December 11
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.65 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.46 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 53-56 degrees and the lakes generally have a light stain.
We have a ton of information on Santee Cooper this week, and Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that as the water continues to clear and the striped bass group back up into tighter groups the schooling activity is taking off. Most of it is in 25-35 feet of water in areas with bait, and they have been catching multiple limits of fish this way. The last time out they had five limits by 10:00. There are also still fish super deep, and generally the fish range between about 25 and 55 feet. Fish can be found about anywhere in that depth but they are mostly in the lower lake. Herring or gizzard shad on down-lines are working well.
Captain Joseph is also still doing very well for catfish, again ranging from about 25-55 feet. The fish are still basically in two groups, and in 25-35 or so feet they are catching 5-40 pound fish but mostly medium-sized cats. Another group of fish is in around 50 feet of water. These are generally all big fish in the 15 plus pound range, with lots of fish in the 20s. Interestingly, there is often a dead zone in about 40-45 feet.
These big cats are holding around bait schools in the deepest water in the old creek and river channels, and these areas are generally pretty flat.
Part-time Bonneau resident Captain Bill Plumley also reports a very strong catfish bite, catching 17 fish in 4 ½ hours on his last trip out. He was drifting Lake Moultrie in 6-32 feet, but most of the fish came around 20 feet. Consistent with Captain Joseph’s description, they ran up to 21 pounds but most were medium-sized fish. They were not really related to bait but scattered all over on flats and ditches. All of the better fish came on bream heads, while the smaller fish came on frozen American shad.
Last on the catfish front, Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that he is fishing the upper lake exclusively and finding the fish moving around every day following the bait. The bulk of the fish he is catching have been in 20-25 feet of water, but the basic pattern is to ride around until you mark a bunch of bait and then start drifting. The most fish have been on flats near the river channel – not in the channel itself. No bait is standing out and herring and shad are working about the same.
It's not a hot bite for crappie, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is a little disappointed that after a few better weeks the bite seems to be slowing down again in the lake. He hasn’t found much action in either lake, although generally fish in the upper lake are in 15-20 feet and in the lower lake in 25-30 plus. Usually this time of year he can find fish in the upper lake near the dam, but he wonders if during the flooding when they opened the floodgates many of these fish were swept into the river. The fish he is marking in the upper lake haven’t been especially inclined to eat, and the lower lake hasn’t been much better.
Captain Joseph reminds anglers that there is always a group of crappie in the swamp. This time of year they will hold in deeper areas with at least 5-6 feet of water around trees or grass mats, and as it gets colder the action usually gets better as they group up tighter.
Both Captain Steve and Captain Bill report good catches of nice bluegills in brush in about 25-28 feet of water. The only odd part was that Steve has been catching them on the bottom, while for Bill they were just 6 feet below the surface!
There’s only minor change this week with the black bass on Santee as temperatures are about back to where they were, and Captain Kyle and Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) report that trees in 3-5 feet of water are still fishing pretty well. The upper lake still has some good color in places and fish are being caught off trees with a spinnerbait.
Beyond that the grass is still holding a ton of fish, and the best action is in 3-7 feet of water. Hunt for fish with a Chatterbait or a spinnerbait, and once you locate them you can slow down with a worm on a Carolina rig or drop shot.
There are also still some deeper patterns, and there are fish on brush piles that will take a worm. And of course looking around schools of bait and casting minnow-imitations at fish you can see on electronics is a productive pattern.
December 4
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.80 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.37 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 55-58 degrees and the lakes have cleared substantially but still have some color in places.
Once again we have a unique crappie report for Santee, and Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that yesterday up in the swamp they found the crappie stacked up on tree tops in about 6 feet of water just 2-3 feet deep. They also found some fish around floating grass mats (which attract crustaceans, bait fish, and warm up quickly) but trees were the key. The fish were very grouped up and if you caught one in an area you were assured of catching more. Most were running in the one-pound range.
As we write Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is on the water chasing slabs in the lower lake, and at last report the best action seemed to be on brush in 15-25 feet of water with minnows. Fish have moved a little deeper with the cooler temperatures.
There’s not a lot of change this week with the black bass on Santee, except that Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that trees in 3-5 feet of water seem to be fishing a little better. The upper lake still has some good color and fish are being caught off trees with a spinnerbait.
Beyond that the grass is still holding a ton of fish, and the best action is in 3-7 feet of water. Hunt for fish with a Chatterbait or a spinnerbait, and once you locate them you can slow down with a worm on a Carolina rig or drop shot.
There are also still fish on brush piles that will take a worm.
The catfish have moved deeper and really turned on this week, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in 28-40 feet of water he is finding a very good drifting bite with herring, white perch, and shad. He is having the best luck on ledges and other depth changes at that depth, but other anglers are fishing even deeper and also having success.
One of those anglers is Captain Joseph, who reports that basically he is seeing two groups of catfish. One is in that 25-35 or so foot depth range, where they are catching 5-40 pound fish but mostly medium-sized cats. Another group of fish is in around 50 feet of water. These are generally all big fish in the 15 plus pound range, with lots of fish in the 20s. Interestingly, there is often a dead zone in about 40-45 feet.
These big cats are holding around bait schools in the deepest water in the old creek and river channels, and these areas are generally pretty flat.
When they are moving then drifting with cut herring (or gizzard shad as a second choice) is working well, but when they are stationary then live herring (or gizzard shad) have been working very well for both catfish and striped bass. As the lakes have cleaned up the striper have grouped back up into massive schools of fish between 20-30 inches, and they are catching both species together. In general the best striper fishing is also in 50 feet, but on windy days when they are forced to fish closer to the shore for some protection so they can keep baits close to vertical then 30-35 feet of water has been holding fish.
November 20
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.44 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.1 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are still about 65-67 degrees and the lakes have cleared substantially. Marion is now “normal” color.
The biggest excitement with the fishing this week on Santee is with the crappie, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that a tournament last weekend yielded some impressive weights. Multiple teams averaged more than two pounds per fish, a 2.86 pound slab was weighed in, and Will and his tournament partner managed to catch what could have been multiple limits of fish. Of course it was still Santee, and unlike a lake like Wateree where most of the brush is covered with crappie Will says that they had to scan miles and miles of water to find six or seven places holding fish. And there was no rhyme or reason to where they were, except that they had the best luck in creeks in Lake Marion. But brush from 17 to 31 feet held fish, mostly suspended about 12-13 feet down.
Their timing was good because at the same time Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has found a significantly improved bite this week, again especially in creeks in the upper lake. In the main lakes he is finding just small groups of fish on brush. His best depth range has been 8-10 feet down over 15-20 feet, with minnows.
Meanwhile the catfish are still scattered all over the place on Santee, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services(843-209-3726) reports that he is really waiting on cold weather to group them up. For now he is still drifting Marion near deep water ditches and river channels in about 15-20 feet of water. The fish are spread out, and he is having the best luck with smaller pieces of threadfin shad.
Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the deep catfish bite has slowed, although he is still marking lots of big catfish and striped bass as deep as 60 feet on humps, underwater hills, deep points, and sometimes even deep flats. However, it may be more an issue that with the wind it has been hard to get live and cut baits down to the fish rather than that they aren’t feeding.
Finally, a new contributing expert Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that right now the black bass are moving into the grass on Santee. While there are other places bass could be, the grass has gotten so abundant – often with flats ten miles long – that the vast majority of the fish are in the grass in both lakes. Like on a Florida lake, often you just have to put your trolling motor down and hunt for them. The best action right now is in 3-7 feet, and any kind of moving bait from a Chatterbait to spinnerbait to a topwater will work. Once you locate fish you can slow down with a worm or Carolina rig on a drop shot.
If Captain Corey had to name a secondary pattern it would be fishing brush piles in 8-15 feet, either in the main part of creeks or close to some sort of flat, with a spinnerbait or worm.
November 13
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.59 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.25 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are still about 68-70 degrees and the lakes are still dirty but the upper end is clearing first.
The catfish are still scattered all over the place on Santee, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that he is drifting Marion near deep water ditches and river channels in about 15-20 feet of water. The fish are spread out, and he is having the best luck with smaller pieces of threadfin shad.
While Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is targeting a similar depth range, his father Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has been catching fish in just 8-10 feet of water. Both captains are drifting herring and finding a pretty good bite for blues and a few channels.
But Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) is on the opposite end of the depth range, and he is fishing as deep as 60 feet. Down there he is finding bait, catfish and striped bass all stacked up together, and they are catching both species on cut and live bait. Bluebacks, mullet and gizzard shad are all working well. Humps, underwater hills, deep points, and sometimes even deep flats have all been strong, and it’s not unusual to catch catfish on live bait and striper on cut bait. Big pieces of bait continue to fish the best for Captain Bobby, and it’s just a matter of waiting for bites.
At the same time the crappie bite remains tough, although Captain Steve reports that as the upper lake clears it’s getting better. The lower end is still painfully slow.
Veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt has also spent some time after the crappie on Santee, and he is finding fish on cover from about 15 feet out to 28 feet. In the stained conditions they have been holding pretty tight to it, and for whatever reason they only seem to want minnows and not jigs.
Finally, Captain Kyle reports that not a lot of black bass fishing is going on, although in a recent kayak tournament there was an incredible 26-pound bag (in a kayak, at this time of year!) converting from inches to pounds. Fish are in standard fall patterns and they are chasing shad on the outside of trees and in small depressions. Anything that imitates a shad from a small swimbait to lipless crankbait to a square-billed crankbait can work.
Of course there are always fish offshore, too.
October 30
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.85 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 74.70 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 68-70 degrees and the lakes are still dirty to muddy – with the upper lake starting to clear first.
It’s kind of hard to describe the catfish bite on Santee right now, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that fish are basically everywhere. However, even as the upper lake starts to clear the water still has some color to it and there are a lot of fish shallow, and he is finding a decent number of fish on shallow flats in Marion. But the biggest concentration of bait seems to be in about 20-25 feet in the upper lake, and drifting flats at that depth has also been productive. He is having the best luck with smaller pieces of shad.
Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) also reports that fish can be found both deep and shallow, but in the very muddy lower lake he is having the best results drifting in about 10 feet of water. Gizzard shad have been his bait of choice, and flats have been working the best for him.
But confirming the point that fish can be anywhere, Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the best bite he is on is in the lower lake fishing 20-55 feet of water on deep flats. The bait is stacked up down there, and they are catching big fish. The best baits have been large pieces of fish, and big blueback herring threaded onto a hook have been out-producing all else.
At the same time the striped bass are a struggle, and Captain Bobby reports that is almost certainly related to the muddy water. About the only place he has heard of anglers having success is around the dam in deep water, and not much there. You will mark a lot of fish deep but they are not eating live bait. Perhaps trolling umbrella rigs deep could trigger a reaction strike.
Anglers can get lucky and find a school of birds diving, but he hasn’t seen much of that recently.
In the muddy water the crappie bite has been almost non-existent, with Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) catching 4 in the upper lake and none in the lower lake on recent trips. Even the bluegill aren’t doing much in the conditions, and Captain Steve is telling people to wait until mid-November when the water should clear.
Finally, Captain Kyle reports that not a lot of black bass fishing is going on right now, but as the water clears up behind the islands where a lot of the fish live you can find a frog bite up shallow. In the cooler weather swimming a jig or fishing a Texas rig can also work. The deeper patterns are also still there, and around offshore grass and brush piles you can catch fish on crankbaits or spinnerbaits. You can also call them up on topwater lures.
October 16
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.20 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.1 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 70 degrees and the lakes are still dirty to muddy.
With all the crazy water conditions oddly enough he thinks it’s the full moon that’s to blame, but Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the catfish bite has been off for him the past couple of days. He is still drifting in 20-35 feet of water around hills and other steep depth changes, but on each spot he has been catching about one fish and then nothing else. He’s hearing similar reports from the shallow guys targeting big blues.
About the only thing he’s found that can improve your chances is to use big baits right now, and whether it’s mullet, gizzard shad, or some other cut bait the fish seem to want something big.
The only bright spot with the catfish seems to be with the teenage and smaller fish, including channels and white cats, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that anchoring in about 9 feet of water on a ledge he was able to catch a mess of eating-sized fish. The bigger ones came on frozen shad but numbers on worms, and he also managed to catch some really nice shellcracker up to 1 ¾ pounds!
No new crappie reports this week as in the muddy water Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) hasn’t even tried.
These are also really tough conditions for striped bass fishing, and Captain Bobby reports that he doesn’t know anyone who has been catching them. When he takes a trip out this weekend his plan is to fish deep points and hills, and hopefully fish the cleanest water he can find. He believes the cooler weather will have pushed the bait deeper.
Bass report to follow if we can get one!
October 9
Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.09 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.44 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are about 78 degrees and most of the lakes are now very muddy.
It’s been about the wildest couple of weeks imaginable for water levels on Santee, and almost two weeks ago in anticipation of Helene they dropped the lakes around five feet in a couple of days. Within another couple of days Marion shot back higher than it had been before the storm, and only a couple of days ago it slowly started dropping, while Moultrie is still down a couple of feet but rising. Basically the entire lakes are muddy except for a small section of water at the lower end of Moultrie by the dam.
The clear consensus is that all the current and up-and-down water levels have been a boon for the catfish, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in shallow water just 6-10 feet deep in Moultrie the current had the fish biting a couple of days ago. He stuck to the edge of the mud line and eventually to slightly cleaner water, drifting bluebacks, but his father had the same results drifting 10-20 feet in the mud. While Captain Stevie did catch blues up to 27 pounds he also picked up a lot of channels and even a couple of bullheads, and he thinks that if you fished dip baits just out of the current you could wallop the channels in these muddy conditions.
Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) says you can also catch fish at anchor near the banks in Lake Marion, and in the super muddy conditions he points to fish that are in newly re-flooded areas in 3-5 feet of water. They will eat about any protein you put in front of them as the bite has really turned on.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish deep, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that yesterday he had “one of those days” drifting in 20-35 feet of water around hills and other steep depth changes. The fish were stacked up and hungry – see below.
He thinks he could have been targeting fish that left the shallows when water levels dropped, or they could just be deep fish that have been there a while but have really put on the feed bag. Bluebacks were also working for his boat.
But these are terrible conditions for striped bass fishing, and Captain Bobby says that you basically have to go to the cleanest water by the dam if you want to catch fish – and even there reports aren’t good. He recommends putting some live bait on down-lines where you mark fish and then some free-lines on top where they can see them.
It’s a similar story for the crappie, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that before the lower lake got muddy he actually had a really good day catching 15-20 fish on brush in 20-24 feet. They were 14-16 feet down. However, after it got muddy he couldn’t even catch bluegill on the same brush. The bad news is that he doesn’t expect the crappie fishing to be decent for a while, until the lake clears, but the good news is that the results do show that there is a glimmer of hope with the crappie population once conditions normalize.
Finally, Captain Kyle reports that right now the place to look for bass is shallow. They want to be there because the bait is there, and in muddy water they also like to orient themselves by moving to the banks. The topwater bite is probably dead for a while with visibility around an inch in most of the lake, but reaction lures like spinnerbaits and crankbaits will generate some action. Target cypress trees, stumps and other cover that the fish can relate to in 2-4 feet of water.
October 1
Santee Cooper water levels are about down several feet in both lakes although the very upper end of Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) is just starting to fill back up. Lake Moultrie is still extremely low at 70.75 (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are still about 80 degrees and the lake is about to get extremely dirty.
For right now lake levels are dangerously low on Santee, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) estimates that there are only a couple of boats on the water in the whole system with ramps inaccessible and the obvious danger. The levels are so low because Santee Cooper is preparing for a deluge of water coming into the lakes, and they started dropping water levels very aggressively several days ago.
That made for some pretty incredible catfish fishing over the weekend, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 8-14 feet they were catching 20-30 good fish during the day over the weekend on herring. The night bite was still good but a little slower. Moving water excites catfish, and at one point the water dropped a foot while they were fishing for several hours. You could see swells around trees.
It's hard to know what to expect with any species, as an unprecedented amount of water is coming into the system as well as a ton of debris. At the very least anglers should use extreme caution when they are able to get a boat on the lake again.
September 26
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.15 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 74.65 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees and clarity was high before the storm.
For the first time in a while we have to report that the catfish bite is pretty slow on Santee, and while he has dragged up a few good fish Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that neither day-time drifting or night-time anchoring has been especially productive. He is still having his best success in relatively shallow water fishing bluebacks and targeting shallow ledges and grass beds, but the bite certainly has not been hot.
That’s also the report from Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726), who reports that fish are still extremely spread out on Lake Marion and the bite is slow. He is having to cover a ton of water to pick up fish, and what is really needed is some cooler weather to bunch the fish up.
Fortunately it looks like striper season should be incredible (come October 1) as there is already widespread schooling activity.
The bass fishing is also tough, and Captain Kyle reiterates that September is probably the toughest month of the whole year on Santee. It’s a transition month with cooler nights but still hot days and the bait is changing patterns. For that reason most of his bass fishing friends are in the woods looking for deer this month!
Basically the two patterns are to fish grass or offshore brush piles, and of course you can also fish shallow cover in the swamp. But fish are not jumping in the boat doing any of that.
It’s a similar story with the crappie, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that between the persistently warm water and the down population it’s a tough bite. They did pick up about a half dozen on mid-depth brush this week, but it was hard work. About the only thing that’s easy to catch is the bream right now. They are stacked up on brush in 12-14 feet, but the big ones haven’t grouped up yet.
September 19
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.95 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 74.80 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees.
You know it’s brutally tough bass fishing on Santee when the 5th-8th place teams don’t manage a limit over three days, and that’s exactly what happened in this week’s Toyota Series event on Santee. While Bennett Lawshe won with 58-10 over three days, including a massive fall bag of 25-7 on Day 2, he had 13-8 (in part because of mechanical issues) on Day 3. And the sixth and eighth place anglers only had 11 fish each over three days!
Overall Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that September is probably the toughest month of the whole year on Santee. It’s a transition month with cooler nights but still hot days and the bait is changing patterns. For that reason most of his bass fishing friends are in the woods looking for deer this month!
Lawshe reports that he caught his big fish when he found an expected fall mayfly hatch around Pack’s Landing that had drawn in some big bass feeding on bream, and he landed his biggest fish on a frog. From there he went to an offshore area with a couple of 15- and 20-foot brush piles to fill out his limit using jerkbaits and forward-facing sonar. The other major pattern Captain Kyle says you might have expected was fishing the grass – which was exactly what most of the top 10 reported doing!
At the same times it’s been a pretty good catfish bite this week on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that drifting in 30-50 feet of water at night he has had success. (Of course, he also heard of someone fishing shallow in 15 feet at night with chicken with similar success!).
Overall he is catching some big fish on hills, but there are also times where the bait just likes to get in the deepest water (around 50 feet) and the fish also want to be there as they feed up for winter. Right now he is drifting herring, but Captain Bobby believes the key is bigger baits be they gizzard shad, mullet, or even deer hearts or liver.
Bobby also notes that on October 1 the striped bass season will reopen, and a lot of people will want to chase the birds with spoons and bucktails, but he is also marking a lot of striper very deep.
On the other end of the spectrum Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is fishing much shallower, drifting in 6-10 feet during the day and anchoring at about the same depth at night. While he hasn’t found great numbers he has caught several fish in the 20 plus pound range up to 35 pounds. He is fishing bluebacks and targeting shallow ledges and grass beds.
Finally, there are reports of some crappie being caught in the swamp but in the lakes the brush piles just aren’t loaded with them right now. Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) says you can still find a few crappie and plenty of bluegillon brush in at least 15 feet of water, but hopefully more will show up as temperatures cool and the fish start to bunch up better.
September 4
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.31 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.25 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures got back to the mid-80s this week.
Up-and-down water temperatures have coincided with a slower catfish bite this week on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that his own trips have been a bit of a mixed bag. They did have his slowest trip in months when he only caught two fish, but then yesterday (in the rough conditions) they caught fifteen to twenty fish up to 15 pounds. He is still finding fish very spread out, with his best success coming in 20-30 feet of water drifting bluebacks on hills and drop-offs.
At the same time Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) has moved shallow, and he reports that he is catching good fish (with four over 20 pounds this past weekend) drifting in 6-10 feet around shallow ledges and grass beds! He is also relying on bluebacks.
In the lower lake Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) is also drifting shallow areas, around stumps, mostly in the 5-foot range. They caught a lot of good fish this week including one 40-pounder. But for numbers of 5-15 pound fish it has been hard to beat drifting the canal in about 25 feet when they are pulling water. Both day and night have been good with – again – bluebacks the bait of choice.
Even as catfish are cooperating the bass fishing is still tough, although as predicted by Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) there has been a little bit of schooling after the cooler weather came through. Still, for now it’s mostly about fishing offshore in lower Marion and Moultrie, where the fish are out in the brush piles and ledges around bait in 10-20 feet of water. Big Texas rigged worms, Carolina rigs, jerkbaits and crankbaits can all work.
Of course it’s a completely different pattern above the 95 bridge where the fish never really leave the shallows. Frogs and Texas-rigged worms are the best baits, and fishing early and late improves your chances.
Even though the fishing hasn’t really come on they are starting to mark a lot more crappie and bream on brush in about 15-25 feet of water, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) expects that once temperatures cool a few more degrees they will start to bite on this mid-depth brush.
August 29
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.48 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.25 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the low 80s.
The consensus is that the catfish are very spread out on Santee right now, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that he is catching fish in Lake Marion drifting the flats in 15-20 feet of water and looking for bait. He is fishing off the bank towards the middle of the lake between the river channel and shallow water, using threadfin shad and blueback herring.
In Lake Marion Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) is also finding fish very spread out, and his best success has come in 20-30 feet of water drifting bluebacks. He is finding the best action on hills and drop-offs.
And that’s also a similar pattern to what Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) is fishing, drifting the lower lake with herring in about 20 feet. He is also targeting ledges, gullies and other depth changes.
Finally on the cats, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) adds that at night he is finding a really good deep water bite drifting in 30-40 feet with herring and perch. Again, in the lower lake he is fishing ledges. There have been some giant fish in the 50-70 pound range caught this way at night.
Even as catfish are cooperating the bass fishing is still tough, and Captain Kyle reports that really we are waiting on the first good cold front to activate the fish and perhaps get them schooling a little. For now it’s mostly about fishing offshore in lower Marion and Moultrie, where the fish are out in the brush piles and ledges around bait in 10-20 feet of water. Big Texas rigged worms, Carolina rigs, jerkbaits and crankbaits can all work.
Of course it’s a completely different pattern above the 95 bridge where the fish never really leave the shallows. Frogs and Texas rigged worms are the best baits, and fishing early and late improves your chances.
Even though the fishing hasn’t really come on they are starting to mark a lot more crappie and bream on brush in about 15-25 feet of water, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) expects that once temperatures cool a few more degrees they will start to bite on this mid-depth brush.
August 13
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.59 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 73.83 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). While the water hasn’t gotten muddy yet it is stained and there is a lot of grass and debris floating around. Morning surface water temperatures are down to the low 80s.
Even though blue catfish are probably still the best-biting fish on Santee right now, Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that the patterns have changed pretty significantly in the last couple of weeks. The fish aren’t grouped up in huge numbers around shell beds, and now they are scattered all over following bait schools. As a result instead of anchoring in shallow water he is drifting big flats in 10-15 feet. They are eating a lot of perch and threadfin herring, but those baits as well as blueback herring, gizzard shad and more will all work.
At the same time Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that he is still targeting deeper structure, and his best success has come drifting in 20-45 feet of water anywhere there is a dramatic depth change like a steep hill or ledge. Bluebacks, chicken, white perch and bream are all working.
But he does say that when the deep bite isn’t producing looking shallow is a good idea because basically any catfish up shallow are looking to eat!
The bass fishing is still a little tough, but Captain Kyle reports that there are still two distinct largemouth patterns. Most anglers are fishing above the 95 bridge now, and these fish almost always live shallow and right now is no exception. While the shallows are hot some of the best oxygen levels are in very shallow water. Frogs and Texas rigged worms are the best baits, and fishing early and late improves your chances.
The other major pattern is to fish offshore, particularly in lower Marion and Moultrie, where lots of bigger fish are out in the brush piles and ledges around bait in 10-20 feet of water. These fish don’t really set up well until the sun is up, and big Texas rigged worms, Carolina rigs, jerkbaits and crankbaits can all work.
Finally, while there are still some crappie 15-20 feet down over brush in 25-35 feet of water, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) isn’t targeting them until things cool off more.
August 1
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.73 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 75.5 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 80s.
There are a number of different ways to catch catfish on Santee right now, but as predicted Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that a group of big fish have moved very deep where his boat is catching them in about 40 feet of water drifting around big hills, drops and other deep structure. Bluebacks, chicken, white perch and bream are all working.
This bite is best in the morning but slows down in the afternoon, and at night he is having the best success drifting flats in 25 feet or less.
That latter depth is about where Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is fishing in the mornings, but he reports that in 20 feet of water and less he is having the best success drifting the bottoms of ledges instead of flats. He is marking fish and targeting them by drifting cut herring and numbers have been strong.
So we have a strong deep and mid-depth patterns, but Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that by far the best pattern for him has been in shallow water! He is anchoring in 3-8 feet of water, and ironically the middle of the day has been one of the best times.
The key is to find areas where clams and mussels are floating, and the cats will be gorging on them. Sometimes the fish are around the banks while sometimes they are over humps, but the locations change every day and the key has been looking for them on sidescan. They are in giant schools of 10-200 fish, with most 10-20 pounds but occasional fish in the 30-40 pound range. While Kyle is targeting Marion the same pattern is going on in Moultrie.
So… basically, the theme of this week’s catfish report is that that Santee lakes are full of catfish and – like much of the time – you can catch them a lot of different ways right now!
While there are still some crappie 15-20 feet down over brush in 25-35 feet of water, Captain Stevie reports that it’s so slow that he and his father Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) aren’t targeting them until things cool off.
The bass fishing is also tough, and while Captain Kyle is concentrating most of his energy on catfish right now there are two distinct largemouth patterns. Most anglers are fishing above the 95 bridge now in the “swampy” part of the lake (that everyone thinks of as the “real” Santee Cooper), and these fish almost always live shallow and right now is no exception. While the shallows are hot some of the best oxygen levels are in very shallow water. Frogs and Texas rigged worms are the best baits, and fishing early and late improves your chances. While it’s not easy fishing, the Thursday evening tournaments out of Pack’s are each week averaging about a 4-pound per fish limit.
The other major pattern is to fish offshore, particularly in lower Marion and Moultrie, where lots of bigger fish are out in the brush piles and ledges around bait in 10-20 feet of water. These fish don’t really set up well until the sun is up, and big Texas rigged worms, Carolina rigs, jerkbaits and crankbaits can all work.
July 17
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.04 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 74.9 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 80s.
Basically it’s a great time to fish for catfish on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that while he targets shallower water during the day at night he is finding his best success drifting deeper water. You can also anchor up shallow at night, but that’s not his preferred method. In 25-30 feet he has caught some big fish, with flatheads up to 40 pounds (the first bite of the night a couple of days ago) to go with lots of fish in the 20s.
Consistent with that, Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that during the daytime there are still a lot of fish in shallow water, and anchoring in around 6 feet of water near mussel beds, islands and stumps is still productive. There could be some fish closer to the banks at night, but he has been having better luck with this pattern in the morning away from the banks.
But the even better bite for Captain Bobby’s boat this week has again been drifting flats in 15-25 feet of water, but targeting slight depressions, gentle hills, or stumps on the flats. He is having the best luck with bluebacks, but Bobby is also hearing good reports on chicken and bream.
With more males showing up the last few trips that’s usually a sign the spawn is done, and each year when the spawn ends he finds some fish very deep. Soon he will target them on steep structure (hills, ledges) in 40 feet.
While there are still some crappie 15-20 feet down over brush in 25-35 feet of water, Captain Stevie reports that it’s so slow that he and his father Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) can’t justify the amount of time it takes to catch them right now.
On the bass front the fishing is about right for mid-July, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that right now the lake really fishes like two separate lakes. Above the I-95 bridge fish live relatively shallow, and the best way to target them is in about five feet of water around deeper cypress trees with soft plastics. Early and late you can also find a surface bite with topwater lures or buzzbaits.
On the lower end of Marion and Lake Moultrie you can also find beds of eel grass and hydrilla on 3-8 foot flats which will hold bream and bass, but the best thing going is still the offshore bite. Lots of bigger fish are out in the brush piles and ledges around bait in 10-20 feet of water. These fish don’t really set up well until the sun is up, and you can definitely catch them in the heat of the day. Big Texas rigged worms, Carolina rigs, jerkbaits and crankbaits will all work.
No bream reports but as the full moon approaches (July 21) we will let you know what we hear.
July 10
Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.99 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 74.80 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are 84-87 degrees on the main lake.
As the catfish spawn winds down there is a very good bite on Santee, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that you can catch them several different ways. There are a lot still in shallow water, and anchoring in around 6 feet of water near mussel beds, islands and stumps is still productive. There could be some fish closer to the banks at night, but he has been having better luck with this pattern in the morning away from the banks.
But the even better bite for Captain Bobby’s boat this week has been drifting flats in 15-25 feet of water, but targeting slight depressions, gentle hills, or stumps on the flats. He is having the best luck with bluebacks, but Bobby is also hearing good reports on chicken and bream.
Finally, with the spawn winding down there should be some fish heading back super deep. Bobby’s boat hasn’t fished this way yet, but on steep structure (hills, ledges) in 40 feet each of the last six years at this time it’s been productive.
In a similar vein Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) feels pretty certain that you can catch some big fish deep, but he has been having the best luck drifting just 8-10 feet of water for numbers of 3-10 pound fish. He is also targeting slight drops on flats, and while he would go deeper if his clients were looking for fewer, big fish he is picking up some 20s on this pattern.
While there are still some crappie 15-20 feet down over brush in 25-35 feet of water, Captain Stevie reports that it’s so slow that he and his father Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) can’t justify the amount of time it takes to catch them right now.
On the bass front the fishing is pretty stable, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports fish are pretty well set in their summer patterns. First thing there is still a good topwater frog bite around shallow vegetation and lily pads, but then all day long you can catch fish around eel grass and hydrilla on 3-8 foot flats which are holding lots of bream and bass. They will position differently in the weeds at different times of day.
But the best thing going is still the offshore bite, and lots of bigger fish are out in the brush piles and ledges around bait in 10-20 feet of water. These fish don’t really set up well until the sun is up, and you can definitely catch them in the heat of the day.
Outside of the topwater bite, big Texas rigged worms, Carolina rigs, jerkbaits and crankbaits are all working.