Santee’s stumpfield catfish

Blue catfish that range from 5 to 25 pounds are common for anglers in Santee’s stumpfields. (Picture by Brian Cope)

Dreary weather is great for Santee’s blues

For Capt. Jason Wolfe of Wolfe’s Guide Service, it’s tough to beat the worst weather February can offer when it comes to catching catfish in the stumpfields of Santee’s upper lake.

Cold, overcast, drizzling weather keeps a lot of anglers off the water, but Wolfe thrives in it. Leaving Poplar Creek Landing, he heads toward Persanti Island, and drives his boat right into the middle of the flooded stumps that dot the water there.

“You have to take it slow here, because for all the stumps you can see above the surface, there’s just as many that you can’t see, and they can bust your prop, or rock your boat,” said Wolfe.

All these stumps are a fertile ground for blue catfish, and once you’re anchored down, Wolfe said you can cast in any direction. Actually, he casts in all directions, putting out a spread of anywhere between 8 and 12 rods. He places the rods in rod holders all around his boat.

“I like to put fresh cut bait out, and it can be pretty much any bait. Cut panfish, shad, menhaden…I use them all,” he said.

Once the baits are in place, Wolfe said it becomes a waiting game. And on even the worst-weather days, it normally doesn’t take long for a rod to bend over.

“You need to have a strong setup in all these stumps. I use Big Cat Fever rods, and 60- to 100-pound test line. When hooked, these catfish will do all they can to wrap themselves in the stumps,” he said.

This isn’t a time for finesse.

The catfish here come in a range of sizes for Wolfe and his clients.

“We’ll catch a lot of eating-sized fish, and we’ll also catch them 25 pounds and bigger,” said Wolfe. “Fishing here, you always have a shot at catching a trophy blue. And it seems to me that the worse the weather is, the better they bite.”

Wolfe cautions anglers from anchoring in this area.

“It’s easy to anchor, but it’s not easy to get your anchor back. With all the stumps and roots running along the bottom, you can lose an anchor here,” he said. “I prefer to tie up to one of the stumps instead, and when it’s time to relocate, just untie and find another good spot, and tie up to a different stump.”

Wolfe said another thing he likes about fishing on dreary February days is that it keeps the fair-weather anglers away.

“Most of these days, I won’t see another boat on the water here. The fishing is great, and I’ve got it all to myself. That’s a great combination,” he said.

Wolfe guides on the upper and lower lakes, and also guides on other bodies of water like Lake Wateree, the Wateree River, Fishing Creek, and more. You can reach him at 803-487-3690.

About Brian Cope 3053 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@carolinasportsman.com.

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