We are coming down to stay on the Ashley river! House has dock and just curious as to what I can catch off dock! I love off shore fishing and currently in the runnings for the trident dolphin but not much experience inshore. Please give me some tips! Not familiar with the Ashley river. Haven’t decided to take boat! May just be some dock fishing!
It’s going to depend where on the Ashley River whether or not you are going to be in salt, brackish or freshwater.
Assuming its salt, you can try for redfish, flounder, trout, sheepshead, maybe get lucky and get a striper.
Redfish on the bottom: cut bait or crab on a carolina rig.
Redfish on the surface: popping cork with mud minnow or shrimp.
Trout: 1/4 to 1/8 jighead with a 3.25" Z-man smokey shad plastic fished very slow, like boring slow or jig head with a trout trick worm
Trout under a popping cork: Use a live shrimp or mud minnow.
Sheepshead: fiddler on a small hook near the pilings, use enough lead to get the hook down, best at slack tides.
Flounder: Cross your fingers and hope. (or mud minnow on a carolina rig pulled slowly across the bottom. If you feel a snag, don’t do nothing…count to 10 and set the hook, you’ll have a flounder or an oyster. 
)
Swing by Haddrell’s Point or Charleston Angler (under the main page banner) and they can set you up with all the stuff you’ll need. Good luck.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
If your boat is in shore compatible, and its feasible, its my bet that you will regret not bringing it.
Key West 1520
70 Yami
She’s little, but she’s pretty, skinny and fast.
I would echo 420’s sentiment.
My folks have a dock and I fish off of it sometimes, but when the fish aren’t there, they aren’t there, so the ability to move around is pretty clutch. But if you have a big offshore rig, it might not be in the cards to be able to fish inshore
207 CC SeaHunt
Yamaha 150
Not sure but I believe it’s against the law to go on vacation without a boat of some kind.
If nothing else, take a kayak or canoe, something you can move around with.
218WA Sailfish
The "Penn"sion Plan
We will be on apple st! Not really familiar with that area! Thanks for the info! Not real sure how to respond to specific people! We are hoping to take out boat but just bought it and not sure if we can get everything done. Not looking to take anyone’s spot but just what to do and where to go. If we have boat is this a good area?
Sherri
quote:
Not sure but I believe it's against the law to go on vacation without a boat of some kind.
Yes, it’s called the Cracker Law Can’t do it.
Sorry, I can’t help much with the Ashley, but I’d take a boat 
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:
Originally posted by Cracker Larryquote:
Not sure but I believe it's against the law to go on vacation without a boat of some kind.
Yes, it’s called the Cracker Law
Sorry, I can’t help much with the Ashley, but I’d take a boat
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
We are hoping to take our boat but then what! Lol!
Sherri
quote:Thank you so much for your reply! We r staying on apple st. Not familiar with that area or fishing near there.
Originally posted by claimIt’s going to depend where on the Ashley River whether or not you are going to be in salt, brackish or freshwater.
Assuming its salt, you can try for redfish, flounder, trout, sheepshead, maybe get lucky and get a striper.
Redfish on the bottom: cut bait or crab on a carolina rig.
Redfish on the surface: popping cork with mud minnow or shrimp.Trout: 1/4 to 1/8 jighead with a 3.25" Z-man smokey shad plastic fished very slow, like boring slow or jig head with a trout trick worm
Trout under a popping cork: Use a live shrimp or mud minnow.Sheepshead: fiddler on a small hook near the pilings, use enough lead to get the hook down, best at slack tides.
Flounder: Cross your fingers and hope. (or mud minnow on a carolina rig pulled slowly across the bottom. If you feel a snag, don’t do nothing…count to 10 and set the hook, you’ll have a flounder or an oyster.
Swing by Haddrell’s Point or Charleston Angler (under the main page banner) and they can set you up with all the stuff you’ll need. Good luck.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dadEquipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)ECFC
Sherri
quote:
Originally posted by Mahi girlWe will be on apple st! Not really familiar with that area! Thanks for the info! Not real sure how to respond to specific people! We are hoping to take out boat but just bought it and not sure if we can get everything done. Not looking to take anyone’s spot but just what to do and where to go. If we have boat is this a good area?
Sherri
Looks like North Charleston area. There is a ramp off Leeds Ave, but it’s a long ride to the harbor. There are places along the Ashley to fish that are productive closer to the City Marina.
Something that would be cool would be to go up river and check out Drayton Hall, Magnolia Gardens and Middleton Place.
You’ll want to get something called a Top Spot map so you can see where the shallow spots are and where fishing hotspots are located. Those places on the map are sometimes accurate, sometimes no so much. Big thing to remember about the local waters down here is that it is not always deep water - lot of places are very shallow. When running the boat stay between the green and red channel markers.
If you do bring your boat…everything I said above still applies. Just be careful of outgoing tides…you don’t want to be anchored and fishing in a shallow creek or flat and have the water drain out from under you.
I guarantee you won’t regret bringing the boat down. It’ll be a hoot.
Free and safe ramps most people use:
Leeds Avenue
Wappoo Cut
Remleys
Shem Creek
Folly River
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year ol
I believe that set of docks is on the deep part of the river. 10ft and more. I also recall there are oyster beds near the grass line and under the docks. Dont cast out into the river. It’s a big sandbar, the deep water is at the end of the dock.
Reds/Trout: Fish Mudminnow on a popping cork at the waters edge along the grass line. You only need 6" to 2ft of water so keep it shallow.
Bring a castnet.
That is a good stretch of the river and docks to fish. Fish against the grass with live bait under a float when the water is in the grass. When the water is out of the grass float the bait in 2-4 feet of water. Keep the float adjusted so the bait is just above the bottom. Shrimp were fairly easy to net last weekend in that area. Crabs are also plentiful right now to use as bait on a bottom rig.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
Awesome!!! Thanks to everyone. Can’t wait to get down there and fish. Hopefully get to take the boat! Going to buy some supplies this weekend.
Sherri
Okay so we bringing the boat where is the best place to fish for ship heads or are they still in that area. Like I said we are only going to spend about maybe 8 hours fishing then the rest will be partying. We are taking a a 235 cc sea boss so can’t go really shallow but would love to just have a great time.
Sherri
quote:
Originally posted by claimquote:
Originally posted by Mahi girlWe will be on apple st! Not really familiar with that area! Thanks for the info! Not real sure how to respond to specific people! We are hoping to take out boat but just bought it and not sure if we can get everything done. Not looking to take anyone’s spot but just what to do and where to go. If we have boat is this a good area?
Sherri
Looks like North Charleston area. There is a ramp off Leeds Ave, but it’s a long ride to the harbor. There are places along the Ashley to fish that are productive closer to the City Marina.
Something that would be cool would be to go up river and check out Drayton Hall, Magnolia Gardens and Middleton Place.
You’ll want to get something called a Top Spot map so you can see where the shallow spots are and where fishing hotspots are located. Those places on the map are sometimes accurate, sometimes no so much. Big thing to remember about the local waters down here is that it is not always deep water - lot of places are very shallow. When running the boat stay between the green and red channel markers.
If you do bring your boat…everything I said above still applies. Just be careful of outgoing tides…you don’t want to be anchored and fishing in a shallow creek or flat and have the water drain out from under you.
I guarantee you won’t regret bringing the boat down. It’ll be a hoot.
Free and safe ramps most people use:
Leeds Avenue
Wappoo Cut
Remleys
Shem Creek
Folly River
"I
quote:
Originally posted by friogattoI believe that set of docks is on the deep part of the river. 10ft and more. I also recall there are oyster beds near the grass line and under the docks. Dont cast out into the river. It’s a big sandbar, the deep water is at the end of the dock.
Reds/Trout: Fish Mudminnow on a popping cork at the waters edge along the grass line. You only need 6" to 2ft of water so keep it shallow.
Bring a castnet.
Thanks! We are bringing a boat so can’t wait and hope we have some good luck. Just dont want to get stuck.
Sherri
quote:
Originally posted by hairballThat is a good stretch of the river and docks to fish. Fish against the grass with live bait under a float when the water is in the grass. When the water is out of the grass float the bait in 2-4 feet of water. Keep the float adjusted so the bait is just above the bottom. Shrimp were fairly easy to net last weekend in that area. Crabs are also plentiful right now to use as bait on a bottom rig.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14Yes would also love to catch some crabs to fish with. Can’t wait to come!
Sherri
quote:
Originally posted by Mahi girlOkay so we bringing the boat where is the best place to fish for ship heads or are they still in that area. Like I said we are only going to spend about maybe 8 hours fishing then the rest will be partying. We are taking a a 235 cc sea boss so can’t go really shallow but would love to just have a great time.
Sherri
Look for old docks or pilings with a lot of growth on them to find sheepshead. Bridge pilings are a good place to try. Best time would be around slack tides, high or low because slower moving water makes it easier to see your line being moved by the fish stealing your fiddler.
Do a search on cf.com for discussions of sheepshead fishing…lot of opinions and discussion.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
quote:
Originally posted by claimquote:
Originally posted by Mahi girlOkay so we bringing the boat where is the best place to fish for ship heads or are they still in that area. Like I said we are only going to spend about maybe 8 hours fishing then the rest will be partying. We are taking a a 235 cc sea boss so can’t go really shallow but would love to just have a great time.
Sherri
Look for old docks or pilings with a lot of growth on them to find sheepshead. Bridge pilings are a good place to try. Best time would be around slack tides, high or low because slower moving water makes it easier to see your line being moved by the fish stealing your fiddler.
Do a search on cf.com for discussions of sheepshead fishing…lot of opinions and discussion.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dadEquipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)ECFC
Thanks for the info!
Sherri
I agree with Claim about Top Spot maps. Used with Google maps they can help take a lot of guess work out of deciding where to go if you don’t have time to learn the area. Top Spot maps ARE NOT MEANT FOR NAVIGATOIN, however its been my experience that they are fairly accurate as far as water depth and giving you and idea which creeks are navigable. The current satellite pictures of the area on Google maps seem to have been taken at, or close too low tide, so used with a top spot you can get a pretty clear pic of what to expect on your route and when you reach your destination.
When planning my trips I pick a spot on my Top Spot, then find the corresponding spot on Google maps and drop a pin to mark it. Then If I am unfamiliar with the area I will drop another pin at the landing or dock then as many as necessary between those two points to highlight land marks for navigational reminders and sand bars or oyster rakes ect where I need to be extra careful. If you have a smart phone with Google maps and a Gmail account the maps you create will be available on your smart phone so you can bring them up to use on your boat, sort of like a bread crumb trail.
This technique has worked well for me and should for you as well. I am sure there are flaws in this technique but am equally sure that someone on this sight will point them out, and I look forward to any forthcoming constructive criticism.
Charleston is a beautiful area and ten times so when seen from the water.
I don’t mean to sound harsh in saying so, but if you get out on our in shore waters with only the soul purpose of catching fish you’re missing half the point. I’m sure, as I have, that you find the marsh to be a truly enchanting place. Good luck I hope you folks have wonderful time.
Key West 1520
70 Yami
She’s little, but she’s pretty, skinny and fast.