South Carolina's Santee Cooper Reservoir – which is comprised of Lakes Marion and Moultrie – is a dizzying labyrinth of stumps and cypress trees. It's synonymous with bass fishing at its best – shallow, muddy water, dense cover and bass that can bend a balance beam.
One big problem – the weeds seem to be gone, and the lake has suddenly turned gin-clear. The Santee Cooper Bassmaster Elite Series begins tomorrow (Thursday), and anglers initially noted utter consternation at the sudden clearing. Here's why.
The fish had been waiting for a major spawning movement, and their normal holding cover was relatively shallow. No problem in stained water, but in the new clearer conditions, the shallow fish were skittish and difficult to catch.
And not much was happening deep either.
That all changed this morning, when the long-overdue warming trend began to work its magic. Horror stories turned to celebrations as fish throughout the lake suddenly moved to the bank en masse.
How many fish moved up? Difficult to tell at this point, since the major wave is expected tonight. But Kelly Jordon compared the new conditions to a popular Orlando, Fla. destination: "We're in Fishney Land."
Before more specific information about the bite, here's more about the lake itself.
BassFan Lake Profile
> Lake Name: Santee Cooper (Lakes Marion and Moultrie)
> Type of Water: Lowland, swampy reservoirs (Marion/upper and Moultrie/lower)
> Surface Acres (full pool): Marion 110,600 acres, and Moultrie 60,400 acres (171,000 acres total)
> Primary structure/cover: Cypress trees, stumps/timber, some drops
> Average depth: Marion, average 12 (max 70); Moultrie, average 20 (max 70)
> Primary forage: Shad, bream, some crawdads
> Species: Largemouths
> Length limit: 12 inches
> Reputation: Prolific fishery capable of breaking records, but tough times can be miserable
> Weather: Cool temps have given way to a warming trend, with the arrival of 80-degree weather expected by Friday
> Water temp: low 60s and climbing fast
> Water visibility/color: clear (3 to 6 feet of visibility and more)
> Water level: Moultrie is above normal, Marion is a foot down – not too significant
> Fish in: 1 to 15 feet, majority shallow
> Fish phase: Pre-spawn and spawn
> Primary patterns: Bed-fishing, senkos, soft jerkbaits, Texas-rigs, some spinnerbaits, possible offshore Carolina-rig bite
> Winning weight: 90 pounds
> Cut weight : 30 pounds (Top 50); 60 pounds (Top 12)
> Check weight: 30 pounds (50th place)
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 4 for Santee Cooper
> Biggest factors: Prior knowledge, the need to move to find bigger fish
> Biggest decision: Which lake to fish – Marion or Moultrie – and whether to stick with a spot or move on
Flexibility Key
Zell Rowland won the memorable 2003 Santee Cooper Bassmaster with 98-09. That event took place just one week earlier in the year than this one. But it was a similar circumstance – the fish had moved up and they were chomping everything. He worked one spot all 4 days for the win.
Kelly Jordon won here the next year with 93-13. Like this event, that one occurred during the final week of March. And just like this event, the fish moved up during the tournament (although not until day 3).
Any way you look at it, Santee Cooper looks like a slugfest. And it should be a classic because the field is fairly level. No one really knows what his areas hold.
For Terry Scroggins, it's a sight-bite all the way.
Stick a finger in the wind, then head any way you like and start looking. That could be the strategy for the majority of the field tomorrow.
All of which puts a premium on prior experience. Where fish have spawned before, they'll spawn again. That's especially true of big fish, who exhibit repeated spawning-area preferences.
It also puts a premium on flexibility. Limits should be a no-brainer, but big fish are the key. You've got five fish and 20 pounds, but you need 5 more pounds. Do you work through your area, or just go fishing somewhere else?
The guts to make that decision multiple times each day could easily be the deciding factor in this event.
Scroggins Expects Big Bags
Terry "Big Show" Scroggins likes big-weight tournaments, and likes what he saw on the water today. Mostly because it was a whole lot different from what he saw yesterday.
"Absolutely, things changed," he said. "They're starting to move in big-time. The water temperature rose about 7 degrees today, and it really turned them on. You have to look for big bags."
And he agreed that prior experience could play huge. "Previous knowledge really helps in this situation. If you know where they bit in past years, you know you can kind of go to it in the future. Previous knowledge is the real big key here."
> His guess for the cut weights: "I don't think it'll be as good as when Zell won it, but I'm going to say 14 to 15 pounds a day to make the Top 50. For the Top 12, I believe you'll need 23 or 24 pounds a day."
Jordon Going Fishing
When Jordon won here in 2003, he kept checking an area each day of the event. Finally, on day 3, the fish moved into the area and he went to work.
He'll do some of that tomorrow – just driving and fishing. First, though, here's what he said about today's developments.
"It's 100,000% changed. Did I see fish? Oh my gosh – it's ridiculous.
"The first day of practice was very cold and there weren't many fish up. Yesterday, it never warmed up, the sun never came out and I only saw a few fish cruising. Today, it just became Fishney Land."
So where does that put his strategy for tomorrow? "You just go fishing tomorrow. Today, I went and checked some places and saw a lot of fish ready to come up tomorrow.
"It's going to be anybody's ballgame. If you're in the right area, a lot of things could happen. All the fish I've seen look fresh, bright and fat – like footballs."
> His guess for the cut weights: 30 pounds (Top 50); 60 pounds (Top 12).
Horton Says It's 'Special'
Tim Horton kept an eye on the weather, and said the spawning wave is no surprise.
"This was expected – we saw the forecast coming. It's going to be one of those special tournaments."
He even likened the conditions to Toho in 2001, when Dean Rojas shattered the BASS weight records. "When we had that big tournament at Toho, it had been cold and the fish came up later than normal. Anytime they come up later, like here, you usually get some really big waves."
And his strategy is about as focused – or rather, unfocused – as Jordon's. "What you hope to do is go into different areas and find the right cover. They won't be in coves with no cover. You just have to find those places, and hopefully pick the right ones for when they really move up.
Greg Hackney's never been hotter – he's No. 1 in the BassFan World Rankings and the tour points, and he recently won at Rayburn.
"I think by the end of this tournament, we'll find that the winner had found his fish during the tournament, not in practice."
> His guess for the cut weights: 28 pounds (Top 50); 55 to 60 pounds (Top 12).
> Like everyone else in the field, Horton is literally blown away by how clear the water is. "I'm just amazed. It's eerily strange when you're out in the main lake and you can see bottom in 6 or 7 feet."
Top 10 To Watch
Here, in no particular order, is BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at this event.
1) Ray Sedgwick – Has been a no-show the past few seasons, but is on a good roll now (20th at Amistad and 23rd at Rayburn). He gets the nod here as a local to watch. Knows Santee Cooper better than almost everybody and finished 11th here in 2003.
2) Dean Rojas – Sight-fishing? Big Bass? Yep, Rojas should be on 'em good. Currently ranked No. 8 in the BassFan World Rankings and taking no prisoners.
3) Mike Iaconelli – He's just plain hot, and has been for a while. He's No. 4 in the world and although he can do wrong, it seems he can fish no wrong.
4) Greg Hackney – The Hack Attack is No. 1 in the world and No. 1 in the Elite Series points. Save on your energy bills and let Greg Hackney stay in your house – he's radiating so much heat right now it's scary. Not a true sight-fishing stick, but capable. And oh, he just won Rayburn.
5) Aaron Martens – He's ready to bust open a regular-season event and could easily do it here. The clear water can only help him, and he's one of the most thorough sight-fishermen on the tour. If big fish are bedding slightly deeper, he'll find 'em.
6) Davy Hite – Another South Carolina stick who knows Santee. Finished 13th and 19th his last two times here. Why expect anything less this time?
7) Kelly Jordon – Won here in 2004 and if past experience becomes important, he's got it. A strong sight-fisherman who likes to stick and move.
8) Zell Rowland – Caught 98 1/2 pounds here before. Will the same area produce? He's having back surgery following the event, but doesn't seem apprehensive about it. Currently ranked No. 20 in the world.
9) Edwin Evers – The No. 3 angler in the world is on a tear – he's finished 11th or better in five of the last seven tournaments he's fished. Wow.
Edwin Evers has finished 11th or better in five of his last seven tournaments.
10) Ish Monroe – He's a westerner, so his experience here is limited, but loves clear water and loves to bed-fish. Couldn't follow up on his Amistad win – he finished 55th at Rayburn – but should get back on track here.
Launch/Weigh-In Info
Anglers launch daily at 6:00 a.m. from John C. Land III landing on Greenall Road in Summerton, S.C. Daily weigh-ins will begin at 3 p.m. at the same location.
Weather Forecast
Here's the Weather Channel's forecast for the tournament days.
> Thurs., March 30 – Mostly Sunny – high 76°/low 52°
- Wind: From the E at 8 mph
> Fri., March 31 – Mostly Sunny – 76°/52°
- Wind: From the E at 8 mph
> Sat., April 1 – Mostly Cloudy – 79°/58°
- Wind: From the S at 10 mph
> Sun., April 2 – Isolated T-Storms – 83°/54°
- Wind: From the SW at 13
Notable
> BassFan Big Stick John Murray doesn't have cell reception at Santee Cooper and couldn't be reached for a Big Stick report. Jarrett Edwards filed his practice report last night, before things changed today. To read his initial report, click here to go On Tour With the BassFan Big Sticks.
> Matt Reed said he's probably going to fish Moultrie. "I hope we split up fairly evenly – I hope it's spread out some. I've seen a lot of the same boats in practice milling through the same water."
> Although nobody has a confirmed answer about why the lake is so clear, some feel it's because of a weed-killing project. One angler speaking anonymously said: "The power company has sprayed a lot of the vegetation and killed all the nutrients in the water. All the vegetation's gone – from lily pads to primrose to the bullrushes. It's unbelievable what they're trying to do."
> Jordon credited Brett Hite with the "Fishney Land" phrase.
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