CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Kyle Austin has lived around the shores of the Santee Cooper Lakes for 28 years and has never seen Lakes Marion and Moultrie fish as well as they are right now. The history books have been put on notice ahead of the Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes.
“It is fishing as good as it ever has. The 90s were the heydays of Santee Cooper Lakes, and I would say it is back and the best it’s ever been,” the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier presented by Bass Pro Shops pro said. “Certainly, the best I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. I think it will be the best tournament the Elite Series has seen here.
“I expect it to take between 110 pounds and 120 pounds to win.”
Tournament days are scheduled for May 14-17. The field of 99 anglers will launch from John C. Land III Boat Landing beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in starting at 2:30 p.m. After the Day 2 weigh-in, the field will be cut to the Top 50 pros before the Top 10 compete for a chance at $100,000 and a blue trophy on Championship Sunday.
Covering 110,000 and 60,000 acres respectively, Lakes Marion and Moultrie are the titans of the southeast, earning seventh in the 2025 edition of the Bassmaster Top 100 Lakes ranking and second in the southeast division.
The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series has visited three times since 2020, each tournament producing giant stringers of largemouth. Luke Palmer won the last Elite event in 2023 with a four-day total weighing 96 pounds, 14 ounces. The next year, Austin won the Bassmaster Open with a three-day mark of 83-7.
This go-round will be much different, and somehow even better, according to Austin, who is a catfish and bass guide on Santee Cooper. Submergent vegetation, primarily hydrilla and eelgrass, has exploded throughout both fisheries, unlocking more areas where the bass can hide and feed. Tournament weights have been stunning, with multiple tournaments taking well over 30 pounds to win and several 10-pounders anchoring limits.
That includes postspawn derbies from the last two weeks, which this Elite Series event will effectively be.
“This is by far the most grass there’s been in the lakes since I’ve been alive,” Austin said. “And there is 10 times more grass than there was since the last time the Elite Series was here. I’d say both lakes are fishing equally well right now.”
Very little rain has fallen over the Carolinas this spring, which has the water the cleanest Austin has ever seen.
“There’s like 8 feet of visibility,” the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour qualifier remarked. “It’s like fishing in an aquarium.”
The sister lakes have their own unique personality. Moultrie is the older of the two and has fewer cypress trees while Marion is the deeper lake with thousands of cypress trees resting along and in the water.
“During the spawn, the water will fluctuate on Moultrie, and those bass do not like it,” Austin said. “This time, the bass will be more offshore using the deeper grass and stuff so I don’t see the water level being a huge problem.”
Austin anticipates multiple patterns to shine across the two lakes in this non-FFS derby. For one, a threadfin shad spawn should be occurring early in the mornings, particularly on Lake Marion, a good way for anglers to achieve a quality limit quickly if they find it.
Around the thousands of cypress trees, a wacky worm is always a standout while frogging and flipping around shallow vegetation should be productive as well. For pros focusing on the offshore vegetation and brushpiles, Austin anticipates seeing big worms like a Strike King Zeus Worm and topwaters to be the most effective techniques.
“I think whoever wins it will be utilizing both lakes,” Austin added. “It wouldn’t surprise me to see someone start above the I-95 bridge in the swamp on Lake Marion and end up at the bottom end of Marion or even in Lake Moultrie by the end of the day.”
Coverage of the 2026 Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes will be available throughout the weekend, including Bassmaster LIVE coverage on Bassmaster.com, FS1 and FOX. Visit Bassmaster.com for the full live schedule.
Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the tournament.