Santee Fishing

[mark29860]

Hello everyone, I have a couple questions for the folks who fish the upper end of Santee in the swamp. Is a 19' boat to big to get around in the swamp in and what would be the best technique for this time of year. I would guess pitching jigs. Getting a little stir crazy and want to try somewhere new. Thanks

[gabowman]

This time of the year most everybody is fishing brushpiles with minners in water 25+' deep. Some are fishing as deep as 40'-50' deep. Hadnt seen anything from Marion or Moultrie lately though but I'd think you'd fish it the same as the other lakes across Ga and SC right now.

[SeaRay]

Here is a post from the upper swamp (Broadwater) a couple of weeks ago:
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/south...rappies-swamp/
Depending on how wide and how much water you draw, the upper swamp might be a bit tight for you. I fish from there to Jack's Creek and anywhere from Stumphole on down to Jacks Creek you can find your way around with a 19 ft. boat. The lower end around the State park and Jacks Creek are deeper areas and may be the best place to start before the water warms up. Like GB said, maybe look for brush piles in the deeper water.I got cabin fever too and thought about going Monday but he forecast looks pretty gloomy.

[midcarolina]

What type of 19 footer?

[mark29860]

I'm on the verge of pulling the trigger on either a War Eagle 961 Blackhawk or a Ranger Rt188 I'm just waiting on a dealer to give me a test ride to see how they handle choppy water. Right now I have a 16' G3 I do a little striper fishing and with the bait tank there's no room

[blackhawk961]

I fish out of a 961 and have no problem getting in the thick stuff. When fishing during the spring for shellcracker, I get way back in the cypress trees on Marion & Moultrie.

[STUMP HUNTER]

I fish out of a 961 and have no problem getting in the thick stuff. When fishing during the spring for shellcracker, I get way back in the cypress trees on Marion & Moultrie.

Shellcracker fishing there must be a blast!!!

[OBRage]

Yes, you can fish in the upper swamp in a 19 foot boat. There will be some places that you can't get into but there will be plenty of options in there to fish a 19 foot boat. The width will be a bigger issue for you than the length while moving around in the trees. Always check your water levels before you go in because it can become too low to even fish small boats in. I currently fish out of a pf16 but am thinking of moving up to a 17.5 - 18.0 ft to handle the bigger water of our lakes.

[mark29860]

I believe a War Eagle 761 would be about the perfect boat except I do a good bit of striper fishing and a bait tank takes up a lot of room.