Tag: St. Croix Rods

First Cold Front of the Season

 

Cold and Windy Trout On the Fly

This week, one of the first cold fronts of the season passed through the Lowcountry. Leaving behind, strong northeasterly winds and lower water temperatures. These conditions are a mixed blessing for anglers. When the wind is blowing against the tide, the Wando River can be downright nasty. However, anglers willing to brave the rough conditions will often find ravenous schools of Trout and Redfish.

On Friday and Saturday, the nasty conditions kept me off the water. On Sunday, conditions were not much better but Elliott and I decided to go fishing anyway. The Wando River was rough but my new skiff handled the chop extremely well. After a short run up river, Elliott and I began fishing on a shallow flat with a slight channel running through it. I cast a Z-Man TRD TubeZ on a 1/5 ounce NedlockZ jig into the channel and erratically hopped the lure back to the boat. Halfway through my retrieve, a Redfish crushed the lure. While I was fighting the fish, Elliott staked the skiff with the Power Pole Micro and fired a cast into the channel. He hooked a Redfish as well. We released our fish and then immediately caught two more. After releasing the second set of fish, we decided to put away the spinning tackle and switch to flyrods. Given the strong breeze, casting was a bit of a challenge. It took me a few tries but I eventually made a long cast into the channel. The fly, a chartreuse Clouser Minnow, was eaten immediately. Elliott and I figured it was another Redfish but when it came to the skiff it was a nice size Trout.

We continued to work the channel with our flyrods and enjoyed steady action with Trout and Redfish. The fish were still biting when a strong gust of wind caught my front cast and the fly hit me in the arm. Good thing the fly was tied on a barbless hook. It came right out and only hurt a little bit. Just enough to convince me it was time to stop fly-fishing.

Conditions on Sunday were not optimal but Elliott and I managed to catch a good number of fish. I even caught myself!

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.

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.

 

 

Fishing Class Follow Up

Many thanks to all who attended my session on June 6 @ The Charleston Angler.  Standing room only on an evening with torrential rain!  To keep up with my daily fishing adventures, follow me on Instagram @captgregp.   Thanks again for your interest and support!

As promised, providing a copy of my presentation below.  Click the link to down load a copy.

CA Slam

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.

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!

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!

 

 

 

Winter Returns to Lowcountry

Winter returned 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.