I am a US Coast Guard licensed captain, T.W.I.C. certified and a member of the Board of Directors for the Santee Cooper Country Guides Association.

I have been fishing the Santee Cooper lakes all my life and guiding for 20 years. Living only 20 minutes from the lake system I have fished all over both lakes including the Santee and Cooper rivers.

When I am not fishing I enjoy deer and turkey hunting - maybe I can give you some tips on deer or turkey hunting. We have a long deer hunting season in South Carolina: August 15 - January 1. Turkey hunting season spans from March 15-May 1.

Captain Barney Ulmer

Catfish

You will be fishing out of a 25 foot Crest III Pontoon boat rigged with 12 rod holders. For winter fishing trips the boat is equipped with an enclosed cabin with heaters for your comfort.

Crappie

You will also be fishing from the Crest III Pontoon but the top rail will be removed so that you may fish comfortably sitting down. Most other guide boats on the lake require you to stand up and fish over the rail.

This is one of the best made pontoon boats. It has 25" pontoons making it very steady and safe on the water with lots of room to move around. It even has an enclosed porta-potty.

All boats are equipped with the latest depth finders, electronics, GPS and all Coast Guard approved equipment such as life jackets, VHS radio, first aid kit and fire extinguishers.