Dock Talk at Santee Cooper

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The Santee Cooper Lakes. You can’t comprehend their immense size until breaking them down by individual name. Lake Marion, called South Carolina’s inland sea, spans 110,000 acres. Connected by canal is Lake Moultrie, adding another 60,000 acres. <br><br><i>All captions: Craig Lamb</i>
The Santee Cooper Lakes. You can’t comprehend their immense size until breaking them down by individual name. Lake Marion, called South Carolina’s inland sea, spans 110,000 acres. Connected by canal is Lake Moultrie, adding another 60,000 acres.

All captions: Craig Lamb

Where to start? What to do? Those are mysteries myself and Andy Crawford set out to discover in this edition of Dock Talk at the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper.
Where to start? What to do? Those are mysteries myself and Andy Crawford set out to discover in this edition of Dock Talk at the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper.
The gnarly 16,000-acre Sparkleberry Swamp could be a player. Shady and silent, the “Swamp” is so dense that it’s easy to lose your way in the network of narrow sloughs and channels that extend through the watery forest. It’s also a bass fisherman’s dream.
The gnarly 16,000-acre Sparkleberry Swamp could be a player. Shady and silent, the “Swamp” is so dense that it’s easy to lose your way in the network of narrow sloughs and channels that extend through the watery forest. It’s also a bass fisherman’s dream.
<b>Hank Cherry</b> <br> “They are everywhere and they are nowhere. It’s really tough to get bit, but when you do, there are more around. A lot of guys, myself included, don’t know what size they are because we are shaking them off.”
Hank Cherry

“They are everywhere and they are nowhere. It’s really tough to get bit, but when you do, there are more around. A lot of guys, myself included, don’t know what size they are because we are shaking them off.”

“This creek (John C. Land Boating Facility area) has turned over, and so have a couple of the other major creeks. They are scattered and they are pulling the water down.”
“This creek (John C. Land Boating Facility area) has turned over, and so have a couple of the other major creeks. They are scattered and they are pulling the water down.”
“So, the fish are getting pulled out of the heavy vegetation. You are going to see guys catch fish from 20 feet, to 6 inches.”
“So, the fish are getting pulled out of the heavy vegetation. You are going to see guys catch fish from 20 feet, to 6 inches.”
<b>Jeff Gustafson</b> <br> “It’s never good when you see a guy with 19 rods out in his boat. It’s been tough for me.”
Jeff Gustafson

“It’s never good when you see a guy with 19 rods out in his boat. It’s been tough for me.”

“I caught a 3- and 7-pounder the first day and not much of anything the remainder of practice. It’s obviously going to be a junk fishing program for me.”
“I caught a 3- and 7-pounder the first day and not much of anything the remainder of practice. It’s obviously going to be a junk fishing program for me.”
<b>Drew Cook</b> <br>“Coming from last week (Lake Guntersville), it’s like heaven. You get bites, and it’s not going to be near as tough as what I expected. I thought the same cut weight from last week (12 pounds each day) would happen here.”
Drew Cook
“Coming from last week (Lake Guntersville), it’s like heaven. You get bites, and it’s not going to be near as tough as what I expected. I thought the same cut weight from last week (12 pounds each day) would happen here.”
“I think it’s going to be 15 pounds to make the Top 40 cut. Tomorrow I think you are going to see someone with a bag in the high 20s. There are so many largemouth in here over 8 pounds that all it takes is to run into a couple of them and have 25 to 30 pounds. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“I think it’s going to be 15 pounds to make the Top 40 cut. Tomorrow I think you are going to see someone with a bag in the high 20s. There are so many largemouth in here over 8 pounds that all it takes is to run into a couple of them and have 25 to 30 pounds. I’m really looking forward to it.”
<b>Kyle Welcher</b> <br> “Practice was very tough. You’d think on a lake like this you could develop a pattern, but I haven’t done it. It’s been very random. They bite when you can get around them. For me, it’s been about finding where they set up on a particular day.”
Kyle Welcher

“Practice was very tough. You’d think on a lake like this you could develop a pattern, but I haven’t done it. It’s been very random. They bite when you can get around them. For me, it’s been about finding where they set up on a particular day.”

“They aren’t usually in the same spot on consecutive days. You must cover as much water as possible. My plan for this tournament is different than most. I’m going to stay put, instead of running and gunning.”
“They aren’t usually in the same spot on consecutive days. You must cover as much water as possible. My plan for this tournament is different than most. I’m going to stay put, instead of running and gunning.”
<b>Buddy Gross</b> <br> “The first day was great. I slowed down and tried to replicate it into a pattern.”
Buddy Gross

“The first day was great. I slowed down and tried to replicate it into a pattern.”

“Today I continued looking for that kind of water. For me it’s going to be a good tournament.”
“Today I continued looking for that kind of water. For me it’s going to be a good tournament.”
<b>Keith Combs</b> <br> “It’s been very random. I’ve caught some good fish, but not enough to put a pattern together.”
Keith Combs

“It’s been very random. I’ve caught some good fish, but not enough to put a pattern together.”

“This place has so much fishable water that it’s hard to slow down and dial it all into a pattern.”
“This place has so much fishable water that it’s hard to slow down and dial it all into a pattern.”
<b>Drew Benton</b> <br> “Practice. It wasn’t as bad as Guntersville (laughs). You are able to go down the bank and get bites; it’s just getting the one or two big bites, which is what will set you apart from the below-average limits.”
Drew Benton

“Practice. It wasn’t as bad as Guntersville (laughs). You are able to go down the bank and get bites; it’s just getting the one or two big bites, which is what will set you apart from the below-average limits.”

“All it will take is just one bite to get into the 15-pound daily limit. It’s possible to get just one good bite and make a big jump in weight.”
“All it will take is just one bite to get into the 15-pound daily limit. It’s possible to get just one good bite and make a big jump in weight.”
<b>Lee Livesay</b> <br> “Practice has been tough. I’ve had one good day and didn’t go back. I haven’t been able to repeat it for a pattern, so it might just be one area. I ran up the river and didn’t do any good. I think it could be an area deal that I missed.”
Lee Livesay

“Practice has been tough. I’ve had one good day and didn’t go back. I haven’t been able to repeat it for a pattern, so it might just be one area. I ran up the river and didn’t do any good. I think it could be an area deal that I missed.”

“This is probably going to be all about finesse fishing isolated trees, and knowing specifically what kind they are relating to. For me it’s hard to slow down and learn the finesse tactics with so much water to cover. I’m power fishing and when I find them, I’m going to hunker down and stay on them.”
“This is probably going to be all about finesse fishing isolated trees, and knowing specifically what kind they are relating to. For me it’s hard to slow down and learn the finesse tactics with so much water to cover. I’m power fishing and when I find them, I’m going to hunker down and stay on them.”
<b>Garrett Paquette</b> <br> “Practice has been incredibly tough, but that’s what I expected with the fall turnover. Right now, they are drawing the lake down about 6 inches each day. You can see evidence of a lot of bass and baitfish in the middle of the creeks.
Garrett Paquette

“Practice has been incredibly tough, but that’s what I expected with the fall turnover. Right now, they are drawing the lake down about 6 inches each day. You can see evidence of a lot of bass and baitfish in the middle of the creeks.

“Those fish are uncatchable, because they are probably the bass getting pulled off the bank by the falling water. It’s going to come down to the guy that can put five bass in the boat, and top it off with a big fish.”
<b>Chris Johnston</b> <br> “It’s fishing better than I thought it would. I’m getting more bites than I anticipated. The thing here is that any bite can be a 7-plus pounder.”
Chris Johnston

“It’s fishing better than I thought it would. I’m getting more bites than I anticipated. The thing here is that any bite can be a 7-plus pounder.”

“Catching a limit is going to be a challenge, but if you catch a 7-plus pounder then it’ll put you at that 15-pound daily limit to make the Top 40 cut.”
“Catching a limit is going to be a challenge, but if you catch a 7-plus pounder then it’ll put you at that 15-pound daily limit to make the Top 40 cut.”
<b>Chad Pipkens</b> <br> “It’s been tough. There’s a lot of nothing going on. My problem is I don’t have a ton of fall fishing, like most of the guys. The challenge here is having so much water to cover in a short time of practice.”
Chad Pipkens

“It’s been tough. There’s a lot of nothing going on. My problem is I don’t have a ton of fall fishing, like most of the guys. The challenge here is having so much water to cover in a short time of practice.”

“You have to be careful managing your time here, especially when you go back into the backwater areas. It’s going to be a junk fishing program, for sure.”