Fished waaaaaay out my comfort zone on the Ashley yesterday. I fished mainly below 526 towards end of falling, which was probably a poor choice to attempt it. Water was filthy and I wasn’t real comfortable going too deep into creeks with the neg tide.
It amazes me how different 3 rivers so close in proximity can be so totally different. There is the Wando with its sea of oysters. The Cooper, with way less shells but drops, points and creeks everywhere. And the Ashley, which I haven’t explored intensely, but with its mud, vast expanses of shallows, and more mud.
I will try her again, on a mellower tide and sunnier day, but I sure haven’t seen a whole lot of “Tore them up on the Ashley” reports.
In a sick way, that is what makes the Ashley more appealing!
Hay vinman,
I just moved here on the Ashley and have been Fishin it hard!
Somedays I spend 12 hrs out Fishin, but it seems 7 or so fish is a great day for that river.
I never find anything on the flats except one fish that must be lost?lol
Let me know next time you headed out and mabey we could tag team the river, I found a few good
Spots but they seem to only stay there until I catch 3 or so then they just stop biting.
I am the guy you talked to at the dock with the Boston whaler.
I am also very curious to learn about the wando but know nothing about it.
Vin, I personally won’t fish the ashley unless it’s catch and release.
there’s been tons of waste dumped in that river over the years that wasn’t supposed to be, the mercury and phosphate levels are usually pretty high too…
I remember shrimping it back in the mid 80’s at night and watching the shrimp glow blue florescent, there was even reports on the nightly news of some of them actually exploding once they hit air… that was it for me and the Ashley…
I will shrimp it right at the mouth of the harbor, but fish it? not me… tons of fish in it I’m sure, because locals know better than to fish it… watch the dhec reports on it, they rise and fall like the tide
wando had some bad numbers for awhile there too, personally I’ve always loved the stono
People always say that about the Ashley. But its all tidal, so the sludge in there would be in the harbor and the other rivers as well. But if you wanna stay out if the Ashley be my guest. More for me! But vinman hit the nail on the head, all the rivers are a world if difference! Some people just can’t fish the Ashley becauseof there string suits fishing the wando or coop. I like the stono as well. Probably the mist diverse from stono inlet to wadmalaw sound, the creeks off of it and the ICW and kiawah are great. Everybody stays on the wando side of town… but hey, let’s keep it that way!
Hunter P. Hames
11’ Tarpon 100
19’ Sea Fox 125 merc
People always say that about the Ashley. But its all tidal, so the sludge in there would be in the harbor and the other rivers as well. But if you wanna stay out if the Ashley be my guest. More for me! … Everybody stays on the wando side of town… but hey, let’s keep it that way!
Hunter P. Hames
11’ Tarpon 100
19’ Sea Fox 125 merc
I hear you! I should have never let the cat out of the bag… lol
but unfortuately the part about the tide taking care of things is not true… go read the dhec reports yourself
the last time I checked, which was in the middle of shrimp season, dhec still recommended that you don’t eat fish from hwy 17 in… which is basically the whole river because 17 is at it’s mouth
have at it though! notice the ring on your boat after a days fishing, I’d wash it off on your way home at one of the many self car washes…
Good stuff, Rich. Whats amazig is the Cooper is unscathed (or untested). There was an article in the P&C at the end of summer declaring it one of the most poluted rivers around. Accumulated contamination by companies that each are within compliance. Money, money, money!
I’m no scientist, but chances are (for the most part) fish are safer now than they have ever been in my 44 years. Regulations are tighter, public awareness is greater. Acceptable tolerances are MUCH lower. I hope so anyway. Too much research may kil the buzz of fishing for me!
Could do catch and release and head to the store to buysome talapia. Google that on an empty stomach.
It is much better. In 1968 when I went to the Citadel boys camp there were suds and brown trout in the Ashley. You couldn’t sail unless every scrape was covered with waterproof bandage. Boston Harbor was dead, Lake Erie was dead.
