It is found that the Santee Cooper lakes are full of striped bass, a species that migrates from saltwater to freshwater to breed, adapted to and became established in their freshwater environment. Even fishing for largemouth bass, crappie and bream is all mor exciting. The development brings up new fish camps around the lake offering places to launch boats, spend the night and enjoy a good meal.
In this way fishing and tourism has played a vital role in the economy of the communities for more than 60 years. But the drought has hammered the Southeast since last summer and caused economic disaster for Santee Cooper’s fishing industry. Water levels have dropped as much as 10 feet. Now the efforts are on to ease the problem. It is true that little access to the water has turned away many fish camps and fishermen.
Laura Varn, vice president of corporate communications for Santee Cooper, informed that the authority is doing everything to mitigate the boat landings. Scott Lamprecht, a fisheries biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources at the Dennis Wildlife Center in Bonneau, said that the drought definitely impairs water use, but it should be very stimulating to the fish population when the water comes back up.
Ray Sedgwick, a fisherman, said that fishing is phenomenal, probably better than when the water is up. He opined that whatever the species, they’re doing well … bass, catfish; some of the crappie guides are killing the crappie.
