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February 2019

Charleston Fishing Report – March 2019

By Fishing, Fishing Report

Charleston-Fishing-Report

One of the warmest Winters on record has our fishery set to get going early this year. You could even say it never fully turned off as days in the 70s have kept water temperatures far higher than normal. Bait fish that are usually nonexistent have been present and kept the redfish active. Trout should be ramped up and ready to go in March. It’s time to break out your rods and reels and get ready for a great season!

Having spent the last few months laying low and avoiding dolphins, redfish are no longer just focused on simply surviving but now on feeding as well. Low tide will be the best time to focus on big schools of redfish that can number in the hundreds. These fish are still pretty wary, so a quiet approach is very important. On many days, it pays to settle in one spot when you find a school and wait for them to return to you instead of pushing them away.

When these reds are being spooky, I’ll try to disturb them as little as possible by keeping my casting to a minimum. This is a time to fish with bait on the bottom.  I’ll put a chunk of blue crab or frozen mullet on a size 3/0 circle hook and just let it sit until the redfish swim over it. Make sure the barb of your hook is fully through the bait and exposed. Place your rod in the rod holder and wait for it to whip over once the circle hook sets itself!

As trout begin to appear, popping corks cast along grass banks and over oyster beds will be a good bet paired with mud minnows. I usually pair a size 1 circle hook with an 18”-24” fluorocarbon leader. While there is no shortage of options, I use oval shaped corks that are heavier and can be cast further. When using a popping cork, do your best to keep slack out of your line and when that cork goes under just reel to set the hook. You’ll find that the circle hook seldom misses as long as your line is tight.

See you on the water!

James Island Fishing

By Fishing, Fishing Report

James Island Fishing

Visiting from Germany, Julia had fishing on her list of  things to do in Charleston. We set out early on a sunny morning searching for her first redfish. The big schools of reds weren’t hard to find but getting them to eat required alot of patience. We posted up and tossed chunks of cut mullet on circle hooks. At our second spot, a school of redfish blew up as they approached the boat and then one of the rods doubled over. Julia played the fish like a pro. Before long, she had landed herself a beautiful seven pounder!

Seabrook Island Fishing

By Fishing, Fishing Report

Seabrook Island Fishing

Sixty degrees and sunny has become a rare commodity this Winter but we were blessed with it today. Another day of light winds combined to make for stellar conditions. Pulled up to a flat that I knew had a huge school of big redfish. It took awhile to locate them but when we did it turned out to be an epic thing. The bite was constant with redfish eating cut mullet cast close to the bank. Average fish was in the 8-10lb. class and Sue set the mark for the biggest red of the year with this sweet fourteen pounder!