The Hamilton party joined me for the third morning this week with our sights set solely on big reds. We had a perfect low tide that would concentrate schools of reds on the flats. Once we posted up and put out chunks of cut mullet, the rods started whipping over! Sharon’s seven pound personal record was the fish of the charter.
The charter began as the tide just turned and started falling. Fished the duration of the trip with popping corks and mud minnows. Wherever we could find current and bait, the corks kept dropping as reds and trout kept hitting. Highlight was this 8lb red that ate so close to the boat we could literally see it rise up and inhale the minnow!
Fall has arrived with cooler weather and shorter days. We’re about to experience the best fishing of the year so don’t put away your boat just yet! Fishermen can continue to succeed with live bait but artificial lures should become increasingly effective. Make some time to get out fishing, you won’t regret it.
After a couple of tropical storms, the weather has settled down and water clarity is improving. Redfish have begun to form larger schools and sight fishing should be great. We are casting jerk shad artificial lures about 4″-5″ in length and in hues of silver and blue. I pair these lures with size #3/0 flutter hooks that provide great action in the water.
Artificial lures have begun to really produce for trout. I’ll fish a 1/4oz. jighead and tie a loop knot to give the lure even more action. As you search for pockets of fish, vary your rate of retrieve. Just like the jerk shad, we’ve been staying with artificials whose color mimics the baitfish in the water. Try putting a piece of shrimp on the hook to make your lure even more attractive,. You can try pieces of live or frozen shrimp and it will add a scent trail on your lure that is hard to resist.
Even with artificials becoming more productive, keep using those popping corks. Live shrimp, mud minnows and artificial shrimp have been working fine when suspended about 18″-24″ below the cork. Trout and redfish alike will eat these baits as they pass by suspended in the water column. Corks have been working best cast along grassy banks at mid and high tide.
See you on the water!
Jake and Kim booked me again almost exactly on the same date as last year. They knew to expect some great Fall fishing. As it turns out, that’s exactly what they got! Tons of smaller reds, trout and ladyfish with the occasional bruiser in between. Kim’s red was the biggest of the day and it fought so hard it pulled us off anchor! A truly beautiful ten pound red…….hopefully the duo will be back next year!
Started out the day hunting clean water and good current. Kept our popping corks rolling along with mud minnows underneath. Not much interest at the first two spots but plenty of happy fish at the third. Julie let her cork float way back in the current and it got hit hard! After a couple minutes of fighting the fish against the current, Julie had a four pound trout in the boat. Her new personal best – great job!
The Fall is the best time to fish in Charleston as cooling water temperatures let fish know that they better eat up because food will begin to disappear. Time remains to catch summer seasonal species like Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and shark. Although, 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 football and hunting which will leave you plenty of space on the water!
Redfish will begin to aggressively take artificial baits during this time of year. Plastic lures that resemble the baitfish in our waters are quite productive. Zman’s 3 ¾” streakz in smokey shad is a great choice. I pair this with a 1/8oz. jighead, however conditions sometimes call for a heavier weight. Vary your rate of retrieve as you work this lure. Just speeding up or slowing down the pace of the lure can make the bite come to life!
When focusing on trout, popping corks remain a great option. While live shrimp are a good choice, small fish will often demolish that shrimp in seconds. To counter this, we have been sticking with mud minnows paired with size 1 Owner circle hooks. When hung up on shell rake or structure, popping corks can be hard to recover. While it’s rare you will get all the pieces back, there is a simple trick that will save you money and time. 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 tug hard, the line will snap at the hook and you will get your cork back.
Anglers are consistently catching bull redfish (36” inches plus) currently at the jetties or at nearshore reefs. Increasingly, these same fish come 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 menhaden, mullet or smaller fish are very effective. Look for spots where there are marked changes in depth and wait for the huge strikes!
See you on the water!
Things were a bit slow as we fished both sides of slack high tide. We caught some trout but when the current started running the fishing took off too! As the water dropped and the bait was pulled out of the grass, the redfish started eating. Our corks kept dropping as redfish bit our mud minnows. Michele not only caught her first redfish but with lots of coaxing even agreed to hold it!
With just a couple reds in the boat, we were looking to pick things up a bit on our morning charter. As low tide exposed lots of structure, we kept working popping corks in the current. Wick got bit and the action let us know it was most likely a flounder. Little did I know it would be a boat record! Wick’s fish weighed in at 6.5lbs and measured 25″. Needless to say, that was the daymaker!
Fishing has been very active so far this summer and anglers can expect it to stay the same in August. It will be important to get out early or stay out late to beat the heat. It will not only be more comfortable to fish during these times but also high temperatures in the afternoons can put the fish down.
It’s hard to find a more effective setup than the popping cork. You can catch so many different types of fish: redfish, trout, flounder, ladyfish, shark, etc. Try using a weighted popping cork to increase the distance of your cast. I attach an 18″-24″ fluorocarbon leader from the cork to a size 1 circle hook. Shrimp, mud minnows, and artificial shrimp all work well as baits.
When you are starting early, topwater is a fantastic option for trout. Do your best to get to your spot just as it is becoming daylight. Fish strike topwater lures based on the commotion they make on the surface as they can’t discern that the lure isn’t a real struggling baitfish. These lures will also catch redfish as well. Heddon’s Super Spook Jr. lures in silver mullet or chartreuse and black are the way to go.
Of all the species, the shark bite may be the most consistent of all during August. They certainly don’t seem to mind the heat. Menhaden are great bait so bring your cast net along. Make sure you use enough weight to keep your bait stuck to the bottom. In the harbor and in the inlets, you may need to go as heavy as four to six ounces when the current rips.
See you on the water!
Reds circled our boat on the flats for two hours but only a lone eleven pounder would eat. So, we switched our focus over to trout. While popping corks produced nice legal trout, lines fished out the back with mud minnows were the story of the day. Two trout over 20″ smoked our baits with the largest at four pounds!
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