By Terry Madewell

"What lake are you heading to?" is the first question many anglers ask when they realize that you are going bass fishing.

Answer that you won't be fishing a lake, but are instead headed to a river to target largemouth bass and you're apt to get a perplexed look.

Rivers, while often very good as fishing waters, tend get overlooked by the bass-fishing crowd. Largemouth anglers are used to launching bass boats on big, open lakes where they can open up and run, and most South Carolina rivers don't lend themselves to that type of boating. Rivers also stand out on the map less than big reservoirs, and they just don't get the same amount of attention.

Causing rivers to be forgotten even more by bass fishermen, most moving waters have bigger reputations for producing one or more other species. We'll look at a few rivers that fit this description. All offer fine bass fishing, and all three tend to get overlooked for other species.

Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Different sections of the upper Saluda vary notably in character. Upstream of Lake Greenwood, the river is generally narrow and sometimes shallow and usually only fishable by floating a johnboat or other cartop boat from one bridge crossing to the next. Small dams also create some obstructions through this section.

However, a couple of those dams actually create little lakes that offer some of the best fishing prospects along the upper Saluda. Holiday Dam, just east of Honea Patch, forms a 6 1/2-mile-long lake that spreads the river out just enough to create very good largemouth habitat. This section, which is difficult to access and requires great caution to navigate, produces some very large bass during the spring.

The only ramp for this section of the river is an extremely rough dirt ramp just upstream of the dam that would require a 4-wheel-drive for launching most boats. For anglers who have canoes or other carry-in boats, access is also possible at Cooly Bridge, where state Highway 242 crosses the bridge. The access is owned by the city of Belton and open for public use.

Steve Patterson, a trophy bass specialist from Gray Court, fishes this section of river any time he gets a chance during the pre-spawn time period, focusing on points that stretch toward the main-river channel with big "thumper" spinnerbaits, oversized jerkbaits and 12- or 16-inch plastic worms.

This section of the Saluda is generally off-colored and it can get downright muddy. Patterson doesn't necessarily mind the mud, however, as the bass sometimes feed quite aggressively when the water is dirty. He'll fish mostly with a spinnerbait, rigged with a single oversized Colorado blade and rigged with a long trailer, most of the time when the water is dirty.

Several miles upstream of Holiday Dam, another Saluda Dam creates another small lake just west of Greenville. This lake, which is accessible only by a single private ramp that charges $5, also yields some real heavyweight bass, especially during the first part of spring.

Moving well down the river, between lakes Greenwood and Murray the Saluda once again becomes a very interesting largemouth-fishing area. Anglers in bass boats travel up to this section from Murray, maneuver carefully up this stretch for the opportunity to tap its bounties; however, a better approach is to fish the river from a johnboat, either floating from point to point or running up and down from the Higgens Bridge access point.

Boats can be hand-launched for fishing this section of the river from just below Buzzards Roost Dam, which forms Lake Greenwood. There are also boat ramps at Higgens Bridge and Kempsons Bridge, the latter of which is actually located at the head of Murray's Saluda River arm (at normal pool). This section of river produces chunky bass overall, and yields some real giants.

Shallow shoals alternate with pools throughout this part of the river. Largemouths are generally in pool areas and typically will be in cover along outside bends in the river. Most fish relate to the banks throughout this stretch, holding in current breaks caused by blowdowns, rocks, cuts in the banks or other cover.

The most popular way to fish this section is with a flippin' stick and a jig-and-pig or a tube, flippin' the offering right into the thick stuff. Heavy line is sometimes needed to get the bass out. White spinnerbaits cast tight to the banks or among the thick branches also produce good action some spring days.