Bass fishing season is here, tournaments are plentiful on Santee Cooper

CLARENDON COUNTY - The fishing on the Santee Cooper lakes lures anglers from across not only South Carolina, but the entire United States as well.

From the flats of Lake Marion, down the Diversion Canal, to the open waters of Lake Moultrie, anglers can take their pick of prime fishing holes, sloughs and natural vegetation in and around the famous cypress stumps. Fishing is phenomenal with anglers often bringing in limits weighing in at well into the three-digit mark.

"On any given weekend, you can find upwards of 150 boats or kayaks out on the Santee Cooper lakes doing their best to catch the bag bass these lakes are known for," said Jesse Surette, director of tourism for the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce.

More than a dozen fishing tournaments will be held on these two famous lakes from March 11 through June 3 with more tournaments planned for late summer and into the fall.

"Being situated on one of the best lakes in the nation, we are fortunate to host a wide variety of bass fishing tournaments here in Clarendon County from local trails all the way up to professional anglers," Surette added. "These tournaments do a great job of bringing people to our area to enjoy all that we have to offer."

The John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility has become home to fishing tournaments sponsored by Bassmaster, Carolina Bass Challenge, National Professional Fishing League, Fishers of Men as well as local fishing tournaments. Located on Greenall Road in Summerton, John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility is a prime spot to host tournaments. With six launch lanes, courtesy docks, a pavilion and plenty of parking, John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility is a great place to watch the early morning boat launches and an even better place to watch the afternoon weigh-ins. Guests have the opportunity to see up close the monster bass as they are being weighed in and meet many of the nation's leading professional anglers.

Upcoming tournaments include:

- March 11: Carolina Anglers Team Trail (CATT), John C. Land

- March 18: Fishers of Men, John C. Land

- March 25: SC High School B.A.S.S. Challenge State Championship, John C. Land

- April 1: Hobie Bass Open Series & Queen City Kayak Bass Fishing

- April 8: Kayak Bass Fishing | CATT, John C. Land

- April 15: Santee Cooper Open Team Tournament, John C. Land

- April 22: Carolina Bass Challenge, John C. Land

- April 27-30: Bassmaster Elite Series, John C. Land

- May 6: Phantom Open, John C. Land

- May 13: Fishers of Men, John C. Land

- May 20: CATT, John C. Land

- May 25-27: National Professional Fishing League, John C. Land

- June 3: Woods to Water, John C. Land

For more information on the upcoming tournaments, log onto the chamber's website, clarendoncounty.com.