The monster catfish officially weighed 113.8 pounds, eclipsing the previous record of 109 pounds, 4 ounces caught by George Lejewski of Summerville from the Tailrace Canal in 1991.
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Where can I fish in Santee Cooper?

What kind of fish are in Santee Cooper?
Known for its big fish, the Santee Cooper lake system is home to a wide variety of freshwater species, including stripers, crappie, largemouth bass, pickerel and bream. But it’s the blue, flathead, white and channel catfish that draw so many fishermen to the reservoirs.
What is biting at Santee Cooper?
The bream bite on the Cooper River has been pretty good also. Fish the drop offs in 12-18 ft with a slip cork or drop shot. Crickets are also the best bait. Crappie โ With the weather and water starting to slowly cool down, lots of crappie will be headed to deeper brush preparing for fall.
What is the best time for fishing?
- One hour before and one hour after high tides, and one hour before and one hour after low tides.
- During the “morning rise” (after sunup for a spell) and the “evening rise” (just before sundown and the hour or so after).
- During the rise and set of the Moon.
- When the barometer is steady or on the rise.
Are there alligators in Santee Cooper?
Hunters, guides and meat processors agree the monster, 10-foot-plus gators are concentrated in the middle of the coast. “Most of your large gators, they’re still in the Cooper or the Santee-Cooper (Marion-Moultrie) lake system,” said Matherly, the nuisance gator agent from Florence.
What is the best bait for catfish in a lake?
Anglers across the nation know that chicken livers are traditionally the best way to catch catfish. Chicken liver is especially good when you’re fishing in deeper waters. Livers remain fresh for 15 to 20 minutes before losing some of their appealing scents, so rebait your rigs frequently.
What is Santee SC known for?
Known for its golf and fishing experiences, Santee’s natural beauty and abundant wildlife make it an ideal destination for nature lovers.
What fish are biting right now in South Carolina?
Plenty! Crappie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish, trout, stripers, and hybrids are all biting in various bodies of water. On most, it’s best to get out there early.
Where can I bass fish in Santee Cooper?
The Santee Cooper lakes have plenty of bass-attracting vegetation in shallow areas. When water levels fall, anglers should move out toward deeper water to find fish that are retreating to areas with cover out from their spawning spots.
How do you catfish Santee Cooper?

What is the largest largemouth bass on record?
Official Largemouth World Record: George Perry’s Undefeated Bass. On June 2nd, 1932, George Perry caught the current world record bass out of Lake Montgomery, an oxbow lake off the Ocmulgee River in southern Georgia. The fish (the whopper) weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces.
What is the record blue catfish in South Carolina?
Monster South Carolina record 113.8-pound catfish caught on Lake Moultrie by Anderson woman.
Why do fishermen fish early in the morning?
Fish activity in the morning also increases because of the food chain effect. What is this? Much like fish, insects also become more active in the early morning hours, and so food for large non-predators, as well as small fish, is plentiful. And if the small fish are active, so will the predators.
What time of day are fish most active?
Before we dig into the details, however, we can make one blanket statement: fish just about everywhere are almost always active at sunrise and sunset. These periods of changing light levels trigger feeding behavior in all kinds of predatory fish.
Why do fish not bite after it rains?
Often, during hot summer months, the amount of dissolved oxygen in a lake becomes low, making fish inactive. Rain will aerate the surface water and often has a cooling effect, both of which can activate fish.
How many rods can you fish with in SC?
A fisherman may only use four rods and reels. A fisherman fishing from a boat may use an unlimited number of rods and reels if all persons in the boat 16 years and older have valid fishing licenses. Nongame fishing permits and tags may be purchased from SCDNR only.
Is it illegal to fish at night in SC?
Night fishing prohibited.
Is it legal to use goldfish as bait in SC?
(1) “Bait fish” means a fish allowed to be used as bait in the freshwaters including: Asian clams (Corbicula spp.), crayfish, eels, herring, shad, and fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas), and goldfish, including “black salties” (Carassius auratus).
Where are most alligators found in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, American alligators make extensive use of the state’s coastal marshlands, with the ACE Basin being one of the most important nesting areas. High quality alligator habitat found on the coast was created as a result of wetland alteration during the rice-growing era.
Does Lake Marion have alligators in it?
Lake Marion is home to 100’s of alligators and they primarily dwell in the shallower swampy sections of the lake and in coves and creeks.
Are there alligators in the Intracoastal Waterway in South Carolina?
Currently, there is an alligator that hangs out on the rock jetty at Carolina Beach State Park in the Intracoastal Waterway.
What bait is irresistible to catfish?
Ingredients like chicken liver, gutted fish, Limburger cheese and rotting shrimp are examples of things that can be combined together. The best stink bait is left to marinade for a few days and “ripen” so that the blend of scents is irresistible to the catfish.
Are hotdogs good catfish bait?
Hot dogs are a common food taken along on fishing excursions and double as excellent catfish bait. Points to remember when using hot dogs as catfish bait include: Cheaper hot dogs seem to catch more fish.
How deep should you fish for catfish?
Conclusion. The best depth for catching catfish is between 15 and 20 feet deep in lakes. This is known as the catfish zone because they reside within such depths in most lakes. However, depending on the time of the year and the temperature of the water, they can also reside in shallow areas.