Great fishing for catfish is not confined to the Santee Cooper lakes and the Diversion Canal; there’s outstanding fishing in the Cooper River below Lake Moultrie.
Chris Orvin from Moncks Corner, who guides clients to big catfish in the river, said the action really perks up in July and continues though the fall.
“The big catfish bite is excellent in hot weather and because there’s current most of the time,” he said. “There are excellent numbers of both big blue and big flatheads in the Cooper River. I primarily catch mostly blue catfish, and they average in the 15-pound class. The top end is undetermined, because we’ve caught a lot of fish in the 30- to 50-pound-plus class, but the river has state-record class potential.”
Orvin, who uses four rods, said keeping the bait precisely where he wants it is crucial. His bait of choice is fresh herring that he cuts into small chunks. He does not use the head or tail and said a 1- to 2-inch chunk is plenty for a big catfish.
“I’ll fish two rods with big floats set to drift the bait just off the bottom,” he said. “I fish in about 15 feet of water during July,” he said. “I let these rigs drift ahead of the boat, and I use the trolling motor to keep the boat and the bait in position. The other two rods are downrods with heavy weights fished vertically off the side of the boat. I keep that bait 2 to 3 feet off the bottom. Catfish will readily come up for bait, and that keep the rigs from snagging on weeds and other debris. I use heavy braided line with about 40-pound fluorocarbon leader and a 5/0 circle hook.
“Sometimes, I’ll find a hot spot and will crank up the big motor and re-drift an area,” he said, “but often, we will drift a long distance and consistently hook fish. The fish are potentially found all along the river, and it’s important to stay close to the edge of the river, right where it drops off in that 15-foot depth.”
