Afternoon on Santee Cooper Lakes

Afternoon surge with Cory Johnston, Cook, Pirch, & Jocumsen on Day 2 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes!

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Photography by
Andy Crawford
Cory Johnston made a surge in the BASSTrakk standings on Day 2, sight-fishing in clear water off the main part of Lake Marion. He was sharing water with Day 1 leader Drew Cook when we caught up with him.
Spectators were watching the two anglers. One was this guy who caught a 6-pounder on the flat Drew Cook was working. The anglers then stopped and sat inside the shallow lily pads.
Cook was only about 30 yards away, working a bed.
The bass finally bite, and Cook wrestled it into the boat. That was a nice upgrade for the angler who still leads, according to BASSTrakk.
Johnston was working across the cove, pushing through the lilies and marking fish. He already had more than 23 pounds when we caught up with him, so he said he was simply marking beds. “I’m trying to save fish for tomorrow,” Johnston said.
Even osprey were getting in on the fish-catching action.
Johnston was bouncing from area to area, marking spawning beds so he could work them tomorrow.
Clifford Pirch is another sight-fisherman who sacked a big bag on Day 2. BASSTrakk showed him with more than 24 pounds by 1 p.m., but he said he wasn’t giving up for the day just yet.
“I’d like to catch one more,” Pirch said. “I have a 2-12 I’d like to get rid of.”
Pirch headed out with an hour or so left of the fishing day to find cleaner water. “I want to catch another one, but I don’t think I can do it here,” he said. “I’m having trouble seeing them. The water is getting murky.”
Photo by Kyle Jessie
Photo by Kyle Jessie
Photo by Kyle Jessie
Photo by Kyle Jessie
Photo by Kyle Jessie
Photo by Kyle Jessie
Photo by Kyle Jessie
Photo by Kyle Jessie