Striper season ended on the Santee Cooper lakes last month, and Capt. Joe Dennis of Chasin’ the Wild Outdoors TV said that’s a big turn off for some anglers.
But in some ways, that’s a blessing.
“We had a great striper season this year, and in the past few years, we’ve seen more, and bigger stripers caught than we have in decades,” said Dennis. “The regulations implemented several years ago are definitely working.”
Summertime traffic on these lakes can get hectic, but Dennis said it would be much worse if striper season wasn’t closed. So in that regard, he doesn’t mind taking a break from chasing stripers and focusing on other species. And those other species are biting just fine.
Bass
Early morning and late afternoon are both excellent times for bass fishing on the Santee Cooper lakes, but Dennis said anglers also shouldn’t overlook the Cooper River when trying for largemouth.
“In the early morning and late afternoon, bass on the Cooper River will hit topwater lures fast and furious,” he said.
Dennis likes using Zara Spooks and Spook Jr.’s. White flukes are also highly effective on surface-feeding bass.
“Look for fish busting schools of menhaden,” he said.
Bream
Bluegills and shellcrackers feed heavily throughout July, and Dennis said it’s especially good close to the full moon and the new moon.
He uses the side scanning feature on his depthfinder to locate beds in 3 to 10 feet of water. Small spinning lures are effective, but Dennis said it’s tough to beat live bait under corks.
“I like to use corks with crickets, waxworms, or Catawba worms. They all work great,” he said.
While many anglers enjoy fishing with long, fiberglass cane poles like Bream Busters, Dennis prefers to use spinning gear.
“Spinning gear allows you to stay farther away from the beds, which keeps you from scaring all the fish away,” he said. “I use Catch The Fever Precision Crappie rods paired with small spinning reels spooled with 4-pound or 6-pound test Slime Line monofilament,” he said.
With a good pair of polarized shades, Dennis said anglers can see beds when the water clarity is right. He uses the Spot-Lock feature on his trolling motor when he finds a good bed, but he doesn’t stay in one place for very long.
“I like to catch a few from a bed, then move down the line and find another bed. That way, when I come back the next time, I should be able to find them in the same spots again,” he said. “There’s plenty of beds here, so I’d rather take a few fish from a handful of beds, rather than fish a bed completely dry.”
Crappie
Many crappie anglers give up fishing for them this time of year. But Dennis said these fish are still plenty active.
“You just have to spend a little more time looking for them,” he said. “They’ve left the trees by now, and most are congregated on brushpiles in 10 to 25 feet of water,” he said.
Jigs are the ticket for catching slabs right now, and Dennis said you can tip them with minnows or without.
“Jigs tipped with minnows and fished vertically over the brushpiles are effective,” he said. “And you can also catch them on small jigs by casting to the brush from a distance.”
Catfish
Catfish, Dennis said, are one of the most reliable species here in hot weather. And he said anglers catch them using a wide variety of tactics.
“One of the most effective ways to catch catfish during the summer is to fish at night,” he said. “The night bite is very good for anglers fishing shallow around trees and drop-offs.”
For anglers opting to fish during the day, they’re also in luck.
“You can catch them on shallow clam beds, and the hotter the day is, the better it is for fishing clam beds,” he said.
The extreme heat causes the clams to die off, and catfish get their fill.
“We also find plenty of cats in 3 to 6 feet of water in the trees and in the shallow water of smaller creeks,” he said.
Cut shad and herring are premium baits in these areas, as well as in deeper creeks.
“There’s lots of catfish in the 25- to 35-foot deep creeks,” he said. “Drift with Santee Cooper rigs using cut herring, shad, and fresh shrimp.”
Chasin’ the wild outdoors TV:
See lots of Santee Cooper action from Capt. Joe Dennis on his Chasin’ the Wild Outdoors TV show at 6:30 a.m. on WCBD Charleston, and by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/@ChasinTheWildOutdoorstv
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