https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3cN-BRdBeg
Video from last week…reds/sheepshead/black drum.
Decent action but on the whole compared to other times of year it’s pretty slow. With water temps in low-mid 50s have found most success fishing frozen shrimp on the bottom near docks/heavy structure as puts us in the game for sheeps/black drum. Could be lack of skill but artificials just haven’t produced that well of late, hoping when water warms back up that will change. No luck finding reds schooled up on flats at low tide yet but has resulted in a bunch of new spots to try when get back to spring/summer pattern.
Sounds like a fun day still! My daughter is fishing in a high school tournament down that way at buck hall in march, any tips? I’ve never fished that far down. I plan on making a trip or two down to scout some but it’s about a 2hr drive. I’m definitely not looking to steal any spots lol. Just from areal maps I was looking at all of the docks on the waterway, are they a good start. Thanks a bunch in advance for any help.
Far from an expert and honestly don’t have any secret spots but what we’ve found works best this time of year has been going to structure (docks, heavy submerged pilings) where the water is warmest at the times you’ll be fishing based on tide/wind/air temp. So if you’re going out in the morning and overnight lows were cold (low 40s) then start at structure in deeper water first (at least 10-15 ft). As the day gets warmer then shallower water spots (still structure oriented unless find reds schooled up on flats at low tide) gradually start to turn on. The other key has been to find any spot a dolphin would have trouble getting in. Seems like fish are more focused on not being eaten than actively feeding themselves.
Challenge with many of the docks up that way is depth (too shallow) and water clarity (too dark) but am sure if you find one near a deeper hole you’ll find fish. Can’t speak to what it’s like on weekends but great thing is the lack of boat traffic compared to anywhere further south down to Charleston Harbor. However that does put it more on you to find your own spots, no small task if you have to drive 2 hrs to get there everytime. Hope that helps, good luck in tournament.
Enjoyed your video; nice job and great video quality from the GoPro. Looking at the area you were fishing it looked rather “non descript” meaning nothing really notable visibly with the shoreline (no point, not in a cut, no visible drains, etc) that would make it a fairly obvious place to stop.
Curious as to why you selected that particular spot or did you locate something on your fishfinder that you liked? Structure seems to be king time and time again so perhaps you liked it for that reason or you just knew about some bottom contour/feature from a prior low tide scouting trip? Always interested to know why a certain location is thought to be better than another as you certainly got lots of bites. Very well done.
One more question, were you anchored or using a “spot lock” trolling motor to hold you there? Nice job once again!
Chuck D
2018 Pathfinder 2300 HPS
Yamaha 250 SHO
That’s a very popular spot and I thank him for not showing landmarks. Yes, structure is key.
Sorry about that. That mishap was my first post ever on Charleston Fishing.
Anyway, I was trying to respond to to that earlier post.
Thanks for the compliment on the video. Awendaw Angler is a fishing buddy of mine and he posted the video. I’m actually the guy in the video and really just kinda documenting some of our excursions while, hopefully, making it entertaining.
To answer your question, it’s definitely all about structure - especially this time of year. Typically we would look for and fish all those things you mentioned - especially on a falling tide. However, we have found that all those summer spots that were little hot spots for redfish and trout don’t work. You guys all know that but we have had to learn it, and Adam “Awendaw Angler” has brought a lot to the table from the knowledge within these forums.
I’m a bass fisherman from Missouri and caught my first ever redfish throwing a cast net in the middle of last summer. So, it’s been a learning process. Since, we have learned to beat the banks with artificials and fish very much like you would for springtime small mouth.
Yes, it’s the Spot on anchor and I don’t know how people fish without one in these tides. It just so happened to be an incoming tide with the wind blowing from bow to stern so that’s why it appeared to be an anchor line.
Can’t wait for the artificial bite to get back on!
Looking forward to gathering information from guys like you. I’ve read several of your posts while waiting to get my profile approved.
It is a popular spot. We probably won’t fish it much this summer for that reason. We have an abundance of banks/oyster rakes we will fish once the water warms.
You know the landing we take out of so you’re familiar with the area and you will recognize some landmarks but you won’t hear us telling people where they are. There are a few captains who we see on a fairly regular basis and we always respect and accommodate them when we see them on some of those spots.
Makes perfect sense and I too usually back off of a spot if I happened to find one and a charter captain (meaning a true professional fisherman who feeds his family by catching fish or taking clients to catch fish) happens to frequent something that I too found.
I’m a long time tournament bass guy and for years have had “hole jumpers” or “spot poachers” follow me so they could fish spots that I found. More times than I can count I have heard them setting waypoints on their graphs on my spots either from afar or coming in behind me to mark a waypoint… Yep, they were basically taking a free ride on the back of my hard work to locate spots and/or schools of fish particularly in blueback herring fisheries where the bait is the structure more often than not so following schools is key.
I’d never ask anyone where a spot it but rather always enjoy talking about what makes a good spot that someone would find worth returning to. I share that info freely as there are so many things that we can share without giving away places we worked hard to find such as the definition of structure itself. Some guys think it’s only oysters, others think it’s a rise in bottom contour or what’s often called “relief”, others may think of it as a point (primary or secondary, etc) and they are all right. Structure is a permanent feature that is part of the landscape or underwater topography.
Cover on the other hand is something that fish use to hide in/under etc such as brush piles in a lake, grass (shoreline or surface mats like hydrilla), and of course docks which are man made structure/cover combined that come with a “roof” that the fish can live under.
When I see a boat like the one in the video sitting in the middle of a creek anchored up literally just sitting there I have to think they are hopeful or more likely that they have a spot they love for a reason. Perhaps there is a depression or hole and/or an oyster rake or a combination of the two which could make for a super spot!
Anyway,
Great video thanks for sharing.
Thanks. I’ve really enjoyed making them. I’ve got a good core of guys that fish with me and it’s always fun to be on the water.
Yeah, Chuck, I certainly get the code. I was in a model T club back in Missouri for years prior to moving here. We never left anyone stranded whether you knew them or not.
What you can’t see in the video is the structure in a slight cove where an incoming tide isn’t just ripping through. That same spot on an outgoing tide isn’t really any good.
I’ve often seen boats sitting in spots that I was curious about and the next time I’m through there I’ll graph it just to find out there isn’t anything of interest there.
I’m quite sure I’ve been that boat before I started finding a little pattern here and a flat there.
I’m glad to hear you’re back at it with the knee healing (I think that was you) someone with a pathfinder anyway.
Just priced a 2020 22ft Pathfinder w/200 Yamaha and the self deploy 36 volt minn Kota, two power poles.
Just Over $70,000. So, I thought, Man, that poor guy has that pathfinder and can’t get out!
I’m more of a first come first serve. Not being an a$$. Most all the spots are pretty much common knowledge. If somebody’s on a spot I go on never get up on somebody’s butt .
You have to be prepared to run and gun specially being a guide.
Story
Short version.
A guide anchor down about 50 feet from me. I started tearing up the redfish. He had a family with him. They were catching nothing. Invited him down tied off to the bow of my boat. We kicked the reds butts about 45 minutes.a couple months later that little favor paid off in spades.
leaving someone behind. There are just some sorry people out there. But fortunately most everyone is more than willing to help.
I’m a firm believer in what goes around comes around.
I am fragile.
Not like a flower.
But like a bomb.