Saturday, June 29, 2013

Angling For Santee Cooper Fishing Guides

Tags

By Jeanette Riggs


Santee Cooper fishing guides are kept busy all year round, and with good reason. It's not just about being able to fish in the Marion and Moultrie lakes. The whole area is an angler's paradise with 756 billion gallons of water pooled into a navigable interconnecting system of waterways that includes two lakes, a couple of rivers and canals, a vast swamp and an endless coastline.

Recreational visitors come here all the time from every corner of North America to find the plentiful striped bass and largemouths, crappies, breams and an assortment of other catches. Some of the biggest blue catfish in the world can be found here. The SC Lakes still hold many state and world titles such as the world's biggest channel catfish record.

It's quite possible to haul a boat out to the lakes and camp out at one of the more than 1,000 campsites along the lakeshores. Anglers coming to the SC Lakes during summer can choose to fish by day and/or night. Day-time fishing is always going to be more rewarding in terms of sheer numbers, but anglers who prefer to fish after dark tend to get the biggest catches. The down side is that it's hot and tiring by day while the night brings out the bugs in force.

Thankfully, the catfish abound in these lakes throughout the year, hanging around near the shallow flats at r below ten feet. The stripers come back in March, while crappies can be hooked in the spring in blackwater ponds before they go for deeper waters. Bream spawns from May through July.

Bass fishing is booming at the SC Lakes around grass in shallow waters in the first half of the year. From June through October, they tend to hang out around deeper grass at depths of about 10 feet. An easier way to be in the right place at the right time is to get a guide with a boat for hire.

Hiring a guide is also helpful in many other ways, including for acquiring a fishing license and making sure anglers do not flout state law and local regulations. Along with the boat, the guide should be able to supply food, drinks, gear and will likely clean the catch afterwards. They're all residents of Santee or other communities nearby, and can navigate blindfolded through the waterways.

They can take visitors to all the great fishing spots, and safely navigate through the waterways to provide a diverse experience that includes everything from the two lakes to the Diversion and Re-Diversion Canal, the Santee River and on to salt water catches in the ocean. However, each guide typically focuses on only one or two specific kinds of fish, so it's important to get hold of the right guide based on the visitor's own preference for angling.

A visit to this beautiful patch of the Palmetto State is not just about fish or marine activities. Santee Cooper fishing guides are just as sure-footed on land and can show guests around the area. Enjoy fresh seafood and Southern hospitality, tee off on the green at the golf courses, and check out the sights. The Wildlife Refuge is a great place for bird-watching and nature trail walks. Those who prefer to head back in time can visit some of the fascinating museums and battlefields from the Revolutionary War.




About the Author:




EmoticonEmoticon