Sports
Chuting into Santee Lakes, 1,000 Pounds of Catfish Take a Tumble
The process lasted but a few minutes at each stocking. Within minutes, the lake was alive with splashing cats.
Story and video by Chris Stone
It's all downhill from here—for the catfish at Santee Lakes facing a flood of fishers and summer 2013 itself. Friday was the longest day of the year, and daylight now grows ever shorter after the solstice.
Imperial Catfish Co. supplied the lakes Friday, and 1,000 pounds are trucked in many Fridays from April to August. Two workers emptied a flatbed truck with metal containers—sometimes by hand via large nets and sometimes via three-sided chutes running from the truck, the fish cascading off the end.
It's all downhill from here—for the catfish at Santee Lakes facing a flood of fishers and summer 2013 itself. Friday was the longest day of the year, and daylight now grows ever shorter after the solstice.
Imperial Catfish Co. supplied the lakes Friday, and 1,000 pounds are trucked in many Fridays from April to August. Two workers emptied a flatbed truck with metal containers—sometimes by hand via large nets and sometimes via three-sided chutes running from the truck, the fish cascading off the end.
The process lasted but a few minutes at each stocking. Within minutes, the lake was alive with splashing cats.
North Lake 4 close to shore is considered the best catfish spot, according to the Santee Lakes website. Adult permits are $9 for the day for the public and $6 at night for campers. Juniors, 15 and younger, can fish for $6 a day and $3 for campers. Lakes 6 and 7 are for registered campers only.
Santee Lakes is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to a half-hour before dusk. On Friday through Sunday, it’s 6 a.m. to a half-hour before dusk. Fees are $3 per vehicle on weekdays and $5 per vehicle on weekends and holidays.
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