By Eddie Hardgrove
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s we are finally on the cusp of spring, warmer temperatures are beginning to ignite some world-class freshwater fishing on the lakes of Santee Cooper Country. This winter has had some tough weather, but we recently had an opportunity to spend a day fishing the lakes with Capt. Mouse and Capt. Boudreaux of Santee Cajun Guide Service. Having moved to the region from Louisiana in 1984, Capt. Mouse and Capt. Boudreaux have been fishing and guiding for 30 years.
Santee lakes boast great fishing for striper, crappie, bass and catfish. Cajun Guide Service is set up with all li- censes and permits to fish the lakes and is careful to point out the large coast guard approved life jackets they don in case of emergencies. The service offers two boats completely set up and ready for the entire family to fish.
On this day, our journey began with a fire in the sky, lighting our way out onto Lake Marion with a reddish orange hue painting the horizon. The sunrise created a great backdrop to start the morning, and we eagerly awaited the day’s activities. Targeting blue catfish was the adventure that our guides had planned for the trip. We were quickly becoming part of the fishing family as we motored out to a spot to begin drift fishing for some of the catfish we hoped to catch. Within 30 minutes of leaving the docks, we had lines in the water. Mouse began encouraging the cats to bite calling, “Here kitty, kitty…here kitty, kitty, kitty.” This may seem trivial, but when fishing it always helps to be confident that the fish will come; hence, Mouse’s strategy for calling to the catfish to show up. However, with very little wind and the thought we weren’t covering much ground, we picked up lines and began motoring to employ a different strategy.
We only motored a few miles when we realized the value of a seasoned captain on the lake as we passed stump and log structures nearly everywhere. Our new strategy was going to be something that has been coined stump jumping fishing by one stump or log and then the next. This time, we put a number of rods out and began to fish. “More rods, more fish,” deemed Boudreaux. Moments after arriving, with lines once again in the water, Mouse began calling the cats to the lines, “Here kitty, kitty, kitty. At the same time, Boudreaux was instructing us, “lf he pulls it down, I want you to reach back…” when Baam “FISH, FISH!” As I turned around and got to the rod quickly, a battle with a feisty catfish ensued. As he pulled hard and took some drag, I put some pressure on to gain back line. To my avail, and within short order, we boated our first catfish. A nice blue catfish! It’s always good when you catch the intended catch, and the captains and crew shared in the triumph.
The day greeted each of us with the opportunity to catch fish and included nudging upon Steve (The Angler Magazine – Charlotte Edition), “If you could hook a catfish like you do logs and stumps, the cooler would be full already.” We shared a day of fishing, laughter and fun, going catfish crazy on Santee. To charter Santee Cajun Guide Service and Capt. Mouse or Capt. Boudreaux, visit www.santeecajunguide.com or call (803) 492-3381.
Santee Cooper Country is hosting a tournament in April for striper, bass, crappie and catfish. Boasting $75,000 in prizes, it is open for Adults $10 and Children $5 during the month of April. Go to www.bigfishbucks.com or contact Santee Cooper Country at (803) 854- 2131.
Eddie Hardgrove
Coastal Angler Magazine Co-Publisher
