Dock Talk: Santee Cooper Lakes

The Santee Cooper Lakes encompass 110,000 acres of Lake Marion and 60,000 acres of Lake Moultrie. That’s the playing field for this week’s AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes.
Photo: Craig Lamb

What you are seeing here is a drone photo I took above Marion with the presence of distinguishing features that will be in play this week. While it’s not visible due to the water clarity and visibility from 300 feet (my altitude), there is a proliferation of eelgrass throughout the lakes. And … the spawning cycle is still holding on, with baitfish spawns added to the potential mix. How will it all shake out? Photo: Craig Lamb

That’s what we are here to find out at the John C Land III Fishing Facility. We report. You decide. Is it truth or just dock talk?

John Cox
“I remember wondering what it looked like back in the day when Davy Hite described it on (Bassmaster) LIVE, and I’m seeing some signs of that when he described the eelgrass making it one of the best lakes in the nation.”

“The eelgrass (and other vegetation) is back, its everywhere. On the first day of practice my first spot looked like the winning spot, and then it was the same thing when I went to another area and then another,” Cox said. “Come to find out, there is scattered eelgrass and hydrilla across the entire lake (he didn’t mention which).”

“I think it’s going to fish really well based on the fish I am seeing. They are acting like a cold front is coming through, which it is, but once that comes through and there’s a warming trend, they are going to really bite.”

Brandon Lester
“I went to the area where I caught them last year and didn’t get a bite. It’s different this year, because there is a lot more vegetation in Marion. The bottom end has a lot more eelgrass, hydrilla and milfoil.”

“It took me until today to figure out how to get a few bites, and this place is full of fish. The few contestants I talked to shared similar thoughts,” Lester said.

“Today, I finally got on an area where I can actually put together a grass pattern, so I’m hopeful.”

Bill Lowen
“From what I’ve seen it looks like there is not as many bass on beds as last year at Marion. The water temperature is also cooler. We are seeing water temperatures in the high 60s into the low 70s and it should be warmer.”

“You see a lot of shad spawns without any bass on them, so there is a population that wants to come up and spawn and has not,” Lowen said.

“I’m going to play my strengths, run up the river, get into the swamp and just grind it out.”

Larry Nixon
“I found some eelgrass in Moultrie but there is more to be had up here (in Marion). Eelgrass is very common here throughout.”

“Fishing is kind of tough but I think it’s because of the postspawn funk,” Nixon said.

“The plus side is with more eelgrass; the bass have more places to stage during the postspawn transition.”

Logan Latuso
There is a lot of different types of grass, and it’s definitely leaning more toward the postspawn, at least right now.”

“There is also a shad spawn going on and that adds to the good of the eelgrass,” Latuso said.

“The key for everyone is going to be capitalizing on the morning bite, because then it gets kind of tough.

Kyle Welcher
“The big difference between this year and last year is we had more bass coming up on the beds.”

“This year they are pulling away from the spawning areas,” Welcher said.

“I feel like there are still some up there lingering, but somebody is going to find them out in deeper water and probably win.”

KJ Queen
“There are fewer bass to be caught up shallow; a lot of them have spawned so we are into the postspawn.”

“There is a lot more vegetation, and I think it will be a big factor,” Queen said. “Someone is going to figure out a grass bite and do really well.”

“If somebody finds the right magic spot, and it seems to be setting up like that, then it can probably be won off one spot. I think it will be a combination of a shad spawn, and another wave coming up on the beds.”