I'm gonna figure out a way to fish this bit of river

[Newt]

I'm relocated from Florida to South Carolina and looking for likely places to fish. The Catawba River is only 5-6 miles from where I'm staying and it has stretches of deepish, slow water and shallow areas where the current moves through at 2-3 mph with a really tricky bottom.

 

The deeper parts would make more sense for fishing but I'm intrigued by some of the shallows and really want to figure out how to target the catfish & carp I'm sure are available in decent numbers. I paid my first visit to one of the shallow areas today and now I just have to figure out the best way to fish it from the bank since kayaks are about the only boats that can manage these sections and I don't have one.

 

An aerial view of the river in the pictures below below. You can see a parking area to the left side of the photo.

 

This is the beginning of a shallow section about a mile long

 

Slightly further along this same section

 

And about 1/4 mile further along at one of the last places I can reasonably walk to with enough open bank to consider fishing

[poledark]

Try the nearest closest to bank likely spot first, those snags look quite frightening

 

Been some serious floding at some time past.

 

Den (wish I was with you)

[Phone]

Den,

 

Nothiing a little 80lb PowerPro can't handle. You've observed a MAJOR difference we often face. Behind (or in front of) each of those structures can be a hole containing a "specimen". We need to learn to "pole fish" I guess. My watercraft assessment may be wrong but I'd guess much of those last two photos is of water less than a foot deep with bars and channels.

 

AN talk of 2 - 4 - 6 or even 10 lb line requires a re-engagement of my brain.

 

Phone

[Newt]

Den - some serious flooding at some time (or more likely, times) for sure. Here's some info about the historical use of the river you might find interesting. http://www.catawbariverkeeper.org/about-th...a-wateree-river

 

Phone - I agree about needing some hefty b/s line and most likely power pro to have a reasonably small diameter and line that is not as stiff as a steel cable.

[Ken L]

I'd be looking at heavy gear, mono line (the cheaper the better - it tends to be stiffer and more abrasion resistant) and upstream ledgering with a rotten bottom rig.

You can't be letting fish run in water like that so it's rod in hand and hit and hold - or "skulldrag" as we used to term it.

Great fun if you have at least a relatively snag free spot to tire the fish out in in front of you. Not so much fun if you're just skulldragging them to the bank or net.

[Nicepix]

It looks similar in many ways to the River Vienne I fish over here, shallow, fast, hard rocky bottom with deep runs between the islands and rocks and little if ever fished. Different species though. Most of our fish are from the carp family, yours will probably be more carniverous and possibly have adipose fins. Can't help you on that count unless you are fly-fishing.

 

One thing I've found is that fish aren't scared of shallow water especially if it is slower flowing.

 

As KenL has already said; use mono and go heavier than you normally would. If it is shallow enough to wade I would fish upstream concentrating on the deeper pocket water in front of and behind the bigger obstructions. Also down the side of the fallen trees for catfish.

 

Oh! And watch out for bears

[poledark]

Cheers Newt, a good read

 

Den

[Newt]

Nicepix - too warm down here for trout & their relatives & too shallow for striped bass. I'd expect channel catfish lurking in deeper pockets, carp, and the occasional largemouth bass although they aren't that fond of current - more ambush preds in still or slow water. Oddly enough, the carp (almost all smallish, lean commons to maybe 8-10 pounds) do like fast water and will act like trout on occasion with the leaps and suchlike.

[Nicepix]

Nicepix - too warm down here for trout & their relatives & too shallow for striped bass. I'd expect channel catfish lurking in deeper pockets, carp, and the occasional largemouth bass although they aren't that fond of current - more ambush preds in still or slow water. Oddly enough, the carp (almost all smallish, lean commons to maybe 8-10 pounds) do like fast water and will act like trout on occasion with the leaps and suchlike.

 

You mean a 'proper' shaped 12lb carp, like this I caught today, not those pot-bellied pigs found in muddy lakes.......

 

 

In that case I might be able to help. Your river looks very much like the one I fish.

 

Carp can be found in the slower areas even where it is only 20" deep. Although I see them in the main current it is mainly a hit and run mission. They also lie alongside features like bridges (not applicable in your case), boulders and logs that lie along the line of the river. This is especially the case on the shady side of the feature in sunny conditions. Try downstream of the larger logs that lie across the deeper water or in the sheltered lee of islands. It sounds like the river isn't going to be one that you can pop down and bait up every other day so you'll need to use baits that work straight out of the box. Maize hook bait and stewed wheat loose feed is a good start cereal wise. Processed meat, i.e SPAM also works on naive fish. Cut it into 1" cubes and fasten it on the hair rig using a builder's Rawl Plug. I wouldn't use anything with spice or curry, stick with the simple stuff. Plain halibut pellets in medium sizes might also be worth trying before winter. They don't work as well in cold water. Throw in whatever you don't use on a fishing day to introduce as many fish as possible to baits. That is important, as is finding what they feed on when you aren't there; crayfish, minnows, bullheads as that might give you a lead as to what to try regards natural baits.

 

I have caught Channel Catfish in dams in Cyprus and they also like maize and processed meat. We have Wels Catfish over here and my neighbour gets quite a few up to 15lb from the river using a vibrating spinner such an Ondex or Voblex. He says that the vibration is important. You need a hard mono leader of at least 20lb bs to avoid the line being worn down by their abrasive pads. He fished wherever they might lie to ambush prey. Under trees, near obstructions deep runs alongside large boulders, that sort of thing.

[Newt]

Yup. Those baits & tactics sound promising and that is a great looking fish. I've ordered some "flexi weights" in ½ oz and 1 oz that should hopefully reduce snagging.

 

Of interest to Phone - I spoke to a friend and very experienced carper last night who said he'd fished a little below where I took those photos and out of the shallows. Results were 2 catfsh, a carp, 2 buffalo, and an unknown fish he simply could not stop. I'd love to see the fish he couldn't stop because I know the size of the ones he's caught over the years.

 

Flexi-weight