Took a family trip to see Clemson play Wake Forest. Stayed at a cool mountain house that was right on a lake. Of course, it did not take long for me to unpack my fly rod. The fish were tiny but the fun was big.
Sure beat not fishing!
Tag: fishing
Take Kids Fishing
In a world filled with electronic devices and a myriad of other indoor activities, it is important to encourage kids to play outside. So, when neighbor’s son, Luke Bishop, dropped by to talk about fishing, we decided to go fishing instead of talking about it. The purpose of our trip was to determine if Trout were already forming large schools in Clouter Creek and the Cooper River. Our plan was to run and gun (try a bunch of locations) until we located large concentrations of Trout. Typically, in the Fall, Trout congregate around creek mouths on the falling tide. While we caught a few in these areas, they did not produce the numbers we were looking for. Luke and I kept moving.
After five or six stops at creek mouths, we tried something different, a deep channel. Luke cast a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Pearl) on a Finesse jig into the channel and caught a nice Trout. I cast my lure (a Streak 3.75 Blue Back Herring) into the same area and hooked up as well. For the next 30 to 45 minutes, Luke and I caught a Trout on pretty much every cast. We did not take any pictures because one of us always had a fish on. It was an epic Trout bite. Luke and I released over 50 fish (I even kept a few dinner).
During the non-stop action, I was impressed by Luke’s development as an angler. He was completely self-sufficient. We have fished together many times. Each time, his fishing skills just keep getting better. I feel sure, one day (soon), he will be teaching me about fishing. And that, is that fishing is all about.
One More for the Road
Quality product and great customer service leads to loyal and repeat customers. At least that is the case for me and Charleston Trailer. When I needed a new trailer for a skiff that I have been restoring, Rod and the Charleston Trailer team were my first and only call. Once again, they exceeded my expectations!
Break The Routine
Summer is a time of plenty. Our local waters are now filled with a multitude of fish species to choose from. Currently, the biggest angling challenge is deciding which fish to target. Now is a great time to break your routine and catch something different.
For me, it has been a long time since I set out to catch a Sheephead. So, on Friday, I picked up a pint of fiddler crabs at The Charleston Angler (West Ashley location). Rather than re-rig my rods specifically for Sheephead fishing, I simply removed the Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring) from my finesse jig and replaced it with a fiddler crab. Turns out, simplicity works. Sheephead readily ate fiddler crabs on the finesse jig.
While fishing for Sheephead, a school of Spanish Mackerel began busting Glass Minnows nearby. I quickly put the StreakZ 3.75 back on the jig and cast to the feeding school. For the next 30 minutes, it was non-stop Spanish Mackerel action.
Summer is a time of plenty. Plenty of fish and plenty of opportunities to break your routine.
Too Hot to Fish
A few years ago, there was a county music song with the lyrics “too hot to fish”. On Saturday, with the optimal tide occurring during the middle of the day, the lyrics to that song kept popping into my head. With the heat index hovering around 110 degrees, fishing was not very much fun. Despite my best efforts to stay hydrated, after a few hours in the intensely hot sun, I started to feel the symptoms of heat exhaustion. It is not fun (or safe) to fish with a pounding headache and being light headed. So, I quit fishing early on Saturday and did not fish at all on Sunday. It was literally, too hot to fish!
Thankfully, an early morning start (on Saturday) got us on to a solid Spanish Mackerel bite in the harbor. The Mackerel were chasing schools of glass minnows. Since a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring) on a 1/8-ounce Trout Eye Finesse jig looks just like a glass minnow, the Spanish Mackerel readily ate our lures. On our first casts into the feeding school, David (my brother) and I each hooked a fish. Doubles! My son, Elliott, volunteered to take a picture. As he took the shot, my fish started vigorously flipping its tail and slapping David in the face. We all found this to be uproariously funny. Well, at least Elliott and I did.
Fishing in the late summer can be tough. Take it from me. Get out early and get back early (before it gets too hot). Unless of course, you like country music.
After the storm
The storm that rolled through the Lowcountry yesterday afternoon snarled traffic, dropped hail and put on an awesome (and dangerous) electrical show. Delayed launching the skiff (I am scared of lightning) until after the storm subsided. Caught a bunch of Trout and Ladyfish on a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring) on a 1/8th ounce Eye Strike finesse jig. Also, got this shot of my son (Captain Elliott) casting to a tailing Redfish.
The storm was bad. The traffic was awful. The fishing was pretty darn good!
Sometimes, a change is good
Sometimes, a change is good. Typically, I prefer to fish with flies and lures. However, my friend Donna Crocker, likes to fish with live shrimp. So, when we fish together, a coin flip determines which method we will use. On this fishing trip, I lost the coin toss.
We launched the skiff late in the afternoon near the end of the falling tide. It only took a few casts of the net to catch enough shrimp for a few of hours of fishing. Our plan was to look for feeding predators in shallow water (by observing shrimp jumping on the surface). Once located, casting a live shrimp on a lead head jig into the area often produces a Redfish, Trout or Flounder. In the summertime, this is a very reliable fishing pattern. Especially, during lower stages of the tide.
For the first hour or so of this trip, smaller fish were prevalent (at last for Donna). I managed to complete an inshore slam and release a couple of 25-inch Reds. As always, when we fish together, there is a lively banter about who is fishing the best. For most of the trip, I got the best of this exchange. As the sun began to set, we made one last stop on the way back to the boat landing. Donna spotted several shrimps jumping and fired a cast right on top of them. The water exploded as a big Redfish attacked her jig and shrimp combination. Immediately, I knew I was in trouble. Donna was giving me a hard time before she even landed the fish. When the fish came to the skiff, I had to admit to defeat. Heading back to the boat landing, I pretended to be unable to hear Donna because of the sound of the outboard engine. This got us to laughing. It was a fitting end to a great fishing trip with a good friend.
On The Fly
This week, fishing in the late afternoon and early evening has been outstanding. Redfish and Trout are chasing shrimp during lower stages of tide. So, they are easy to find. Locate jumping shrimp and there is a good chance you have found feeding fish. A quick cast into the feeding area often produces a solid strike.
A sparsely tied tan Clouser Minnow is an excellent shrimp imitation. As such, it has been my go to fly this week. The bite is on. Tie a few flies and go catch some fish.
Fishing Class on June 6 @ 6:30
This is what I look like when I am not fishing. Since I fish most of the time, this is a rare photo (on the order of a big foot sighting). Of course, when I am not fishing, I like to talk about fishing. Please join me at The Charleston Angler (West Ashley location) on June 6 at 6:30. I will cover patterns and techniques that help me to consistently catch fish and complete inshore slams.
Hope to see you there!
When fishing does not go as planned
Sometimes, a fishing trip does not go as planned. This was certainly the case on Friday evening. Elliott and I decided (at the last minute) to target Redfish on the fly. It was breezy but the wind was forecast to subside, making for challenging but fly fishable conditions. The wind did not subside. Elliott thought I was bringing my 8-weight flyrod and I thought he was bringing his. We ended up fishing with an inexpensive 6-weight flyrod that I keep on the skiff (for just such emergencies). It was way under-powered for the size fly (a chartreuse bead chain Clouser Minnow) and wind conditions (15 knots) but it was all we had.
Upon arrival at our designated fishing area (a shallow area with a slight channel), we immediately saw a small school of Redfish chasing shrimp. Elliott volunteered to pole the skiff and I took the bow with 6-weight fly rod in hand. My first, second and third casts were simply awful. The wind kept knocking my presentation off line or short. In such conditions, an 8-weight fly rod would have been a great help. For the next hour, we cast to several fish but it was more of the same. I resolved to buy an 8-weight fly rod and keep it on the skiff.
Just as I was about to give up, Elliott spotted a single Redfish tailing beside an oyster bar. It was a short downwind cast and my first accurate fly presentation of the evening. On the first strip, I felt weight and thought the fly had gotten hung up on the oyster bar. Very frustrated, I began cussing and tried to break the fly off. Then I realized, it was actually a Redfish. Elliott made a comment about “the worst hook up on the fly” he had ever seen. He was laughing so hard, I thought he would fall off the poling platform. I began laughing too.
We eventually caught, photographed and released the fish. Fly fishing can be a challenging endeavor. Especially, when you forget to bring your fly rod.