Q&A

Recently, a few people have been asking questions about how the tide influences my approach to fishing.  In the Lowcountry, we have a tidal range of 5 to 6 feet.  Subsequently, we have a consistent  2 to 3 knot current as the tide rises and falls.  Tidal range and current are helpful factors for anglers that plan accordingly.

As the tide begins to fall, shrimp and baitfish funnel out of the marsh through small drains and creek mouths.  Trout, Flounder and Redfish have this figured out and position themselves accordingly.  So I tend to fish this pattern early in the falling tide.

When the water flow from small drains and creek mouths  begins to slow down (and food is no longer being funneled), I move to larger creek mouths or marsh points that are still being swept by a good current.  These areas are predator feeding stations and should be productive until slack tide.

At the bottom of the tide, I focus on Redfish in shallow water.  Not just any shallow area but areas with oyster bars and a depth transition (like a channel).  Bait gets concentrated in these areas and Redfish can often be seen chasing it around.  They are literally fishing in a barrel.  Anglers with shallow draft skiffs can fish in the same barrel.

Three patterns for three stages of the tide.  I hope this helps.

 

Sunrise Redfish

As Summer approaches, the waterways will become increasingly more crowded.  Being on the water (even if you are not fishing) is great fun.  However, heavy boat traffic can negatively impact fishing.  So, in the Summer, I tend to fish very early in the morning or late in the evening.  This keeps me out of the heat of the day and in optimal fishing conditions.

Recently, Elliott (my son) and David (my brother) joined me for an early morning fishing trip.  We launched the skiff well before the sun cleared the tree line.  The air was crisp and a bit cool.  It made for a chilly run to our first fishing location (a large submerged oyster bar).  The tide was falling and formed a current seam as it passed over the bar.  As I positioned the skiff (using the trolling motor), we saw Trout busting baitfish in the seam.  Elliott and David cast Chug Bug poppers into the current seam and were rewarded with crushing strikes from hungry Trout.  As they were fighting their fish, I cast a Lucky Craft Sammy into the current seam.  After a few iterations of a twitch and pause retrieve, my lure was inhaled but a slot-size Redfish.  The sunrise was magnificent.  The top water bite was even better.

After photographing and releasing the fish, the three of us took a moment to appreciate the new day.  We exchanged no words.  We simply looked at one another, nodded and smiled.  Over the years, I have come to realize that fishing is not about catching fish.  It is about the experience you share with your family and friends.  Summer is almost here.  So, gather your family and friends and go fishing.  You will be rewarded with a lifetime of memories and that is the best catch of all.

 

 

Fishing in a Gale

The past few days have been very windy.  So windy, that I abandoned my favorite finesse techniques and switched to power fishing mode with a quarter ounce Trout Eye Jig and Z-Man MinnowZ (Pearl Blue Glimmer) body.  This combination casts well into the wind and stays in the strike zone despite the gale.  Oh yeah, big Trout like it to too!

Most of the big fish were found around shallow ledges directly adjacent to deeper water.  Water clarity in these areas improves on the incoming tide.  The Trout bite does as well.

Larger and heavier lures require slightly heavier tackle.  So I put away my favorite 7′ St. Croix Legend Elite (Light) in favor of the Medium Light version.  If you match your tackle and techniques to the conditions, you will more than likely catch fish.  Even in a gale.

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!