Where are the boat launches on the combahee?
Do the stripers usually hit on the rising tide or falling (or does it matter)? On the lakes, they seem to hit best late at night until the sun just comes up.
I would love to finally catch a saltwater striper!
Catch and Release, catch 'em again!
Thanks
One right there on 17 and closer to the coast is Bennetts Pt.
J Ford
J16 cc Carolina Skiff “Hydro Therapy”
hit the one near 17.the fish are very close to this area.atleast they were not so long ago.
14 ft oldtown “troutkiller”
How shallow and treacherous is the water in the Combahee around 17? I want to look for some stripers this winter down there but don’t know the water. I have a flats boat w/ a trolling motor. How do you go about looking for them in the rivers? I grew up catching them in the lakes but would love to catch one in the river.
I have fished upstream from the 17 landing, and it isn’t any different than most creeks in the area. The creek is large and fairly deep with a lot of grass on the sides. I was fishing in a company tournament, and mostly for largemouth. The creek is large and fairly deep with a lot of grass on the sides. Didn’t see much in the way of oysters. I was told that south of 17 there were some sand bars that could be tricky. I would think a flats boat would not have any problem.
My understanding from the locals is that the same jigs you used in the lake will work in the river too. Trolling is the preferred method.
17 Trophy-Merc 90
Trailered down to Steel Bridge on Monday looking for stripers. I never caught or saw any. I saw a number of fish break the surface, once a whole school. However, they looked smaller and didn’t “bust” like stripers do when schooling. I have no idea what they were, but they didn’t want my grub. I worked some banks and trolled some broke back Rebels- nothing. I did mark some fish holding to the bottom in 8-18 ft. What kind of fish are around there other than stripers. I did’t mark anything by the bridge and didn’t have any bucktails heavy enough to fish the way the current was ripping, but I am guessing they are there sometimes. How can I locate the stripers?
FT, most likely those were gars.
The best way to locate stripers is to go where they are…in the lakes…and hire a guide.
■■■■■■■■■■■■ is right. Unless you live close to the Combahee and can fish it all of the time, it is a hit and miss for rockfish. Either they are there or they aren’t. You can catch any variety of fish there from bream and largemouth to spottails and trout. You have to know the spots and the techniques. If you are close to Columbia, might have better luck trying the Saluda and you can just about always catch something in Murray. The spots I fish in the Combahee I have fished for a good while and someone was nice enough to put me on the fish one time, so I have a few good spots. But if ya’ll think you can just go down there and magically catch a boat load of fish - It ain’t happening. There are some guys on here that fish that area alot and they post that they catch a lot of fish and people call B.S. on it but they are telling the truth. 1. They are fishing there when the fish are there and 2. They know how to catch em. They do their home-work and are rewarded with some nice fish. I’m not busting anybody’s chops. I just see a lot of stuff on here recently about the Combahee and I think the impression is that its a magic river or something! It’s great when the fish are holding there but I have been skunked many of times in that river. I have also caught some big red’s and flounder. I know one guy was catching crap on here for not giving up his favorite spots in the Combahee. I can tell you that those spots he fishes were earned with a lot of expensive gas burned and many man-hours of fishing to find those spots.
“My wound is geography.” “It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
kloudking1
I’m not going back b/c it was a lot further than I remembered. I was just looking to change things up a little from chasing the same schools of frozen reds I have been harassing all winter and will continue my search for river stripers closer to home.
Also, they weren’t gar. I have seen plenty-o-gar on Murray and Hartwell while striper fishing and these were something different.
I sure as hell wouldn’t post my spots here either. Like you said it takes to much effort to find them to just post on the www. I would share techniques on how to find spots though and what to look for. Isn’t sharing knowledge one of the main points of this thing?
Indeed it is…most of us just don’t like to get TOO specific. 
The reason I suggested gar (and didn’t mean to imply you don’t know your fish id) is b/c I have fished the Combahee 5 or 6 times in the last 2 months and they are the only fish I’ve seen busting on top. For some reason, it is slap “eat up” with the nasty things.
thanks kloud.my partner gets down there far more than i do and he gets skunked sometimes also.its a matter of knowing where they have been in the past during conditions that are the same as the day you are there.also the locals that rockfish will tell you of spots that are good.i had a guy at the landing at 17 telling me of a spot that me and the old man had fished many times.i just smiled ,thanked him
and put the boat in the water.anyway…thanks for lookin out.
man-up or shut-up
Another great river to striper fish on is the saluda behind the Greenwood dam. They are always running water this time of year and that gets the fish going. I’ve had some good days back there.
I was talking with a guy last season at work and he fishes the Wateree River below the dam and catches a lot of stripers there. Haven’t tried it but am going to hit the saluda pretty hard this spring behind the zoo. I haven’t caught a fish there yet but am gonna try this year.
“My wound is geography.” “It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
kloudking1
I was talking with a guy last season at work and he fishes the Wateree River below the dam and catches a lot of stripers there. Haven’t tried it but am going to hit the saluda pretty hard this spring behind the zoo. I haven’t caught a fish there yet but am gonna try this year.
“My wound is geography.” “It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
kloudking1
The problem with the saluda/congaree has been the lack of fish in lake Marion. SCDNR is trying to figure it out. I’ve had spectacular fishing there before but not in the past few years.
KK1, call me man, I wanna try my luck in there too, I have “new” lure to try out.
Garry 920-6907
Garry,
How about sunday or monday morn? I’ll call you this weekend.
“My wound is geography.” “It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
kloudking1