By Mike McSwain
The Capital City region is rife with fishing opportunities, and the onset of summer means splendid fishing, particularly on the Broad River. Summer months offer hot fishing on the Broad. And not just because we see air temperatures in the 90–100-degree range.
Biologists who stocked smallmouth in the Broad in the mid 80’s were pleasantly surprised to see how these fish behaved in hot weather. Smallmouth Bass are certainly thought of as a COLDER water fish. We often think of them when we think of fishing in Maine, Canada, or the Great Lakes. Biologists weren’t quite sure how the smallmouth would would react to warm summer temperatures here but they were pleasantly surprised to see the fish maintain a high metabolic rate; In warm months the fish don’t get lethargic. Instead, they eat like crazy.
I have literally dozens of clients who have questioned me when I say “speed up. Move that bait faster.” It’s almost as if the fish sees a crawdad or a spinner bait flying by and can’t resist the challenge of catching it and eating it. Fishermen who are accustomed to slowly twitching a worm across grass or logs are shocked to see their number of bites increase as they speed up. The same for spinner bait fishing. An adept angler on the Broad can make a spinner bait change direction a fraction of a second before it hits the water and literally make a topwater wake for the first few feet of the return.
And while we’re talking spinner baits, June is absolutely a great time to throw any type of spinner bait. The river carries an abundant supply of threadfin, as well as many other bait fish, and once the fish move off the beds, they are simply chasing bait fish and crawdads. Take a good variety of offset and inline spinners with a good variety of blades. The Mepps Aglia lures in sizes 3 and 4 are wildly productive. They are extremely well built and closely resemble the threadfin forage. You should be able to find which blade and which size they’re eating if you’re willing to make adjustments.
Water levels fluctuate less in summer, but still may vary quickly, so know how to check and monitor water levels. A USGS website allows us to do that. Go to USGS.gov, find real-time water data, then find SC and the relevant marker. Understanding and interpreting the data requires a rudimental understanding of the Broad’s flow and path, so I highly recommend anyone wishing to fish the river be familiar with the USGS site. The river app (the icon is a white paddler on a blue background) uses the same data and offers simple customization of content.
The factors determining level are numerous and complex. Rainfall and hydrology of the land are probably the two biggest factors, but not always, since hydroelectric production occurs at several points along the Broad’s path. In addition, Parr Reservoir levels are associated in a complex manner to flow in and out of Lake Monticello, which is monitored and maintained closely due to its relationship with VC Sumner Nuclear Facility. The bottom line is: know how to check water levels and know which levels are good for certain sections of the river. But also know the levels can quickly change.
So, stock up on spinner baits and soft plastics and hit the river. Just remember to keep safety at the center of what you do out there.
Send questions or comments to Mike McSwain at 843-763-3805, or Facebook profile “Michael L. McSwain,” or Instagram and Facebook page @broad river smallmouth. TIGHT LINES
Mike McSwain is from Charleston, SC but maintains residence in Columbia, SC on the Broad River. He guides for smallmouth bass on the Broad as water levels allow, usually from late Spring through November.