BROAD RIVER
The Broad River also has its origins in western North Carolina and flows some 110 miles before merging with the Saluda near downtown Columbia to form the Congaree. Boat access to the Broad is difficult, but that actually adds to its desirability as a catfish destination.

While the Broad stretches from downtown Columbia into North Carolina, the stretch between the Saluda River in Columbia and the Highway 34 bridge at Blair is generally best. This stretch also encompasses Parr Pond west of Pomaria, which is a channel catfish magnet in itself. Many anglers access the Broad from a number of primitive dirt accesses located near public road rights of way. One of these is located at the Highway 34 crossing and another is located below Parr Pond at Highway 213.

The Broad River, particularly the stretch below Jenkinsville, is rocky in nature, so care should be taken when navigating this river, especially during periods of low water. Several local anglers have discovered that small aluminum boats powered by jet-drive outboards grant access to the majority of the river. While rocks are a problem, they also provide some of the best structure on the Broad. Look for scour holes created by swirling currents. Placing live or cut baits in the eddies downstream of the rocks can produce some hefty blue and channel catfish.

CONGAREE RIVER
Perhaps more widely known as a striped bass river, particularly during the spring, the 50-mile-long Congaree River provides a large number of catfish locations. Following its transition from shoal-studded fall line topography to a mainstream drainage of the Congaree Swamp, the Congaree merges with the Wateree River to form the Santee River. At its head, the Saluda and the Broad collide with a discernable split in water qualities. The cold, clear water of the Saluda is a more favorable habitat for channel cats, while blue cats prefer the more turbid, often muddy water coming from the Broad.

After emerging from the Congaree Swamp, the Congaree River definitely takes on what would be considered a "catfishy" look, with plenty of deep-water holes and undercut banks.

Currents and water flows have a tendency to change the bottom structure of any river, but the rate of change on the Congaree can have an especially pronounced effect on the production of new holes. For this reason, frequent catters on the Congaree make a habit of watching their graph for holes that have recently been formed by tree debris washing into the river or scour holes created by shifting currents.

Often the best catfish holes on the Congaree will be in the lower reaches below the swamp and right along tree-lined banks. Fishing bank holes presents a bit of a challenge when compared with deep areas near the center of the river channel. Efficiently anchoring a boat to fish bank holes is more difficult because top currents will try to force the boat into the bank, while bottom currents draw baits to the side. Time spent ensuring a good anchor position often pays off in whiskered fish.

The best access point for fishing the lower Congaree River is the Bates Bridge ramp, located at the end of County Road 2300 under the Highway 601 bridge. Boaters can find good fishing in either direction from this ramp, which also provides access to the Wateree River a short distance downstream.

Bank-anglers have good access to the Congaree in several areas along its banks, but easily the best access is near the headwaters at the Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park located within walking distance of downtown Columbia.

WATEREE RIVER
Capt. Bill Plumley of Greer, South Carolina, is a full-time catfish guide on Lake Hartwell but confesses to an obsession for catching big cats from the state's rivers. One of Bill's favorite rivers is the Wateree.

Along its 75-mile course between the Lake Wateree dam and its confluence with the Congaree River, the Wateree River is home to some tremendous channel, blue and flathead catfishing. The Wateree is more of a big-water river like the Congaree and as such can accommodate 20-foot-plus boats. Capt. Bill utilizes a nighttime strategy to escape the summer heat and cash in on Wateree's big cat bonanza.

Plumley starts out a couple of hours before dark and puts in at the W.T. "Billy" Tolar landing located between Columbia and Sumter on U.S. Highway 76/378 between the bridges. His preference is to target the waters downstream of this ramp, heading toward the Congaree.

"Two hours before dark, I'm scouting," Plumley explained. "I'll motor several miles down the river, locating areas I plan to fish that night."

When he locates a promising area (usually a downed tree or wooden snag in the bend of the river), Plumley marks the spot on his GPS and continues scouting until he has five or six spots picked out.