took the wife monday after work, ended up with 5 stripers, one close to 30", all caught on cut bait. first time this year I’ve seen the fish tearing up top water, we were set up in 3 ft of water behind a sand bar, tried a striper swiper with no luck.
1756 triton
What river?
kloudking1
sorry, the congaree
so, cut bait on the bottom? People I talk to at the Saluda think live bait under a float works well but I would like to try both right above the zoo bridge from the bank. What kind of cut bait? I am counting on catching my own bait this evening when I go. I feel pretty confident I can net some of those small bait fish around the rocks(not sure what they are, small and flat and silver) or catch brim on a rooster tail. Any suggestions?
Trying to learn all I can ASAP. Thanks!
Cut bait works very well in the Saluda. Try cut shad, bream or trout (if you can catch any). From what I have heard lately the threadfin shad are thick around the rocks behind the zoo-you shouldn’t have any problem catching a good supply with a cast net.
Live bait on the bottom works well also, as do whole dead baits. If you are going to fish on the bottom in that area, I’d recommend fishing downriver from the main current-it is rock city close to the rapids & you will get hung up almost every cast if you fish on the bottom there.
Good luck
Megalops…we plan on being about 50 -75 yards above the bridge which is I guess about 100 yards below the main rocks. I hope that will do the trick.
Sounds about right.
I like using whole shad, hook them in the nose and tail then squeeze the belly till it pops, that seems to work great for me. I’m planning on trying the Congaree in the morning when I get off of work. Hope they are biting!
Jebb he is right about the hang-ups. I grew up in that neighborhood on the other side from the Zoo and fished it all my life. I love the fishing there, but you will get hung up a lot if you fish bottom. I know because I have lost tons of hooks and weights down there. Often time you can through some type of Rebel or Rapala on top and do well. Also try catching Brim or even better Trout. The reason the Trout are so good near the Dam is they are running from the Striper. If you can get below the zoo you can walk out to the bend in the river…if you do throw toward the big rock…you’ll know it when you get out there…or look up river about 100 yards to the lil island…if you throw towards the little hole on the west Columbia side by the island there are always nice Striper there. Whatever you do if you hang a big fish be ready to move and follow that fish…I don’t care if you have to get wet…hang on cause there are some huge fish down there and you will pop the line if you try to horse the fish in… I wish you the best and let us know how you do. God Bless, Coach B
Best baits are Trout, Herring, Brim, and then Shad in that order…got to love the trout for bait…thanks Trout Unlimited 
Coach B Herring
Columbia, SC
CoachB@TeamFCA.com
Is it any wonder Jesus choose Fisherman for his disciples?
Ok, I can attest to the hang ups! Went last night and popped the line 3 times. I fished a live bait under a cork as well but nothing. I tried to cast net some bait around the rocks but was only able to get a few baby brim and some of the other small fish that hang around the rocks…(flat, silver with a spot on them) Anyway, we tried until about sundown with no luck. I think a big part of my problem was not being able to get my float rig very far out in the river. I think it was fairly shallow where I was fishing.
Thanks to all of you for the great info…sure speeds up the learning process.
Another question…where is the best place to get the shad? I am assuming around the rocks but havent seen any yet the couple of times I have gone out there. My biggest challenge so far is getting the bait. I would love to use trout for bait but I imagine you would need a boat and plenty of time to catch them and still have time to fish. Coach B, I plan on trying that spot next time I go out there…Ya’ll have given me more hope!
Hey well the fish are there…even Large Mouth although folks say they aren’t. Its all about timeing, location, and presentation. Most of the big Striper I have caught have been early in the morning or about an hour before and after dark. As for catching shad…do what you can, but why waste time…just ride over to Lake World and pick up some Herring. If you find that you can go about 4pm or earlier go up river to James Metts landing and catch the trout…you can get 3 or 4 in less then an hour on corn…then head down river…however to keep them alive you’ll need air. Lake World normally has something that can get the job done for just a little $. If you want to try it in a boat I’d be more than happy to take you on one of my trips. You get $ for the bait and your drinks…I’ll get the gas and everything else includeing rods etc. God Bless, Coach B
Coach B Herring
Columbia, SC
CoachB@TeamFCA.com
Is it any wonder Jesus choose Fisherman for his disciples?
Guys,
I use to salmon fish in california on bottom in rocks and you can make a weight that wont hang up real easy. It’s called the slinky weight. Take about a six inch peice of hollow parachute cord from army/navy store downtown on main street. Melt one end and squeeze it together" Hot/pain", then fill the tube up with splitshot and melt the top to seal up the tube and squeeze it together. “More Pain”. Make sure the sealed area is about 1/2" long. Take a hook and make a hole in the sealed part and then slide it on your line so it is now a slinky slip sinker. Then tie on a swivel and a leader and your in business. No more snags = catch more fish.
kloudking1
Ok sounds great, but I’d have to get you to show me that one…but if it works I’d use it down there. You should see this new lure I got while fishing on Lake Jocassee out of Hoyett’s Tackle Shop. Its about a six inch trout that only goes about 3 feet deep and suspends. Its very life like, and I think will be awesome on the river just haven’t had time to try it yet. I am hopeing to next week. Thats all for today…God Bless, Coach B Herring
PS: just joined http://www.striped-bass-fishing.com/ hope to see other of you on there as well as here.
Coach B Herring
Columbia, SC
CoachB@TeamFCA.com
Is it any wonder Jesus choose Fisherman for his disciples?
I’ll try to make some up next week and drop em off at lake-world for you to try out.
kloudking1
Hey that would be awesome. I should be by there most everyday this week. Just got moved into a place at Jakes while I go back to Grad school, and I hope that’s going to give me more opportunities to fish. Last night was my first night there and man I got up for work…and almost called in sick it looked so nice. Folks have a great day and let us know how you did this weekend. God Bless,
Coach B Herring
Columbia, SC
CoachB@TeamFCA.com
Is it any wonder Jesus choose Fisherman for his disciples?
Cola SC ‘1962’ I was 12 and my brother was 10 yr Our dad would drop us off Down by the river to fish .We had to walk about 1/2 mile to get to the water .The River was nasty from city waste being dumped in it You would get the damest things on your line ( Toilet paper and such). When we caught a … Ladies idem …We quit fishing there , few fish any way and we were scared to eat them …
In 1982 I had heard from my brother that the river had been cleaned up and the Rockfish were back I returned to the spot with my son about 8 years ago There was a large parking lot where my dad had droped us off . But on the river side of the lot you could still see a small path leading down to the water
on the left side of the lot was a ZOO.
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