Better stay on the move

February is transition period at Santee

Several species of fish in Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie are on the move this month, which typically begins with some of the coldest water temperatures of the year. As the month progresses, the water typically begins to warm, and as the temperature begins a steady upward climb, several species get active. This is when the transition from cold, winter patterns into prespawn shallow water migrations begin. For largemouth bass, stripers, catfish and crappie, February offers good and improving fishing as the progression from the winter to spring begins.

Truman Lyon has spent decades targeting various fish species on both lakes. A Moncks Corner, he resident still actively guides and keeps up with the fishing year-round. As fishing goes, he said February can be feast or famine.

Lyon (866-631-6801) said that one species that does make a move toward the shallow water, sometimes early in the month, is largemouth bass.

“During February, we’ll begin to get some warmer days, with lots of sun,” he said. “The shallow water will begin to warm, and we’ll a steady movement of largemouth bass toward the shallow water. They typically don’t move in to spawn until March, but there will be some very good bass fishing in the 3- to 5-foot depth range on Lake Moultrie.”

The bass fishing is not fast-paced in Lake Marion, either, but it is a good time for taking quality fish, according to guide Inky Davis.

“The key in February is to move a lot, fish different cover and depths until you find a pattern for the day,” said Davis (803-478-7289). “I’ve made some excellent catches in February for quality fish. I recommend fishermen work the bait slower and sometimes along the edges of deeper water. Plus, the fishing pressure for largemouth is lower at this time of the year, but late in the month, the fish-catching action can really perk up.

“Use lures such as crankbaits or spinnerbaits to cover a lot of water quickly,” Davis said. “Fishermen should experiment with different retrieves, such as steady cranking, stop-and-go, very slow and other innovative ways to see what pattern is best on any given day. Another lure that work well at this time of the year is the jig and plastic trailer as well as the trusty plastic worm rigged Texas or Carolina style.”

Lyon said the striper action is usually a bit sporadic. The cold water makes it very easy for stripers to forage on the tightly-bunched schools of shad.

“Stripers can be caught on live bait, but because the shad are schooled in big schools, it’s very easy for them to feed when and where they want,” he said. “Plus ,as the month progresses, the stripers begin to make the migration through the lakes toward the upstream rivers. But if there is good water flow, the Diversion Canal can be a good place for striper fishing, using bucktails, live bait or swimming minnow lures.”

Guide Marlin Ormseth said that one of the most productive fisheries on both lakes this month will be catfishing.

“Blue catfish provide the best catfishing and they will be found throughout Lake Moultrie and on the lower half of Lake Marion,” said Ormseth (843-825-4713). “Typically, they will begin the month in deep water, around the large baitfish schools. The catfish will hover around the tight-bunched schools of shad and have easy pickings on the forage. This is also a good time of the year to hook some huge blue catfish as well as catching big numbers of catfish. I will drift-fish drops and humps, varying the depth fished until I find the pattern. Early in the month, they can be very deep — in the 30-foot and deeper range.”

Ormseth said that by late in the month and certainly during March, catfish will begin to migrate toward the shallows and will offer exceptional shallow-water action, but during most of February, the best fishing will be on the deep-water pattern.

Lyon said that crappie fishing will improve dramatically as the month progresses.

“As the water temperature warms, the crappies will move out of the really deep water,” he said. “Crappie fishermen will begin to catch fish over brush in 12 to 15 feet of water using minnows and small jigs. The crappies usually don’t move all the way to the shallows in February, but by the end of the month, crappie fishermen will be making some good catches in moderate depths, and fish will be headed shallow.”

Largemouth bass, striper, blue catfish and crappie are all beginning to transition into their pre-spawn areas on Santee Cooper during February. Find them now and follow the great fishing all the way to the shallows.