Charleston Fishing Report

Weeks full of sunny weather and warm temperatures have made our fishery come alive. Bait is everywhere and eager fish are chasing it down. Anglers have a wide array of options now that our seasonal species have arrived to compliment the traditional targets of redfish and trout.

Fishing for redfish remains very productive. Blue crab fished on the bottom is deadly. Remove the shell and legs of a blue crab and cut the body in half. Put a size 3/0 circle hook through the hole where the flipper fin used to be and make sure the hook point is exposed. No need to hold the rod, instead put it in a rod holder. Once that rod starts to bend, don’t touch it until the drag starts screaming!

As for trout, it is more of the same. Popping corks remain the way to go. Mud minnows and live shrimp are both performing well. Creek shrimp are starting to be large enough to net and use. If little fish keep picking at your live shrimp, switch over to a D.O.A. 3” artificial shrimp. Their Glow/Gold Rush Belly color has been quite productive.

Anglers targeting flounder have been reporting good numbers being caught. Work mud minnows or finger mullet along the bottom around structures. Move the bait gently along and when you think you have a bite pause a few seconds before setting the hook. We’ve been picking up quite a few flounder with mud minnows under a popping cork as well.

My favorite summertime fish is the ladyfish. With the warmer water temps, ladyfish will fill our waters. These exciting fish will readily eat bait under a popping cork and make your drag zing. Their acrobatic jumps and hard runs make these fish very entertaining. You’ll find them often in some of the same spots that you find trout.

See you on the water!

What a perfect time to be fishing! With our waters now full of bait, the fish are eating heartily. Almost all the summer seasonal species have arrived and when combined with our traditional gamefish, provide a whole range of options for an angler. If your fishing season hasn’t yet begun, there’s no better time to get going!

Redfish have been making fast work of any well placed bait. Make sure to bring along your cast net and try catching some finger mullet or the soon to be arriving menhaden. We’ve been having the most luck around rock walls, docks and other structures while fishing live bait on a carolina rig. Make sure to use a weight heavy enough to hold the bait stationary, otherwise your rig will drift along the bottom until it snags.

It’s that time of year for topwater trout action at first light! Heddon’s Super Spook Jr. in their silver mullet color works great but my favorite is the chartreuse and black. Vary your retrieve as you work these lures back to the boat. This is a lure that you need to reel tight to the fish before raising your rod tip. Good luck with that as a violent boil erupts around your lure! Once the topwater bite slows, suspended twitch bait lures can keep things going for a little while longer.

Sharks are back and several species like bonnetheads, sharpnose and black tips are already prevalent. You’ll start to see the fins of sharks dicing through the water as they seek out food in skinny water and also find them foraging along drop offs in the inlets and harbor. Chunks of cut bait, blue crab, and live shrimp all work well on these predators. I favor 7/0 circle hooks and just leave the rods in the holders. Fishing for sharks can be a great way to get young anglers involved as sharks are usually cooperative and put up great fights.

See you on the water!

Spring has arrived! With days full of sun and temperatures holding in the 70’s, our fishery is rapidly changing with many new signs of life. Trout and flounder are entering the mix and anglers now have several species to target instead of just spooky redfish. Bait is filling our waters and the fish are hungry!

Redfish are no longer focused simply on preservation but are becoming predators again. Anglers should consider using artificial plastic lures that mimic bait fish. One good choice would be “jerk shad” lures that have become very popular and are available in a wide variety of colors. I’ve been finding that silver hues have been working best although I’ll occasionally throw a darker color when water clarity is poor.

Having woken from their winter slumber, the trout are active again. Fishermen should focus on grassy banks and oyster beds when targeting these fish. It’s time to break out the popping corks again. Try fishing a 3” D.O.A. plastic shrimp lure suspended two feet underneath a popping cork. The D.O.A. shrimp come in several weights but I prefer their 1/4oz. model.  The Glow/Gold color is a great choice.

Often considered our tastiest fish, flounder are a frequent target. We’ve been catching them mostly when fishing with mud minnows on the bottom or mud minnows under popping corks. You’ll need to focus on structures when targeting flounder. Old pilings and docks are good places to prospect. Remember that flounder will hug the bottom in hopes of ambushing their prey, so you’ll need to keep that bait down on or close to the bottom.

See you on the water!

As colder months end, temperatures have been working their way higher over the last few weeks. Warmer water makes for happier fish and the Spring bite will soon be well underway. The usual suspects, redfish and trout, will be the primary targets and both will be increasingly more active. Don’t wait a couple months, grab your rods and start fishing now!

Over the last few months, redfish have been doing their best to avoid hungry dolphins. Now they will switch modes from just surviving and instead become predators. Redfish remain in huge schools and the most productive fishing will be at low tide when they are concentrated. These fish will be quite spooky so you’ll want to be quiet on your approach. Sometimes, the best option is to post up and wait for the school to swim within range of you.

If they are being wary, these big schools of redfish will often turn their noses up at artificial lures.  Instead of casting at them to no avail, we’ll fish bait on the bottom. Toss out chunks of blue crab or cut mullet on size 3/0 circle hooks. Place your rod in the rod holder and leave the rod be when you see the line begin to tighten. The circle hook does all the work for you and when your drag starts to sing you are in business!

The trout bite has just begun. Artificial lures will be your best bet with little natural bait currently in the water. Fish these lures slowly and try to let them dive to the bottom. These trout are sluggish as well and it pays to get the lure right in front of their nose. Plastic lures that imitate small minnows are a good choice and the Zman 3.75” Streakz in smokey shad is our go to choice. Matched with a 1/8oz. or a 1/4oz. jighead, this combination will work well throughout the year.

See you on the water!

Fishing was great in October, and we can expect November to be just as good!  Chilly nights remind redfish and trout that they had better eat soon or it will be a long few months ahead without any food. Artificial lures have become very productive as natural bait leaves our waters. Take advantage of sunny days and go chase some fish!

As water temperatures decline, redfish have begun their seasonal phenomenon of forming huge schools. Schools of fifty redfish will become common and they can grow as large as 100-150 during the winter. These fish are more wary this time of year and artificial lures can spook them. Instead of casting at the schools, we will throw out as many as three lines with chunks of blue crab or mullet on #3/0 circle hooks and just put the rods in holders. Eventually, the redfish will find your bait and bend your rods over with some astonishing hits!

For trout, artificial lures continue to work very well. Trout hang together and when you catch one there will likely be others in the immediate area. Lures in hues of gray and blue are performing the best when paired with a 1/4oz. jighead. Remember to move your lure slower than usual as the fish slow down with the cooler water temperature. Try to touch the bottom with the jighead and wait until you feel the pull of a striking fish.

Popping corks are still great options for both trout and redfish. Live shrimp can be used again with the bait stealers gone. I’ll attach a three-foot leader to the cork and a size 1 circle hook on the other end with a split shot a foot above the hook. Cast along grass banks, over oyster beds, and at creek mouths and watch for that cork to disappear! It can be challenging, but when that cork drops, reel as fast as you can and let the circle hook naturally set itself. A big hook set can sometimes rip your bait right out of the fish’s mouth.

See you on the water!

Fall has arrived and with it comes cooler weather and shorter days. But don’t put your rods and reels away just yet because here comes the best fishing of the year! Fishermen will continue to find success with live bait but artificial lures should become increasingly effective. Make time to get out on the water, you will be sure to enjoy it!

Redfish have been happily eating live and cut bait fished on the bottom. Mullet especially are everywhere you look and can be easily netted. We’ll rig the bait on a size 3/0 circle hook paired with enough weight to hold the rig firmly on the bottom. You can use this setup on docks as well as on the flats. Leave your rod in the holder and wait for the reel to start screaming as the fish hook themselves.

Artificial lures have started to really produce for trout and the traditional paddle tail design has been awesome. 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 try 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 live or frozen shrimp and it will put a scent on your lure that fish find hard to turn down.

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

See you on the water!

With an ideal set of conditions in place, anglers can be sure that inshore fishing will really pick up in September. The combination of lots of bait, cooler water temperatures and less traffic on the water should make for awesome fishing. While a lot of people will turn their focus to hunting and football, fishermen who save some time for casting a line will be well rewarded.

During this time of year, redfish will begin to increasingly take artificial baits. Plastic lures that mimic the bait fish in our waters are very effective. Zman’s 3 ¾” streakz in smokey shad is a great choice. I pair this lure with a 1/8oz. jighead but conditions may call for a heavier weight. Make sure to change your rate of retrieve as you fish a spot. Sometimes just slowing down or speeding up the pace of the lure can make the bite come to life.

Even with artificials becoming more effective, keep throwing those popping corks. Mud minnows, live shrimp and artificial shrimp have been working well 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 fished over shell rake and along grassy banks at mid and high tide.

It’s not uncommon to catch bull redfish (36” inches plus) during the summer time at the jetties or at nearshore reefs. During the fall, these big fish come into the harbor and inlets as they track down large mullet and menhaden. Rods rigged for these fish will have 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 your rod to rip over!

See you on the water!

Our fishery is in full swing with lots of bait and an incredibly diverse mixture of fish to target. During August, it will be key to get out early to beat the heat. You’ll not only be more comfortable fishing in the morning but also more productive. The high temperatures in the afternoon can put species like trout down. You may lose some sleep but launching at first light has plenty of rewards.

Popping corks are very effective this time of year. You can catch so many different types of fish: redfish, trout, flounder, ladyfish, shark etc. I use a weighted popping cork so I can increase the distance of my cast. I run an 18″-24″ fluorocarbon leader from the cork to a size 1 circle hook. When your cork drops under water, reel until you feel the weight of the fish and then lift the rod tip. Mud minnows, shrimp and artificial shrimp all work well as baits.

Topwater is a fantastic option when you are starting early. Try to get to your spot just as it is becoming light. Fish will strike topwater lures based on the commotion they make on the surface and aren’t able to see that the lure isn’t a real struggling baitfish. These lures work well for trout, ladyfish and redfish. Heddon’s Super Spook Jr. lures in chartreuse and black or red and white are the ticket.

This time of year you’ll want to carry your cast net not only for shrimp but also for baitfish like finger mullet and menhaden. Finger mullet under a popping cork are deadly for trout and can’t be torn to bits by little bait stealing fish. Menhaden fished live on the bottom with big circle hooks are great for reds and sharks. Fresh cut menhaden or mullet put out a scent trail that few fish can ignore.

See you on the water!