Santee Cooper Lakes CatfishnFool Fishing Guide Service offers guided fishing trips specializing in Catfish, Crappie, and Bream, led by Captain Wayne Vining on Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie, and the Diversion Canal — collectively known worldwide as the Santee Cooper Lakes in South Carolina. Captain Wayne is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed guide with more than 40 years of fishing experience, including a stint competing as an ESPN Bassmaster Angler in his “glory days.”
Trips run aboard a new 30-foot pontoon with an enclosure to keep guests dry in unpredictable weather, drifting for big catfish most days and anchoring when conditions call for it, with summer fishing especially productive as big cats feed actively. Guests can’t decide between catfish or crappie and bream? No problem — trips can be split half a day each. Captain Wayne furnishes everything needed except a fishing license, food, and drinks (beer is fine, no liquor).
The business runs on a genuinely guest-friendly policy: a No-Fish No-Pay guarantee, kids 15 and under fishing free with a paying adult, and if a guest lands a fish 45 lbs or over, their next trip is entirely free. All-day guided trips start at $300, with fish cleaning included, making it an affordable day trip or weekend outing about an hour from Columbia and Charleston. Beyond fishing, Captain Wayne also offers family lake tours, real estate tours, and wildlife charters, and can help arrange accommodations for visiting anglers.
For anglers and families looking for an affordable, guarantee-backed catfish, crappie, or bream fishing trip on the Santee Cooper Lakes, CatfishnFool Fishing Guide Service offers a well-established operation with 40-year veteran Captain Wayne Vining.
