Even with winds cranking at 20+ from the NorthEast, we still ran more Charleston fishing charters! Hunkered down in a creek and caught small black drum on cut frozen shrimp. But the real story was the rods fished out the back with cut mullet. Every so often, one would crank over courtesy of a big redfish! Caught several of these with the biggest at 11 pounds. Grinding them out on a windy day.
Wasn’t sure what to expect as we launched into gusty winds and an extra low tide. The water came up quick and as soon as the flats flooded the bite turned on. The rods whipped over as the reds hit cut mullet along the grass line. By the end of the afternoon, Larry had boated his personal best, a 29″ beauty. 70 degrees and sunny in February didn’t hurt either!
Chilly days are rapidly fading away with temperatures rising well into the 60s and sometimes pushing into the 70s. Warmer water temperatures will wake the fish up and get them feeding. Trout should be turned on by mid-March. It’s time to break out your reels and rods and get ready for a great season!
Having spent the winter months lying low and avoiding dolphins, redfish are now focused on eating instead of simply surviving. Low tide will be the best time to target large schools of redfish that can number in the hundreds. These fish are still spooky, so a quiet and subtle approach is very important. On many days, it pays to stay in one spot when you find a school and wait for them to come to you instead of scaring them away.
As these reds are nervous, I’ll try to bother them as little as possible by minimizing my casting. This is a great 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 be until the redfish swim over it. Make sure the barb of your hook is fully in the bait and the point is cleanly exposed. Place your rod in the rod holder and get ready for it to whip over once the circle hook sets itself!
As trout begin to eat, popping corks cast along grass banks and over oyster beds will be a good bet with mud minnows attached. I usually pair a 18”-24” fluorocarbon leader with a size 1 circle hook. I use weighted 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 drops under just reel without lifting the rod tip. You’ll find that the circle hook rarely misses if your line is tight.
See you on the water!
As part of their annual birthday celebration, Matt and Will booked our regular full day charter. While the tide was still in the grass, we picked at fish with minnows under popping corks. Once the water came out, the action was non-stop. Reds on the inside of docks smoked our corks. Once low tide hit, we fished docks where redfish made a mockery of our 60lb test braid rigged on shark rods but we still managed to get many in the 8 to 10 pound range out. As the water came back in, we tossed corks over shell rakes and continued to get pummeled. Caught literally dozens of redfish. Happy birthday guys!
Eric was adamant about a full day charter and boy did we wear the fish out! Started with mud minnows under popping corks and with the help of his wife, Pam, dozens of redfish came into the boat. As we reached slack low tide, we went hunting bigger prey under docks. Found fish so big that even the shark rods with 60lb. test could not turn them. However, Pam did manage to get a nice eight pounder out from the pilings. After that, we jumped dozens of ladyfish while catching trout as well. A great day!
Fall has arrived with cooler weather and shorter days. But don’t put your boat away yet because we’re about to experience the best fishing of the year! Fishermen can continue to find success with live bait but artificial lures should become increasingly effective. Make some time to get out on the water, you won’t regret it.
Redfish have been hungrily eating cut and live bait fished on the bottom. Menhaden and mullet are pervasive in our waters and can be easily netted. We’ll rig the bait on a size 3/0 circle hook paired with a carolina rig. You can use this under docks as well as on the flats. Just put the rod in the holder and wait for the reel to start humming as the fish hook themselves.
Artificial lures have really begun to produce for trout and the traditional paddle tail design has been awesome. I’ll use a 1/4oz. jighead and tie a loop knot to give the lure even more action. Vary your rate of retrieve as you prospect for pockets of fish. To make your lure even more compelling, 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 is hard to ignore.
Even as artificial lures become more effective, keep tossing those popping corks. Mud minnows, live shrimp and artificial shrimp have all been working well when suspended about 18″-24″ below the cork. Redfish and trout alike will eat these baits as they pass by riding along in the water column. Corks have been working best fished along grassy banks at mid and high tide.
See you on the water!
Heavy winds pushed us into the creeks. Fortunately, the Alphin clan is always up for chasing “the strike” wherever it may be. Started pitching chunks of blue crab into deep holes around docks. Redfish hit so hard and heavy that light tackle gear was of no use. Switched over to shark rods and turned the drag down so tight we could barely pull line out with our hands. Everyone had a big redfish by the end of the day but Hunter set the bar with a 33″ beauty!
Every year Ray and Marv drive up from Florida for three days of fishing. Despite all the options available, they want one thing: big redfish under docks. So bring out the shark rods, 60lb. test and chunks of blue crab and away we go! Had our best year yet with hot action every day. Rods would snap over and Ray and Marv would have those few pivotal seconds to get that fish out from under a dock before it wrapped around a piling. Good times. Lots of redfish ten pounds or more. Can’t wait until next year.
Fantastic fall fishing is about to begin thanks to a perfect storm of conditions. The combination of lower water temperatures, tons of bait and fewer fishermen on the water makes for an ideal scenario. The fact that cooler days that will make fishing much more pleasant doesn’t hurt either!
We often suggest popping corks in our reports. Why? Because they are easy to fish with and work great! Redfish, flounder and trout will all eat bait suspended in the water column. When fishing this rig, it’s very important to keep the slack out of your line. I keep my rod tip pointed at the cork and just reel when it drops. You’ll find your hookup rate improves compared to keeping your rod tip high and trying to set the hook by jerking back on the rod.
We will bid farewell to the summer seasonal species who should be gone by the end of the month. Meanwhile, sharks are still providing plenty of action for the next few weeks. It is crucial to use enough weight to keep your bait pinned to the bottom. Baits that are swinging around will usually slide until they snag. Instead of using one large 3 or 4oz. weight, I’ll use 1 or 2oz. weights attached to a slinker slide and add weight as needed.
The odds of catching bull redfish these days as you fish in the big water are rapidly rising. With the mullet run in full swing, these beasts follow the bait inshore. Cracked blue crab, live menhaden and fresh cut mullet make great baits. You’ll find these fish on drop offs and ledges in the harbor and inlets. With redfish measuring into the upper 30” class it is well worth your time to soak some bait.
See you on the water!
Under dark skies and with lightening cells off in the distance, we met early in the morning to fish the rising tide. While the clouds hung around for the duration, we stayed dry for almost the entire charter. Started off fast catching bonnethead sharks with blue crab at slack low tide. After everyone had one in the boat, we switched over to popping corks and mud minnows. By the end of the day, everyone had caught a redfish as well. Will ended the trip with this 9lb. beauty!
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