Lakes 1 through 5 are for day use fishing, while lakes 6 through 7 are for registered campers. About santee cooper fishing guide capt bill saltzman lake marion resort marina resident santee charter fishing guide captain bill saltzman offering year round fun fishing on the santee cooper lakes, lake marion, moultrie, diversion canal in sc no fish no pay. The top 10 pros primarily relied on chatterbaits, punch rigs. Tv show spotlights santee cooper fishing third season of.
Santee cooper catfishing prices, fishing prices, refunds, and payment methods. Several guys on here are planning trips to santee cooper in april but cant really help with fishing advice. Stay healthy so you can come back to santee cooper country as soon as the social distancing order is lifted. Several guys on here are planning trips to santeecooper in april but cant really help with fishing advice. We have a lot of submerged vegetation and quite a few shell beds in 6 to 8feet deep water, which is ideal habitat for shellcrackers. Santee cooper shell cracker bite has fired up as well as the stripers,cats,crappie and even some nice perch an be caught while fishing for them striped bass. Great family vacation, fishing trips, group outings. Although these big lakes certainly get plenty of bass fishing use. What immediately comes to mind for me, said scott lamprecht, freshwater fisheries regional coordinator for the south carolina department of natural resources region 4, is the fall fishing for bream on brushpiles in the santee cooper lakes. The second southern open, abbreviated by the threat of severe weather, was a study in versatility.
As the winter comes to a close and the days start getting longer, most anglers start getting the itch for the coming fishing season. These characteristics describe the shellcracker redear sunfish with its nicknames of stumpknocker and yellow bream. So whether youre looking for your next big catch or you simply want to cast some lines with good company in the great outdoors, santee state park is the. Together these guides have over 200 years fishing experience on. Three lakes that seem to be super hot right now are western branch in virginia, and barkley lakekentucky lake down at lbl.
Anglers commonly catch limits, with bluegills and shellcrackers contributing to the. Santee cooper charters is a close association of the most experienced guides in santee cooper country. Santee cooper fishing charter catfishing guides on santee. We have fishing guides that can almost guarantee a successful catch any time of year. Santee has a history of great catches, and i invite you to come visit us and allow me, inky davis, to guide you on the lake for a day of fun, and sun on the santee cooper lakes. Check out our pictures to see a few of our happy customers. Diverse fishery also offers excellent largemouth, catfish, crappie and bream.
Canal lakes fish camp santee cooper lakes hwy 45 on the diversion canal 9 canal landing road, cross, sc 29436 open 5. If you are looking for a catfishing or striper fishing guide service on the santee cooper lakes, i promise that you will not find another fishing guide who will work any harder to assure that you catch catfish or stripers and have a good time doing it. Santee cooper fishing guide capt bill saltzman 2020 all you. Black and white crappie are big and plentiful in south caroinas santee cooper lakes. Santee cooper fishing guide capt bill saltzman 2020 all. Catfishnfool santee cooper fishing guide captain wayne vining 8032380596 specializing in catfishing,crappie and bream fishing on lake marion, diversion canal, and lake moultrie south carolina. Offering the finest food and lodging on the lakes, we strive to make your stay a relaxing and memorable experience.
I like to catch plenty of fish that fight hard, test my tackle and. He docks at goat island landing on the north side of lake marion, just off interstate. Santee cooper fishing guides know that it was in these waters that the unique landlocked striped bass originated in the late 1940s. Part of the famous santee cooper system and home for trophy stripers.
Since that time, the lakes have produced many world record catches, including a 55 pound striper, a 58 pound channel catfish, a. The fishing report information from the sc dept of natural resources has been suspended until further notice. Fishing on the santee cooper lakes is a yearround sport and we do our very best to ensure you have a fun day of fishing with a chance at some of the biggest fish of a lifetime. I really, really enjoyed watching this reminds of fishing for shellcracker back home on the apalachicola river and. Lake marion produced this great stringer of shellcrackers for william scott and fishing buddy hilton fulmer. Hilton fulmer fights a big santee cooper shellcracker. I went fishing for shellcracker at clarks hill the week after easter last year.
Shellcrackers on the bed at santee one of my buds has been catching a cooler full of nice fish every day this week. May 23, 2015 son and i attempt to find the great shellcrackers or redear sunfish that everyones talking about. Show creator and host kevin davis brings santee cooper lakes and fishing to tv. The boat is equipped with a gps, depth finder, marine radio, sea anchors, heavyduty catfish rods and heavyduty level winding reels, specially designed tackle, and all coast guard required safety items. Our average shellcrackers are 8 to 10inches long, but some anglers catch crackers up to 12inches long. I fish on both lake marion and lake moultrie here on the santee cooper lakes for those big catfish and stripers that many anglers only dream about.
Anchoring on same bars using stink baits have been productive for smaller fish. The santee cooper lakes lake marion and moultrie are owned and operated by santee cooper power. May is unmatched for santee cooper bream carolina sportsman. As soon as the reports are available we will post them. Naff fishing articles page naff home page naff message board shellcracker, the bully of the shallows by. The top three places in the event were claimed by anglers throwing different baits to different types of targets. Shellcracker fishing tips and information on shellcracker fishing in florida on some of the top lakes in the country.
The only thing their santee cooper bass had in common was a shallow water home. Like tossing a line out in hopes to reel in a big one. Bells marina is one of the most popular vacation spots on the santee cooper lakes. These characteristics describe the shellcracker redear sunfish with its nicknames of. Come catfish on lake marion, and lake moultrie on the santee cooper system in sc with guide and pro angler capt. Shellcrackers at santee cooper nighthawk publications. The santee cooper lakes are well known by fisherman everywhere as is bells marina the center of fishing and recreation in santee cooper country. The weather there in march is iffy like much of the south and april may be really hot, makes for hard planning. May is an outstanding month for fishing on the santee cooper lakes, but the. Its a passion i enjoy sharing with others, making new friends and memories. Sure, santee cooper is a great panfish lake but dont overlook the bass. Our 7 lakes are stocked with catfish and rainbow trout on a seasonal basis. He called the lakes world class for fishing redeared sunfish known locally as shell crackers because.
In spring, look for crackers in shallow water close to, but not in, the canal on either end. The souths best shellcracker holes hunting and fishing. Son and i attempt to find the great shellcrackers or redear sunfish that everyones talking about. This rigging gained the name santee rig due to its popularity with catfish anglers on the famous santee cooper catfish lakes in the carolinas. The shad spawn, bass spawn and ample shallow cover make for fantastic fishing on santee cooper in the spring, as the costa flw series southeastern divisions best sticks proved last week. Shellcracker fishing tips sheelcracker fishing florida. The top 10 pros primarily relied on chatterbaits, punch rigs and finesse soft plastics to make the cut. The santee cooper lake system consists of two lakes, marion 110,600 acres and moultrie 60,400 acres. Lake marion resort marina resident santee charter fishing guide captain bill saltzman offering year round fun fishing on the santee cooper lakes, lake marion, moultrie, diversion canal in sc no fish no pay. I offer charters for catfish all year long but stripers are seasonal oct. Although we caught only a few fish on that trip since it was too early, it did bring back memories of how much fun bream fishing can be. Use some topwaters early depending on the sky, spinnerbaits, and some craknkbaits vary your retrieve, and dont forget a carolina rig. Charter catfishing guides on santee coopers lake moultrie.
Fishing the bottom of the canal with worms catches most big fall fish. Call me no fair we all would like to hear whats going on with the fish on santee cooper. Fishing the bluegill spawn on lake marion, santee cooper, sc. Santee cooper live underwater shell cracker action. Fishing reports bragging board fishing guides santee cooper fishing report by ray sedgwick. The santee rig or santee cooper rig is one of many popular catfish rigs for fishing for all species of catfish. Captain ken coffey and doug allen are experienced in finding, hooking, and landing the huge catfish the santee cooper lakes are known for.
Anglers come from all around to target largemouth bass, crappie, shell crackers and catfish. Santee cooper fishing is home to dougs guide service, a charter catfishing guide service located on santee coopers lake moultrie. You can always tell when the shell cracker are biting, not a parking place can. Western branch has recently produced two crackers that im aware of that were 14inches apiece and 2. Fishing advice about that area is hard to come by on this site, just not many on here from that area. Shell crackers are being caught in 12 inches to 5ft of water using red worms. Santee cooper lakes fishing reports santee cooper country. Call or text capt darryl 8033676275 for more info and to book your fishing trip. I like to catch plenty of fish that fight hard, test my tackle and my angling skills an d taste delicious when i eat them. No matter what your preference, rock fish, largemouth bass, catfish or crappie on lakes marion and moultrie or largemouth bass, redfish and trout on cooper river, santeecoopercharters has a dozen of the most experienced guides, fully equipped to get you to them. The abundance of aquatic vegetation has created lush. This page is for all the local clubs and fishermen in the area to share tournament and fishing. The santee cooper lakes are as healthy as they have been in a long time, and as a result, fishing has been great.
But the worldclass shellcracker fishing produces an overflow of anglers to the shallow sectors of both lakes. Redear sunfish, or shellcrackers, are giants of the sunfish clan. Blacks camp, located on the famous santee cooper lakes, is a full service fishing camp. Born and raised in sc, i have been fishing the santee cooper lakes and rivers for over 30 years. Striped bass can be found anywhere from 7ft to 50 ft of water. Santee cooper fishing charter catfishing guides on.
The abundance of aquatic vegetation has created lush habitat, which has greatly boosted fish populations. Santeecooper southeast bass fishing bass fishing forums. Sonnys blood bait and murrells stink bait are your best baits. Canal lakes fish camp santee cooper lakes hwy 45 on the diversion canal 9 canal landing road, cross, sc 29436. Apr 08, 2018 the shad spawn, bass spawn and ample shallow cover make for fantastic fishing on santee cooper in the spring, as the costa flw series southeastern divisions best sticks proved last week. I operate a charter fishing guide service on the santee cooper lakes in sc for stripers and catfish. Santee cooper charters best fishing in the south come fish the santee cooper lakes with us.
No matter what your preference, rock fish, largemouth bass, catfish or crappie on lakes marion and moultrie or largemouth bass, redfish and trout on cooper river, santee cooper charters has a dozen of the most experienced guides, fully equipped to get you to them. I fish on both lake marion and lake moultrie here on the santee cooper lakes for those big catfish. Santee cooper fishing tours, striper, bass, catfish and more. The shell crackers have been on deep ledges and fish over 3 lbs. Lake marion fishing reports recently shared catches and fishing spots. Santee pro guide service specializes in crappie and catfish on lake marion and lake moultrie. Shell cracker nite in santee cooper lake marion is on fire. So whether youre looking for your next big catch or you simply want to cast some lines with good company in the great outdoors, santee state park is the perfect spot for your next fishing trip. Climb aboard the pontoon boat with captain rick maynard for an exciting fishing experience on lake marion and the santee cooper lake system where youll find fresh crappie and catfish. Its with good reason, because santee cooper is one of the top shellcracker fisheries in the world. Fishing reports canal lakes fish camp on the santee cooper. The state record and onetime world record is a 5pound, 712ounce fish caught in the diversion canal in 1998.
Together these guides have over 200 years fishing experience on the lakes marion and moultrie and the cooper river. Its shellcracker fishing time on the santee cooper lakes. Bass fishing in santee south carolina can be very exciting with the right guide to show you around. Lake marion was not completely cleared, as a result fishermen will find there. Its commonly referred to as the santee rig for short by many anglers. The best fishing strategies for fishing in south carolina by species and by season. Lake marion is a manmade lake and part of the santee cooper reservoir network. Santee cooper winter shell cracker fishing 2019 youtube. The state record and onetime world record is a 5pound, 712. This rigging gained the name santee rig due to its popularity with catfish anglers on.
I think working around spawning areas down to about the 812ft. Fishing reports canal lakes fish camp on the santee. May 12, 2008 the second southern open, abbreviated by the threat of severe weather, was a study in versatility. Santee cooper lakes catfish crappie bream fishing guide. He never keeps females that are full of roe, so many of the larger fish he caught were released. You can always tell when the shell cracker are biting, not a parking place can be. Santee cooper fishing is home to dougs guide service, a charter catfishing guide service located on santee cooper s lake moultrie. Examples of the worldclass fishing are the state records currently held by santee cooper anglers. Catching giant shellcracker in the famous santee cooper reservoir.
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