You'll need to approach each of these species differently for best success. If you're looking for a real trophy fish, you may want to key on either the blue or the flathead species specifically. The channel catfish certainly get to respectable sizes, but they're more of a "head-count" species. Fish in the 10- to 15-pound class are hefty for the channel catfish, with the average size being in the 1- to 4-pound class. However, you have an excellent chance of hooking a 30- to 50-pound individual of either of the other two species. You have a smaller, but still quite real, chance of hooking a blue or flathead that exceeds the 50-pound mark.

The channel catfish will typically be relating to drops, ledges, humps and points. Generally, they will move to the shallows early in the morn to feed, and then cruise the edgelines and flats during the rest of the day in 10 to 25 feet of water. Cut bait, night crawlers and stink baits are prime weapons for the channel catfish.

Though they don't have the same size potential as the blues and flatheads, you can often catch 30 to 50 of these fish during a day of fishing. Again, there is a smaller, but quite real, chance of catching even more than 50 fish per day.

The channel catfish is a great fighting fish on light-to-medium tackle. Both lakes are excellent for channel catfish, but Lake Marion, particularly the upper half of the lake, seems to be the real hotspot in the fall.

The blue catfish (this time of year) are bottom feeders, and for a big fish, use big bait. They prefer cut bait, and herring, shad, perch or bream will all work well. Some guides will drift-fish for them during the fall months, working the underwater hills and valleys until they get a picture of where the fish are holding for the day. Using live bait, you can sometimes pick up blues and flatheads by drifting. Both lakes are excellent for big blue catfish.

The flathead catfish is more of a live-bait catfish, but are occasionally caught on fresh dead or cut bait. If you want to focus on a big flathead, use live herring, bream or white perch. Most guides will look for the big fish by using their graphs to spot them. The flatheads will often be holding near or along a drop into deeper water. It may be a drop into a deep channel, but not necessarily. The drop does not have to be substantial to be productive.

Once the fish is located, drop the bait offering down to the fish, set your rod in a sturdy rod holder, such as a DriftMaster, and give it at least 30 minutes before moving to another location.

A great backup species for these lakes in October is certainly largemouth bass. The fall months bring some great shallow-water fishing opportunities to both lakes. The upper end of Lake Marion is specifically a target-rich environment.

SHRIMPING ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
The shrimp-baiting season actually opens in September and spills over into November, but most shrimpers will tell you that October is the prime time. First, there are still scads of shrimp to be had, and they are just getting bigger every week. For numbers of shrimp and jumbo sizes, October is the time to plan your trip.

If you haven't been shrimping, it's really quite simple. Essentially, it's best accomplished with two people. Specifically, a competent boat driver and a good net thrower make the best team. Better yet, if both partners are proficient at both tasks, they can switch out and keep things interesting.

There are very explicit rules and regulations governing shrimping and you need to read and follow them to the letter. They are not difficult to understand or follow, but they are strictly enforced.

The basic process is to make bait balls filled with fishmeal and clay. These are used to attract and concentrate the shrimp in a specific area. These bait balls are distributed in a (generally straight) line. Long poles, which are driven into the bottom, serve to mark the location of sets of bait balls. Place the bait away from the pole far enough so that you have room to open the net; the idea is to open the net fully with the center of the net over the bait.

Once you find a place loaded with shrimp, you can take a limit (48 quarts) in a relatively short time. However, finding the shrimp in good numbers may require that you move occasionally and try different areas. Most shrimpers will set up one or two poles and try a spot first to see if ample shrimp are present. If so, they set and bait their remaining poles and get on with the process.

One key is to remember that as the tide drops, you need to set the poles in water deep enough so that the poles will have some water on them at low tide. The reverse is true on the rising tide: Set them shallow enough so the water won't rise over them at high tide.

Shrimping is excellent all along the South Carolina coast.

No backup plan is needed for shrimping. Just keep moving and looking until you find them and get your limit. It's worth it.