there is not a real large population of stripers in the cooper.they are harder to find than other fish.i learned about fishin saltwater stripers from the time i was 8 or so.up and down the east coast with the father.the riverene stripers are the hardest to catch.if you are patient and dont mind long cold boatrides sometimes,you will find them.do a search on riverene stripers(ace basin).good reading.
by the way…you need a big rod with 20lb test with a bigger mono leader for fishing for these fish.i use a 8ft ugly stick with a mitchell 302(old school)reel.especially around pilings,bridges,etc.i do use a slightly smaller rod to throw smaller jigs also.
Willy,
Sorry I haven’t checked back in a while. Try in the “ACE” basin. There is a spillway under the road on Bear Island Rd. and at high tide the water really rips out of the spiilway. We have caught them there off the bank using big deep diving broken back rebels. In the other rivers try to locate where the water is coming out of the rice gates and float or bottom finger mullet about six to eight inches long right up next to the spillway. You’ll either catch big rockfish or big reds. Either way its a lot of fun!
“My wound is geography.” “It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
'ace" basin is the ashepoo,combehee,and edisto rivers.color is gonna depend on the water.when i first looked at that lure i thought it was the same.its not,but its close to the same.i dont see them on ebay right now.i emailed the seller to see if he has any.
Willy,
Sorry I haven’t checked back in a while. Try in the “ACE” basin. There is a spillway under the road on Bear Island Rd. and at high tide the water really rips out of the spiilway. We have caught them there off the bank using big deep diving broken back rebels. In the other rivers try to locate where the water is coming out of the rice gates and float or bottom finger mullet about six to eight inches long right up next to the spillway. You’ll either catch big rockfish or big reds. Either way its a lot of fun!
donno what happened but from Ryan Poe:
this place is called PEA FARM. and i mean the water HAULS thru there. but it is a documented good bank fishing spot for stripers.
the old bossman fishes Steel Bridge area of the combahee river for stripers as well. he freelines live baits behind the boat and also trolls bucktails with black rubber worms on the hook. < artificial eel, like used for cobe’s.>
pescador:
ya may wanna check out a map or 2 to decide what waters you wanna fish. The ACE BASIN is a really large tract of land/water owned by the US Gov. there are lots of landings in the area that access it .
i have heard some stories of the freshwater marshes and when they dried out, largemouth bass 7, 8, 9 pounds could be caught barehanded and copperhead bream weighing a pound or better were caught every day on fly rod <by my dad , when he was courting my mom>.Ducks<greenheads> flew in like clouds of mosquitos. many of the states largest horns were harvested off bucks there. turkeys were like canada geese in fields. Donnelly tract <previously called “SAVAGE PLACE”> was once owned by the grandfather and 6 other guys. they sold it to the government because there were disputes between the owners, and the only thing that could be agree upon was that it should be saved in the pure/ serene condition it was in.
drawn hunts are available thru the SCDNR.
<great job on thinking ahead for future generations>
i believe that it is to be a sanctuary forever, never to be developed. but i am not 100% sure of the time frame , but since the 70’s until…
sorry to hijack the thread
sorry to be “bragging”- if thats what it is???
and sorry to be so longwinded.
i am very proud of my family leniage(sp) and what my grandfather accomplished in his time. i hope everyone has a family history as interresting mine.
thanks for all the info fellows.ive been a striper fisherman for virtually all my life,so i understand the methods.i was really looking for some spots down there to try.it looks like you gave me some spots.will have to figure out exactly where they are.im also putting a acoustic gig back together right now,(been a guitar,bass player,singer)for 20+ years.just getting back into it after a long layoff,so im puttin alot of time into that right now.probably wont be on here much for awhile.
by the way…a friend caught a few in the cooper the other day.definately still in the freshwater right now…again thanks everybody.
fished the combahee this morning from the bank fishing very close to a “manmade” structure.fished mullet from both a float and on bottom.bottom was very successful.caught 6 in the few hours i was there.got there and realized i didnt have the wifes dig camera.boy,was i cussin.biggest fish was around 20 lbs.smallest was probably 7 or 8.they are definately biting and the cool water temp has them in the brackish to saltwater areas now.nice cool day.also caught 3 spottails in the same place.of course all stripers were released.
I hope they are still hitting in a week or so. Have to work in Raleigh next week but am going to try to get down there next weekend. Willy, a buddy of mine was down there today. First time there and I don’t think he caught anything. I’ll take him with me next week. Maybe we’ll have some luck.
“My wound is geography.” “It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”