Tag: bull redfish

Get Out There While You Can!



Fishing Report 12/01/2019


Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I did a lot of fishing with my family and friends. For the most part, the weather and the fish cooperated. On the day before Thanksgiving, conditions were optimal. So, my brother (Dave), his son-in-law (Sean) and old family friend (Donna), decided to go fishing. We launched the Pathfinder into the start of the outgoing tide and made a short run into Beresford Creek.

Along the way, the depth finder consistently showed fish holding along depth transitions in 10 to 15 feet of water. So, our first fishing location was a creek channel in 10 feet of water with a broken shell bottom. I cast a Z-Man TRD (Hot Snakes color) on a 1/5-ounce NedlockZ jig into the channel and let the current sweep the lure along the bottom. A solid thump announced that the fish were there and hungry. For the next hour or so, we enjoyed a solid Trout bite. On a regular basis, two or three of us would be fighting a Trout simultaneously. Doubles and triples were commonplace. When we had multiple hook ups, the person that did not catch a fish caught a really hard time from everyone else. The joke making was relentless and we all shared some really good laughs. When the falling tide slowed down the Trout bite did as well. However, a quick move to another part of the channel put us on a hot Redfish bite. Most of the fish were smaller in size, but they were abundant. Multiple hook ups were the norm. Once all four us had a fish on. Quads! Dave, Donna and I landed Redfish. Unfortunately for Sean, his fish was a Mullet. For some odd reason this was uproariously funny. Well, at least to Dave, Donna and me. Sean took the verbal abuse well. To commemorate the moment, we took an impromptu selfie. We were all laughing so hard, it was difficult to get a good shot.

Fishing is great right now. The water temperature is 57-degrees and I expect the hot bite to continue until the water temperature falls below 52-degrees. The optimal fishing window is beginning to close. So, get out there. Catch a few fish and make fun of your friends.

Dress Warmly And Go Fishing!

About this time of year, weather becomes the determining factor when planning a fishing trip.  For the past few days, this has been particularly true. A strong coastal low-pressure system brought cold temperatures, gale force winds and extremely high tides to the Lowcountry.  All of which made for really tough fishing conditions. However, for anglers willing to brave the elements, fishing has been quite good.  

On Friday and Saturday, I was unwilling to brave the elements.  It was just to nasty to fish. Even for me! Conditions improved a little on Sunday.  The rain stopped, leaving only cool temperatures and gale force winds. That was enough improvement for me.  So, I launched the Pathfinder into the falling tide and ran to a wind sheltered shoreline. When it is blowing a gale, wind sheltered is a relative term.  Even while tucked behind a treelined marsh bank, it was windy. To my surprise, the water was relatively clear. A quick glance at the depth finder showed a few fish holding along a ledge in eight to ten feet of water.   When it comes to locating fish, side scan sonar is a total game changer. With a bit of confidence that fish were in the area, I slowed down and systematically worked the ledge with a Z-Man TRD on a 1/5-ounce jig. Turns out, the side scan sonar was right.  Trout and Redfish were in the area and they were eating. The fish were not large, but they made up for their lack of size with sheer numbers. On cold and windy days, cooperative fish make tough conditions more tolerable.  

With Winter fast approaching, cold temperatures and strong winds will soon become the norm.  Until the water temperature dips into the low 50-degree range, fishing should continue to be very good.  So, gather your friends, dress warmly and go fishing.

Getting Old!

Fishing Report 11/4/2019

Last week, I did not fish.  What?! That’s right, for the first time in a very long time, I missed seven days of fishing (in a row).   For the past few months, I have been battling a repetitive stress injury in my right elbow. As it turns out, I fish too much.  During a quick fishing trip, I will cast several hundred times. On longer trips, my cast count often exceeds one thousand. Plus, somewhere along the line, I got old!  Excessive casting and old age are a bad combination. According to my doctor, a course of steroids, powerful anti-inflammatory medication and no fishing would help my elbow to heal.  After disregarding this advise for months, I realized this was something that would not simply go away. Thus, my fishing hiatus.

Hopefully, my elbow will recover soon because the next few weeks will offer some of the best fishing of the year.  As the water temperature drops below the middle sixty-degree range, most of the baitfish and shrimp will leave the creeks.  This leaves Redfish, Trout and Flounder with a big appetite and not much to eat. So, they will be chasing and eating everything they can fit in their mouths.  Ironically, I have this in common with the fish.

Call your friends.  Grab your family. Go fishing.  Someone must do it. Until my arm recovers, I am depending upon you! 

100 Fish Challenge

With Labor Day now behind us, Summer is truly over.  Temperatures are becoming more tolerable. The sun is setting earlier.  The water is cooling off. These events mark the end of Summer and the beginning of great inshore fishing.  When I told my brother-in-law, Mike Balduzzi, that fishing was getting good, we decided to do a 100 fish challenge.  Mike jumped on a flight to Charleston on Friday and we fished the challenge on Saturday.  

Conditions were not optimal.  A strong northeasterly breeze limited our fishing options.  Undeterred, we launched my Pathfinder into the start of the falling tide.  Our plan was to make a quick run to the jetties and cast lures to the rocks for Bull Redfish and Trout.  It was rough out there, but we did catch some Trout. However, not at the pace we needed to hit 100 fish in a day.  So, ran back into the Wando and began working submerged oyster bars that were being swept by the falling tide. Mike is an accomplished angler that knows how to read the water.  When we pulled up to our first oyster bar, we both cast Z-Man TRDs on 1/5-ounce NedlockZ jigs to the same spot. Boom. Doubles on Trout. The bite was on. Most of the fish were small, in the 13 to 14-inch range.  They made up for their lack of size with sheer quantity.  

When the bite slowed down, Mike and I moved to another oyster bar and began catching Trout again at a torrid pace.  It took a few more moves and about 3-hours to hit the 100 fish mark. We even caught a few more for good measure. Fishing was pretty good on Saturday and it is going to get better.  So, set the DVR to record your favorite football team and go fishing. The way the fish are biting, you may even get home before kick-off!

A Very Happy Birthday

For years, it has been a tradition for my son, Elliott, and I to fish together on my birthday.  However, now that Elliott lives in Japan, my brother, David, has picked up the tradition.   So, on my birthday we launched the Pathfinder and set off in search of fish.  Idling away from the boat landing, I asked David what fish he felt like targeting.  He said it was my birthday so I should decide.  Without much thought, Bull Redfish became my birthday target species. 

After a quick run to the jetties, I spot locked the Pathfinder within casting distance of the rocks.  The out going tide was creating current seams as it passed between gaps in the rocks.  We cast Z-Man 4-inch Jerk ShadZ on 3/8-ounce jigs into the current seams.  Our most productive casts were literally right on top of the rocks.  The current was strong enough to sweep the lures off the rocks and into deeper water.  Speckled Trout, Weakfish, Bluefish and Ladyfish were crushing our lures as they bounced down the rocks.  This technique caught a lot of fish, but we also caught a lot of rocks.  If you give this technique a try, bring lots of jigs and lures!

The bite hot with a wide variety of specifies, except Bull Reds.  So, I set the trolling motor on a track parallel to the rocks and we began casting our lures to fishy looking places that we passed.  We continued to catch Weakfish and Bluefish.  The Bulls Reds were elusive.  Then, we passed over an area that was slightly deeper and I could see big fish on the side scan sonar.  On my first cast into the deeper area, an upper slot Redfish ate my lure.  The Redfish bite was steady.  However, none of the Reds were Bulls.  After releasing several, we left them biting to seek out my birthday Bull Redfish.  As it turned out, I never caught one, but David released a couple of nice ones.

On the ride back to the boat landing, Elliott called to wish me a happy birthday.  I stopped the boat and put him on speaker.  David told him to come back soon because he was getting tired of carrying me.  We all had a good laugh.  It was a very happy birthday.