Stuart Vandyke arrowed the fish on Jan. 6, 2023
Stuart Vandyke of Eutawville, SC was happy for his friend David Ard, who arrowed an 80-pound catfish at Santee on Dec. 22, 2022. That fish set the new bowfishing South Carolina State and World records according to the Bowfishing Association of America.
I had gone to Santee Cooper in early June with the intention of catching bluegill on my fly rod. Fishing with Kevin Davis out of Blacks Camp, I had no doubts my host would put me on fish. My objective was to fish spawning beds in a few feet of water with a popper and wet-fly dropper. Santee Cooper Is The Best Place You’ve Never Been for Great Fishing, Swamp Fox Tales, and World-Class Golf
Fishing for crappie on the Santee Cooper Lakes in the Fall is always a good idea, especially if you can stay in ‘Fish Camp’ for a couple of nights to really dial in on the fish.
What began with a phone call from Capt. Joe Dennis, ended up with a chance to fish with Pro Angler Whitey Outlaw and his son Matt, filming for an episode of Father And Son Outdoors TV show. These two Outlaws caught crappie so fast, one after the other from the front of the boat, it was like an Army Drill instructor calling out Left, Right, Left, Right as they took turns reeling in a crappie.
Unsung Conservation Champions: Santee Cooper Country’s Mary Shriner
Santee Cooper Country Director Mary Shriner will retire this month after 35 years of promoting the outdoor travel adventures and natural resources available to visitors in the Santee Lakes region of South Carolina. Needless to say, she’s seen a few changes during that time.
by David Lucas
– By Brian Cope
Striper season is open on the Santee-Cooper lake system, and the bite has been on fire. Anglers are catching these fish with a variety of methods.
Capt. Leroy Suggs, who fishes out of Blacks Camp on the Diversion Canal, prefers fishing on the lower lake. And he’s put his fishing parties on several 100-fish days already, despite the season being open for just over a week.
Hanahan angler catches 77-pound Santee Cooper catfish
Brian Carroll Catfish, Fishing, Newsletters
Angler was fishing for bass out of Black’s Camp
Jason Cribb of Hanahan, S.C. caught a 77.1-pound Arkansas blue catfish at Santee Cooper this past Wednesday, Oct. 30. He was targeting largemouth bass when he caught the big fish on a live herring in 20 feet of water.
– By Two Dog Outdoors
This past week though, I was given the opportunity to fish with folks that have dedicated themselves to catching catfish predictably for twenty years.
Our guides, “Mouse” and “Boudreaux” Witherell, took two other outdoor writers (Pete Rogers and PJ Perea) and myself out on Lake Marion at sunrise for hours of consistent action on the lake.
Their company, Santee Cajun Guides, is a family run business. They fish Lake Marion or Moultrie for upwards of 240 days a year. Some days, that means multiple boats as each captain has their own spacious Pontoon boat.
(Editor’s Note: RheaReview.com outdoor editor Richard Simms recently returned from a 10-day road trip. Of course fishing was high on the agenda. This is the first of a series on fishing trips he experienced. Perhaps you might want to add them to your Bucket List as well.)
Another Fishing Attractor Enhanced
Fish attractor, site #15, was enhanced on Wednesday, December 13. 90 concrete pipes and culverts weighing 94.75 tons were placed around the buoy marker. The site is located on Lake Moultrie. Here is a photo of the Santee Cooper barge loaded with the materials and heading for the site.
Fishing Attractor Site Enhancement
On December 11, 2017 another fish attractor site was enhanced. 195.15 tons of concrete pipes and culverts were deposited at site #22 near Harry’s Fish Camp in Berkeley county.These enhanced sites provide habitat and protection for thousands of fish around the Santee Cooper lakes system. Thank you Santee Cooper PSA for your help with this project.
