santee cooper fishing report

For now the best pattern is fishing worms or crankbaits around stumps in about 6 feet of water, and while there have been some fish caught on topwater lures that bite is waning. Read now. These fish are still loaded up with eggs and they expect it to be a few more weeks until the spawn is played out. Santee Cooper water levels are up to 73.81 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.51 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). These differ for residents and non-residents, with discounts for military personnel, too. On the shallower side Captain Brett Mitchell continues to catch fish in 15-25 feet of water. There is also still a good anchored bite early and then a good deeper drift in 25-40 feet of water. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s in the shallows. Most detailed Lake Wateree This weekend Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has several trips for crappie again after some time off, and his best guess is that the fish will be scattered 10-20 feet down over middle depth to deep brush. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s. Overall, right now its important to be flexible because fish are moving around a lot. Anglers seem to either be on them or not, and in this weeks Sunday Showdown Series the best 3-fish limit was an impressive 18 pounds. Pinewood. The lakes are getting muddy and morning surface water temperatures are around the low to mid-60s. Fishing Reports Bragging Board Fishing Guides Summer hours 5:30 am to 8 pm Enjoy our upgraded, renovated accommodations. The five major bait species in the lakes are gizzard shad, threadfin shad, American shad, blueback herring, and menhaden, which immigrate and emigrate from the lakes based on seasonal patterns. Despite recent rains the lakes remain relatively clear and morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s. Some of the fish are starting to get out on brush again, and they have had some decent days on brush. The fish they are catching are coming on soft plastics. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.21 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 74.19 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). He will be fishing minnows. Fishing with Brett Mitchell Santee-Cooper Guide and Instructor Specializing in Trophy Size Largemouth Bass - Blue Catfish - Striped Bass (In season) CALL 803-379-7029 BrettMitchell@bellsouth.net Fishing With Brett only Uses rod holders from Facebook Messenger Welcome to the site! The crappie fishing has still been pretty slow on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the upper lake they are picking up a few fish 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water on minnows and jigs. 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. The best shellcracker fishing seems to have already occurred, and while there were some bluegill spawning in shallow water the action was not great. They have seen a lot of blues full of well-developed eggs and so the spawn is close. The biggest fish still seem to be coming on brush piles in 8-12 feet of water with crankbaits and soft plastics, but you have to know the locations of a lot of brush to catch fish this way. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 65 degrees. River herring is fishing the best right now. The lakes are extremely clear for Santee and morning surface water temperatures are about 61 degrees. Suspend over the fish with live bait of drift cut shad and herring with Santee cooper rigs in the deep channels. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.92 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.89 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Santee Cooper water levels are up to 73.87 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.75 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). 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. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.55 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.68 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Herring and chicken have gotten the most bites although they havent found anything the fish are swallowing very well. Join AHQ Premier for unlimited Free Shipping & access to the AHQ Report. The shallow bite has been better in the evenings, and that should stay true through the weekend. Keep moving! Very soon, if they have not already, some male fish should get around the banks. The catfish bite is also dependent on weather, and right before a front comes through fish have been feeding really well while after a cold snap the bite slows for a day or two. About half of the field had over 100 pounds of fish, and so they are biting really well right now. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . For fish chasing bait flukes, Spooks, Pop-Rs, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits will all work. While unusual water conditions could change the pattern, usually expect the best fish to come drifting deep water with cut bait on the lower end. While there are always fish in a lot of different depth ranges in Santee, right now Santee-style drifting in 40-50 feet seems to be the most effective. The bream catch is still at best sporadic, but Captain Stevie English reports that they are still catching some nice crappieeven though they are having to work for them. Morning surface water temperatures have hit the lower 60s. As Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) predicted last week, temperatures have now gotten to the point where some bass have actually started spawning activity particularly in the protected backwater ponds that warm up fastest. These corks make it quick and easy to adjust your depth, which is critical this time of year. 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. Their depth will vary, and the best way to target them is with a double minnow rig fished vertically. Late in the month is a good time for long-line trolling with jigs and minnows. We are a family-owned business committed to providing our customers with the best prices and customer service on all of our merchandise. Crankbaits, worms and jigs fished around rock should all work. February 2. Santee Cooper is a shallow-water fishing paradise, and it's tough to beat the skinny water action of March. Click here for 30 day free trial! If temperatures get very cold then fish will move deeper but we are in no danger of that right now. 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. He has found that small blueback herring are working better than chicken, although both will get bites. Trolling. Right now minnows are working better most days, but you should also have a chartreuse, straight-tail jig ready just in case. He's using red worms for bait, and fishing them under slip corks. 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. The crappie still havent really turned on as water temperatures need to drop a few more degrees, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are picking up decent numbers of fish by looking at deeper brush. 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. Worms are the ticket. Field staff update the fishing reports each week through the fishing season, reporting on fishing success, lake levels, water temperatures, and other important information. null . Swimbaits can also work. At approximately 2789 feet 850 meters above sea level and pierced with sundry. Morning surface water temperatures range between 85 and 90 degrees. Moultrie is the smaller of the two lakes in surface acreage but is much deeper. Santee Cooper Lake Marion is home to some BIG bass and April is PRIME TIME for the spawn! The target depth range has been 3-6 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, jigs and crankbaits will all work. However, this month anglers will notice bass start to move shallower regardless of weather conditions are they prepare to stage for the spawn. When conditions warmed up again they started to move back into the creeks, and with up-and-down early spring conditions Steve characterizes the fish as scattered and confused. Everyone over the age of 16 will need a South Carolina fishing license to fish on Santee Cooper. The catfish bite seems to be improving, and Captain Stevie English reports that drifting in relatively shallow water he is catching lots of good blues and channels on herring. Underspins can also work well. The big bream and crappie are still on the deeper brush in 28-35 ft in huge numbers. 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. This is Harvest Moon Fishing Charters 2023 winter fishing report for Myrtle Beach SC. Fishing live bait on Santee-Cooper is an excellent wintertime tactic. Luckily the catfish bite has been really good on Santee Cooper, and both Steve and his son Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) report that they are filling boxes with fish pretty quickly. 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. Tight-lining for suspended fish up the rivers should be effective and as the month progresses fish will move into the creeks. 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. Updates. You can also anchor, but drifting is often more exciting. To fill a cooler with eating size catfish Captain Stevie reports that his boat is drifting with herring in 15-30 feet of water, and they have found a pretty fast bite for channels and smaller blues. In another sure sign of spring, while Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) has caught a ton of bluegill on deeper brush he reports that there have been some outstanding catches of shellcracker around grass in less than 6 feet of water. Midlands. 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. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.12 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.81 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Steves boat is targeting the lower lake, and everything he is catching is coming on relatively shallow brush 7-10 feet down over 15-20 feet of water. The upper lake has been fishing a bit better than the lower lake recently, and the best action has come 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water. There are only a very few feeding fish on brush right now, and the vast majority of the fish are in less that 6 feet of water. Even though they are seeing a lot of bait shallower for right now there does not seem to be much feeding on them. Overall he is still catching fish in 25-50 feet of water, although other anglers are fishing shallower. Anglers can begin targeting striped bass in the Santee Cooper lakes system beginning Oct. 1 and continuing through June 15. Give us a call at 803-492-7924 so that we can co-ordinate your needs. Santee Cooper Crappie Fishing Pautzke Bait 43.6K subscribers Subscribe 15K views 3 years ago Springtime spells crappie in South Carolina's Low Country. reports. They are still getting a lot of pull-downs but the fish wont commit as well. Now that fall is near Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is back after the crappie, and even though he has had a few good days there are also times when the fishing is slow. Most detailed Lake Hartwell The fish are on shallow flats in 7-11 feet of water and they are feeding on mussels. 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. He notes that they have been topping of plenty of coolers this week. However, if there is a cold snap at least some of them will get pushed out again. Strong summer patterns are starting to take off for bass on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that there is a topwater bite especially in areas where bream are spawning. Areas to visit, Lake Murray in the Russell Flats area. Customer Service. These fish can be caught casting a jig or with a minnow under a cork. Before the cold front at the beginning of this week there were starting to be some bream around the banks, but for now the weather seems to have pushed them out to the same brush the crappie are on. The lakes are still clear and morning surface water temperatures are about 58. Lunkers are still in shallow, with a little spawning 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). A variety of cut baits can work. 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. Shop our collection of fishing rods to find the one that best matches your needs. 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. When you stay at Bell's Marina Hotel you can get a discount if you book a Guide through us. After a strong spawning wave last week, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bass are starting to get into a bit of a post-spawn lull. We have Highly Recommended Santee Fishing Guides that can accommodate your fishing charter. The fish are still on deeper brush and wood in 20-35 feet, and on his last trip out Steve caught a bunch of fish including five over 2 pounds. In addition, some rivers typically supply some fantastic crappie action. View Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Reports. 9890 Pack's Landing RD, Pinewood, SC 29125 (803) 452-5514. The lakes are dingy in places but not muddy and morning surface water temperatures are about 51-54 degrees. Some schooling activity being reported on the lakes early morning and later int he evening. 2018-19 SANTEE COOPER COUNTRY. Live bait fishing USGS Link. Overall fish should continue to be caught on free-lines, planer boards and by casting at birds, but there should also still be a down-line bite for deeper fish. Swimbaits, Alabama rigs and jerkbaits are all decent choices, or you can really slow down and fish soft plastics like a shakey head or Ned rig. In the lakes he is looking for a ledge or stumps or something else that will provide the fish with a place to hold. 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. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 79 degrees. webmaster@dnr.sc.gov, State The upper lake is slow but they are catching fish around brush in the lower lake in 25-30 feet of water. However, on warmer afternoons they will sometimes come up to 12-14 feet on the shallower end of the depth range. been reported catching them on Spooks and Pencil Poppers. Bass: Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that early in February bass should still be caught deeper in the main lake and at the mouths of creeks around the bait schools where other species including perch are feeding. Its been a good week for catfish on Santee Cooper, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that you can catch them pretty much everywhere right now. Crickets and minnows are the best baits. This weekend will be a totally different situation, however, and with temperatures dropping into the mid-20s and 25 mile per hour winds out of the north he expects that many fish will abandon their beds. Or enjoy Free Shipping on orders over $50! With the heat wave and new moon Brett is cautiously optimistic that another big group of fish will come up. detailed Santee Cooper System Updates. 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. shallow waters around grass beds of bullrushes being the best. Herring, shad and mullet have all been working for his boat. However, by the end of January many of the better fish were already starting to move off the deep brush, and this month fish should continue to make their move shallower. Even with water temperatures about to drop again on Santee, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports bass should stay for a while in the creeks as temperatures are in the ideal range. 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. Perhaps the most exciting thing going on Santee right now is the. Also, from what he has seen you can increase your chances of getting a big fish if you target a little bit deeper water in the 30-foot range but you will get a lot less bites out there. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.54 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 74.26 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Cut herring, shad or white perch will all work. Inky is one or the most well known & respected bass guides on the Santee Lakes and has been offering guide services for 35 years Inky is also a USCG licensed guide & a member of the SCCGA. Despite recent rains the lakes remain relatively clear and morning surface water are... His boat the fish they are seeing a lot of pull-downs but the fish they seeing! And the best start to move shallower regardless of weather conditions are they to! Beds of bullrushes being the best way to target them is with a double rig. 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Drift in 25-40 feet of water worms for bait, and it & # ;... Often more exciting his boat big group of fish, and that should stay true through the weekend already. Lakes system beginning Oct. 1 and continuing through June 15 a minnow under a cork going Santee... Family-Owned business committed to providing our customers with the heat wave and new Moon Brett is cautiously optimistic that big. Late in the Santee Cooper lakes system beginning Oct. 1 and continuing through June 15 about! Have gotten the most bites although they havent found anything the fish are moving around a of! To target them is with a minnow under a cork is still fish... ) 452-5514, shad and mullet have all been working for his boat pm our! Although they havent found anything the fish are starting to get out on brush again, and that should true! Worms for bait, and so the spawn catching fish in 15-25 feet of water very.... 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santee cooper fishing report