For local anglers, the real meaning of “March Madness” has nothing to do with a basketball; it’s actually the fishing that occurs on the Santee Cooper lakes this month.
March is when almost everything worth catching begins to get into motion. Fishermen enjoy a remarkable resurgence in shallow-water largemouth bass fishing. In addition, crappie will be caught at a variety of depths, catfishing will be excellent throughout both lakes, shellcracker fishing will begin in earnest and some good striper fishing begins to take place.
A major emphasis shifts to largemouth bass — and with good reason. Inky Davis, a long-time guide, said bass are on the move to shallow water during March.
“While the weather can be problematic at times, the trend will be for bass to move shallow, and it’s a great month to catch trophy fish,” said Davis (803-478-7289). “We’ll usually find some big fish spawning, so that’s obviously trophy fish potential. However, I find a lot of big largemouth staging just a bit deeper.
“Not all the fish spawn in March, and some big fish will be taken just a bit deeper. I prefer bottom-bumping lures such as plastic worms, with big worms best for big fish. In addition, jigs with plastic trailers, big spinnerbaits and crankbaits are all very productive. As the month progresses and the water warms, more aggressive techniques will begin to work really well, and spinnerbaits and even topwater lures will produce.”
The catfish action is pretty consistent year round, but Pete Pritchard of Pritchard’s Guide Service said March action can be sensational, and he actually prefers the days with strong winds.
“When we get high winds that roll the water from the main lake into the shallow flats, we have a unique fishing situation,” said Pritchard (803-478-7533). “The same winds that keep many anglers off the lake will often enhance the catfishing action, especially on big blue catfish. With the winds, the baitfish are piled up in the shallows, and the big blues are stacked in there feasting on them. While a lot of fishermen will avoid fishing on these days, I have a big pontoon boat, and these are the days when I make some of my heaviest catches of the year. Plus, we will catch the fish from very shallow water.
“This occurs throughout both lakes, but I fish the middle to lower portion of Lake Marion most of the time. Either side of the lake can be productive; the wind direction will be the key to this success. Often you see a mud line form, and the edge of that mud line can be the key area.”
Crappie probably move as much as any fish during March. If you encounter a run of warm days where the temperature peaks at or near 70 degrees, you can sometimes find crappie around docks and other shallow cover. However, when cold fronts plow through, the fish will retreat to deeper water, often six to 12 feet deep. The key to catching these fish, according to local experts, is to not get locked into any specific pattern and take things day by day.
Pritchard also guide for crappie, and he said their unpredictability in March is one reason he doesn’t target them until later in the season.
“They are fun to fish for, and you can catch plenty of slabs during March, but you have to often move around a lot to get on a strong daily pattern,” he said. “For guiding, I prefer consistency, so I usually guide a little later in the season when they are stacking up on the deep-water cover and brushpiles. But for fishermen willing to search for them, it can be an exciting and productive time of the year.”
March also produces excellent shellcracker action as they will typically spawn for the first time of the year. It can often provide some the best fishing, in terms of quality fish. Shellcrackers, even if not bedding, will often stage in water less than six feet deep. Most fishermen use red worms when focusing their efforts on these fish.
Finally, stripers will begin the spring process of attempting to spawn. Water flow will dictate how far up the lake they will be, but good striper action begins and usually results in combined catch of striper and catfish. Fishing the river bends in upper Lake Marion with cut and live bait will produce both fish species.
The key to success this month is to pick your target species and get on the lakes.
Be the first to comment