This is one of the nations favorite freshwater fish, and the lakes have plenty of these bad boys on offer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_23" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on November 25, 2020 As for launching, Packs Landing out of Rimini is the most northern starting point youll find, while Summerton, St. Pauls, and Adams landing are all great spots. For beginning trappers, it is vital to understand what a dog-proof trap consists of and how they work. Crappie will eat minnows or jigs. The fish are already starting to spawn in shallow water around grass but numbers are about to go way up. We hope to have many more vacation there in the future. While the striped bass do not seem to be schooling right now on Santee Cooper, Captain Steve English reports that in the lower lake they have been catching a ton of fish deep. Within the boundaries of the Santee River system (including lakes Marion and Moultrie), from October 1st through June 15th, it is "unlawful to take or possess a striped bass less than twenty-three inches or greater than twenty-five inches, provided that one striped bass taken or possessed may be greater than twenty-six inches. Most detailed Lake On the last trip they managed a couple of 40-pound fish, a 30-, and so on. The smaller lake still offers some swampy spots, but the waters get deeper quicker. The upper lake is getting dirty, while the lower lake is relatively clear once you get away from the mouth of the canal. Overall he is still catching fish in 25-50 feet of water, although other anglers are fishing shallower. Titling office is now located at: SCDNR at the State Water temperatures are likely to drop as much as 10-15 degrees in the shallow lake with this hard freeze, and he expects bass to run out of the shallows like their houses are on fire. Bass Top water baits and swimbaits are turning on with some furocious explosive bites, Stripers Season is open October 1st good catches have been coming in and the fish are schooling. Mossy Oak has recently partnered with The Given Right as title sponsor of the series that has been on air for six years. 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. They are still getting a lot of pull-downs but the fish wont commit as well. Worms are the ticket. Herring has been out-fishing everything else. If you fish very, very early you can also find a shad spawn around dawn in some places. Santee Cooper Lakes As we learned throughout this tournament (primarily from Brandon Palaniuks multi-faceted attack), its possible to catch spawning, pre-spawn and post-spawn fish at the same time, often in adjacent areas. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.92 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.75 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Team Supreme. Lots of schooling activity on the Cooper River in the mouths of the old Richfield cuts. THE DRAGON SHAD DEMON - THE ULTIMATE IN LINE CATFISH FLOAT - SANTEE COOPER RIG . Field staff update the fishing reports each week through the fishing season, reporting on fishing success, lake levels, water temperatures, and other important information. It took 10 pounds to win the 3-fish limit Sunday Showdown Series tournament this weekend. That's why we offer energy saving solutions for your home and business. Their depth will vary, and the best way to target them is with a double minnow rig fished vertically. There is a little bit of a topwater bite first thing, but it has not been very good. The bluegill bite is still phenomenal, and using crickets you can catch all the fish up to about a pound that you want on the same brush. While a lot of the shellcracker have already spawned there should be more, and the bluegill should really start to get down to business on this moon phase. 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. When water temperatures hit about 50 degrees then the creek bite should really turn on. If those arent working then Brett suggests looking a little deeper with Ned rigs and shakey heads in the same areas. Great fishing happening right now at the Coronado Islands aboardthe San Diego fishing out of Seaforth Landing. Luckily, they also bring some of the best bass fishing of the year, so stay tuned for more tips and reports from our Mossy Oak team. Thi. Weve landed plenty of fish each time to include a 58 lb cat (Blacks Camp guide) when I was younger. length. There were some good fish in the 20-30 pound range caught on chicken, but the best bait seems to be river herring and gizzard shad. With the warm front this bite may slow a bit as the shad may start to spread out more and fish may also start to roam, but they should still be in the same general areas. The catfish action has been pretty good on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that even though he has found good fishing in 25-40 feet of water at the moment he would suggest starting in shallow water and then eliminating that before heading deeper. Pretty much everything has come on soft plastics this week. Worms are the ticket. Good to hear they are getting shallow there. document.getElementById( "ak_js_13" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I have never fished. Get to grips with a rod and reel as you cast for them. Again, a topwater bite should be taking off Brett hasnt really found very much, and he characterizes it as only sporadic.. Lots of crappie are on the deeper brush. 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. Sorry for the mistakes! Despite a very slight temperature drop it hasnt moved enough to really activate the bass fishing, and Brettreports that he has not seen a fish so much as swirl at a topwater bait recently. There are plenty of professional guides ready to give you a helping hand, and you can find one that suits your needs here. Phone Numbers | Accessibility | During the day Stevie has had the most success drifting in 10-20 feet of water. Your previous content has been restored. A general pattern can be to anchor in deep water early and then try the shallows later in the day when the water warms. Its the time of year when the bass fishing is highly dependent on the weather, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that before and after the cold snap over the weekend the bass bit well but on Sunday they did not. We're having some really good trips lately. The new moon was a week ago and the full moon is not until next week. Pasted as rich text. document.getElementById( "ak_js_29" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on October 28, 2020 reports. The lakes are clear and water temperatures range from about 82 in the morning up to about 85. Fishing from shore gives you exactly that opportunity. Are you planning to fish there again? Shallow running crankbaits, spinnerbaits and small swimbaits are all good lure choices. The fish they are catching are coming on soft plastics. The lakes are very clear and water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s. But dont you miss out on the incredible fishing on offer! Aug 23, 2021. Santee Cooper (Lake Marion & Lake Moultrie) Fishing Report. Trolling numbers have not been incredible. If it gets very cold then fish should group up in deeper areas. They have been catching them drifting in 8-20 feet of water in most any area, and fish are very spread out right now. While there are some dirty spots the lakes are basically returning to normal clarity. Display as a link instead, Even though they are seeing a lot of bait shallower for right now there does not seem to be much feeding on them. Clear Lake: Ice thickness is 12 to 18 inches. Fish as close to the bottom as possible for the bigger fish as the water temp gets lower. I caught my biggest bass of 7 pounds, 12 ounces, by using my Humminbird Mega 360 feature on my depth finder. Crankbaits, worms and jigs fished around rock should catch fish. In clearer areas jigging a spoon should also work this month, and an Alabama rig can also be in play. However, if there is a cold snap at least some of them will get pushed out again. Water temperatures have gotten cool enough that fish are really starting to move around again, and as the shad just start to get into the creeks the bass should not be far behind. Are you in the know? Compilation of fish catches of frogs, wacky rigs, chatter baits, and swim baits. He has been targeting the flats in between the turns in the river bed on Lake Marion. Some of the biggest ones have been coming in the 20-22 foot range. 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. 10 . There was even an off day when heavy winds forced postponement of Day Three, resulting in the rare Championship Monday.. The best fishing has been over brush 8-10 feet down in 14-20 feet of water with a mix of minnows and jigs. The lower lake has been much better than the upper lake, and a lot of days jigs have been out-fishing minnows. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. previous next Print . Come and take advantage of the Largemouth and Striped Bass bite in the deeper waters. Information on fishing trends provided courtesy of www.anglersheadquarters.com/, South Carolina's premier 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. information from bait shops, marinas and fishing guides. Its best to have a mix of baits including gizzard shad, American shad, river herring and blueback herring. After flirting with going back-to-back he ended up third overall. Herring, shad and mullet have all been working for his boat. Pretty much the same November pattern for December. 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. Come Bedding around bullrush grass, lilly-pads, primrose The 2020 Santee Cooper Lakes Elite Series champion mixed things up in the Potato Creek region, fishing offshore bass with a Rapala OG Slim crankbait, jerkbaits, jigs and an X Zone Lures Blitz Worm before searching for big bedding bass with an X Zone Lures Adrenaline Craw. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for getting in touch! Santee Cooper Bass: Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that until the spring rolls around fish will be concentrating on shad, and in December that usually means looking for areas with current where the schools of bait are found. 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. Thank you. Morning surface water temperatures are mostly in the low to mid-70s. Captain Brett Mitchell agrees with that, and Brett reports that the majority of anglers after a big blue are anchoring in 4-6 feet of water around cypress tree clusters. More Santee Cooper, Lake Marion bass fishing action from last spring. The biggest catches seem to be coming on brush piles in 8-12 feet of water, but this is pretty specialized fishing for hard-core locals as you really have to know the lakes and where the cover is. Top water and swim baits will work good. Its mostly a soft plastic bite and topwaters still are not producing. For up-to-date information, look up the fishing report for the water of your choice. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources - Rembert C. 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