Long time reader on the forum, but finally just signed up for a profile now that I bought a boat. I’ve spent a good bit of time fishing Bohicket creek/Rockville area on a friend’s boat. I recently purchased a 2003 Key West Bayreef 216 with 200 Yamaha and I put a Minn Kota Terrova Trolling Motor on the front and dual Power Poles out back (can you tell I was a Bass fisherman??).
Anyways, I took the boat out with a buddy for the first time fishing last Saturday and spent 8 hours throwing artificials in Stono/Kiawah River without a single fish. I must have thrown 1-2,000 casts easy all day. We fished outgoing, Low, and incoming tide and were throwing an assortment of Z Man baits (paddlers, minnows) and gulp shrimp targeting oyster banks and creek mouths.
I’m planning on taking the wife out this Saturday for the first fishing trip with her and want to make sure I have better luck. We plan on launching at the Folly River launch and fishing that area. My plan is to have her throw a popping cork with shrimp or mud minnow underneath and I will most likely throw some artificials behind her. A few questions - can anybody recommend a few solid spots on Folly River? I was planning on targeting the dock near Backman’s seafood up King Flats Creek. We are going to launch around 8 am and do a half day, so we will be fishing the incoming tide.
Also, for those of you fishing popping corks- how much leader do you recommend below the cork? I have it setup at about 18" currently. If you have other suggestions (instead of popping cork), please let me know. I’m all ears!
Looking forward to lots of fishing reports coming up!
As far as the correct depth goes… You’re gonna want that a couple inches over the bottom. That varies so you’ll have to vary your depth. You can do that by trial and error or do a slow float over the area you’re fishing and adjust appropriately based on what your electronics are telling you. Hopefully the warm up in the weather will get the bite going for you. The high tide in the middle of the day isn’t helping much but you’ll find them.
March is tough. The water temps have dropped I would not use a cork. I would slow drag on the bottom and work towards shallower areas. Creek bends and deep docks. 10+ feet. Usually the thermocline is 8 ft. Look for warmer water than the average.
-this all depends on water temp. If we have a warm spell and water is 65+ break out that cork.
My advice…sloooooow down. Sometimes inshore fish are as aggressive as bass, but usually not. We found them in deeper water yesterday using a slow presentation of a finesse offering - original trout trick on a 1/8 oz jig. Until we switched to that combo and presentation, hardly a bite. The take was only a resistance… not even a tick felt. The catching will improve very soon… As Epres said… March is tough!
I went Monday and had a hard time fished outgoing and incoming with only a out of slot flounder and a nice trout to show for it. Water has been cold especially after last week. never know what they are going to bite we used trout tricks mud minnows and fresh cut mullet and a few other artificials with only the 2 bites on mud minnows make sure you have an assortment of bait maybe throw a piece of cut mullet and minnow out on same rig then throw some artificials
Find flats on the side of big water. Don’t worry about creeks. Leave the folly for now until you start to pick up on it. I used to hate this time of year but now love it. Just keep boating along and watching for bait being disturbed on flats, random shoreline, creek mouths, or docks. Ease in within casting distance and set out several bottom baits with at least 1-2ounce egg weight. Cut mullet is my thing but once in awhile not what they will slam (90% at least one oddball wants mullet!). Give yourself 10-15 mins and if no luck or signs of promise then don’t stay… move and look for the same thing. Work the lower portions of tide at first.