Multiple species of fish are in spawning mode, with stripers, largemouth bass and crappie in their annual reproductive rituals. In the wet, windy conditions there have not been a lot of people out chasing crappie but the shallow bite has been surprisingly tough. You do not have to move a quarter mile away. 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. 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. The fish only wanted soft plastics worked slowly and they were just out from the areas where they had been spawning. The verdict is in from the recent CBC tournament, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that a few people are whacking the bass but most people are not. Reports vary but there are some indications that the upper lake is fishing a little better than the lower lake right now. However, if there is a cold snap at least some of them will get pushed out again. We're having some really good trips lately. The upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is clear. We use cookies on our website to give you the best shopping experience. You can also anchor, but drifting is often more exciting. Shop by brand or reel type. Anchoring on creek channel ledges and fan-casting cut gizzard shad, white perch and herring will be the best way to target big blue catfish. Learn more about this fishing tournament at Santee River on Mar 4, 2023 from Omnia Fishing. We are a family-owned business committed to providing our customers with the best prices and customer service on all of our merchandise. 7/15 In contrast, to catch a bigger fish concentrate on shallower water. 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. 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 are around 87-88 degrees. A large number of crappie are spawning on Santee, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that certainly not all of them are. 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). 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. 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. Minnows are working the best. So, why go fishing on Santee Cooper? 3/4/23. 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. The lakes are getting muddy and morning surface water temperatures are around the low to mid-60s. Click here for 30 day free trial! Perhaps the most exciting thing going on Santee right now is the. The bass patterns are mostly unchanged on Santee, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that one thing which can create some variation during a generally stable, hot period is a mayfly hatch. 141 spots Part of the famous Santee Cooper system and home for trophy stripers. Top 10 Patterns from Santee Cooper - Major League Fishing. 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. The best shellcracker fishing seems to have already occurred, and while there were some bluegill spawning in shallow water the action was not great. 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). You can also fish a minnow under a cork. At times minnows and then jigs are both out-fishing the other so try both. Crappie and white perch: Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that in February fish will still be set up in the front sections of creeks in deep water to start the month. 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 best brush has been in the 20s, and the fish are 10-12 feet down. On the last trip they managed a couple of 40-pound fish, a 30-, and so on. They provide a home to various fish species, especially Catfish. Bass: Tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in February fish will still be in steep areas with access to deep water to start the month, but as it gets later they will start to move towards pre-spawn locations and feed up. Fv 27, 2023 . You can also fish dip baits in the canal to catch a lot of fish. 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. 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. The upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is still clear in places. 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. They are tired, beat up, and trying to recover, and so the bite will likely be off for a few more days. Most anything that imitates shad from swimbaits to Alabama rigs to crankbaits to Rattle Traps will work. 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. Sitting on the shores of South Carolina's largest lake, Lake Marion, Santee State Park is one of the most popular freshwater fishing destinations in the state. All Rights Reserved. Fishing Resources. Artificial lures like small swimbaits and flukes on a Scrounger head will often out-fish herring, and if there is a weak morning bite its often a sign of a strong afternoon bite. 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. 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). Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 65 degrees. Fishing in the upper lake is winding down. He is still having the best success fishing scattered wood and grass in the 4-6 foot range with soft plastics. The lakes are very clear and water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s. And then getting them to feed can also be a challenge. Updates. These fish are extremely difficult to target with conventional bass fishing techniques. Reel in the big fish with one of our handpicked fishing reels. Reports of 23' to 30' drifting along ledges have been productive also. The top rated upstate crappie lake in the past few years has been Lake Hartwell and that's predicted to remain the exact 2017. Continue to look for the birds and bait to locate fish. Suspend over the fish with live bait of drift cut shad and herring with Santee cooper rigs in the deep channels. The warm weather is already improving the fishing, and they caught their fish in 2-3 feet of water around hard cover like natural wood or planted brush that absorbs and radiates some heat. His son Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is catching them in about 25-30 feet of water. 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. Brett concurs that the bite has been strong this week, with early anchoring and then daytime drifting working the best. Right now its slower than last year at this time. Wigglers,wax,chartreus This page is for all the local clubs and fishermen in the area to share tournament and fishing information. After that its more of a drift bite in 20-30 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, jigs and crankbaits will all work. We use cookies on our website to give you the best shopping experience. 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. 326 Little Brooke Lane He and his son have still caught some fish on the same deep brush that has been producing. Farmer's Market Fishing is pretty good everywhere, and the new pattern is that there are starting to be a lot of fish caught shallow drifting in 12-15 feet of water on the ledges near deep water. South Carolina freshwater They are still biting pretty well, and he is having success drifting both chicken and herring. Hults takes Strike King co-angler victory on Guntersville. As it warms in February fish will start to move into pre-spawn locations adjacent to where they will eventually spawn, and a few fish may even go on beds by the end of the month. Its been good action for both bluegill and crappie on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that both species are stacking up on brush in deeper water. 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 lakes are as clear as Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has ever seen them, which may be part of the reason why they can only catch bluegill and crappie around the deeper stuff. 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. Its a similar story from Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029), who also reports that the best cat action is coming in about 30 feet. Morning surface water temperatures are in the 60s in many places but will drop this week. The best bite will be in the middle of the day when the water is warmest. Its a pretty good crappie bite right now on the lakes, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are catching some good fish on deep brush about 22 feet down over 38 feet in the lower lake. The bite over the weekend was a little sporadic for catfish, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that even though one tournament team managed three fish that went for 124 pounds (with a big fish over 50) most teams only managed one or two fish. The guys I went with had just boated one in the 8-pound class when I arrived at the landing to meet them. 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. AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2022 Week 25 Fishing Report - Updated June 23 by Jay 23 June, 2022 June 23 Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.12 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.09 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lakes are clear. outside structure 15' to 25'. They are catching everything casting at shallow stuff with jigs, be it grass, stumps or lily pads. 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. The lakes are clear and water temperatures range from about 82 in the morning up to about 85. Read more fishing reports fromSantee Cooper and other popularplacesat the AHQ Report! Crews signature series) shallow around trees for post spawn. Worms are best for shellcracker while bluegill will also take crickets. He is now targeting bass following bait which will move in and out of the creeks following current. 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! This time of year you will see some of the biggest stripers coming from trolling stretch 25 and Alabama rigs deep in 40-50 ft of water. Trolling numbers have not been incredible. Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. A recent stocking of fish for a kids fishing event should have improved trout fishing recently. They will be caught on jigging spoons, drop shots and jigs. Shop our collection of fishing rods to find the one that best matches your needs. The lakes have finally started to get dirty and morning surface water temperatures are about 43-45 degrees. 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