Catfish: Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that drifting cut herring, shad or white perch in mid-depths should be the best pattern in February. He's catching his share, including some big ones, among the Santee cypress trees. 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. 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. Morning surface water temperatures range between 85 and 90 degrees. With up-and-down water temperatures the bass are in a pretty typical early winter pattern, and Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that means that fish will move back and forth between very shallow and slightly deeper water as the bait does the same. 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. While he is not chasing them there are also still fish on trees and brush in the shallows that will take soft plastics. The lakes are still clear and morning surface water temperatures are about 58. The lakes are extremely clear for Santee and morning surface water temperatures are about 61 degrees. Tight-lining for suspended fish up the rivers should be effective and as the month progresses fish will move into the creeks. Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General |
The lakes are clear and water temperatures range from about 82 in the morning up to about 85. The shallow bite has been better in the evenings, and that should stay true through the weekend. Right now minnows are working better most days, but you should also have a chartreuse, straight-tail jig ready just in case. Bass: Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Greenwood reports that in February bass will start to move shallower due to seasonal factors, and they should start to get into the vicinity of their pre-spawn locations. There is a little bit of a topwater bite first thing, but it has not been very good. At the next moon there could be another bream bed, but on the last full moon it was surprisingly slow. Vast areas laced with flooded timber and cypress. South Carolina freshwater
Are you in the know? Sign in or Lunkers are still in shallow, with a little spawning Striper and hybrids: Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the February bite will start off similar to January with fish part-way up the rivers in 35-45 feet on the bottom. Herring, shad and mullet have all been working. Our top priority is to satisfy. A variety of cut baits can work. Cut white perch and gizzard shad are typically the best baits. barsin 4' to 8' of water using cut bait are catching the bigger fish . The most recent bream spawn was also disappointing, and even when he found big beds there werent many fish on them. On the shallower side Captain Brett Mitchell continues to catch fish in 15-25 feet of water. Some of the biggest ones have been coming in the 20-22 foot range. Overall the catfish are just eating really well right now, although they are displaying a strong preference for herring. January can be really fun. Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Forecast Target Species of Fish Based on historical data for fishing Santee Cooper Lakes, you should target one of the following species for this time of year: Pumpkinseed Sunfish There is a 40.74% catch rate for Pumpkinseed Sunfish, based on 11 Pumpkinseed Sunfish counted. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. gas, RVsitesand lodging if you decide to stay overnight. He and his son have still caught some fish on the same deep brush that has been producing. Jimmy Trigg busts 32.76 pounds on Santee!!! The best brush has been in the 20s, and the fish are 10-12 feet down. Catfish are moving into the upper and lower ends of the Bream. Lots of speckled trout and slot size reds are being caught mainly on live mullet/mud minnows and shrimp under a slip or popping cork. The key to locating bass is finding bait, and when located they will take Alabama rigs, jerkbaits, small jigging spoons and more. The bass are following the shad, and so if you can locate the bait you will find fish. The fish they are catching are coming on soft plastics. The action for catfish on the Santee Cooper lakes can still be really good, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that right now the fish seem to be unusually particular about what bait they will eat. 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. Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. 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). Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Reports | Santee Cooper Country Fishing Reports (803) 854-2131 February Fishing Report. 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. Most detailed Lake Wylie
100 pounds over 4 days is possible. However, later in the mouth when water temperatures rise fish will push further into the creeks and prepare to spawn in March. 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. Hwy 45 (on the Diversion Canal) He has had the best luck with herring, and there have been some big fish caught drifting deep water at night. 9890 Pack's Landing RD, Pinewood, SC 29125 (803) 452-5514. with 69 fish. At the beginning of the month fish should be closer to the river channel or the mouths of creeks where they can be caught tight-lining deep, but if conditions warm significantly in the backs of creeks then fish should move shallower into pre-spawn locations. Most detailed Lake
Santee Cooper water levels are up to 73.77 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.59 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). 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. Now is the time to catch the fish of a lifetime. The current state record blue catfish (109-4 caught in 1991) was caught in the Tailrace Canal below Santee Cooper and held the world record until 1996.As would be expected to support so many trophy-caliber fisheries, the Santee Cooper lakes have an extensive forage base. Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.71 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 72.64 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Its a tale of two lakes with the catfish, and Captain Stevie English reports that in the upper lake action has been really slow for him while the fishing in the lower lake has been good. In the wet, windy conditions there have not been a lot of people out chasing crappie but the shallow bite has been surprisingly tough. Bream are moving in shallows setting up to spawn leading Cross 23 ft 4 persons. Yesterday made it in the 80's and one cannot help but think that spring is around the corner. 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. webmaster@dnr.sc.gov, State
data-event-category="Navigation header guest". 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. Boat rentals and fish guides are also available. There are also still plenty of fish in the creeks that can be caught trolling jigs and minnows in 8-15 feet of water. Hults takes Strike King co-angler victory on Guntersville. 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. He notes that they have been topping of plenty of coolers this week. . These are really big fish that are busting with eggs, and they are getting very close to spawning. Much of the lake is muddy and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 50s. You can also fish dip baits in the canal to catch a lot of fish. (803) 854-2131
Bass: Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that in February fish will still be related to deep brush or rock until it gets time for them to move towards their pre-spawn and then spawning locations. Shallower brush in 14-15 feet of water is still not producing and it has only been the trees in 20-35 feet that have produced. Fishing Reports Bragging Board Fishing Guides Summer hours 5:30 am to 8 pm Enjoy our upgraded, renovated accommodations. The big bream and crappie are still on the deeper brush in 28-35 ft in huge numbers. Sonny's blood bait and Murrells stink bait are your best baits. 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. Very soon, if they have not already, some male fish should get around the banks. 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. 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. Santee Cooper striper season closes June 15. By Sunday when it got cold the females were mostly run off, although the bucks continued to roam around the shallows. Santee Cooper water levels are up to 73.91 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.7 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). One of these guides is Captain Brett Mitchell, who concurs that there have been good and bad days but has been targeting his efforts in 15-25 feet of water. Falling tide seems to be the best time to fish. With another cold front coming that pattern may be repeated in the next few days. The AHQ Report is your source for exclusive fishing reports, tournament updates, and more! 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. In the lakes, drifting across clay &mussel shell We are also starting to catch some real nice fish long lining in 30ft. 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. In the lakes he is looking for a ledge or stumps or something else that will provide the fish with a place to hold. with sandy bottomsis the areas to look for. 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. 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. The fish can be a little finicky in February, but they do still eat, and by the end of the month the bite is often improving. You can also anchor in 10-20 feet around likely areas such as ledges and at the mouths of the canal. It shouldnt be long until fish start to move into the creeks following shad and become catchable on topwater lures, swimbaits and square-billed crankbaits. Fishermen should keep in mind the effect of different temperatures in different parts of the lake. Striped bass: Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that water conditions will determine where the action is in February on Lake Murray. The lakes are back to a normal color and water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 40s. 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