Tag: daniel island

Unlucky Flat Fish

The other day, I was working a school of Redfish in ultra shallow water.  The Reds were very spooky so I was casting my lure (a Z-Man StreakZ on a Trout Eye Jig) onto the bank then pulling it into the water.  This stealthy presentation was working well.  After releasing a couple of decent size Redfish, I made another cast onto the bank.  As I pulled the lure back into the water, I foul hooked this Flounder.  As if that was not bad enough, the unlucky flat fish was keeper size.  Typically, I release most of the fish I catch. However, this one was invited home for dinner.

 

 

1st Top Water Red of the Season

For me, Summer begins when Redfish begin feeding on the surface.  Last week, small pods of Redfish were chasing bait in the shallows.  So I knew it was time to give top water a try.  For the past few weeks, Trout have been crushing the new Rapala Skitter V.  Turns out, Redfish like it too!

The top water bite is on.  Summer is here.  Next up, Tailers on the fly.

 

Fishing for a Grade

Last week while speaking at the Summerville Saltwater Anglers meeting, I was introduced to Grant Allison.  Turns out Grant was working on a school project that required him to catch a Trout, Flounder and Redfish.  The project was due this week and Grant needed a little help catching the fish.  So I invited him to fish with me on Monday.  It was blowing 20 knots when we launched the skiff.  Rather than fight the elements, we tucked into a small creek and began casting Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 lures on 3/16th ounce Trout Eye finesse jigs.  The bite was slow but Grant managed to release a few Trout and a Flounder.  However, the Redfish eluded us.  As the sun set, the wind finally let up.  With just a few minutes of daylight left, we moved to a wind sheltered shallow area and immediately spotted a school of Redfish.  It took a little doing but Grant finally got a Redfish to eat his StreakZ.  Using the last rays of sunlight, we took a quick picture and released the fish.

Grant is an excellent student.  Based upon our trip, he is an even better angler.

Daniel Island News – April 9

Great weather, warm water and hungry fish are a proven recipe for excellent fishing. This weekend we hit three out of three. While on occasion, it was a bit breezy, the fishing was off the charts (good). In the morning, before a lot of boats got on the water and their wakes diminished water clarity, I sight fished for Reds in the flooded marsh. They were not tailing (hopefully they starting doing this in a week or so) but they were actively feeding. Pretty much every fish I saw ate a 5-inch Z-Man StreakZ (Pearl) on a sixteenth ounce Mustad 4/0 keeper hook. This lure combination is weedless, so it works well in the flooded marsh. A slight switch was all it took to trigger a strike.

After an hour of great fishing, it was time to pick up my son (Elliott) at the dock. Upon our return to the area, the tide was falling and the Redfish were filtering out of the marsh. We saw a school of slot-size Redfish leave the marsh and take up feeding stations near an oyster bar. Elliott cast a Z-Man MinnowZ (Bad Shad) on a quarter ounce jig to the base of the bar and hooked up right away. I immediately cast a StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring) on a 3/16th ounce Trout Eye finesses jig into the same area and had similar results. Doubles! The hot bite continued until the tide fell to the point that the bar became too shallow and the school moved to deeper water.

Having caught our fill of Redfish, we switched our attention to completing our Inshore Slams. This required each of us to catch a Trout and Flounder. We checked Trout off the list by fishing a feeder creek that was draining over an oyster bar. Like the Redfish, the Trout ate both the MinnowZ and StreakZ equally well. At the same spot, Elliott picked up a Flounder to complete his slam. I spent the rest of the day targeting Flounder but to no avail. However, I did catch a bunch more Trout and Redfish.

Last week, I was out-fished by (12-year old) Luke Bishop. This week, the beat down was administered by Elliott. I need to start fishing with less talented anglers!

Daniel Island News – April 5

Thanks to everyone that supported the Lucy Boyle Memorial Fund by attending the fishing class on Saturday. I want to give a special shout out to Anthony at Sea Tow Charleston for the gift buckets. Kids and parents alike loved them!

After the class, I went fishing with Luke Bishop (who lives down the street from me). Luke is 12 years old and an avid angler. Occasionally, he stops by the house to share fishing information. We chat about what is biting and the lures that are producing the best results. He is polite, well-mannered and a great kid. If Luke is representative of the future of fishing, the future is very bright.

The tide was not optimal when we launched the boat. However, the weather was perfect. Light winds and warm temperatures made for great conditions on the water. Given the unusually high tide, we started out sight-fishing Redfish in the flooded marsh. We saw a bunch of fish but could only get a couple to bite. Unfortunately, they also got away. As the tide began to fall, we switched to creek drains and turned our attention to Trout. We fared much better. Luke was casting a Z-Man MinnowZ (Mud Minnow) on a ¼ ounce Trout Eye jig. I was using a StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring). While we both were catching fish, Luke was on fire. He was using a swim and stop technique (a slow steady retrieve with a stop every so often). The Trout could not resist it. We ended up releasing 40 or so Trout (I even kept a few for dinner). Luke caught significantly more fish than I did.

About mid-tide, we switched our focus back to Reds. However, all of the boat traffic (and wakes) made the water clarity poor. So, the fish were having trouble locating our lures. We did manage to release one before calling it a day.

On Saturday, I was out fished by a 12-year-old. It was great fun!

Longer Days

Longer days bring more opportunities to fish.  Late in the afternoon, the winds tend to diminish.  Creating great conditions for casting flies or top water lures.  Recently, both have been highly successful.  Given warmer water temperatures and the return of baitfish to the creeks, Trout and Redfish are feeding aggressively.  Especially, later in the day.  So, get out catch a few!

My favorite late afternoon lure has been the new Rapala Skitter-V.   It casts well (like into the next county well) and is very easy to walk.  For flies, it is hard to be a Gurgler.

The days are getting longer.  Take advantage of the opportunity and go fishing.

Winter is Over!

Winter is officially over!  The days are getting longer (and warmer).  As we transition into Spring, it can make fishing a bit challenging.  The large schools of Redfish that spend the Winter in the shallows are breaking up.  Depending on the day and barometer, Trout can be shallow or deep.  For the next few weeks, all of this moving around can make locating fish difficult.  During this time, being flexible is the key to success.  Moving around can tip the odds in your favor.

On bright sunny days, shallow water will be a few degrees warmer than water in main river or harbor.  Baitfish will congregate in the warmer water.  Especially around structure like oyster bars.  Small schools of Redfish will be hanging around the oyster bars enjoying the warmer water and seeking an easy meal.  These fish should be relatively easy to catch.  A well-presented lure or bait will most often lead to a solid bite.  I recommend moving around until you find feeding fish.  The water is still quite clear.  If you are stealthy, it is easy to spot the small schools of Redfish.

Trout tend to move with the barometer.  When it is steady or moving slowly, look for Trout to be actively feeding in the shallows.  A rapidly moving barometer usually drives Trout into deeper water.  That was the case this weekend.  A cold front passed through the area.  Leaving behind it windy conditions and a rapidly rising barometer.  It took a lot of moving around until I located fish holding in 10 to 15 feet of water.  Once located, bouncing a StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring) on a Trout Eye finesse jig along the transition from 10 to 15 feet produced good numbers of quality fish.

Winter is over.  Get out and go fishing.  I figure even if I do not catch any fish, at least I will be getting a jump on my tan!

 

 

 

Big Chill

The recent cold spell put a big chill on the water temperature.  It is now 55 degrees.  A drop of 7 degrees over the course of a few days.  This has pushed the Trout a bit deeper.  Today they were bunched up in 10 to 12 feet of water.  They were hungry too!  A Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 or Slim SwimZ on a Trout Eye Finesse jig bounced along the bottom put up big catch and release numbers.  The strike was a bit light but the fish were definitely feeding.  Warmer temperatures are forecast for the next day or so.  I believe the bite will get even better.