FishFinder Blog

Autumn fishing right around the corner.

Administrator — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:01:22 +0000

A real dilemna for catfishermen some days as the weather cools is whether to go to the deer stand or get on the water. Cooler mornings after a scorching hot summer make a woodsman or fisherman want to get up and get out. Daily temperatures are beginning to moderate a bit and cooling off the water and woods. Cooling water seems to make the catfish a little more comfortable and a bit more aggressive. The improved catfish bite might get a catfisherman on the water as he waits for antlers to harden and bucks to get into the rut before they get on the move to be seen.
As water temperatures continue to gradually drop, these fish seem to get on the move. For a while they’ll be a little more shallow much like the spring time patterns. As other forage fish begin to migrate away from shorelines and begin to seek cover in deeper water the blue cats will follow. Shallow water fishing will be productive for some time until water temperatures drop down into the fifties or lower. Even then the warmer days of winter will produce fish in surprisingly shallow water for part of the day.
Generally blue cats will be found in ever increasing depths from October through the colder months of winter. That’s where the shad are also and that’s why the blue cats are there. These blue cats are comfortable in varying temperature ranges and tend to be scattered and caught at different depths throughout the year. The bigger fish may be a little more lethargic in the hotest temperatures and not show up in your creels as often until the water cools off. The bite for bigger fsih seems to improve as fall progresses into winter. These bigger fish will seem to be even more scattered for a while until they gradually move into ever deeper waters.
Whether bait preferences change may be a matter of opinion. Folks who use perch and bluegill may find tose choices harder to come by at times and select shad or herring. It’s hard to imagine that a big, active, feeding blue cat would get too finicky about a meal but many catmen will attest to the fact that you’ve got to have the right bait especially during fall and winter. There are exceptions of course from day to day but most experienced catfishermen are sure to have shad, herring or mullet as the baits of choice. As the water continues to cool most have more consistently good fishing with shad or herring.
The first good cold fronts in October usually bring the true fall pattern changes that Santee Cooper catfishermen are familiar with. Santee Cooper lakes, especially on Lake Moultrie, experience a migration of juvenile herring and shad as they try to leave the lakes for their salt water destinations farther north to grow up and eventually make their way back to start the cycle all over again. It is during this time that the real pattern change takes place. These little fish tend to get bottlenecked on the lower end of L. Moultrie and become easier prey since they are so concentrated. At this time is when the finicky nature of blue cats may appear. They will be more “focused” on the smaller herring and shad and may virtually ignore other offerings a lot of days.
A little different presentation of baits may be in order. Drifted baits around those concentrations of fish may not always be productive. Fishing suspended baits with “down” rods either anchored or drifted can be very productive especially around concentrations of densely schooled bait. Drifting will be more successful later in the season as the concentrations of bait change from herring and shad to threadfin and gizzard shad. The location of these large schools of bait will change as well. Some prospecting will be needed.
It’s always catfish season for me but from now through late spring is my favorite period to be on the water. I’ll be out there a lot beginning in October.

Jim

www.fishfindersc.com

Change in Santee Cooper Catfishing.

Administrator — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:09:44 +0000

Many regular recreational catfish anglers on Lakes Marion and Moultrie have begun to notice some change in catch rates and sizes in their daily creels. Some may become aware that the average size blue cat is a little bigger. The numbers of six to ten pound blue cats are not showing up on a regular basis as in the past. The average seems to be creeping up to a fish that is near twelve pounds and some days even bigger. This average may be somewhat lower in Lake Marion. Overall numbers of daily catches may seem to be declining but the fish are generally considered quality size. The exceptions to this may be at times when fish of all sizes are concentrated on stressed or dying prey such as threadfin shad. I do not believe that the catfish fishery is in peril but I do believe that the number of desired size blue catfish has declined because they are not being replaced at the usual rate after being removed from the system.
These observations are consistent with DNR fisheries blue catfish sampling information. Winter samples for the past six or seven years have seen a significant decline in the numbers of smaller blue catfish. Smaller fish means fish that are less than twelve inches up to fish in the six to ten pound range. This strongly suggests that blue catfish have not had the usual successful, large spawns for six or seven years. According to regional biologist Scott Lamprecht the fish captured in the samples indicate increased growth rates. This clearly indicates that there is not as much intra species competition because there are fewer fish and they are able to grow faster.
An attempt to explain the reason(s) for this change in decreased recruitment of blue catfish would be speculative from me. I’d rather have speculations or explanations from DNR fisheries biologists. The reasons could be varied and quite complex if not all together illusive.
A few measures might be undertaken to help sustain the recreational fishery. I’ve suggested the following:

No trotlines allowed in the water more than 24 hours during summer months. Many blue catfish are lost when discarded after they die on trotlines in the hot water of summer.
A prohibition of the use of any circle hook on a trotline might be implemented. Circle hooks can retain larger fish better than the straight shank 7 /16 inch gap.
The sale of live blue catfish to in state and out of state pay ponds should be stopped. Live sale to these facilities typically involves the larger fish. Many sales of larger live fish total weight reach 2000 pounds per sale. Some commercial fishermen hoard bigger fish for their sales.

Perhaps some “sundowner” changes could be implemented until DNR fisheries can sufficiently quantify the loss of blue catfish to decreased recruitment.

1. Consider limiting recreational trotlines to 50 hooks.

2. Reduce the number of commercial trotline hooks to 500.

3. Restrict the bait in all catfish traps to cheese, cottonseed meal or soy cake or other baits that will limit the harvest of blue catfish in traps.

4. Consider an appropriate harvest limit for recreational anglers

To this point commercial fishing has helped the blue catfish fishery because of the former very dense population of blue catfish especially in Lake Marion. DNR fisheries should closely evaluate the blue catfish fishery to determine if and when stopping the commercial fishery becomes appropriate. There may even be a need to evaluate Lakes Marion and Moultrie differently when determining any management strategies.

These suggested changes would certainly not change what nature is handing us but would clearly afford some needed extra protection for what has become a very valuable fish in the Santee Cooper system.

Blue catfish have proven to be quite prolific in Santee Cooper waters and will likely continue the same way. Nonetheless close, proactive, aggressive monitoring should be the order of the day with the indications we have of a decrease in the population.

I would encourage interested fishermen to contact DNR fisheries personnel to express your concerns and support for any actions necessary to help sustain our very valuable fishery. Contact Scott Lamprecht. LamprechtS@dnr.sc.gov

ww.SanteeCooperCats.net is an organization that promotes catfishing on the Santee Cooper Lakes. The membership is growing daily. We would encourage members and their fellow catfishers to promote sound blue catfish management. Your observations and opinions are important. Stay informed and continue the good discussions about our great fishery.

Jim Glenn

www.fishfindersc.com jim@santeecoopercats.com

My favorite time of year

Administrator — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:37:21 +0000

March 1 begins the best time of year for me. Herring and Shad are running up the rivers. I can catch my fresh bait daily if I want for the next six weeks or so. The blue cats in both the Santee and Cooper Rivers will be hot on the trail of the herring coming up river.

The Santee River should have plenty of good cats available as the water starts to drop. The discharge from St. Stephen Power House should begin to slow down and the swamps will drain back into the river. This will make the catfish available just about any place from Arrowhead landing down to brackish water. There will be some catfish movement upstream with warming temperatures and increased numbers of herring coming up the river.

The cooper river should have it’s usual good bite also from the tailrace all the way down to Bushy Park. We’ve got a couple of folks on SCC who know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve caught those blues in the Cooper way downstream this time of year.

I wouldn’t overlook the confluence of the Pee Dee, Sampit and Black rivers out of Georgetown as good prospects for some monster fish. That area might be one of the best kept secrets in the low country for big blue cats. They are there and they are plentiful this time of year.

We had phenomenal fishing in the Santee back in the early 90s when we had similar conditions. The rediversion canal upstream from Arrowhead landing had lots of blue cats that would bite mostly late at night and ocassionally during the very early morning and then in late afternoon.

The good blues will begin to move more to shallow water in both Lakes Marion and Moultrie. Some of that movement has already started.

From now through June is about as good as it gets. I’m hoping for some good, stable weather so we can have a banner spring season this year. I love to see the rods bend and a good fish roll on the end of the line in shallow water or have a drag screamer in the river running with the current.

Good luck folks with your early spring fishing. Keep us posted on your successes.

Jim (fishfinder) www.fishfindersc.com