Fantasy Fishing: On to the next one

Written by

Coy Greathouse

We had an explosive event last weekend at Lake Murray with it taking over 87-pounds to bring home the goods. It was so good in fact, that Zona speculated that the winning weights at our next stop, Santee Cooper Lakes, might even fall shy of what we saw at Lake Murray. I’m not so sure.

Santee Cooper Lakes is made up of two primary fisheries, Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie. Both are known for having abundant cover like stumps, cyrpress trees and vast grass flats full of lily pads and submergent vegetation. Historically, this set of lakes has proven to be a big bass factory. Last year, we saw two anglers break the century club and several others right on their heels. One of those anglers, had three bags for nearly 30-pounds and one day with just four bass for 13-pounds! In a fall event back in 2020, it took just 72-pounds to win, but that was a time of year where the fish were very spread out and hard to come by. I fully expect this event to fall somewhere in between.

We will certainly still see a few fish being caught off the bed, while the majority of the fish will be in a post-spawn pattern. The shad spawn will be a major factor as well as it should be in full-effect. The issue with the shad spawn is that it can be somewhat unpredictable. It may be game-on one day and shut down completely the next. Expect the leaderboard to shake up big time just like it did at the last one, but instead of tight weights, you will be more likely to see an angler come in with 23-pounds one day and twelve the next.

Look for walking baits over grass flats, frogs, and swimjigs to get it done. There may be a few guys blind-flipping for them or casting a wacky worm around, which would very well be a way to get you through to Sunday.

Let’s check out some picks.

BUCKET A: COX

Any time you have cypress trees, bedding fish or shallow vegetation, you better have John Cox’s name in the conversation. Several years ago, he went on a tear, winning an event on Chickamauga on another trail with a wacky worm in hand while fishing cypress trees early in the month of May. He also has great results at Santee Cooper Lakes over the last two Elite Series events with a 22nd and 7th in 2020 and 2022 respectively. At Lake Murray, he swallowed his pride, picked up a finesse rod and wore them out, finishing in 5th place there. The history, matchup in technique, proclivity toward doing well this time of year and momentum all lead me to picking him in a bucket that has a TON of people who are likely to do well.

Don’t forget about: Patrick Walters

Unless you just go way off the rails here, it’s hard to make a bad choice. However, my eye goes down the list to Patrick Walters, another angler with some stellar momentum. He just wrapped up Lake Murray in fourth place and was very much looking forward to this stop. He spent his college years learning this body of water well. In 2020 and 2022, he had slow starts in both events, but managed to finish in eleventh and 19th in those two tournaments.

BUCKET B: KENNEDY

Against my better judgement, I’m going with Stephen Kennedy in back-to-back events. This one just sets up way too good for him given his love for topwater, swimjigs, and the like. He also finished strong here in the last two trips to Santee Cooper with finishes in the low teens. He landing some of the biggest fish in the tournament there as well. He may not win it, but I’m banking on a shoe-in top 25 finish.

Don’t forget about: Scott Canterbury

If you’re looking for a technique specific angler, Scott Canterbury should make the short list. He was very disappointed with his Elite Series showings because this fishery sets up so well for him. He is really good at milking an area for everything it’s worth. Outside of the first part of the morning, it will probably get tougher and tougher to get a bite as the day progresses. Having the patience to fish thoroughly should pay off.

BUCKET C: CORY JOHNSTON

There are a few obvious picks in this bucket, one of which is Cory Johnston. He is mostly known for smallmouth, but he cut his teeth fishing shallow, grassy lakes in Canada for big green ones. He has proven his ability to catch them on a frog on places like the Mississippi River, but can also slow down and finesse fish if the going gets tough. He had single-digit finishes here in the last two rounds, with 3rd and 5th place checks to show for it.

Don’t forget about: Brandon Palaniuk

Brandon Palaniuk was the eventual winner of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series event on Santee Cooper Lakes and followed it up with a 3rd place finish last year. That is a stout resume. He did most of his damage in 2020 punching shallow grass. In 2022, he did some sightfishing, some grass fishing, some random crankbait stuff and just generally fished out of his mind. He hasn’t had a bad start to the season, but it certainly hasn’t been the same pace at this point in the season as we’ve seen the last few years. That said, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him finish out this event with a strong Day 3 showing.

BUCKET D: KUPHALL

One bite away. All Caleb Kuphall needed was one little heavy two pounder to fill out his limit on Day 2 and he would have been a two-time Elite Series Champion. That said, he’ll have a shot at redemption this week. He loves to flip shallow cover and has a knack for being able to break down large areas to find the most productive water. If memory serves, he didn’t do much sight fishing last year, but I think that’s the way he prefers it. He will probably fish for five- to seven-bites a day, but every bite he gets is likely to be the right kind.

Don’t forget about: Jason Christie

Santee Cooper Lakes was the first stop after the 2022 Bassmaster Classic Champion Jason Christie took down the biggest title of his career. Needless to say, the welcomed stress that comes with being a Classic champ took its toll on him and he really struggled to fish clean. He was on an epic frog bite that dissolved and couldn’t adjust which found him second to last in the event. He is not one to take defeats like that lightly. He is out for revenge and that can be a powerful thing.

BUCKET E: PIPKENS

The last few seasons have been a great opportunity for Chad Pipkens to stretch. He used to be a one-trick pony, fishing light line for smallmouth, but in the last few years has put together some serious scraps. My mind goes to Lake Fork a few years ago where he fished the shad spawn to a solid finish. This is where the infamous “NEW PERSONAL BEST” phrase was coined. Could he find a new PB at Santee Cooper Lakes this week?

Don’t forget about: Keith Poche

If a guy can be labeled a “river-rat”, Keith Poche is an R.O.U.S. He’ll be back up in the mud picking apart the cover inch by inch. He has had to miss a lot of fishing days this season which is part of the reason he is in Bucket E. Lots of Fantasy Fishing players are banking on him making a comeback here with nearly 20% ownership right now.