Campobello, SC Fishing: A Charming, Small-town Atmosphere

With a population of 469, Campobello is a community in Spartanburg County's northwest, three miles from exit 5 on Interstate 26, nestled in the gently sloping foothills of Piedmont and surrounded by peach and apple orchards. United States Highways 176 and 357, as well as the picturesque Highway 11, are other significant roads that pass through Campobello.

With its older residences, charming downtown, and independent stores and restaurants, Campobello still feels like a nostalgic trip back in time despite all the roads and interstates. It's a terrific spot to find property because of the hometown atmosphere and the sense of community. Campobello transports you to a bygone era when people were more sociable and conversed on the street, assisted a neighbor in need, and knew each other's names.

It began as a sizable plantation that Joseph Davis possessed. Davis so well described the area as "campa belle," which is Italian for "beautiful field," that Davis decided to use the phrase as the name of his estate. The town's name changed to Campobello upon its official establishment in February 1882. The postal clerk's sloppy handwriting was probably to blame for the name change from Campa Bella.

In Campobello, anglers will be treated to picturesque and relaxing views of orchards as they fish.

Campobello Fishing

Campobello, an inland town, is surrounded by water bodies teeming with different fish species. This makes Campobello a great stop for anglers who have an affinity for relaxing greeneries and ambiance.

The Pacolet River, a tributary of the Broad River in northwest South Carolina, is about 50 miles (80 km) long. One of its main headwater tributaries also drained a tiny part of western North Carolina. It is a portion of the Santee River's watershed that drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the Broad and Congaree rivers. Historically, the stream's name has also been spelled "Pacolate River." The South Pacolet River originates in northeastern Greenville County, South Carolina. It travels eastward into northern Spartanburg County, passing through the town of Campobello before being dammed to create William Bowen Lake. The most popular species caught here are largemouth bass, spotted bass, and bullhead catfish.

Anglers can utilize jigs, crankbaits, jerk baits, hoppers, minnows, plugs, and live bait like worms or minnows to catch largemouth bass. With any of these on your hook, you ought to be able to catch one of these fish because they are plentiful.

Bullheads use their whiskers to find food at the bottom of murky water despite having relatively small eyes. Most catching tips for bullhead catfish will mention increased feeding at night. But the daytime bite also does not appear to cease while pursuing bullheads in smaller bodies of water like ponds and creeks. Bullhead fishing setups typically consist of merely a hook that can hold bait and some weight to bring that bait to the bottom.

Meanwhile, a reservoir called Lake Blalock is situated on the Pacolet River in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, about five miles north of the city of Spartanburg. One thousand one hundred five acres make up Lake Blalock, which has about 45 miles of shoreline. Lake Blalock provides a larger water supply and a variety of leisure activities like boating and fishing. Lake Blalock is home to largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish, and spotted bass.

After the spawning season, spotted bass can be caught with a variety of topwater poppers, prop baits, and walking plugs fished near main lake points. Try drop-shotting finesse worms or swimming a plastic grub along bluff ends or long tapering points during the summer when places get deep.

There are many techniques to catch smallmouth bass. Casting hard plastic baits, spinners, jigs, plastic worms, or plastic crayfish are common approaches. Casting or trolling a hard plastic bait is one of the most common ways to capture smallmouth bass in lakes. Rock shorelines and shallow points extending into the deep sea are preferred habitats. It also works nicely to cast or troll a spinner bait in these regions.

Like Lake Blalock, Lake Bowen is another one of the three lakes owned and managed by the Spartanburg Water System. It is close to New Prospect, a city in South Carolina. About 33 kilometers of shoreline make up the 1,534 acres that make up Lake Bowen. Lake Bowen provides a sufficient supply of water and a variety of leisure activities like boating and fishing. Commonly caught fish include largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, and bluegill.

In targeting catfish, fresh baits are effective, and common angling techniques include baitcasting and bottom fishing. These include peeler or soft crab, shrimp, squid, chicken liver, processed catfish bait, hot dogs, and chopped fish.

Meanwhile, the most effective baits while fishing for crappie are frequently jigs and minnows. Since crappie have a wide variety of diets and can be caught in a variety of methods, they are a great species for practically any angler to try out using their preferred method.

Just a few minutes from the center of Spartanburg, Croft State Park spans more than 7,000 acres of rolling, forested land that served as an army training facility in the past. The park provides two lakes for boating and fishing, more than 20 miles of bike and hiking trails, a playground, picnicking, and camping. This state park is Lake Craig, surrounded by numerous trees with plenty of their stumps submerged. In the early spring, targeting largemouth bass with plastic worms has proven effective in this lake, particularly near the banks. Other fish species caught here are bass, catfish, and bream.

About 40 minutes away from Campobello is the Paris Mountain State Park. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed Paris Mountain State Park during the Great Depression, where the park's origins lie. The Park Center, a refurbished bathhouse, still bears the remnants of this legacy in its exterior stone and woodwork. A classroom for teaching young and old about the park’s ecology is located inside the center, along with historical displays. Anglers will enjoy fishing in the park's 8-acre Lake Placid for bass, bream, and catfish.

Top 10 Fish Species in Campobello, SC

The top ten fish species caught in Campobello, SC, are perch, pumpkinseed sunfish, largemouth bass,  bluegill,  smallmouth bass,  rainbow trout,  crappie,  blue catfish,  pickerel, and brook trout.

Seasonal Fishing

In general, anglers can come here all year long to fish, but the optimum time to do so is from late April to December for offshore fishing. Target May through September if you're an avid angler looking for the best blue-water action South Carolina offers.

Fishing in South Carolina is most productive from May through late September for largemouth bass, catfish, marlin, sailfish, redfish, mahi-mahi, flounder, and mackerel.

Unwind in Campobello

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Anyone who has never planned a significant fishing vacation will find the details difficult. You must check that you have the necessary permits and licenses, contact the local agencies, and even make payments. Because of that, you weren't enthused about this vacation to strengthen your bonds with your friends and family. You can focus on making the arrangements for the things necessary to you when you reserve a fishing charter. It shouldn't be your concern to waste your valuable planning time worrying about the small print and legalese of keeping above board.

2. Celebrate the Moonshiner's Reunion and Mountain Music Festival

The Moonshiner's Reunion and Mountain Music Festival is one of the most genuine annual folk festivals in the Appalachian region, dedicated to preserving the moonshining tradition. The festival is held at Plum Hollow Farm, better known as Woodstick, which is close to South Carolina's "Dark Corners," one of the country's most popular locations for moonshining.

3. Visit the Spartanburg Art Museum

The Spartanburg Regional Museum of History recounts life in Spartanburg County, beginning with the arrival of European explorers, continuing through the textile mill era, and ending in the present. With key pauses in the Revolutionary War, the early 20th century, and more, the museum allows you to stroll virtually through Spartanburg's history.