Redfishing Excellent on the Shallow Flats

We have seen some really nice sight fishing conditions over this past week and getting out redfishing has been really good. We spent a few days throwing soft plastics on the flats to the schools of reds. Many of the schools were in pretty tight balls and eating overall well. We also had a nice day with the fly rods, taking some big reds. One fish was pushing 10 pounds… nice catch on the fly! Also I have a new video out on youtube that shows a really nice school of fish up on the flats so check it out. Hopefully, the bite will stay strong. Until next time, catch em up! Captain Charlie

Redfishing around the Lowcountry Going Strong

We have really had an unseasonably warm winter this year, but this past week has brought us some cooler temperatures. We fished several days over that past week and the bite has still been pretty good. We had a particularly good day after this push of cold air. Many of the fish that had been scattered got together into tight schools and we were able to pole for them out of the flats boat. They didn’t want to move far to chase down a fast moving lure so we switched back to the jerk baits and got em going. We have also been catching a few speckled sea trout which is always a nice bonus during the winter. Until next time, catch em up! Captain Charlie

 

Fishing Forecast Beaufort, SC

Cooler temperatures and clear water generally push most of our inshore fish into deeper water and our offshore fish into a feeding frenzy. This time of the year we look for calm clear days to sight fish the flats or to bottom fish the near and offshore wrecks.

This month’s feature is Lowtide Redfishing

As the water temperature drops, redfish will start to school up on crystal clear shallow water mud flats. Flats are areas that have very little bottom contour (flat bottom) over a particular area, and generally offer food and shelter for redfish. During this time it is not uncommon to see schools of 100 or more fish huddled together in a tight area. The main reasons that redfish school up on shallow mud flats in the winter are for protection, warmth, and safety in numbers. During the winter much of the food that dolphins feed on (such as menhaden and mullet) are gone, therefore redfish become a large part of their diet. To keep away from the dolphins redfish will stay in shallow water where the dolphins can’t enter. During midday, mud flats also offer warmth as the sun heats up the dark mud bottom. Finally, by grouping up in a school, redfish have many eyes to look for predators; if one fish sees something out of place it will alert the rest of the school. This is a great time of the year for us to take shots at redfish using both spin and fly fishing gear.

Inshore Fishing

Short days and cooler air drive the water temperature into the low 50s this time of year. Not only does the water become cooler but also crystal clear. As the water cools most fish move into deeper water with the exception of schooling redfish which will huddle together on low tide flats in large numbers. This creates a good opportunity for shallow water sight fishing.

Near and Offshore Wreck Fishing

Some of the best winter time fishing can be done on the wrecks which are located six to twenty miles offshore. On an average day look to catch a variety of fish to include: sheepshead, weakfish, bull redfish, flounder and sea bass. Not only are these fish a lot of fun to catch but also great to eat. Due to the fact that these wrecks are located in open water we generally look for light winds and calm seas to go offshore.

Over this past week we have had some picture perfect weather. The temperatures have been unseasonably warm and during mid week the winds dropped out to near zero. With conditions like this it was a tough choice to run offshore or stay in and chase redfish, but I ended up staying on the reds. There have just been too many fish around to leave them and with flat calm conditions I knew that the sight fishing would be excellent. We found some really nice schools of fish pushing around on the flats and they were really eating well. Though they seemed to be a bit skittish to the boat; as we found them we were able to catch a few out of each school before they took off. Throughout the week we did a little bit of spin fishing we mostly stuck to the fly rods. The bait of choice this week was the good old clouser minnow in orange and yellow… what a surprise! Until next time, catch em up! Captain Charlie

Captain Charlie Beadon

(843)592-0897

www.hiltonheadfishingadventures.com

I have primarily been out chasing redfish this past week and though we have been catching em, we have had to work hard to keep the rods bent. I was amazed at about mid week to see pollen on the hood of my truck… it’s January! It seems that everything is out of whack with this warm weather, but that’s not going to keep us off of the water. As I said we are still finding and catching fish, just not in the numbers that I am accustom to  during mid winter. When the water temperatures drop the redfish tend to slow down and not spook as easily so the key right now is to make as little noise on the flats as possible along with good presentations. I have gone exclusively to light soft plastic jerk baits because these baits tend to hit the water softly while at the same time allow you work them slowly within the strike zone. The fly rods have also given us an advantage as the small flies don’t spook the fish when they land as long as we can get into casting range. Until next time, Catch em Up! Captain Charlie