Fishing

State parks provide access to some of the best fishing lakes in South Carolina. 

From fishing piers and jetties to lakeshores and riverbanks, state parks have settings for memorable fishing trips.

Need to know more about fishing at state parks?  Check in with Ranger Richburg below.

Fishing with Ranger Richburg

When to Fish:

March thru April is the time when the fish are getting geared up for bedding.

Fishing for Crappie: 

During the months of March and April, crappie can be caught fishing around submerged structure. Try fishing with minnows, jigs, beetle spins, or fresh water grass shrimp, and fish just over the top of submerged trees or around standing structure. Figuring out what depth to fish is usually the hardest part. If you are drift fishing with many poles at once, set them at various depths until you start catching fish. For fishing over submerged structure, if you are getting snagged on the structure, you are probably at the correct depth.

For fishing standing structure such as piers or trees, I usually bounce a jig right up against the structure, starting at 3-4 feet below the surface and working my way down. Keep in mind that crappie are looking up, therefore, many of your strikes will come as the jig is falling. 

Fishing for Bass:

During the month of April, bass and bream are usually moving into the shallower waters.

This is a great time to fish top water for bass. Bass usually bed a little before bream, so look for them to be fanning beds in the shallows. If you do find some fanning, try slow fishing rubber worms or bass jigs right in the bed. If you do catch a big female before she spawns, you may want to take a few pictures and release her so the she can do her part to restock the waters.

Fishing for Bream:

Bream can be found in the shallows also, much of the time around overhanging limbs or bushes, or on the edges of grass beds. This is a great time to fish with grass shrimp if you can find a place to catch them. The bream will be feeding of the new insect hatchlings that may fall out of bushes or happen to venture out of the grass beds. 
  
Good luck and keep on reelin',

Ranger Richburg

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Here are some questions our readers have asked Ranger Richburg:

 

Dear Ranger Richburg--
We're new to the state and my husband's a flyfisherman. Where are the best state parks to pursue that hobby? 

Welcome to the best state in the U.S. (although I may be a little partial!).

Fly fishing can be enjoyed in any of our parks containing creeks, rivers, ponds, or lakes. With the variety of fish species that we have throughout South Carolina, he should be able to catch fish about anywhere. A few examples are Caesars Head or Devils Fork for trout, Dreher Island or Santee for stripers when they are chasing shad in the spring and fall, and Lake Warren or N.R. Goodale for bluegill bream.

Another fun thing he may want to try is flyfishing on the larger lakes day or night when the mayflies are hatching. I've caught them around the old 301 bridge on Santee (Lake Marion) during the mayfly hatch until I was tired of catching them. I've also caught catfish on topwater around the rocks under the bridge. Also try around lighted piers. The bream are feeding all night on the hatchlings. Try not only floating flies but sinking as well. White flies or black flies will work.

Let me know how he does and good luck!!

What is the peak time for bream and bass at Santee Cooper?

Thanks for sending in a great question.

My favorite time to fish Santee for bream is during May and June while the bream and shell cracker are bedding. Late June and July (once they come off the bed) can also be great for shell cracker in the diversion canal fishing on the bottom. Bass can also be good during these same times. Once they come off the bed, they are aggresively looking for food. One of my favorite spots is in the upper lake in the flats across from Stump Hole and Low Falls Landings.

If you should have any other questions, please feel free to let me know.

Good luck!