Two of the best places to find respite from the heat of a Carolina August also offer excellent smallmouth bass fishing.
The Broad River and the New River are both havens for smallmouth bass, and for anglers pursuing them.
From the northernmost section of the New River in the Carolinas, down to the southernmost end of the Broad River, just above Columbia, SC, the river’s running water is considerably cooler than any lake in the region, and is just as inviting to anglers as the chance to catch the smallmouth bass that swim there.
Mike McSwain of Broad River Smallmouth enjoys fishing both of these rivers.
Cool off
“On August days, I like to get out of the canoe as much as possible and do some wet wading. I use the canoe to get from one fishing area to the next, and we’ll fish along the way. But the bulk of our fishing takes place with us in the water, ankle deep, knee deep, even waist deep at times,” he said. “It makes the day much more enjoyable than sitting in the canoe baking in the sun.”
Starting early helps too. McSwain likes to get on the water as early as possible, with his preference being just before daybreak.
“The first couple of hours, I like to focus more on the banks than I will the rest of the day,” he said. “That’s a good time to cast topwater lures, which can produce some good fish early.”
And topwater lures can certainly work throughout the day as well.
“I like to leave a Whopper Plopper, a Spook or a Pop-R tied on at all times,” he said. “Any time the cloud covers the sun, even at high noon, topwaters come back into play in a big way.”
McSwain said the New River is good for numbers of fish, but in his experience, the Broad River comes out on top in terms of catching big fish. But both are certainly worthy of an August trip.
“The fact you can cool off simply by getting in the water anytime you want is a big draw to anglers who don’t want to miss out on fishing, but also don’t want to swelter in the heat all day long,” he said. “On both of these rivers, anglers can expect to catch plenty of fish, see a lot of beautiful scenery, and stay as cool as they want during one of the hottest months.”
McSwain uses a canoe with a trolling motor on the back. The trolling motor allows him to cover a lot of ground quickly in certain areas of these rivers.
Hit the shoals
“The best fishing is typically found around shoals and where current breaks are. Some areas of these rivers have a heavy dose of that in certain sections, and other areas are more wide open and flat,” he said. “The trolling motor allows me to get through those flat, mostly unproductive fishing areas quickly. And once in the shoals, I pull the trolling motor up and either paddle or wade until I’m ready to fish, then it’s full on wading.
When fishing in the shoals, McSwain and his clients use a lot of Texas-rigged soft plastics, Mepps spinning lures, and Rat-L-Traps.
“Don’t discount the topwater lures here though. Smallies that are in the shoals are always looking for food,” he said. “Topwater lures are certainly more effective in low light conditions, but that’s not the only time they’ll work.”
To book a trip with McSwain, give him a call at (843-763-3805).
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