Redfish in South Carolina

[jonwelborn]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to saltwater fly fishing. I've done alot of work in ponds for largemouth and have done pretty well with it, but I'm bangin to get into some real water. I'm in Columbia, so my wife and I head to the Isle of Palms often.

I noticed some sites bragging on the reds this time of year in the charleston marshes...Anyone have any help for a newbie? I'm looking for some easy starter stuff, preferably around Isle of Palms. I've got a 9'/ 7wt. rod. Where should I start fishing? What flies? Line? Tippet? I need the works!

Thanks and happy holidays.

,Jon

[captgordon]

What flies?
http://www.flyfish-nc.com/flytying.html

Line?
I like an int tip or full int but a floater will be okay.

Tippet?
10 - 12 lb with a 30 lb shock for oyster shells

Contact Capt Richard Stuhr. He is the best around that area. Just do a google search on his name. Easily found. Good luck.

[Trevor]

You can also try Capt Chris Condon. I fished with him this summer near the Isle of Palms and was amazed at how many more redfish there are in SC than in NC. You have an incredible fishery, so I highly recommend that you take advantage of it. If you are new to salt water fishing, I highly encourage you to hire a guide. There is so much to learn and you can easily get discouraged if you try it on your own. This is the perfect time of the year for reds. One warning: you'll never be the same and fresh water fishing won't matter any more. You're set with a 7 wt. Just do it.

[chasinredfish]

Jon, just something to consider in Columbia. The Congaree river has some great striper fishing that should get started about the time that the dogwoods bloom - about April 1st. It's a heck of a lot more convenient than hauling down to Charleston or Beaufort in the middle of the week. Fishing downstream of the Gervais St bridge has always been great. I've done very well above and below the Blossom St bridge too. It's wadeable as long as the river isn't flowing too hard. Some years, the stripers stay in the river through July 4th. Load up with HEAVY chartreuse/white clousers, maybe a sink tip to get them down a bit. Last light in the spring has always been the most productive time for me but for some reason, the fish just seem to shut off when it gets too dark to see. Be advised though, you will get some strange looks when you start waving a flyrod down there. I always did.

[eng5]

Jon, just something to consider in Columbia. The Congaree river has some great striper fishing that should get started about the time that the dogwoods bloom - about April 1st. It's a heck of a lot more convenient than hauling down to Charleston or Beaufort in the middle of the week. Fishing downstream of the Gervais St bridge has always been great. I've done very well above and below the Blossom St bridge too. It's wadeable as long as the river isn't flowing too hard. Some years, the stripers stay in the river through July 4th. Load up with HEAVY chartreuse/white clousers, maybe a sink tip to get them down a bit. Last light in the spring has always been the most productive time for me but for some reason, the fish just seem to shut off when it gets too dark to see. Be advised though, you will get some strange looks when you start waving a flyrod down there. I always did.
How are you? Since you have fished down there, how is the climate, and is the weather good enough to fish all year round? Tell me a little more about the stripers there, if you could. THanks Joe.

[jonwelborn]

Joe,

I enjoy the fishing here. I mostly fish for largemouth in small ponds (in a pair of waders or a float tube for my flyrod), but i've done some fishing in Lake Murray. Striper fishing is pretty big here, but I've not done alot of it. The climate is typically alot warmer than the rest of the state because we're in a huge sinkhole. I lived in Central/Western Florida for a while and the temp. here is warmer than it was there. I fish year round, but it gets a little chilly in the winter and the fish hole up in cover (as is the case everywhere). Summertime produces alot of action, however, and its easy to have a day with 5-6 decent largemouth if you know your water and your lures. Back towards the striper fishing, Lake Murray produces, the Congaree and Saluda Rivers produce and there's a river east of columbia towards Camden that I can't seem to remember the name of that I've heard good things about as well. Hope this helps.





How are you? Since you have fished down there, how is the climate, and is the weather good enough to fish all year round? Tell me a little more about the stripers there, if you could. THanks Joe.

[chasinredfish]

Joe, the only striper fishing that I've done in Columbia has been in the Congaree river. It's a wadeable river in most spots between the Gervais and Blossom street bridges. A lot of people run the river in flat bottom jon boats but that was never an option for me. Truthfully, I never really needed a boat to catch fish there. The stripers that I've caught are generally small - under 5 pounds - but I have taken fish over 10 pounds. As I mentioned in my previous post, the stripers in the river are there typically in this part of the river from the first day the dogwoods bloom until the water gets too warm - usually June. My most productive fishing has been done with large chartreuse/white clousers, Rhody flat wings, and lavender/white clousers. I'm sure any fly that looks like a shad would do equally well. The current is pretty strong so heavily weighted flies have worked best for me. Some days, the fish will eat any fly on any retrieve. Others days, dead drifting is the only way I was able to catch fish. If you live in the Columbia area, it's a nice way to kill a few hours after work.

As Jon mentioned, the Congaree is the confluence of the Saluda and another river whose name escapes me at the moment. The Saluda flows from Lake Murray and holds stripers year round. There are always stories of people catching mamoth fish from the Saluda. It's a big river and very deep. A boat is a must to flyfish the Saluda.

Weather during prime striper fishing on the Congaree is great. When it gets too hot, the water warms and the fish drop down the river into deeper water. They are in the Congaree in the spring to eat shad. There's no shortage of food in the river. If you can find the shad, you'll find the stripers.