September 2018

Fall has arrived bringing with it cooler weather and shorter days. But don’t put your rods and reels away just yet because we’re about to experience the best fishing of the year! Fishermen will continue to find success with live bait but artificial lures should become increasingly productive. Make time to get out on the water, you will have a blast!

Redfish have been hungrily eating cut and live bait fished on the bottom. Mullet especially are pervasive in our waters and can be easily netted. We’ll rig the bait on an Owner size 3/0 circle hook paired with a carolina rig. You can use this setup on the flats as well as under docks. Just put your rod in the holder and wait for the reel to start screaming as the fish hook themselves.

Artificial lures have started to really work for trout and the traditional paddle tail design has been great. I’ll use a 1/4oz. Trout Eye jighead and tie a loop knot to give the lure even more action. Vary your rate of retrieve as you prospect different spots for pockets of fish. To make your lure even more attractive, try putting a piece of shrimp on the hook. You can use pieces of frozen or live shrimp and it will put a scent trail on your lure that fish find hard to resist.

Even as artificial lures become more effective, keep tossing those popping corks. Live shrimp, mud minnows and artificial shrimp have been working great when suspended about 18″-24″ below the cork on a fluorocarbon leader and an Owner size 1 circle hook. Redfish, trout and flounder alike will eat these baits as they pass by suspended in the water column. Corks have been working best fished along grassy banks at mid and high tide.

With the colder water temperature, redfish are starting to form bigger schools. These large schools make for excellent sight fishing on low tides. On clear days, you can see these redfish swimming in circles with their golden backs flashing in the sun. Use patience when approaching the schools and when you make your first shot make sure to cast to the edges so as not to spook the school. Jerk shad artificial lures rigged on Gamakatsu size 3/0 flutter hooks are the way to go.

See you on the water!

The Fall is the best time to fish in Charleston as cooling water temperatures let fish know that they better eat heartily because food will begin to disappear shortly. There is still time to catch summer seasonal species like shark, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish. However, by mid-September they will begin to head out in search of warmer climates. To top it off, lots of anglers will turn their attention to hunting and football which will leave you plenty of open water!

Redfish will begin to increasingly take artificial baits as usual during this time of year. Artificial plastic lures that resemble the minnows in our waters are quite effective. Zman’s 3 ¾” streakz in smokey shad is a great choice. I pair this lure with a 1/8oz. jighead but conditions sometimes call for a heavier weight. Vary your rate of retrieve as you work a spot. Just slowing down or speeding up the pace of the lure can make the bite come to life!

When targeting trout, popping corks remain the best option. While live shrimp is an excellent choice small fish will often eat that shrimp in seconds. As a result, we have been sticking with mud minnows paired with size 1 Owner circle hooks. Once hung up on structure or on a shell rake, popping corks can be hard to recover. While it’s rare you will get the whole rig back there is a simple trick that will save you time and money. Attach 20-pound test line to the top of the cork and attach a 15-pound test line to the hook from the bottom of the cork. When you pull hard, the line will snap at the hook and you will get your cork back.

Anglers are regularly catching bull redfish (36” inches plus) currently at the jetties or at nearshore reefs. During this time of year, these same fish come increasingly more into the harbor and inlets as they follow schools of large baitfish. A great set up for these fish will have a stiff rod paired with a heavy test braided line connected to a 50-60lb. leader and 7/0 circle hooks. Fresh chunks of mullet, menhaden or smaller fish are effective baits. Target spots where there are marked changes in depth and wait for the massive strikes!

See you on the water!