Santee spawn hangs on

Bass still on beds at Santee Cooper Stren Series Southeast

MANNING, S.C. – As the second event in the 2009 Stren Southeast schedule began on Santee Cooper lakes this morning, many of the Stren Series regulars were wearing big grins.

Santee Cooper has been a routine stop on the Stren Southeast Division schedule for many years, but it usually swings through South Carolina in early to mid-April. This year the Stren Series is making a rather late appearance to Santee Cooper, which had many of the circuit regulars wondering if the easy pickings of bed fishing would still be going on. And apparently it is.

A cooler-than-average spring and a lot of early season rainfall has put much of the bass spawning activity behind by about a week or two on the East Coast – and Santee Cooper is no exception.

“Yeah, I think it’s behind schedule,” noted Randall Tharp, who won a BASS Open here in the first week of May last year. “When I won that tournament last year, the spawn had been over with for a while. But right now there are still a lot of fish on beds – and big ones too. When I first got here, I caught a 10-pounder while looking at it – that was pretty cool.”

Land O’Lakes pro Ott Defoe, who won the Stren Series on Santee Cooper last year, also believes the lake is behind its normal cycle.

“We’re here later, but since the lake is behind, it’s just like when we come here in mid-April,” Defoe said. “There are still plenty of fish on beds, and guys are still seeing big ones.”

Local pro Ken Ellis, who won here in 2007, agrees with the lake’s stage as well.

“I thought with this tournament being later, it might favor me a little more for postspawn fish; but since the lake is a little behind, the sight-fishing guys are going to catch them big like they always do, especially the first day,” Ellis said. “It wouldn’t surprise me to see some limits in the mid-20s this afternoon. There are still a lot of big fish laying around on nests.”

“It’s all about starting on the right fish,” noted sight-fishing ace Koby Kreiger, regarding his plan for the day. “If I start on the right fish, catch it fast and get in a good groove, I could have a pretty good day. If I start on the wrong fish, get bogged down and don’t get in a good sequence, I could have a pretty miserable day.”

Logistics

Anglers will take off from John C. Land III Landing located at County Road S-14-260 (Greenall Road) in Summerton, S.C., at 7 each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at John C. Land III Landing beginning at 3 p.m.

Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 2010 Paxville Highway in Manning, S.C., beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

The Santee Cooper Lake Stren Series tournament is hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce.

Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $7,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.

Co-anglers will cast for a top award of a 177TR Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and trailer. If the co-angler meets the Ranger Cup guidelines, they will earn an additional $5,000. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $2,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.

Thursday’s conditions