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!
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!
nt 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.
turned to the Lowcountry today. After weeks of unusually warm weather, Mother Nature brought the cold weather hammer down. Strong winds and a light rain made for bone chilling conditions. It was cold (and wet) but I had the fish all to myself. While the air was cold, the water temperature was 61 degrees. So the fish were still feeding aggressively. A Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring) on a 3/16 ounce Trout Eye Finesse jig was the most productive lure. Most of the fish were on a depth transition from 2 to 10 feet. Redfish were shallow and Trout were deep. A snap and pause retrieve triggered the most strikes. The weather is cold (again) but right now the fishing is pretty hot.
sse fishing can be highly effective in the Lowcountry. Especially in post cold front conditions. When the sky is blue and the barometer is rapidly rising, downsizing your tackle system and lures can tilt the odds in your favor. My favorite post cold front lure is a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 on a Trout Eye Finesse Jig. This combination is a proven Trout producer (pretty much any time). However, it really shines after a cold front passes through. Smaller profile and lighter lures need a matching tackle system. My go to outfit is a 7′ St. Croix Legend Elite Light (fast action) paired with a 1000 frame Shimano CI4 reel. It is a joy to cast and can detect even the most subtle post cold front bite.