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.
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Captain Charlie Beadon
(843)592-0897
www.hiltonheadfishingadventures.com
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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 Trolling for Trout
For most of the month we will enjoy cool northerly winds and crystal clear waters. This can be a great time to target specs in deeper off of oyster bars and more specifically by slow trolling small rapalas and jigs. Just put her in gear, sit back and enjoy the scenery.
Inshore Fishing
Short days and cooler air drive the water temperature into the low 60s 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. Given good conditions don’t be surprised to get shots at large schools of fish (sometimes 100 plus fish per school) with light tackle and fly fishing gear.
Offshore Wreck and Bottom 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. We have some of the best bottom fishing in the world and it all comes together in the winter time. It is not uncommon for everybody on the boat to be bowed up on fish all day long…the only question will be “how big is it?”. On our live bottom spots look to catch vermillion and red snapper, grouper, sea bass, cobia, jacks and kingfish.
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Well it looks like another year in the books for us here in the Beaufort area. I want to thank all of you who read my postings and who got out on the water with me during the year. As far as the fishing this past month, I only fished about 12 days which is pretty slow for me, Overall, I spent most of my time on the flats chasing redfish. It was overall hit or miss this past month as I had trouble patterning the fish. We would fish a flat one day and find a monster school of redfish and catch em up and then the next day they would vanish so we really had to make a lot of moves to keep up with the fish. Overall, we really only had one truly poor day of fishing in December, but I can guarantee you that I wore that push pole out chasing after them! The only thing that I can figure is that it has to do with the warm weather that we have had throughout the month… lets bring on the cold! Until next time, catch em up! Captain Charlie
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With shorter days and cooler temperatures most fish are feeding up for the winter and moving to deeper water. With clearing water start to look for clear calm days to sight fish the flats or work the offshore wrecks.
This month’s feature is Schooling Reds
As the days become shorter and temperatures drop the trout and redfish bite will fire off. The redfish will be schooling in huge numbers as they prepare for the upcoming winter months. These fish can feel the cold coming on as the water temperature drops so during late fall you can expect to start catching good numbers of fish as they start to fatten up for winter. The best part is that you don’t have to run far to the fishing grounds, they eat most everything that you put out and did I mention that they are great eating as well…just a little bonus. We use many different tactics to fish for trout and reds; from using live bait, lures, and flies to anchoring on the flats and creeks or sight fishing out of the flats boat.
Inshore Fishing
Can I say “on fire”! This may be the best time of the year to get out and catch inshore redfish. Many fish can be taken by sight fishing the clear shallow flats or by looking for schooling fish pushing around the shell bars. Light spinning tackle and fly rods are the ticket for these guys. There are also good numbers of trout around and quite a few bull redfish in the sound and near the beach.
Wreck Fishing
This is a great time to get out to the near and offshore wrecks. Bull reds and flounder will take over the wrecks this time of year. Also look to catch weak fish and sea bass, snapper and grouper. This is a good time of the year to fish the live bottom areas for big snapper and grouper, jacks and cobia. Large sea bass take over some of the live bottom areas this time of the year. These fish are not only a lot of fun to catch but great to eat as well. If you’re looking for a trip with non-stop action this is it. Due to the fact that these wrecks are located in open water we generally look for light winds and calm seas to go offshore.
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Fishing around Beaufort, South Carolina this past month has been exceptionally good. To start with the inshore redfishing was excellent! I spent a number of days on the flats chasing reds with both light spinning tackle and also doing some fly fishing. With the water temperatures dropping the reds were feeding heavily and we had a number of days with 30 plus fish and a lot of fish in the 10 pound range. The bull reds were not as good as I would have liked but we did catch a few over 30 pounds out at the nearshore wrecks along with good numbers of black sea bass. Finally, we finished up the shrimping season strong with more big shrimp than I had seen throughout the fall. Until next time, catch em up, Capt. Charlie
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