually stop at brush coming out from spawning areas where they can rest before going deeper. We have Highly Recommended Santee Fishing Guides that can accommodate your fishing charter. 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. After about 10 oclock the fish move deeper and it switches over to a drifting bite, and about 15-18 feet of water has been the magic depth. The guys I went with had just boated one in the 8-pound class when I arrived at the landing to meet them. Long lining the deeper creeks are starting to produce some crappie. Fresh Santee-Cooper Fishing Reports Top Santee-Cooper destinations Cross Tomorrow: 70 / 64 F Summerton Tomorrow: 70 / 64 F Eutawville Tomorrow: 70 / 64 F Fishing Seasons & Latest Fishing Photos February With the prized fish out in the deep, you'll need to hop on a boat to get out to reach them. Updates. 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. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 79 degrees. Crappie: Captain Bill Plumley reports that at the beginning of February fish are most likely to be found around deeper docks on jigs and minnows, but if temperatures warm then later in the month they should be caught on creek ledges as they start to move up. 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. Areas to visit, Lake Murray in the Russell Flats area. null . And then getting them to feed can also be a challenge. Muddy water made the lake very tough towards the end of January, but if the water clears expect improvement for that reason alone. Morning surface water temperatures range wildly from the mid-50s on the lower lake in the big water to the mid-60s in protected backwater ponds. Information on fishing trends provided courtesy of www.anglersheadquarters.com/, South Carolina's premier
There are shad in those areas and the bass are also feeding opportunistically on whatever else is around. He has found that small blueback herring are working better than chicken, although both will get bites. Fish the Santee Cooper Lakes! Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Forecast Target Species of Fish Based on historical data for fishing Santee Cooper Lakes, you should target one of the following species for this time of year: Pumpkinseed Sunfish There is a 40.74% catch rate for Pumpkinseed Sunfish, based on 11 Pumpkinseed Sunfish counted. Connected by the Diversion Can . While you can still catch a lot of small eating-sized fish drifting in 15-30 feet of water, Captain Stevie English is most excited that the canal bite is finally turning on. Most detailed Lake Hartwell
Top 10 Patterns from Santee Cooper - Major League Fishing. 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. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. 2023 FishingBooker.com. Some of the biggest ones have been coming in the 20-22 foot range. Hwy 45 (on the Diversion Canal) The Palmetto Trail passes through the Resort. Some schooling activity being reported on the lakes early morning and later int he evening. These fish can be caught casting a jig or with a minnow under a cork. However, during the day the best pattern is still drifting in 25-40 feet of water when fish pull out deeper. Most detailed Lake Wylie
Scdnr Fishing Report - santee cooper fishing report 2018. 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. However, they are really having to work for them, and the bite usually gets tougher in the heat, so before long he will be taking a break from the crappie. Some monster catfish were caught in the Big Cat Brawl over the weekend on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that there were a couple over 70 and the winning team had 6 fish over two days that were well into the 200s. The best bite will be in the middle of the day when the water is warmest. There are staging fish around trees, but the bulk of the big fish seem to be shallow. The upper lake has been fishing a bit better than the lower lake recently, and the best action has come 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water. Our heaviest trip was over 1400 lbs. Make sure you bring the proper equipment for the heat from the sun And stay hydrated Captain Brad with Nav-A-Gator Charter Service was awesomehad a wonderful time and the weather was great! Come enjoy a day on the water with Daisy and Capt Mark !! 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. They provide a home to various fish species, especially Catfish. Spread them out and different depths and speeds until you get a pattern. After that its more of a drift bite in 20-30 feet of water. For now the best pattern is fishing worms or crankbaits around stumps in about 6 feet of water, and while there have been some fish caught on topwater lures that bite is waning. 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). 843-753-2271 Step aboard a 23' Epic powered by a 200 HP Suzuki engine. Fish are generally 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water, with both jigs and minnows working for them. 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. As the weather warms they will begin to stage for the spawn and can be caught trolling in the backs of creeks. Striped bass: Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that water conditions will determine where the action is in February on Lake Murray. If the water with Daisy and Capt Mark! daytime bite has been pretty tough further. Creeks and prepare to spawn in March the fish are generally 12-14 feet down over in., shad and mullet have all been working for them hwy 45 ( on Diversion. 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