Fishing Experiences & Techniques
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!
Captains David and Elliott Peralta Working a Tripletail On the Fly
The essence of fishing is not catching fish. It is about spending time with your friends and family. Some of my more memorable fishing trips are when fishing was hard and catches were few. Saturday was one of them. Given busy schedules, it had been a couple of weeks since Elliott (my son), David (my brother) and I had fished together. For us, this was an unusually long time between fishing trips together. Our plan was to launch an hour before high tide and target Trout then switch to tailing Redfish at the top of the tide. The plan went south almost immediately. A strong breeze made for choppy conditions in the Wando River. This made for poor water clarity and the Trout bite was slow. Dave and Elliott managed to catch a few on Z-Man MinnowZ (Houdini) lures. I caught zero. A fact pointed out (often) by Elliott and David.
At the top of tide, we left the Trout (they were not biting that well anyway) and moved to an area of the marsh that was supposed to be submerged by the high tide. Unfortunately, the tide was not high enough to allow Redfish access to the area. Historically, per the moon phase and tide cycle, this was the ideal location. We checked a few more areas with the same results (not enough of a tide to flood the marsh). With Plan A (Trout) and Plan B (tailing Redfish) a total bust, we drifted along the marsh edge discussing Plan C. About then, I spotted a small Tripletail hanging around a marsh point. Elliott has never caught a Tripletail on the fly, so this became our Plan C. Elliott jumped up on the poling platform, Dave handed him his fly rod and I positioned the skiff for a good downwind fly presentation. With nothing left for me to do, I settled in to watch Elliott and David work the fish. The Tripletail refused the first fly (a Clouser minnow). So, David selected a shrimp pattern for Elliott to try next. We held our breath as the Tripletail slowly tracked the fly. Only to turn away at the last second. Elliott, David and I exchanged “did you see that” looks. We repeated this sequence until the falling tide forced the Tripletail into deeper water. Elliott did not catch his first Tripletail on the fly.
From a fish catching perspective, it was an awful day. From a family experience perspective, it was unforgettable.
Between bad weather, skiff maintenance and my daughter (Maddie) graduating from college, I did not get to fish much last week. However, when I did manage to get out, fishing was quite good. Especially for big Redfish on the falling tide.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Elliott and I decided to fish the Cooper River and Clouter Creek. We launched the skiff at the newly renovated boat landing near Bellinger Island. Which, by the way, looks and functions great! After a quick run into the Cooper River, we began casting Z-Man MinnowZ (Pinfish) lures on quarter ounce Trout Eye jigs to creeks that were draining into the main river. It took a while to find the right drain but when we did it was game on with big Reds. Most of the fish were over the slot (of 23 inches). A few were way over the slot. Elliott caught the biggest one of the trip, a 30+ inch bruiser. As a bonus, Trout were also feeding in creek mouths. So, Elliott and I had steady action well into the evening.
The most productive technique was a long cast into the mouth of the creeks. We imparted an erratic jigging and wiggling retrieve as the tide swept the lure into the main river. Most of our strikes occurred in the current seam where the creek and river met. Trout were holding deeper and the Reds were feeding tight to the creek mouth. So, if a Redfish did not eat the lure, a few seconds later (in deeper water), a Trout usually did.
While I typically fish in the Wando River, Clouter Creek and the Cooper River system are full of Trout, Flounder and Redfish. So much so, that I believe I will be spending a bit more time there!
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.
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.
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.
Thanks to the Summerville Saltwater Anglers for having me out earlier this week. It was fun meeting the members, eating a great meal and talking about fishing.
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!
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!
The rece
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.