Paris Mountain State Park - Never Again!

[Koz]

In the past my son and I have fished the lower and middle lakes at Paris Mountain State Park (Greenville, SC) with no success. But today we decided to fish North Lake deep in the park. I was intrigued because SCDNR states that of the three lakes, this is the one they actively stock with bass and because it's nearly a 3 mile hike on level 7 (out of 10) trails I don't imagine many people are fishing there.

 

Things started poorly when we got to the park. I normally keep my hiking shoes in my car but for some reason I had taken them out and left them at home so I was left to navigate the rocky and hilly terrain with walking sneakers. And while I had removed two plano boxes from my backpack I neglected to cut down on the amount of soft plastics and the added weight along with a sweat soaked canvas backpack hit me hard on the way back.

 

The way in to the lake wasn't bad as there was more downhill than uphill. And while it wasn't too hot today there was enough humidity to make it a bit uncomfortable. Thankfully a breeze picked up by the time we got to the lake. I'm in my late 50's and prior to COVID I was in OK shape but I've been lazy and not eating great for 3 months now and it caught up with me today.

 

By the time we got to the lake I was a little worn out. There also wasn't a whole lot of room to fish. For most of the lake you had to find a little clearing and wedge yourself between trees to try and cast. There were a ton of laydowns that I hit but didn't draw any strikes. The water was crystal clear and throughout the entire day I saw only two small bluegill.

 

There is a d**n along one end and with the open area it was easy to cast, but again not a single bite. I fished about 2 hours with no luck. My 14 year old - who used to love fishing - made some casts for about 20 minutes and spend the rest of the time on his phone.

 

The hike back was a beast for me. Mostly uphill and my legs were screaming halfway through. I almost tripped a few times because my feet felt so heavy. This is all on me because I need to be in better shape. But I stayed hydrated and didn't get winded. My legs just felt like they were going to explode by the time we got back to the car.

 

I have to say that although it was beautiful out at the lake, considering they supposedly stock it I was really disappointed not to even see any fish except those couple of bluegill. I didn't even see any fish activity anywhere on the water. I was really hoping to find a low pressure spot with decent fishing, especially one where I had to get some exercise to get to it. Anyway, it was a disappointing day fishing.

 

But when I got home I did get some good news - my son was selected to play in the Diamond Prospects fall baseball league. In SC this is a pretty big deal because it's a scouting organization connected to pro and college teams. In the past 14 years all but one SC player drafted by an MLB team has played there. My son is only a freshman, and if he keeps getting selected to play there it's pretty much a lock that he'll have some opportunities with top college programs. I'm really proud of him!

[Don51]

If it is that secluded there has to be fish in there. They were probably holding deep and out of casting range. First time on any new body of water is tough. Sounds like a lot of work to get in there. Hey, you tried something new, you just didn't get the results you were looking for.  

[Koz]

8 hours ago, Don51 said:

If it is that secluded there has to be fish in there. They were probably holding deep and out of casting range. First time on any new body of water is tough. Sounds like a lot of work to get in there. Hey, you tried something new, you just didn't get the results you were looking for.  

The point is that with clear water and great visibility I saw only 2 bluegill all day. No small baitfish, no bass, no fish activity whatsoever. At the very least, normally you would see lots of baitfish around the laydowns and there were none. I would have also thought at least one other angler would have been out there but there were none.

 

If I head out there again I'll ask a park ranger about that.

[geo g]

Sounds like a battery powered bike with big tires, would have been perfect getting in and out of the site.

Koz sounds like an exciting time for the family, and especially your boy.  Enjoy every minutes, those years go bye so quickly!