As a introduction to lowcountry fishing, David brought his friend Steve, a renown hand model, out on the water this morning. Fishing low tide on the flats worked well with blue crab and let Steve get those precious mitts around some nice redfish. Transitioned to popping corks and caught more reds and trout with mud minnows. A steady current and lots of bait kept the bite steady for rest of the charter.
Set out this morning trying to capture the small window when there would be enough water to get up on the flats but before the redfish could get into the grass. We got it just right! Pushed up to a set of shell rakes and immediately put a 31″ beauty in the boat. Landed five more fish over the next hour with the smallest at 5lbs. and the average around 8lbs. With the water up, we fished popping corks with mud minnows along the grass lines and had good success catching trout. It’s great when a plan works.
The perfect storm that makes fishing so great in the fall is beginning. The combination of tons of bait, lower water temperatures, and fewer fishermen on the water makes for wonderful conditions. The fact that cooler days will make fishing much more pleasant is a bonus!
We often mention popping corks in our reports. Why? Because they work so well! Trout, redfish and flounder will all attack bait that’s suspended in the water column. I’ll attach a 18”-24” leader from the cork to a size 1 circle hook. When fishing a popping cork, it’s very important to keep the slack out of your line so you can set the hook quickly. I keep my rod tip pointed at the cork and just reel when it drops. You’ll find your hookup rate is better when compared to keeping your rod tip high and trying to set the hook by jerking back on the rod.
It is time to bid farewell to the summer seasonal species who will likely be gone by the end of the month. Meanwhile, sharks are still providing plenty of entertainment. When fishing in deeper waters, it is important to use enough weight to keep your bait on the bottom. Baits that are surfing in the current usually won’t get hit. Instead of using one large 4 or 6oz. weight, I’ll stack 1 or 2oz. weights on my line to get the desired effect. It makes provides more flexibility and makes casting easier.
One of the benefits of fishing in deeper waters these days is you can regularly hook into bull redfish who are quite active. With the mullet run in full swing, these huge fish will make their way inshore. Cracked blue crab and fresh cut mullet make great baits. You’ll find these fish on ledges and drop offs in the harbor and inlets. Fishing can be slower than with corks but with redfish measuring into the upper 30” class it’s well worth your time.
See you on the water!
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