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. Boat has a full enclosure to stay warm. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.65 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 74.5 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The best bite will be in the middle of the day when the water is warmest. As is often the case there are several different ways to catch catfish on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports the best action he has found has been in very deep water from 25 out to 50 feet. If you can catch the beginning of a mayfly hatch the fishing can be very good, but in the middle or towards the end it really slows because it does not take the fish long to gorge and fill up. 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. Waterbodies: Santee River; Species: Largemouth Bass; Smallmouth Bass; . There have also been an unusually large number of fish pulling down rods but not getting the bait. Learn More But its a good bet they will pull back. He has had the best luck drifting in 10-20 feet of water on cut herring, while Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) is concentrating more on the 15-20 foot range. Cut herring, shad or white perch will all work. All I can say is that we had fun and enjoyed ourselves Im sure you will too, Watch the weather closely. January saw a slow but steady bite for big blue cats. In colder conditions they will want more subtle, slow-moving lures, while if temperatures rise they will be willing to chase faster moving baits like spinnerbaits or crankbaits. Brett concurs that the bite has been strong this week, with early anchoring and then daytime drifting working the best. Field staff update the fishing reports each week through the fishing season, reporting on fishing success, lake levels, water temperatures, and other important information. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. You do not have to move a quarter mile away. They are still biting pretty well, and he is having success drifting both chicken and herring. Some schooling activity being reported on the lakes early morning and later int he evening. There are shad in those areas and the bass are also feeding opportunistically on whatever else is around. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.51 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.24 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Lake Marion, comprise the Santee Cooper lake system. Fears set the B.A.S.S. February 2. Jerkbaits and Alabama rigs could also work. Water temperatures are in the low 60s and there is some dirty water rolling into the lakes. Report Outage. With the crappie fishing slow Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) took a break from them last week, but this weekend he will be after them again. Santee Cooper is a shallow-water fishing paradise, and it's tough to beat the skinny water action of March. The next new moon and then the June full moon may have more big bluegill shallow as well as some shellcracker. Already have an account? Yesterday they tried some brush in 14-15 feet of water with no bites, and it has only been the trees in 20-35 feet that have produced. 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. Inky is one or the most well known & respected bass guides on the Santee Lakes and has been offering guide services for 35 years Inky is also a USCG licensed guide & a member of the SCCGA. Closed now : See all hours. USGS 02169810. Lots of schooling activity on the Cooper River in the mouths of the old Richfield cuts. Our top priority is to satisfy. santee cooper bass fishing reports. This weekend will be a totally different situation, however, and with temperatures dropping into the mid-20s and 25 mile per hour winds out of the north he expects that many fish will abandon their beds. Light tackle, tiny lures producing great catches during annual run Depending on water conditions shallow-running crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and jigs should all work. Its the time of year when the bass fishing is highly dependent on the weather, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that before and after the cold snap over the weekend the bass bit well but on Sunday they did not. 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. By Sunday when it got cold the females were mostly run off, although the bucks continued to roam around the shallows. 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! Overall weights were a little down in the Sunday Showdown Series this weekend, and while there were a few good bass caught Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that . Warmer water is often found at the very backs of the creeks on Santee Cooper, and as a result Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that a lot of bait is also back there right now. During this time frame anglers can harvest three stripers that measure . There are also still plenty of fish in the creeks that can be caught trolling jigs and minnows in 8-15 feet of water. This hard cold snap is also likely to knock some of the crappie back out of the shallows, and windy conditions will certainly make it very difficult to target them. The top rated upstate crappie lake in the past few years has been Lake Hartwell and that's predicted to remain the exact 2017. Sign in or Most detailed Lake At times minnows and then jigs are both out-fishing the other so try both. Click here for 30 day free trial! The crappie fishing has still been pretty slow on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the upper lake they are picking up a few fish 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water on minnows and jigs. However, the most effective pattern has typically been casting at shallow cover with jigs. 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. When the water cools then the brush bite for bream should pick up, and the canal should fill up with shellcracker. The upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is clear. Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.27 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.20 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are clear. We are at about the mid-point of the crappie spawn on Santee Cooper, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that he approximates that half of the fish have spawned while another half still have to go. 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. Fishing with Brett Mitchell Santee-Cooper Guide and Instructor Specializing in Trophy Size Largemouth Bass - Blue Catfish - Striped Bass (In season) CALL 803-379-7029 BrettMitchell@bellsouth.net Fishing With Brett only Uses rod holders from Facebook Messenger Welcome to the site! (803) 854-2131 You can still catch some crappie on deep brush in 20-35 feet, but the numbers are dwindling. (known as gator grass) in 2' to 4' of water in the protectivebackwaters Bream are biting crickets. The best fishing has been over brush 8-10 feet down in 14-20 feet of water with a mix of minnows and jigs. While open to debate, the case can easily be made that the Santee Cooper lakes are the premier freshwater fishery in South Carolina. While he is still fishing soft plastics around trees right now, very soon fish should start to follow shad into the creeks and he will be getting on more of a shad bite. Herring has been out-fishing everything else. Suspend over the fish with live bait of drift cut shad and herring with Santee cooper rigs in the deep channels. 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. 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. We're having some really good trips lately. Form 1099-INT (interest earned or paid) Form 1099-DIV (dividends, including those from stocks or mutual funds) 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). (EIN), to report on an information return the amount paid to you, or other amount reportable on an information return. Bass: Tournament angler Eric Enlow of Union reports that February is another transition month on Lake Monticello, but there should still be some fish deep that can be caught on a spoon or an Alabama rig early in the month. Some of the fish have already started to spawn while others are shallow looking for spawning areas. Location 223 Basswood Avenue, Summerville, South Carolina 29483 My PB: Between 11-12 lbs Favorite Bass: Largemouth Favorite Lake or River Santee Cooper Lakes including the Cooper River Posted March 23, 2021 Fishing is good, going today and I expect it to be off the chain. Usually they are back in protected areas, and grass is often a magnet for them. 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. After some really good catfish action a couple of weeks ago the bite has gotten tougher on Santee Cooper, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that it certainly seems like the last cold front put the fish off. webmaster@dnr.sc.gov, State The bite can be decent if you locate a group of fish on electronics or otherwise, but thats the tricky part. 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. Thurmond Updates. On a warm trend fish will head into the creeks where they can be caught trolling jigs and minnows in 8-15 feet of water, while another group of fish (so far mostly males) will be up on the banks looking for areas where they will spawn. Chartreuse, straight-tail jigs are working the best. If you fish very, very early you can also find a shad spawn around dawn in some places. 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. The area doesnt seem to make a whole lot of difference with smaller fish very spread out, and he is just going. There are only a very few feeding fish on brush right now, and the vast majority of the fish are in less that 6 feet of water. Shop by brand or reel type. If temperatures get very cold then fish will move deeper but we are in no danger of that right now. 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. Despite a very slight temperature drop it hasnt moved enough to really activate the bass fishing, and Brettreports that he has not seen a fish so much as swirl at a topwater bait recently. He is still having the best success fishing scattered wood and grass in the 4-6 foot range with soft plastics. Customer Service. Carolina King is located only a short distance . Fishermen should keep in mind the effect of different temperatures in different parts of the lake. Provided by Captain Joe Dennis with FatherandSonOutdoors Stripers. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. The lower lake has been much better than the upper lake, and a lot of days jigs have been out-fishing minnows. Find the bait and youll find the fish. Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General | 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. Swimbaits, Alabama rigs, crankbaits and jerkbaits are all good options. And then getting them to feed can also be a challenge. 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. The bass on Santee Cooper are doing exactly what they are supposed to doing, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that they have been catching fish that are chasing shad in the backs of pockets. The bass are following the shad, and so if you can locate the bait you will find fish. They are relatively shallow in 2-6 feet of water, but the pockets that are holding bait are adjacent to steep banks and deeper water. The AHQ Report is your source for exclusive fishing reports, tournament updates, and more! 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. And, few lakes in the country can rival the. Crappie: Veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that patterns in February are almost entirely dependent on weather. 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! Updates. null . While the striped bass do not seem to be schooling right now on Santee Cooper, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the lower lake they have been catching a ton of fish deep. Or enjoy Free Shipping on orders over $50! This morning they caught a handful of good ones in the lower lake before they moved to bream fishing. Trolling. Wigglers,wax,chartreus He notes that they have been topping of plenty of coolers this week. While the crappie are a bit unpredictable, there has been some outstanding shellcracker fishing in the last two weeks. Herring, shad and mullet have all been working for his boat. In another sure sign of spring, while Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) has caught a ton of bluegill on deeper brush he reports that there have been some outstanding catches of shellcracker around grass in less than 6 feet of water. recreational fishing regulations. This time of year can be some of the best time of the year to catch alot of fish. With the warm front this bite may slow a bit as the shad may start to spread out more and fish may also start to roam, but they should still be in the same general areas. 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