There are a lot of positive notes when singing the praises of October fishing on the Santee Cooper lakes. First comes the re-opening of striper fishing; that alone a big plus for anglers. In addition, the cooler weather has a profound impact on big catfish in terms of their willingness to bite, especially during the daylight hours. The largemouth bass are biting, and schooling action is typically at the peak for the year.
Add to that the deer beginning to rut this month in the areas around the lakes. It is the one time of the year when the trophy bucks are most vulnerable, so decisions regarding whether to hunt or fish can be difficult. If you can, just do both.
The bass bite is certainly on this month, and there are a variety of lures that will work well, according to guide Inky Davis (803-478-7289). The key is the forage.
“The threadfin shad have reached a size where crankbaits are very effective tools for bass fishermen,” Davis said. “You can work lures that dig down from four to 10 feet around a variety of cover for excellent results. I usually prefer chartreuse-pattern crankbaits, but a black back/silverside shad imitation is also very effective.”
Davis said a good number of fish are caught surface schooling during October, and being prepared will usually add several fish to the catch every day.
“My favorite schooling lure is a Little George tailspinner,” he said. “I can cast it a long way and reel it back fast; it will provide a bite from a largemouth or often a striper. Another good lure is a heavy-bodied, swimming minnow lure.”
Davis said that soft plastics work well, and he also likes to work spinnerbaits around logs, trees and weeds. Both will also produce fish, and bass fishing should be good on both lakes Marion and Moultrie.
Fishing during October is often good all day with the cooler weather and water temperatures, and Davis advises fishermen to stick with it most of the day if you can.
Catfish action is outstanding during October on Marion and Moultrie. Both flatheads and blues will be caught in very good numbers and sizes on Lake Marion. They will be found in a variety of depths, but fishermen can usually find big fish near humps and channel ledges and deeper holes. Fresh cut bait will work on both species, but live bait is best if you’re trying to single out flatheads.
Lake Moultrie also provides some outstanding fishing for big blues, according to guide Marlon Ormseth (843-825-4713), who favors fishing this month for a couple of reasons.
“The daytime fishing perks up during October; however, there is still some very good action on big blue catfish at night as well,” Ormseth said. “Drift fishing for blues is excellent both day and night, but often in October, the blues can be caught in shallow water drifting at night. The presence of forage in the vicinity is the key to the fall fishing, regardless of the depth of water.”
Ormesth said that when the forage begins to move very shallow in the evenings, a lot of times he’ll make good catches, especially after dark.
“By day, look for the fish in 15 to 35 feet of water along the drops and ledges,” he said. “We’ll use cut herring, shad or perch as bait. We’ll catch a lot of fish in the 10-pound class, but plenty of 20- to 30-pound catfish too.”
Striper fishing is once again legal, and the action is usually very good even at the beginning of the month. During October, surface-feeding schools are literally popping up on both lakes. However, spotting them on a depthfinder and drifting live bait is a productive technique employed by fishermen on both lakes. As the month progresses, most guides say the striper fishing, especially the surface schooling, will improve as the water temperature drops.
Crappie fishing is also good, with some fish scattering to shallower woody cover in the 4- to 8-foot depth range. These fish can be taken on either minnows or jigs. Fishing over brush along the drops remains consistent throughout the month.
It’s difficult to find a better time than October for fishing on the Santee Cooper lakes, and if you needed any extra incentive, the fishing in the Santee River below Lake Marion’s Wilson Dam and the Cooper River below Lake Moultrie’s Pinopolus Dam is also very good for both largemouth and catfish this month.
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