The lower lake has been much better than the upper lake, and a lot of days jigs have been out-fishing minnows. There are even some fish up on the banks looking for spawning locations, and so right now you can fish about any shallow pattern for crappie. The South Carolina Crappie Association had its secondtournament of the yearSaturday onSantee, and with 17 teams fishing four bested a 2-pound average! They are catching everything casting at shallow stuff with jigs, be it grass, stumps or lily pads. All I can say is that we had fun and enjoyed ourselves Im sure you will too, Watch the weather closely. Updates. The lakes have finally started to get dirty and morning surface water temperatures are about 43-45 degrees. USGS 02169810. Trolling. Fishing in the upper lake is winding down. 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). Santee Cooper is a shallow-water fishing paradise, and it's tough to beat the skinny water action of March. Striped bass: Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports it was a really good January for striper, and they are hopeful the fish dont get too scattered in February. Vast areas laced with flooded timber and cypress. Boat has a full enclosure to stay warm. 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! These include around grass, trees, and wood. He's using red worms for bait, and fishing them under slip corks. Usually they are back in protected areas, and grass is often a magnet for them. Are you in the know? All kitchen units have coffee maker, microwave, all items such as pots & pans & cooking utensils are not supplied. These fish can be caught casting a jig or with a minnow under a cork. Herring, shad and mullet are all working well. Already have an account? 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. During the day Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) is also finding a pretty good bite most of the time drifting in 15-25 feet of water, and he is having about equal success with cut herring and shad. The best shellcracker fishing seems to have already occurred, and while there were some bluegill spawning in shallow water the action was not great. 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. Diverse fishery also offers excellent largemouth, catfish, Crappie and bream. A few more warm days should bring the fish shallower again. Crickets are the best bait for bream and jigs and minnows will be the bet baits for the crappie. Most of the fish are still probably roaming offshore suspended and chasing bait, but when temperatures drop just a few degrees they should finally start to move into the creeks following shad and become catchable on topwater lures, swimbaits and square-billed crankbaits. Shop our collection of fishing rods to find the one that best matches your needs. The fish are staging in a later winter pattern, and many of them are related to brush. 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. 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. Santee Cooper has thousands of acres of inundated cypress trees, various kinds of vegetation and all sorts of fish-holding habitat. Winning results were as follows: AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 8 Fishing Report Updated February 24. Perhaps the most exciting thing going on Santee right now is the striped bass bite in the canal, and drifting blueback herring over the rocks has been dynamite. 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). Minnows for crappie and crickets for bream are out-fishing everything else. The fish they are catching are still shallow in 5 feet of water or less, and they are holding tight to grass and trees. Some schooling in shallowflats has Its been an outstanding week or two for catfish on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that they have been filling boxes with good fish in the 10 plus pound range. Swimbaits, Alabama rigs, crankbaits and jerkbaits are all good options. The spawn is underway and will continue through the summer. Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General | You can also anchor in 10-20 feet around likely areas such as ledges and at the mouths of the canal. recreational fishing regulations, Report The lakes are very clear and water temperatures are in the mid-50s. 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. Fishing Resources. Water conditions will determine whether fish are in the creeks or main lake. Brett has almost exclusively been fishing shallow around wood with fast-moving baits that imitate shad like crankbaits, spinnerbait and jerkbaits (worked quickly). to win the first Santee CATT, Dowda and Williams hammer the crappie and squeak out a win Saturday on Santee, AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 5 Fishing Report Updated February 2. Spinnerbaits, jigs and crankbaits will all work. Look in sandy areas where the fish can fan a bed and fish with crickets or worms. Flats, hills and about anything in the 10-20 foot range is worth drifting. Lakes Fish Camp 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 best bite will be in the middle of the day when the water is warmest. CATT Santee Cooper Spring Qualifiertook place this Saturday, and there were some incredible weights at the top. They will be caught on shakey head worms, jerkbaits, and square-billed crankbaits. Live bait fishing For employment verification, contact Santee Cooper Human Resources via fax at 843-761-4191 or call 843-761-8000 ext. . With another cold front coming that pattern may be repeated in the next few days. Phone Numbers | Accessibility | Early in the morning buzzbaits are working well and shallow running crankbaits are also good, in addition to a wide range of topwater lures such as prop baits. The lakes are back to a normal color and water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 40s. 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. Crickets are working for bluegill, while minnows are working for crappie. USGS 02148000. 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. The Big Cat Brawl with $10,000 on the line is on Santee this weekend, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he expects a lot of catfish to be caught. Even between moons they have picked up some bedding bream, and they have generally been on deeper beds in more than five feet of water. The fish are shallow on beds, and spawning activity peaks on the new and full moons. Fishing Resources Get the latest fishing reports, hire fishing guides and more to help you make the most of your fishing trip in South Carolina. Fish Consumption Advisories, SCDNR at the State Carolina rigs, shakey heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait. He has had the best luck drifting in 10-20 feet of water on cut herring, although at night he is finding much better fishing out deep in 25-40 feet. Herring is his bait of choice. Crappie: Little River Guide Service reports that February is one of the best months of the year for catching big fish. going on , grasses and pads are your places to concentrate on. The target depth range has been 3-6 feet of water. There have also been slow days where they only get five or six fish, showing that the numbers just arent there yet. Right now it looks like the lakes are in a bit of a down cycle for crappie. In the lakes, drifting across clay &mussel shell The more general pattern seems to be fishing with soft plastics like Trick Worms around trees, stumps and points. Bass: Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Greenwood reports that in February bass will start to move shallower due to seasonal factors, and they should start to get into the vicinity of their pre-spawn locations. 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). Generally the fish are 8-10 feet down. 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. Minnows are still working the best. South Carolina Santee Cooper Lakes fishing charters, fishing guide, Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie. Much of the lake is muddy and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 50s. a day guarantee. 2020 All rights reserved. The bass have been surprisingly quiet this week on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports thats because we are in a minor lull between waves of the spawn. Light tackle, tiny lures producing great catches during annual run santee cooper bass fishing reports. Wateree at Camden. 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. Santee Cooper Crappie Fishing Pautzke Bait 43.6K subscribers Subscribe 15K views 3 years ago Springtime spells crappie in South Carolina's Low Country. While the bluegill and crappie continue to hold deep in the clear conditions on Santee, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the bite is still really good around offshore brush piles. 7/15 One day they may want nothing but mullet, the next day they could show a preference for gizzard shad or bream, and the next day only the people fishing menhaden are filling coolers. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.33 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 75.29 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). 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. The lakes are extremely clear for Santee and morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 59 degrees. February Fishing Report. 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. Monticello Updates. Most anything that imitates shad from swimbaits to Alabama rigs to crankbaits to Rattle Traps will work. He notes that they have been topping of plenty of coolers this week. Updates. This week he has mostly been drifting 32-44 feet, and mullet has been his primary bait. Bass: Guide Charles Townson (864-324-2065) reports that early in the month winter patterns will be unchanged, but as water temperatures begin to warm in February bass will start to migrate toward shallower water and structure as the pre-spawn stage begins. They have been catching them drifting in 8-20 feet of water in most any area, and fish are very spread out right now. A variety of cut baits can work. Crappie: Captain Brad Taylor reports that in February fish should feed better as the spawn will be rapidly approaching. If you fish very, very early you can also find a shad spawn around dawn in some places. 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. There have also been an unusually large number of fish pulling down rods but not getting the bait. Updates. The 5-foot range is a good starting point. If anything it has picked up in the past week. 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. Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.05 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.76 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are dingy. 1000 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201 Fishermen should keep in mind the effect of different temperatures in different parts of the lake. Water temperatures have dropped enough that smaller bass are starting to move into the creeks, but Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that things are running behind this year and so there has not really been a rush of bait in there yet. creek channel ledges are the areas to fish. Sign in or While they arent targeting them they are also picking up a fair number of big bream while fishing minnows on the same crappie brush, and so it may be time to start bream fishing! Water temperatures are in the 60s. While he is not chasing them there are also still fish on trees and brush in the shallows that will take soft plastics. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.71 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 72.64 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Apologies for the lack of bass update last week Brett gave us a post-tournament report but we failed to publish it. While Brett has been targeting the topwater action and bream fish more, there are also fish that can be caught on soft plastics in 2-4 feet around trees and there are also fish around deeper brush piles. Even though they are seeing a lot of bait shallower for right now there does not seem to be much feeding on them. Jamestown (Santee River) USGS 02171700. Find the bait and youll find the fish. Fv 27, 2023 . 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. The lakes are very clear and water temperatures are still in the upper 50s. The striper bite is good with quality fish being caught in 45-55 ft of water. Look for bait and fish then set your baits right above your marks. Casting at diving birds with Alabama rigs or bucktails is the technique of choice. Most detailed Santee Cooper System Updates Mountains Area Lake Jocassee 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 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. The best brush has been in the 20s, and the fish are 10-12 feet down. The AHQ Report is your source for exclusive fishing reports, tournament updates, and more! Wigglers,wax,chartreus Our top priority is to satisfy. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.23 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 75.1 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). 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. Santee Cooper Lakes were ranked third in Bassmaster Magazine's list of 100 Best Bass Lakes in 2021, and they earned the 23rd spot as best lakes of the decade in 2020. You can report an outage, downed powerline or other issue to us at 888-769-7688. 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. If temperatures get very cold then fish will move deeper but we are in no danger of that right now. Chartreus Conditions are still a little tough for bass on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the main pattern for getting bites is still fishing with soft plastics around trees, stumps and points. null . best baits. We are around a full moon now so the next one should bring the biggest wave of spawners. With so many panfish up shallow its no surprise that the catfish are in the same areas, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that first thing anchoring in shallow water has been producing very well. He switched over to catching channel catfish, and on dip baits they have been wearing them out in the canal. Herring has been out-fishing everything else. However, during the day the best pattern is still drifting in 25-40 feet of water when fish pull out deeper. This is Harvest Moon Fishing Charters 2023 winter fishing report for Myrtle Beach SC. Remember the limit is 3 per personwith a length being 26" Most days minnows are best, but some days chartreuse, straight-tail jigs will out-fish them. 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. Santee Cooper Fishing Report by Ray Sedgwick Crappie & Bream Crappie steadily moving into deeper water on creek chanels and brush piles.. Bream and shellcracker are being caught in 12 feet of water in the Canal with night crawlers (cut in small pieces) Catfish Report Outage. Or enjoy Free Shipping on orders over $50! The fish only wanted soft plastics worked slowly and they were just out from the areas where they had been spawning. With the full moon there should be a bream bed bite right now, but Brett says he has been looking but really hasnt found one. shallow waters around grass beds of bullrushes being the best. They are also catching some good bream on the same brush. The bite seemed to die after the morning. Cable television in all units. Shop by brand or reel type. 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. Early in the month they will take minnows fished around deeper schools of bait, while later in the month they will be caught trolling in the creeks as they begin to stage for the spawn. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s. These are really big fish that are busting with eggs, and they are getting very close to spawning if they have not already begun. When you can find shallow fish stacked up they will really feed. 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. 2018-19 SANTEE COOPER COUNTRY. Fish will often be adjacent to steep banks and 8-15 feet of water, but the best concentration of catchable fish is shallower in 4-6 feet of water. 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. They are tired, beat up, and trying to recover, and so the bite will likely be off for a few more days. With over 20 years guiding experience fishing the Santee Cooper Lakes, we offer a 100 lb. Right now minnows are working better most days, but you should also have a chartreuse, straight-tail jig ready just in case. Worms are the ticket. Or enjoy Free Shipping on orders over $50! 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. This time of year can be some of the best time of the year to catch alot of fish. As the weather warms they will begin to stage for the spawn and can be caught trolling in the backs of creeks. Morning surface water temperatures are around 73 degrees. The better fish have been coming from baits set 8-10 ft off of the bottom. Willey says the famed Santee Cooper Lakes are currently experiencing low water levels, so most catfish anglers concentrated on working ledge structures 15 to 25 feet deep in Lake Moultrie. Reports of 23' to 30' drifting along ledges have been productive also. Right now its slower than last year at this time. Minnows and crickets are out-fishing everything else. Surprising bass news from CATT winners - AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 7 Fishing Report Updated February 15, Hewitt and Lawshe break 27 and post a 9.41(!) These fish are extremely difficult to target with conventional bass fishing techniques. Shallow on beds, and wood to stage for the crappie x27 ; s using red worms bait. Seem to be much feeding on them 8-20 feet of water swimbaits, Alabama rigs crankbaits. Your marks catches during annual run Santee Cooper Human Resources via fax at 843-761-4191 or call ext. 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