Santee Lake Marion Trip

Ole Fred and I went over to Santee and fishing Lake Marion from Thursday until Sunday. Our success was very limited as we did not find any cracker beds in all the ole spots. Most of the locals said they bedded in April on both the full and new moons. They also dropped the lake 6 inches while we were there. From what we saw and from talking to SC fishermen, not many all all found fish.

The catfish folks were killing them on poles and set lines. Fred and I feel the flat heads have hurt the great fishery?????

If you have never been to this lake and the swamp, it is worth the trip just to see the Swamp and the nature in there.

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Sorry you didn't catch what you had hope for. In recent years I have learned to enjoy the outdoors and when I go fishing, if I catch fish , that is a bonus for the trip. I have always wanted to go to Santee, but have never made it over there. Ya'll will get'em next time.

Danbo

I've fished Santee my whole life and I have no clue where the bridge in the first picture is located. Please help my curiosity.

Thanks

It is in Lake Marion. The Creek is called Chapel Branch. This Creek is on the SW side of the Lake near I95. Beautiful creek and it seems to be spring fed as the water is clear around and beyond the bridge.

Send me a PM when the Crackers start to bed and I will ride over. We have fished Lake Marion for the past 35 years and we usually stay at Popular Creek Landing. We have stayed many times in the Round Houses at the State Park.

It is worth the trip there just to visit and see Stump Hole Swamp.

Danbo, do you ever fish the diversional canal? We stay at Black's Fish Camp at the mouth of the canal and tight line pinks to the shell beds in the creek mouths. Those are the biggest shellcrackers I have ever seen. 3 pounders are fairly common, lot's of 4+ pound fish have come out of that area and even a few 5 pounders. I got to know Amos Gay before he died and he told me the story of the 5 1/2 pound world record he caught there. I would love to see something like that on the end of my line.

WE actually were up there the day the man caught the 5 lb 6 oz cracker but we have not been back up there since. We always fished for cats in the canal.