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June 2015

Charleston Fishing Report – July 2015

By Fishing Report, Uncategorized

Charleston Fishing Report

While the weather has been abnormally hot, it hasn’t slowed the fishing down. Anglers can try fishing early in the morning where they can find fish blitzing bait on the surface as well as calmer winds that allow them to sight fish on the flats. Alternatively, evenings also offer cooler temperatures and a chance to chase tailing redfish on big flood tides.

Fishing for redfish has been great. The large schools of redfish have now broken up but you can still find pods of ten to twenty fish especially on the flats. Putting a scent trail in the water and an easy meal in front of redfish is a tactic bound for success. We usually put cracked blue crab or live mullet on the bottom with enough weight to hold it stationary. Use circle hooks in size 3/0 combined with a heavy test line and hold on!

The trout bite continues to improve. We’ve started catching a healthy number of midsize trout whereas before we were only finding a few big trout that were ready to breed. Fishing mud minnows on jigheads can be quite effective and lets you get your bait in front of trout in deeper pockets. I use 1/8 oz. jigheads. You can use heavier jigheads but make sure their size is not significantly bigger than the bait.

Spanish mackerel are plentiful and can be best found at first light. If you find schools of fish busting bait on the surface, throw reflective casting jigs and reel them quickly through the school. Move your boat slowly around the school; running through a pod of fish will put them down. Alternatively, if you know fish are present but not up top, try trolling Clark Spoons at different depths and different speeds.

July and August will bring a number of significant high tides in the evening. This produces very exciting fishing as anglers can see the backs and tails of redfish as they put their noses in the mud to forage for crabs. As a result, these tides are called “tailing tides”. Sight casting to these redfish and getting one to eat is a true rush. Although you may spend a long time stalking a fish and positioning yourself for just the right cast, landing that hard-earned redfish is very rewarding.

See you on the water!

Capt. Geoff Bennett operates Charleston Charter Fishing providing light tackle and fly fishing charters. Clients choose from a full menu of fly rods, artificial and live bait fishing options with charters tailored to their desires. USCG licensed and insured, Capt. Bennett is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable charter to anglers of all skill levels and ages. For more information, call Capt. Bennett at 843-324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at captain@charlestoncharterfishing.com.

 

Folly Beach Fishing Charters

By Fishing, Uncategorized

Folly Beach Fishing Charters

Long time regulars, the Pilla family, came out this morning to fish the falling tide. Started nicely with slot redfish eating cut menhaden. Moved over to popping corks and caught some beautiful keeper trout with mud minnows. Anchored up in the inlet in search of bigger quarry and the bites just weren’t there as we rotated through every possible bait. As I got the boat ready to head back to the dock, one of the rods twitched and then whipped over. Half a blue crab with the shell on turned out to be the magic bait and it produced a 38″ redfish!

Charleston Fly Fishing

By Fishing, Uncategorized

Charleston Fly Fishing

Wayne let me know it was his 60th birthday and he really wanted to catch a redfish on the flyrod. Saw plenty of fish as the tide rose but they were more cruisers than interested in eating. We found a slower moving fish that was pushing bait and Wayne put a perfect cast a few feet in front of his nose. A few quick strips and the fish inhaled the EP mullet fly. Great fight in and out of the grass and Wayne eventually pulled a 7lb. beauty to the boat. Happy birthday!

 

Charleston Fishing Report – June 2015

By Fishing Report, Uncategorized

Charleston Fishing Report

Our fishery has come alive as warmer water temperatures usher in the summer seasonal species. The possibilities are endless as sharks, ladyfish and bluefish are added to the mix. With so many different kinds of fish available, anglers will have a great time on the water most any day.

Redfish are hungrily chasing artificial lures. Jerk shad lures paired with flutter hooks are my go to option. These lures, usually 4″-5″ in length, imitate the small baitfish that have flooded our waters. Flutter hooks have a weight on their shank that let you cast a far distance and also put motion on the lure. I use flutter hooks in size 3/0 with a 1/8oz. weight.  Make sure to cast to the edges of the schools, if you cast right into the middle you stand a good chance of spooking them.

The trout bite has really improved over the last few weeks. Popping corks remain the way to go. I prefer mud minnows as bait as they are hardier than shrimp and less likely to get decimated by bait fish. When fishing in deeper waters, we’ve been using leaders as long as five or six feet. It can make casting a bit awkward but gets the bait right on the fish’s nose.

Sharks are becoming increasingly more active. Try fishing along ledges where there is a sudden drop in depth. Often these predators will sit right along these areas. Bonnetheads have been hitting blue crab while Sharpnose have favored strips of bluefish. One of the advantages of fishing with bluefish is that you’ll occasionally hook into massive bull redfish.

Flyfishing for reds has been most productive at low tide when sight fishing conditions are optimal. Flies with lots of flash are working well, especially the copperhead pattern. During the big high tides in the evening, we have been able to get up into the grass and cast to tailing redfish. A good weed guard on your fly can really help. The Dupree’s spoon fly is a perfect choice for this setting.

See you on the water!

Capt. Geoff Bennett operates Charleston Charter Fishing providing light tackle and fly fishing charters. Clients choose from a full menu of fly rods, artificial and live bait fishing options with charters tailored to their desires. USCG licensed and insured, Capt. Bennett is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable charter to anglers of all skill levels and ages. For more information, call Capt. Bennett at 843-324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at captain@charlestoncharterfishing.com.