Wateree’s wild fall fishing

Stripers and catfish provide excellent fishing in the fall on Lake Wateree. Anglers can enjoy both on the same trip. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Catch a striper and catfish combo at Lake Wateree

When professional fishing guide Jason Wolfe discusses fishing opportunities at Lake Wateree for late October and November fishing action, he’s torn between the typically wild striper fishing and the prolific action for quality catfish.

“It’s a prime time of the year to fish Lake Wateree for striper or catfish,” Wolfe said. “I’ll gladly guide for either species with high expectations of success. But a unique trip is a combination striper and catfish adventure, and I offer that combo trip this time of year.”

Wolfe, from nearby Ft. Lawn, SC, grew up fishing the Catawba River lakes with his dad and has fished Lake Wateree his entire life. He watched the lake blossom into a productive striper fishery and a blue catfish-producing factory. This fertile lake has an excellent forage base and supports prime fishing for both species in November.

“October begins prime fishing for stripers with consistent action on some of the largest average-sized fish of the year,” he said. “Every year, we’ll catch stripers up to 12 pounds. But most fish are in the 4- to 6-pound class. With a 10-fish striper limit and no length restrictions, we typically have some wild action filling the cooler with stripers.”

Fast action

Wolfe (803-487-3690) said catfishing is excellent for numbers of eating-sized fish, with reasonable trophy fish potential. By the end of October and into November, stripers and catfish are caught throughout the lake.

“When we get on catfish, the action is fast-paced,” he said. “Sometimes one species or the other makes a combo trip successful with sensational fishing. But I expect to do very well with both in November.”

Wolfe said he’s learned to target stripers first on the combo trips, and he’s on the water at first light.

“Stripers surface school at Wateree from late summer through the fall. But the hot-weather action usually is short-lived, early in the morning, then it’s over,” he said. “During October and November, the schooling action occurs throughout the day. But still, the most consistent action is early morning. So they are target number one on combo trips.”

Catfishing is productive throughout the day during the fall at Lake Wateree. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Wolfe said striper fishermen will have aerial assistance to locate striper schools during October and November.

“Large numbers of seagulls converge on the lake by October, and they’re key to locating where the fish are schooling,” he said. “Stripers push shad to the surface, and the gulls beeline to that activity from all directions, squawking, diving, and plucking shad from the surface when they arrive. It’s a commotion fishermen can see and hear from long distances.”

Wolfe watches with binoculars while listening for striper activity at first light. Sometimes, he’ll see or hear activity before the gulls, giving him a head start on other anglers. A quick run to the action is necessary because surface schooling activity can be short. But once he approaches the target, he’s intentional in his final approach.

Approach with caution

“I don’t motor into the middle of the schooling action; I stop short of the topwater activity and let the boat glide toward it while getting the electric motor deployed,” he said. “As soon as we’re in range, we’ll cast, and it’s common for everyone on the boat to hook up immediately. If other boats approach the school similarly, the school may not spook and continue to be active, and everyone can catch fish. But the fish will leave the area if a boat rushes into the actual schooling action.”

Lake Wateree produces plenty of good-sized stripers with a generous limit of 10 stripers per person. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

While the fish remain surface-feeding, Wolfe said he’ll use the electric motor to stay within casting range.

Several lures are effective, and he said 1/2-ounce or larger bucktails or minnow-imitating plastic grubs are prime choices, as are walk-the-dog topwater baits and bright-colored spoons. Stripers are mauling shad minnows, so minnow-shaped lures are typically productive. And often, a lure with a spinner or flash is effective.

Wolfe said live bait is productive, and blueback herring or shad minnows are excellent for targeting stripers. Tactics include free-lining with no weight, or vertically fishing with a 2-ounce sinker. Check Suttons Landing in Taylors Creek on Lake Wateree for live bait.

“Some days, the schooling is not intense, and on those days, I’ll use electronics to find suspended schools of stripers, and I’ll fish live bait at the depth marked or just above,” he said. “When surface schooling action stops, I’ll drop live bait on that target and pick up a few more fish in deeper water until the surface action begins again.

“We catch stripers throughout the lake, but I prefer the mid-lake sector down to the dam, and multiple striper schools may be active in the area at any given time,” Wolfe said. “Follow the shad, and you’re potentially in a good area.”

Time for cats

At some point, the schooling action slows, and if working a combo trip, Wolfe deploys catfish rigs, targeting drops, humps, and points for Mr. Whiskers.

“I catfish from anchored setups or by drift fishing. Often it’s a daily pattern of what’s most productive based on prevailing conditions,” he said. “If the wind is blowing strong from a good direction, I will likely take advantage and drift fish to cover more water. But on calmer days, I’m likely to anchor. Both tactics work great; I’ll switch if one doesn’t produce.”

Wolfe said the entire lake can produce catfish action in November, so he’ll typically stay in the same area because both species follow forage. He uses electronics to search for abundant forage and signs near the bottom indicative of catfish.

“I’ll typically fish areas with underwater contour changes to test different depths,” he said. “It may be a point, hump, or simply a ledge or drop. If anchored, I’ll give it 30 to 40 minutes before moving if I’m confident in the area.

When catfishing on Lake Wateree, Wolfe employs planer boards to fish baits farther from the boat. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

“Drift-fishing enables me to work a larger area. But I still focus my effort on a specific target. I never do a random drift,” he said. “Whether wind-drifting or using my electric motor, I stay within 0.5 and 0.7 miles per hour on the drift.”

Wolfe said Lake Wateree is an excellent catfish lake, with the primary target being blue catfish. Catching giant catfish at Lake Wateree is possible, but the lake is full of catfish in the 10- to 15-pound class.

“If I’m specifically targeting trophy fish for a client, I’d go to Santee Cooper. But if we’re hunting numbers of fish in good sizes, it’s hard to beat Wateree this time of year,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe employs the basic Santee Rig when drifting. He uses 30-pound test main line and a 50-pound test leader 2 to 3 feet long. He places a 3-inch cork on the leader to keep the bait off the bottom and prefers an 8/0 circle hook.

“I use the Drifting Stix weight with a 1.75-ounce rig, an ideal weight for Lake Wateree and most lakes because I seldom fish more than 30 feet deep,” he said. “My baits of choice this time of year are gizzard shad and white perch.”

Bring a cooler

Wolfe targets stripers and catfish on the same trip if requested, but he doesn’t pursue both species simultaneously.

Guide Jason Wolfe said Lake Wateree is full of good eating sized catfish, and they’re usually on a strong bite during the fall. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

He’s always prepared for stripers when fishing for catfish, and he’ll have striper rigs ready for opportunities if stripers school within casting range of the boat. It’s challenging to target catfish when focused on striper fishing, but it does happen when he’s fishing live bait for stripers near the bottom.

“During November, it’s realistic for stripers to surface most any time of the day, and I’m ready to take advantage of it,” he said. “Occasionally, one or the other species will make the trip a big success for my group.”

Wolfe said he enjoys these combination trips because anglers can experience the best of both species at different times of the trip.

“The fishing for both species is so productive,” he said. “We’ll target stripers first, then get some good catfish action. We’re generally going to enjoy a great day of fishing,” he said.

Lake Wateree has a generous striper limit of 10 fish per person with no size limit.

The management of the blue catfish at Lake Wateree is per the statewide regulations, which stipulate a 25 fish per-person creel limit, and a length restriction of no more than two blue catfish over 32 inches per person.

Wolfe asks that catfish over 20 pounds be CPR’ed (catch, photograph, and release). But with the combo trip of stripers and catfish, you’ll need a big cooler on a typical day to hold your overall catch.

Make Lake Wateree a fall fishing destination

Lake Wateree is a rural lake in terms of locality, but it’s close to lodging and restaurants, making it a prime South Carolina fall fishing destination. The lake is within the Olde English Tourism District.

Lodging near Lake Wateree includes the Holiday Inn Express, immediately adjacent to I-77 at Exit 65, about halfway between Columbia, SC, and Charlotte, NC. Lake Wateree State Park offers day-use and camping facilities, an excellent boat ramp, and a small store for supplies. It’s also a prime location for fishing on the lake.

The lower end of Lake Wateree is near Camden, SC, and Camden offers plenty of lodging and dining opportunities.

For specific information on the Lake Wateree area, contact Olde English Tourism District at 803-830-7286, or email Executive Director Jenny Parrish at Jenny@OldeEnglishDistrict.com.