By Jim Mize
The first time I fished the Santee Cooper lakes was over forty years ago. An elderly gentleman and I loaded my jon boat into the back of my truck, piled in a three-horsepower outboard, an electric motor, a battery, one small paddle, and two life jackets, woke at four a.m., then drove until just after sunrise to unload all this stuff and begin to fish. We launched at Jack’s Creek, and we had to travel very little to put together a nice stringer of bluegill and crappie for a fish fry.
Now, after these forty-plus years, my companions and I took a more leisurely approach to fish the same waters. This time, we took up temporary residence at the Relaxed Retreat at Carolina King, which is located just across the cove from the Jack’s Creek launching area.
The Relaxed Retreat, if you haven’t heard, is under new ownership and the change is noticeable. The cabins look new and come with all the amenities of home including internet, cable television, and more. Step over to the general store and you can rent a wide range of boats from kayaks to pontoons. We chose a jon boat outfitted almost exactly as the one I fished from all those years ago.
Our goal on this trip was simply to unwind. Few approaches accomplish this as readily, at least for me, as flipping popping bugs and jig flies toward cover to fool a gullible bluegill. And cover is something Lake Marion, the upper Santee Cooper Lake, has plenty of.
Every cypress tree standing in water looks like it should have fish on all sides. With Spanish moss hanging from the limbs, these trees create some casting obstacles that reward accuracy. Calm nerves and no wind help, but on this morning a pair of alligators watched us from behind and the gusts of wind blew upwards of twenty miles per hour. But we did our best.
Presenting one more challenge was the cold front that passed through the night before, knocking the fish off their routines. The result was that even the bluegill were laying low in the morning. After fighting the wind with mixed results, we decided to grab lunch and switch tactics.
Over lunch, we discussed the wind and repercussions of the cold front, and decided the fish just weren’t moving much. Rising temperatures in the afternoon were likely to help, so after sandwiches consumed with the view from our cabin calling us back to the water, we headed back out.
This time, we fished slower, deeper, and as close to structure as we could place our flies. I used a small jig fly that seemed to be the ticket. Whenever I found remaining structure from an old pier, it seemed to have fish around it. Existing piers worked about as well, especially when I could land a fly underneath them.
By the time the afternoon was coming to an end, we had each caught fish and smiled a bit at the spunky little bluegill that fought like no one told them they were little. On a fly rod, these fish are sport enough when the goal is to forget your troubles. I suspect a cricket underneath a cork would work just as well.
Many of my trips to the Santee Cooper lakes during this forty-year span have been to chase the larger fish these lakes are famous for. Usually these were catfish or stripers, the sort of fish that bend rods just slightly more flexible than broom handles.
And on other occasions, I have joined others to tease crappie out of brush piles. Usually, these trips were with the people who knew where the brush and thus the crappie would be. This was always essential as being off by just a few feet could mean the difference between catching fish and merely drowning minnows.
Regardless of the fish I pursue, my primary goal these days is to enjoy the trip. And perhaps, one of the biggest changes when I fish these Santee Cooper lakes is that I have now become the elderly gentleman in the boat.
But casting flies from a jon boat is still one of my favorite ways to relax, and bluegill still seem to cooperate in these endeavors. So, if you see an old guy trying to roll a popping bug or jig fly back underneath all that Spanish moss while alligators look on, it could be me. And if you want to tell me where to find some fish, I will listen attentively.
NOTE: Should you need lodging, a launching ramp, boat rental, or other amenities, you can find more information on the Relaxed Retreat at https://carolinakingretreat.com.
Jim Mize usually writes humor because it doesn’t require fishing success. His latest book of humor, The Haunted Outhouse, is now available on Amazon or you can order autographed copies at www.acreektricklesthroughit.com.