Hi fellas and gals.
Ive been reading alot if the different forms and reports the last year or so since me and the wife finally got us a nice boat thats comfortable for us to fish inshore or nearshore.
We’ve fished out of steam boat land numerous times and never really do any good.
Still learning the area.
But lately we have been going to the combahee about once a week and we do pretty good. We’ve caught everything from flounder to nice size sharks. Even up river in brackish water and even rays way up the river in fresh water when we’re going after catfish.
My question for everyone is i never read any reports of other people fishing the combahee river. And I never really see other fisherman other than the crabers that have loaded the river up with crab pots. Do anyone else fish this river and do you do any good. Thanx jriverrat
Ill post some pics in the next few days.
Its alot closer drive for us.
I used to fish the Combahee on a regular basis, mostly north of the Cherokee plantation. Very good redbreast and crappie waters. Largemouth bass in the lily pads were also a lot of fun. I haven’t fished it in 10 years or so. Beautiful place, the boat ride alone is worth it.
oc
1810 Action Craft
I think it’s mostly polluted these days. Nasty. I wouldn’t waste my time.
When I want you to have an opinion, I’ll give it to you…
I’ve loaded up on reds and trout there. Look for the high bank and fish around the structure.
I’ve fished Combahee (CmB) from above Public Landing to the mouth. That’s about 45 miles of river. CmB is a beautiful river with every type of inshore fish you can imagine, both fresh and saltwater. Like any river, there is a learning curve. I have been skunked plenty of times. But, I have also done well at times.
I usually put in at Steel Bridge to fish the lower river for redfish, flounder, and trout. I sometimes put in at Public Landing and run downriver 10 miles or so for redfish, then come back to the Public Landing area for freshwater panfish. Be careful from Auld Brass dock and above. There are lots of snags just under the water. You can see these when the tide is ripping, but they are hard to see near slack tides. The only drawback is the upper, freshwater section gets crowded on the weekends, especially with swimmers at Public landing after lunch. Best to fish early in that area and leave before lunch.
There are multiple connections from Combahee to the Wimbee area. Wimbee landing offers quick access to the lower Combahee through a “cut-through” in Schooner Channel. The Wimbee landing used to have a wicked dropoff on lower stages of the tide. I have not launched from there lately. I usually start redfishing in CmB after the July 4th crowds are gone, and fish there until the Broad River fishing picks up after Labor Day. I don’t like dealing with all the tiny sharks in the Broad in June and July. The brackish section of CmB is shark free.
Rain has a big effect on the brackish water fishing in the middle section of the river. There are some huge gators, lots of bird life, and many things to see, especially in the upper CmB, if you just want to Ride-n-see.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
quote:
Originally posted by WarblerI think it’s mostly polluted these days. Nasty. I wouldn’t waste my time.
When I want you to have an opinion, I’ll give it to you…
Polluted? explain, cause I’d love to know why you say this…
Jriverrat, this is my favorite river, what landing you putting in at? Be careful at Sugar Hill, 
.
If you choose not to fish a wonderful scenic river! If you choose to fish a wonderful productive river.
Ask away and I’ll give you an unbiased answer to anything I can.
Trout are wayyyy out at the end of the river, red fish are all the way up to the tea house (probably beyond with this dry spell), cat fish… 
everywhere, Red breast fish up from the tea house beetle spin tipped with a cricket or a red roster tail or a pink worm(live) on the bottom with a gold hook and large mouth bass…
use your imagination and a variety of artificials.
The only polluter I know of is the Yemassee treatment plant discharge between Public Landing and Hwy 17. I assume DHEC stays on top of that. Upper CmB is heavily forrested, which I would think acts as a filter. The water is clear/tannic, not usually muddy. There is no industry, that I know of, dumping into CmB and few yards/golf courses, etc. dumping yard care chemicals. CmB is probably one of the least polluted rivers, and certainly one of the most beautiful.
Fred67 gives some good info. However, when the weather gets dry with no recent rains and the dirt roads get sandy, the brackish water can shift way upriver.
Also, the brackish water/fresh water line pushes downriver a few miles on outgoing tide, and upriver on incoming tide. So, in the Tea House area, for example, you might have a better chance of catching reds on the incoming tide.
When it is really dry, I have caught shrimp at Steel Bridge, seen mullet jumping near Public Landing, and have caught small trout at Bluff Plantation. It is also not unusual to find trout, again mostly small ones, in the upper Salt Break area and in the Wimbee Landing/Schooner Channel areas and below. As Fred said, the nicer trout are way down.
Lots of rain can mess things up for a while and push the saltwater fish way downriver. I bought a salinity gauge used for saltwater aquariums at PETCO. The only place it seems to predict good fishing is in Combahee. I sometimes take a salinity reading at the landing, and go upriver or downriver based on that.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
quote:
Originally posted by Fred67quote:
Originally posted by WarblerI think it’s mostly polluted these days. Nasty. I wouldn’t waste my time.
When I want you to have an opinion, I’ll give it to you…
Polluted? explain, cause I’d love to know why you say this…
Jriverrat, this is my favorite river, what landing you putting in at? Be careful at Sugar Hill,
If you choose not to fish a wonderful scenic river! If you choose to fish a wonderful productive river.
Ask away and I’ll give you an unbiased answer to anything I can.
Trout are wayyyy out at the end of the river, red fish are all the way up to the tea house (probably beyond with this dry spell), cat fish…
Last time I was at Sugar Hill, there was a sign posted that advised limiting or eliminating consumption of certain fish from the Combahee.
When I want you to have an opinion, I’ll give it to you…
The warning signs are common at many landings, not just those on CmB. There may be heavy metal sediments in the bottom of the river from years of discharge from the Yemassee treatment plant. I usually fish catch and release for redfish. That way, the only pollutants you get are those that come from your cooler!
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
quote:
Originally posted by Warbler[quote]Originally posted by Fred67
[quote]Originally posted by Warbler
Last time I was at Sugar Hill, there was a sign posted that advised limiting or eliminating consumption of certain fish from the
Warbler I think every landing in the ace basin has that sign. I’ve ask and never received any proof on the mercury contamination the signs are posted for. Mercury is a naturally occurring element and not necessarily form mans waste. My dad is 82 and been eating out that river all his life , me too. I don’t let it worry me.
Find me some solid proof and I’ll buy you a drink of your choice.
The panfish in the upper river probably feed mostly on insects. I would think they are not contaminated.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
Fred67 I sent u a pm
jason
Big Agriculture runoff is the culprit. Been that way for 30 yrs. It’s one of the top 10 polluted rivers in the U.S.
2004 Scout 187 Sportfish
115 Yamaha
Source?
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
Ok, this is a little dated, but I don’t see Combahee in this list, and I doubt that the water quality in the Combahee has declined drastically since 1996, at least not enough to make this list:
SEPTEMBER 2, 1996
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE: THE 50 MOST POLLUTED RIVERS IN THE COUNTRY
Source: Environmental Working Group. Compiled from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Toxics Release Inventory 1990-1994.
Rank River/Waterbody States with toxic discharges contributing to water pollution Total pounds of
direct toxic
discharges to water
(1990-1994)
1 Mississippi River TN, AR, LA, MO, IL, MN, WI, IA, KY, MS 702,496,748
2 Pacific Ocean OR, HI, CA 35,195,908
3 Ohio River IL, IN, OH, KY, WV, PA 22,072,491
4 Tennessee River KY, TN, AL 22,031,743
5 Houston Ship Channel TX 18,235,338
6 Ward Cove AK 14,261,169
7 Savannah River GA, SC 13,968,965
8 Delaware River DE, PA, NJ 13,329,248
9 Thames River CT 13,312,639
10 Grays Harbor WA 10,840,795
11 Rock River IL, WI 8,165,469
12 Straits Of Juan De Fuca WA 7,899,229
13 Amelia River FL 7,461,070
14 Gravelly Run VA 6,330,209
15 Calcasieu River LA 5,427,508
16 Ouachita River AR, LA 4,925,933
17 Mobile River AL 4,572,055
18 Columbia River WA, OR 4,368,387
19 Holston River TN 4,098,240
20 Genesee River NY 3,672,733
21 Kansas River KS 3,420,965
22 Martins Creek MS 3,339,065
23 Indiana Harbor Ship Canal IN 2,578,038
24 Brazos River TX 2,442,430
25 Cuyahoga River OH 2,427,663
26 Patapsco River MD 2,329,123
27 Kanawha River WV 2,320,910
28 Susquehanna River PA, NY 2,144,339
29 Quinnipiac River CT 2,105,384
30 Fenholloway River FL 1,896,369
31 Cedar River IA 1,881,803
32 Everett Harbor WA 1,749,650
33 Hudson River NJ, NY 1,729,084
34 Missouri River NE, KS, MO, ND, IA 1,727,759
35 Neches River TX 1,645,307
36 Alabama River AL 1,613,809
37 Escambia Bay FL 1,568,522
38 Wisconsin River WI 1,553,152
39 Wabash River IL, IN, OH 1,532,308
40 Blackwater River VA 1,488,346
41 Detroit River MI 1,449,750
42 Little Attapulgus Creek GA 1,431,183
43 Androsco
I know that there is a huge tomato farm just north of Yamassee. It is probably in the watershed of the Salkehatchie river that eventually becomes the Combahee. That might be the source of pollution if there is pollution.
oc
quote:
Originally posted by specOk, this is a little dated, but I don’t see Combahee in this list, and I doubt that the water quality in the Combahee has declined drastically since 1996, at least not enough to make this list:
SEPTEMBER 2, 1996
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE: THE 50 MOST POLLUTED RIVERS IN THE COUNTRY
Source: Environmental Working Group. Compiled from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Toxics Release Inventory 1990-1994.
Rank River/Waterbody States with toxic discharges contributing to water pollution Total pounds of
direct toxic
discharges to water
(1990-1994)
1 Mississippi River TN, AR, LA, MO, IL, MN, WI, IA, KY, MS 702,496,748
2 Pacific Ocean OR, HI, CA 35,195,908
3 Ohio River IL, IN, OH, KY, WV, PA 22,072,491
4 Tennessee River KY, TN, AL 22,031,743
5 Houston Ship Channel TX 18,235,338
6 Ward Cove AK 14,261,169
7 Savannah River GA, SC 13,968,965
8 Delaware River DE, PA, NJ 13,329,248
9 Thames River CT 13,312,639
10 Grays Harbor WA 10,840,795
11 Rock River IL, WI 8,165,469
12 Straits Of Juan De Fuca WA 7,899,229
13 Amelia River FL 7,461,070
14 Gravelly Run VA 6,330,209
15 Calcasieu River LA 5,427,508
16 Ouachita River AR, LA 4,925,933
17 Mobile River AL 4,572,055
18 Columbia River WA, OR 4,368,387
19 Holston River TN 4,098,240
20 Genesee River NY 3,672,733
21 Kansas River KS 3,420,965
22 Martins Creek MS 3,339,065
23 Indiana Harbor Ship Canal IN 2,578,038
24 Brazos River TX 2,442,430
25 Cuyahoga River OH 2,427,663
26 Patapsco River MD 2,329,123
27 Kanawha River WV 2,320,910
28 Susquehanna River PA, NY 2,144,339
29 Quinnipiac River CT 2,105,384
30 Fenholloway River FL 1,896,369
31 Cedar River IA 1,881,803
32 Everett Harbor WA 1,749,650
33 Hudson River NJ, NY 1,729,084
34 Missouri River NE, KS, MO, ND, IA 1,727,759
35 Neches River TX 1,645,307
36 Alabama River AL 1,613,809
37 Escambia Bay FL 1,568,522
38 Wisconsin River WI 1,55
This whole discussion is crazy to me. Maybe sarcastic to deter new fishermen first time I have heard any of this.
Combahee is a beautiful river. I don’t get all this pollution talk either. The fish I catch there seem healthy and happy. The plant, reptile, and bird life all seem healthy. Kids swim at Public Landing. There is no chemical smell to the water. If some of ya’ll want to avoid it - OK - more fish for me!
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
My son has been wanting to try fresh water fishing so I drove out to the public landing yesterday to look around.Beautiful river , Ill be taking the boat up there soon to try for catfish. Concerning the "top ten polluted rivers ", I can only assume the poster was kidding. Its actually very clean and improving.One of the cleaner rivers in Beaufort county and the state.
Source : EPA watershed quality assessment report,2012, CSTL-111
Source : SCDNR, State waters quality report.
Source : SC DEHC,Watershed 03050207-07 ( Combahee River) Site CSTL-111, monitoring station below the Yemassee sewage outfall and site CSTL -098, near the hwy 17 bridge.
Source: South Carolina USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, summary of natural resource concerns in South Carolina,2007.
I believe this should clear up any pollution issues.