Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

Since colonial days, fishermen have noted and taken advantage of the abundance of catfish in the main arteries of South Carolina's river systems. As time progressed, the face of catfishing changed, but the rivers remained home to an abundance of river cats.

The first few decades of the 1900s brought about substantial changes to many of South Carolina's river systems. Reservoirs turned long sections of river channels into lake bottoms and Palmetto cats now had a choice of river and reservoir habitats.

During the early 1940s, South Carolina's famous Santee Cooper reservoirs were constructed. Lakes Marion and Moultrie first gained fame as the incidental homes to the landlocked striped bass. A new catfish came to the Santee Cooper system in 1964 and 1965 when striped bass fry from the nearby Moncks Corner hatchery were exchanged for 825 blue catfish with the state of Arkansas. In addition to the state's generous population of channel catfish, Santee Cooper soon became the adopted home of the Arkansas blue. Moreover, Santee Cooper's open waterway system of rivers and canals permitted the blue to spread beyond the boundaries of the two lakes into several South Carolina river systems.

Along the same time the blue catfish was being introduced to the state, the third member of South Carolina's "Big 3" catfish species -- the flathead -- was making its way into the state from the north. Flathead catfish were introduced into Clarks Hill reservoir in the early 1960s. At about the same time, flatheads were stocked in the Pee Dee drainages by the state of North Carolina and began migrating downstream into South Carolina. Once established, the flathead gained some notoriety in South Carolina because of unauthorized "bucket stockings," presumably by anglers, into the Edisto River system. With its preference for deep, dark holes and live meals, the flathead soon became well established, at the expense of the Edisto's redbreast population.

Continuing through the present day, the Santee Cooper system has continued its fishing prosperity due in large part to its catfish fishery. Anglers travel from all over the country to fish for monster blues, abundant channels and solitary flatheads. When most anglers in the Palmetto State think of catfish waters, the Santee Cooper system is quick to come to mind.

Of lesser fame but equal caliber catfish angling are the backwater and deep-pool areas of many South Carolina rivers throughout the state. In places like the Saluda and Broad rivers north of Columbia, the Congaree and Wateree through the Midlands, and the Edisto near Orangeburg, catfish abound in both size and numbers.

SALUDA RIVER
Downstream from Lake Greenwood, the Saluda becomes riverine for approximately 17 miles before impounding again at Lake Murray. This section is accessed by public ramps located at the headwaters of Lake Murray as well as a public ramp located at Higgins Bridge off Highway 121 west of Silverstreet.

Chris Gaddy is a State Farm agent who grew up and still lives in Chester, South Carolina. Gaddy spent much of his youth fishing with his father, splitting his fishing time between the Saluda and Congaree rivers. While most anglers pursued striped bass in these rivers, Gaddy soon realized that blue and channel cats were usually eager to bite, while the stripers could often be finicky. Much of the tackle and gear and even baits would serve for either species, however.

"The way you set up for striped bass works equally well for cats," Gaddy said.

The Saluda is heavily influenced by water released from the Buzzards' Roost power plant at Lake Greenwood. Moving water means feeding time for catfish on the stretch of the Saluda between lakes Greenwood and Murray.

"If they're moving water, I like to slowly motor upriver toward Greenwood looking for deep holes and especially new snags that have washed in or trees that have eroded into the river from the bank. Once we find a spot, we'll put an anchor out (from) the bow of the boat and throw Carolina-rigged baits downstream into the hole. The current makes it hard to fish more than two or three rods and ideally you want to put out cut bait on the bottom, just upstream of the hole," Gaddy explained.

Gaddy uses medium-heavy baitcast gear to place chunks of cut gizzard shad above the catfish lair. The current washes the scent back into the snag and eventually, the cats will move out to investigate. Fighting a hefty catfish against the current requires stout tackle and heavy line in the 20- to 30-pound-test range.