Santee Cooper Lakes, SC Fishing Report

Bass are pretty much done with spawning activity on Santee Cooper lakes.  Most bass are being caught in transition areas from spawning grounds in deeper water cover in 3-5 feet of water.  Grass and trees are still producing mainly with texas rigged worms, stick and shad style weightless baits.  With recent heavy rains, many areas are very muddy, try to find clearer water to catch fish.  Capt Chris   www.captchrisfising.com

• Largemouth bass: Very good. Captain Jimmie Hair reports that there are still some fish bedding, particularly around islands in the upper lake. Right now most fish are in a post-spawn pattern and they are still up shallow in 6 feet of water or less where they should stay for the next month or two. Throwing soft plastics including Senkos, lizards and worms around trees is working well, as are spinnerbaits.
• Crappie: Good. Captain Steve English reports that some crappie are still shallow spawning while a large number have already come back out. Because they are just leaving the shallows crappie are very dark right now, and they can be caught fishing minnows and jigs 6-8 feet deep over shallow brush in 13-14 feet.

Bass are bedding all over the lake and plenty of big fish being caught.  Frogs, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits producing early and/or cloudy days.  Bed fish with multiple plastic lures until you find one they like.  Capt Chris   www.captchrisfishing.com

Captain Jim Glenn reports there has been no particular pattern for catfish. Some shallow, some deep with no consistency from day to day. Much prospecting is required to locate and catch more fish. Reports on striper fishing the lakes have it generally slow and attributed to the beginning spawning migration. Weather patterns are also considered to be influential in the slow bite for both cats and stripers. Our spring seems to be seasonally a week or two late from the normal warm up. A warming influence will be in the area next week. It is anticipated that the bite will improve for catfish and probably stripers in the rivers as well. Largemouth fishing should also improve as more bass will move to the shallows to begin their spawn.

• Bream and crappie: Slow to fair. Captain Steve English reports that lots of cold water has been entering the Santee Cooper lakes and so the bream and crappie fishing really hasn't heated up yet - however, it should very soon. The first places where the crappie turn on should be in the black water ponds once water temperatures hit 55-60 degrees.
• Catfish: Slow to fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that the catfish bite has been slow and erratic, with weather systems seeming to have a negative impact. Better fishing should be nearby as temperatures warm and hopefully stabilize. For now anglers have had some limited success with blue catfish both shallow and deep fishing cut bait.

As many of you know we have had a cold Spring, but we've still been getting good quality bass, just not the numbers like you do in Spring time. If you get around the right ones, you'll look like a "hero", but you can also "zero" pretty easy. Bass have not spawned yet, so plenty of opportunity here in April/May to get a nice one for your wall and/or good numbers of bass. Too many patterns and lures to mention, just be versatile with bait selection. My rule of thumb is when windy/overcast/early am, throw your horizontal fasting moving baits and when calm/sunny slow down to vertical baits mainly plastics. Always try to have relatively deeper water near the shallow water and more cover (wood/grass/rock) the better.

Check me out at www.captchrisfishing.com and let's book a trip soon. Good fishing! Capt Chris

Guide Capt Chris (803) 236-1257 www.captchrisfishing.com reports good size bass are being caught on Santee Cooper lakes.  Both lakes marion and moultrie are producing.  Target pre-spawn staging areas with grass or wood cover with deep water near by.  Backwaters are still only in high 50s on a warm afternoon, so bass not on beds as yet.  Spinnerbaits and vibrating baits are best early am and then use plastics and jigs when sun gets up.  Good fishing! 

Largemouth bass fishing is improving with warming air and water temps.  Bass are still in staging areas from deep to shallow water, but will cotintue to move shallower.  Water clarity is fairly stained most of lake, so try to find clearer water near backwater areas protected from winds.  Slow moving baits like jigs, creature baits, and worms are working best.  If you get some wind, use more searching/reaction baits like rattling hard baits or chatter/bladed swim jigs.  Good fishing!  Capt Chris www.captchrisfishing.com  (803) 236-1257

• Largemouth bass: Slow. Fishing is tough, but there are signs of improvement. The best pattern has been finding the usual spawning areas and using crankbaits.
• Catfish: Slow. Very inconsistent on the lakes with one day catching fish and another being a bust. Captain Jim Glenn reports shad are beginning to show up in the tailrace area, especially when they are generating power.

Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that the best technique on Lake Marion recently has been anchoring in 25 plus feet of water and fishing flat lines on the bottom with just about any type of cut bait. Fish in the 20-55 pound range have been boated with some regularity, and anglers should look on their graph for areas that contain baitfish before setting up. Fishermen need to stay on the move and prospect in different spots. One other productive pattern on most days is fishing suspended baits on down rods along the edge of the river channel on Lake Marion.

Bass fishing remains fair to good with recent cold front not having the largemouth biting real well.  Also, with rising water levels, lake is pretty dirty/dingy in many areas.  Best success is to find clearer water mixing with dirtier water and fish structure near by with reaction style baits like a jerbait, vibrating hardbait, or soft stick bait.  Capt Chris  (803) 236-1257  www.captchrisfishing.com

Striped Bass: Good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that striper fishing is good in both lakes, with striper concentrated in and around large schools of baitfish. Bait will be suspended in deep water in Lake Moultrie as well as in some of the bigger creeks in Lake Marion. There are also concentrations of baitfish along the old river channel in Lake Marion as well.

Largemouth fishing remains good on both lakes of Santee Cooper. Bass being caught in 2-6 feet of water off stump points or grass. Crankbaits, rattletraps, jerkbaits, plastics  and jigs off wood and weed cover. Recommend slowing down and fishing tight to cover and off a little deeper. Recommend dead sticking bait once your around bait/fish activity. 

Several hychinas have been blow on northern shore of lake and bad around Packs Landing area down to Boat house slough.  Also, with influx of water coming in lake Marion is pretty muddy in main lake areas, but clearer toward backs of creeks/protected areas.

Capt Chris (803) 236-1257 www.captchrisfishing.com

Largemouth fishing remains good on both lakes of Santee Cooper.  Bass being caught in 2-6 feet of water off stump points or grass.  Crankbaits, rattletraps, jerkbaits, and plastics off wood and weed cover. Recommend slowing down and fishing tight to cover and off a little deeper. Recommend dead sticking bait once your around bait/fish activity.

Capt Chris (803) 236-1257 www.captchrisfishing.com

• Catfish: Fair to good. Fish are being caught in deep water around suspended bait. Establishing a slow a drift as possible with the standard drift rig or fishing vertically with suspended baits. Bait of choice is cut menhaden.
• Striped bass: Fair. Stripers are feeding on stressed threadfin shad and will take slow trolled artificials or spoons and slow drifted live baits. Crappie: Fair. Success requires light winds and a stable weather pattern. Crappie will take jigs more readily this time of year.
• Largemouth bass: Fair to good. Sunny days warm the shallows a degree or two and bass will hit slow rolled spinner baits and shallow running crank baits. Vertical jigging with spoons on deeper drops also will trigger a good largemouth strike.

Largemouth fishing was decent during this latest warming trend we had.  Bass being caught in 2-6 feet of water off stump points or in remaining green grass. Crankbaits, rattletraps, spinnerbaits, and plastics off wood and weed cover. Recommend slowing down and fishing tight to cover and off a little deeper.  Recommend dead sticking bait once your around bait/fish activity. 

Floating hyachiths mats are bad in main lake on marion, be careful running main lake.  Recommend launching where you will be fishing.

Capt Chris (803) 236-1257  www.captchrisfishing.com

• Striped Bass: Good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that striper fishing is good in both lakes, with striper concentrated in and around large schools of baitfish.
• Bream and White Perch: Good. Captain Steve English reports that bream and white perch are feeding well in the canal, with fish being caught in 25-28 feet of water on the bottom on worms and nightcrawlers.
• Catfish: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that, like striper, blue catfish will also be found in and around concentrations of bait. Fish can be caught at anchor as well as slow drifting.
• Crappie: Slow to fair. Captain Steve English reports that on pretty days crappie can be caught shallow in the creeks in 6-12 feet of water.
• Largemouth bass: Slow. Captain Jim Glenn reports that largemouth bass fishing is slow most days, which is expected when water temperatures in the low 50s or lower, particularly in the upper part of the Santee Cooper system.

Largemouth fishing slow due to colder water temps, however since influx of new water from recent rains keep lake elevation up, some fish being caught in 2-6 feet of water off stump points or in remaining green grass.  Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and plastics off wood and weed cover.  Capt Chris (803) 236-1257

Largemouth bass fishing has been slow.  Most fish being caught on shallow to mid running crankbaits and plastic worms on wood cover like logs, stumps, cypress trees near deep water access.  Better to fish on warming trend with sun in afternoon to warm water temps.  Good fishing.  Capt Chris www.captchrisfishing.com