Wateree River

[Backslayer]

Went fishing on the Wateree River this weekend upstream of the Bridge on 386 and didn't catch anything, the reason why I am searching this thread is because my father in law grew up in sumter and used to fish here all the time and has stories of murdering the rock here, and so I decided to take him again its been 15 years since he fished the river and was very upset when we didn't even get a bite in two hole days. We seen a few get up but couldn't get them to bite nothing are the rockfish no longer here or what, is it the wrong time of year for them here, what do you guys fish with when your on this river,

[Hunt Master]

I am not a rock fish specialist by any means, but I think that it is a little bit too late in the year to catch them up the Wateree. They usually catch them in the spring time of the year.

[Drylok]

I used to fish the WR hard for the rocks just a few years ago. Hunt is right. Your best rock fishing is in the spring.

We would bottom fish with gizzard shad guts from early March up until mid April. From then on we would throw grubs until the first week of June. In wet years Duke would normally run water until June and shut the water down. At that point fishing got tougher.

I also suspect that the decrease in the population of the rocks in the Santee lakes have something to do with tougher fishing in the WR as well.

BTW, I have caught the rocks above the Hwy one bridge as late as September. I feel sure that some fish stay in the river year round.

[Catdaddy]

They were probably there but they read the new regulations where you didn't. It's against the law to fish for stripers until September.

That's why they didn't bite.

[Chessbay]

It's just illegal to keep them.

[Columbia394]

Spring is when you will catch most of the strippers in the Wateree. Here lately with the water rising and falling so much it is tough to get one to bite. As I'm sure everyone knows by now, it is illegal to possess them from June 1st through September 30th, and open season limits moved from 5 fish to 3 fish and a length requirement of 26". Legal Striper fishing on the river/lake will pretty much be nonexistent until the law is repealed.

[Backslayer]

well thanks for all the info I appreciate it

[Swamp Rat]

Spring is when you will catch most of the strippers in the Wateree....

Freud would love us....

[mother tucker]

Keep in mind that 15 years ago the lift station @ pinopolis still worked and brought migrating stripers from the cooper river into Santee......it hasnt worked in a few years now so we are stuck with a few fingerlings released by DNR ! A huge mayfly hatch in Packs flats and I didnt hear of any schooling activity !!!!! Just like most of our obsessions in SC..........GONE !

[Stripa Swipa]

The lake is as sterile as a stone toilet bowl now and most the the released fingerlings are dying off young.

[Hooked 0n Quack]

why dont they re-create the lift? how does it work exactly?