6/14/07

Take a roll down the river for some great Santee bass
By Terry Madewell

Terry Madewell Photo

Rev. Bob Matthews, a bona fide ‘river rat,’ was pretty happy to have taken this fine specimen.

The largemouth bass fishing seems to have slowed a bit on lakes Marion and Moultrie recently. The biggest culprit, according to most anglers, is the long stretch of dry, warm weather. However, the bass fishing on the Santee River below the Wilson Dam seems to be just now heating up. The relatively stable water conditions recently have provided some consistent water levels for fishermen working the river below the Wilson Dam. The water is relatively low compared to last spring when we had a lot of water in the river about this time of the year. Still, some good largemouth bass are being caught there now.

Reverend Bob Matthews, a good friend of mine and a confirmed “Santee River Rat,” spends a lot of thoughtful time on the river. Of course, as Bob says, he does some mighty fine “thinking and praying” when he’s enjoying the bass fishing. While the bass fishing action is not red hot right now, according to him the action should be about ready to get into high gear.

“You can catch bass on the Santee River at about any water level, as long as it’s not really flooding,” Matthews said. “Right now, with the water relatively low, I think the river offers some particularly good opportunities to catch largemouth. A lot of woody cover is exposed and the overall depths are not that deep in most places. That means the bass are likely going to hold in, under or around that visible cover. That’s gives a fishermen a good target and if he or she can work their lure just right, they stand a good chance of catching some mighty big bass out of the river in June and July.”

Matthews added that the low water levels in the river create some navigation issues that of which fishermen need to be aware.

“It seems the logs and obstructions change every year in the river,” Matthews said. “Some logs get washed out, new ones fall in; that’s something fishermen need to be aware of as they run this river. Also, the different water depths will change the safe course where you can run the river. I’d strongly advise boaters taking it slow and easy until they learn the best routes to run, especially right now with the low water conditions. But as noted, the low water level means the bass and other species of fish are more accessible.”

Matthew has fished this river most of his life and has learn the best techniques for taking fish from the river, regardless of the water level. He’s used a lot of different lures, but typically there are two standbys that he relies on most of the time.

“I have seen just about every lure in the tackle box produce and produce well in this river,” Matthews said. “However, the top water lures and the plastic worms seem to be the most productive on a consistent basis. At least that’s the case for me and the folks I fish with.”

“The worms are fished in a couple of different ways,” Matthews said. “First, I like to use bubblegum-colored floating worms. I work it by swimming and twitching it back through the maze of logs and debris in the river. Many times you’ll see the bass come up and take the worm, or sometimes the worm will just disappear and you’ll feel the weight of the fish.

“Also, the Texas-rigged worm works really well here most of the summer,” Matthews said. “This is often the best lure to use in the midday when the sun is high and the bass are holding a bit deeper. Work it through the cover slowly and focus on the bite of the bass. Many times you’ll get bites from bream and it’s hard to not set the hook. After a while you’ll learn the difference. But remember those spots where you get a lot of bites and go back there later with a beetle spin and you’ll catch some big bream as well.

Matthews said that the worm is highly productive, but it’s hard to beat the thrill of top water action on this river.

“This river is set up perfectly for top water fishing,” Matthews said. “I like to use the Tiny or Baby Torpedo top water lures. They both produce great, but some of my friends also use the Devils Horse and other lures with good success. The key is to be able to cast the lure in the cover around the logs and work it back. I like to work it pretty fast because of the current. When the big bass blows up on the bait, hook him hard and get him out of the heavy cover as best you can. You’ll lose some bass in the heavy cover, but that’s where the big bass hang out so that’s where you have to fish for them.”

Matthews said you may find bass holding on cover most anywhere in the river. However, there are some keys to his success that he has learned through the years.

“When the water is low like it is now, look for areas close to deeper water,” Matthews said. “The fish may be holding in only two, three or four feet of water. But if there’s some deeper water nearby, that means the area may hold more bass, and I think potentially much larger bass. The outside bends of the river are very productive places to fish during the summertime, particularly during the midday time period. However, during early and late in the day when the bass are actively feeding, you may find them anywhere.”

If you haven’t fished the Santee River this year, now is a good time to give it a try. It is also an excellent river for bream fishing as well as catfish, so you have a lot of options for different types of fishing.