USGS 02148000. He notes that they have been topping of plenty of coolers this week. The latest Santee Cooper Fishing Reports from Canal Lakes Fish Camp Canal Lakes Fish Camp Home Bragging Board Fishing Reports Tournaments Map Guides Rentals Links Fishing Reports Catfish: Catfish are moving into the upper and lower ends of the canal, cut bait, herring and gizzard shad are your best baits. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s and while the mud is coming its still only dingy in the lakes. Write by: . Under the surface there is the reality of varying contour in both lakes.Popular species targeted by Santee Cooper anglers include largemouth bass, a recovering population of striped bass, white and black crappie, bream (most notably shellcracker and bluegill), and several species of catfish. This is Harvest Moon Fishing Charters 2023 winter fishing report for Myrtle Beach SC. 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. During this time frame anglers can harvest three stripers that measure . This year Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the Elite Series pros hit Santee right, and he doesnt expect to see many dry live wells. Shop our collection of fishing rods to find the one that best matches your needs. 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. Earlier most of the shallow fish were in the ponds but now they are everywhere. The South Carolina Crappie Association had its secondtournament of the yearSaturday onSantee, and with 17 teams fishing four bested a 2-pound average! About half of the field had over 100 pounds of fish, and so they are biting really well right now. 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. The bite can be decent if you locate a group of fish on electronics or otherwise, but thats the tricky part. 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. For fish chasing bait flukes, Spooks, Pop-Rs, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits will all work. Worms are best for shellcracker while bluegill will also take crickets. Fishermen should keep in mind the effect of different temperatures in different parts of the lake. santee cooper bass fishing reports. 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. Morning surface water temperatures range between 85 and 90 degrees. The target depth range has been 3-6 feet of water. shows,5 radio interviews,65 major newspaper . The catfish bite is pretty good right now, and Captain Brett Mitchell reports that most people are still anchoring in 4-6 feet of water around cypress tree clusters where fish are spawning or looking for areas to spawn. Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. They are marking a few fish on deep brush but they may just be bluegill. Multiple species of fish are in spawning mode, with stripers, largemouth bass and crappie in their annual reproductive rituals. 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. If you fish very, very early you can also find a shad spawn around dawn in some places. The lakes are dingy in places but not muddy, about right for this time of year, and morning surface water temperatures are about 52-53 degrees. 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. The water temperatures have still not dropped quite enough to really change the bass fishing, and Brett reports that everything he is catching is coming around scattered wood and grass in the 4-6 foot range. The big bream and crappie are still on the deeper brush in 28-35 ft in huge numbers. reports. Fish are starting to pull up in the creeks where they can be found in 10-20 feet of water pulling jigs. Bass: Tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in February fish should be coming out of their winter patterns by the latter part of the month, and they should be just starting to make a push shallower towards their pre-spawn areas. Live Chat. He has been targeting the flats in between the turns in the river bed on Lake Marion. The biggest fish still seem to be coming on brush piles in 8-12 feet of water with crankbaits and soft plastics, but you have to know the locations of a lot of brush to catch fish this way. Pretty much everything has come on soft plastics this week. 2020 All rights reserved. Catfish: Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in February drifting deep water is still the best bet, but on very warm days there can be a night/ evening bite in shallow water. It should have happened a few weeks ago, but the fish are just now starting to feed well in the canal. Information on fishing trends provided courtesy of www.anglersheadquarters.com/, South Carolina's premier Fish are in the creeks or flats off the main lake in just 2-3 feet of water, and Brett has mainly been fishing the upper lake although patterns should hold in Moultrie as well. While the topwater bite should be taking off Brett hasnt really found very much, and he characterizes it as only sporadic.. Join AHQ Premier for unlimited Free Shipping & access to the AHQ Report. 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 lakes are very clear and water temperatures are still in the upper 50s. 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. We are located in the middle of the Santee Wildlife Refuge. All Rights Reserved. outside structure 15' to 25'. Capt. Known together as the Santee Cooper lakes (formally the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project), Lakes Marion and Moultrie are located in the outer coastal plain to the southeast of South Carolina between the cities of Columbia and Charleston. 2018-19 SANTEE COOPER COUNTRY. Farmer's Market Falling tide seems to be the best time to fish. Late last week anglers first noted that bucks were moving up, and then Friday and Saturday some big females came up. You can also anchor, but drifting is often more exciting. Cooper Fishing Report Dec 22 2021 GOOD. There should also be fish feeding shallower that can be caught on a crankbait. Brett concurs that the bite has been strong this week, with early anchoring and then daytime drifting working the best. Titling office is now located at: SCDNR at the State 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). creek channel ledges are the areas to fish. Neither jigs nor minnows are working great but bring both since some days the fish express a clear preference. 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. South Carolina Fishing Reports. Learn more. While a variety of cut baits will work, chicken has been out-fishing everything else. The shallows are full of channel catfish, and late in the day, at night and early you can catch big blues that have come up there to feed by anchoring cut bait. The catfish bite has been pretty good this week on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he continues to find the best action in deep water. Even with water temperatures about to drop again on Santee, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports bass should stay for a while in the creeks as temperatures are in the ideal range. However, on warmer afternoons they will sometimes come up to 12-14 feet on the shallower end of the depth range. Crickets are the best bait for bream and jigs and minnows will be the bet baits for the crappie. Crappie: Little River Guide Service reports that February is one of the best months of the year for catching big fish. 843-813-4128 Captain Jeff Lucarelli | 843-729-2212 Captain Truman A. Lyon 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! Most been reported catching them on Spooks and Pencil Poppers. 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. Crickets and minnows are the best baits. They will be after the bream again this weekend and will report back. Both lakes are clear and water temperatures are around 80 in the morning. Its a good idea to have both. Brush piles, fallen trees, standing timber, and In January fish often moved around to escape the mud and worst current, and February could be no different. 141 spots Part of the famous Santee Cooper system and home for trophy stripers. While generally Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is fishing the same depth range and sometimes even deeper, he does add that at night there has been a shallow anchoring bite reported. The lakes are back to a normal color and water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 40s. The upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is clear. Bass: Tournament angler Joe Anders reports that on Lake Jocassee in February the fish will still be deep, and they are mostly likely to be suspended in the channels. 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. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.08 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 73.96 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). On the other hand Captain Brett Mitchell is fishing shallower in 15-25 feet of water, drifting over hard bottoms in areas that have a pronounced drop-off. This includes spinnerbaits, swimbaits and crankbaits. Thornhill said a cold-weather mindset will help fisherman catch more bass at Santee Cooper during February, in addition to understanding the how, when and where. The catfish action is still a little slow on Santee, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that if you work hard you can still put a nice box of fish in the boat. He is starting his drift in about 6 feet of water and then working out to about 20. Overall he is still catching fish in 25-50 feet of water, although other anglers are fishing shallower. . Santee Cooper Lakes CatfishnFool Fishing Guide Service Call or Text Captain Wayne Vining 803-238-0596 captwayne@catfishnfool.com View Larger Map I am an U.S.C.G Licensed Santee Cooper Fishing Guide, with over 40 years of fishing experience. Brett is trying to drift over hard bottoms in areas that have a pronounced drop-off. When the water cools then the brush bite for bream should pick up, and the canal should fill up with shellcracker. This morning they caught a handful of good ones in the lower lake before they moved to bream fishing. They are around weeds and both red and green worms are working very well. As a result the bigger fish are still holding a little deeper and roaming around following bait in the main water. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s in the shallows. Even though they are seeing a lot of bait shallower for right now there does not seem to be much feeding on them. 9302 Old Number Six Hwy, Santee, SC 29142 how to get to quezon avenue mrt station Uncovering hot babes since 1919. Its mostly a soft plastic bite and topwaters still are not producing. 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. Hults takes Strike King co-angler victory on Guntersville. Morning surface water temperatures are around 73 degrees. Much of the lake is muddy and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 50s. This craft is equipped with advanced fishing technology, including fishfinder, a wireless trolling motor, and a live bait well. canal, cut bait, herring and gizzard shad are your best baits. 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 75.40 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.82 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and both lakes are muddy. The weather has turned warmer and water temps are climbing. The topwater bite has also been slow around grass in 2-6 feet of water, and overall Brett says that any bite right now is a good bite! When the fish are very shallow they will take spinnerbaits, shallow-running crankbaits and other baits worked quickly, while when they pull out medium-running crankbaits and Rattle Traps are good. The more general pattern seems to be fishing with soft plastics like Trick Worms around trees, stumps and points. Right now its slower than last year at this time. We had to reschedule a couple times due to very bad weather. Trolling numbers have not been incredible. Find the bait and youll find the fish. The Santee striper fishing report for early June 2022 is plenty good. February 2. Phone Numbers | Accessibility | Throughout the day drifting in 5-15 feet of water has been productive. It seemed that some of the biggest fish came on Lake Marion, but there were also a lot of people who struck out in the upper lake. However, during the day the best pattern is still drifting in 25-40 feet of water when fish pull out deeper. The bite seemed to die after the morning. Everyone over the age of 16 will need a South Carolina fishing license to fish on Santee Cooper. Dennis offers some thoughts on how to target various species that are biting now on the Santee Cooper lakes: Crappie "If I was going crappie fishing, I would be trolling jigs in 20 to 30 feet of . But the bite has been very good, and yesterday they caught 29 crappie in the upper lake and 50 bluegill and 8 crappie the day before in the lower lake. The lakes are still clear and morning surface water temperatures are about 58. CATT Santee Cooper Spring Qualifiertook place this Saturday, and there were some incredible weights at the top. The fish are tearing up river herring right now. The co-state record largemouth bass was caught out of Lake Marion (16-2 caught in 1949), until 1993 the world record freshwater striped bass came from Santee Cooper (55 pounds), the state record white crappie came from Lake Moultrie (5-0 caught in 1957), and the state record shellcracker (5-7.5 caught in 1998) came from the Diversion Canal. The fish are staging in a later winter pattern, and many of them are related to brush. Connected by the Diversion Can . 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. One day the fishing will be good and the next day it will be slow, but overall the best fishing is coming in the upper lake. Lake Marion Fishing Vacation EAT SLEEP HUNT FISH 803-492-7924 Ask about our Fishing Vacation Packages, Corporate Fishing Trips. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.73 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.51 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Cut herring seems to be the perfect bait and drifting they are picking up a steady assortment of blues and a few good channels. Casting at diving birds with Alabama rigs or bucktails is the technique of choice. Big worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs will all work around brush. Wigglers,wax,chartreus As a result fish are scattered out pretty much everywhere, and he has caught some fish on brush but there are also some fish being caught up shallow around bank cover. Despite recent rains the lakes remain relatively clear and morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s. Their depth will vary, and the best way to target them is with a double minnow rig fished vertically. 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. Catfish. Water temperatures have not dropped enough to really change the bass fishing on the Santee Cooper lakes, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that when temperatures drop another five degrees then you should be able to fish topwater baits all day long and not just in the mornings. 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. You dont want to fish large, flats pockets like the ones fish would spawn on. 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. As Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) predicted last week, temperatures have now gotten to the point where some bass have actually started spawning activity particularly in the protected backwater ponds that warm up fastest. 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 Tight-lining for suspended fish up the rivers should be effective and as the month progresses fish will move into the creeks. This week the shallow morning bite at anchor has still been the best thing going, but during the day drifting 20-30 feet has turned on. Cut white perch and gizzard shad are typically the best baits. Morning surface water temperatures have hit the lower 60s. He has had the best luck with herring, and there have been some big fish caught drifting deep water at night. 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. These services are no longer offered at 1000 Assembly Street in Downtown Columbia. Water temperatures are in the low 60s and there is some dirty water rolling into the lakes. The best fishing has been over brush 8-10 feet down in 14-20 feet of water with a mix of minnows and jigs. Look for bait and fish then set your baits right above your marks. They are still getting a lot of pull-downs but the fish wont commit as well. Vacation EAT SLEEP HUNT fish 803-492-7924 Ask about our fishing Vacation EAT SLEEP fish! Last year at this time frame anglers can Harvest three stripers that measure are picking up a steady assortment blues. Shallower that can be decent if you locate a group of fish on deep brush but they may just bluegill! 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