Just relocated here from Charlotte and been a lake and stream guy for a long time, but this inshore stuff is new. Already made a friend with a boat, but he doesnt know where to go and I dont know how/what to fish for. Im on JI and he’s in West Ashley, the boats a 20ft. Can i get a suggestion of what areas to look for flounder, trout, and redfish somewhere near? Where to put in? Ill go with live bait in hopes of better success. Got my resident saltwater license 20 minutes after my SC drivers license…cant wait to get some hooks wet. Thanks!
The rivers around this part of South Carolina are teaming with plenty of fish. Not too many people on here are interested in giving advice it seems. I moved to Bluffton about 3 years ago and had to do all the research myself. I have spent plenty of days getting skunked, but I now have spots I prefer to fish rather than just blind casting everywhere. Check where creeks/rivers drain into each other. Check all structure, as plenty of fish hang out around structure. (My personal favorite is anything with rocks to hold back the land, like under a bridge). Keep in mind tides are the biggest thing to get use to, but once you get comfortable with them, its cake. Fishing isn’t always catching, just keep that in mind and have fun.
Believe it or not, inshore fishing with artificials can often outproduce live bait if the fish are active. No guarantees but I’ve had times that they didn’t want finger mullet but would take paddle-tails and similar soft plastics.
One of my favorite places to put in is Bowen’s Island, but I haven’t launched a 20’ there. You can put in at Folly River.
The trick for inshore fishing is knowing what sort of structure to look for, more so than looking for a good place to launch. If you put in at Folly River, or anywhere that’s close (salty) enough for lots of oysters, look for live oyster beds at low tide, fish those areas on a moving tide. At dead low tide, catch bait or eat lunch. High tide you may find redfish up in the shallows (very, very shallow).
Moral judgment under girds the entire structure of laws and is necessary for the rational structure of any significant statute. The idea that our laws can stand independent of moral foundation is senseless.----- Albert Mohler.
Welcome. Just my 2 cents- you and your buddy ought to look into hiring a guide for a trip or two. Lots of great guides on this site, and you can get a seasons worth of info in a trip or two. Can save you a lot of fishless days, and help get a head start on figuring things out. A good guide can help with rigs, tides, baits, what to look for, etc… Good luck, hope you catch em up!
Welcome to inshore fishing… I have learned that you have to put your time in and take your lumps. From moon phases, tides, live baits vs plastics its fishing and not catching. The biggest thing I have learned thus far is know the tides. Going to low they fish will leave the grasses and going to high they will head back in. Finding good creeks and structure is key too. I have more luck with cut mullet and crab vs mud minnows and shrimp. I have also enjoyed fishing for trout with trout tricks. Get 1/8oz jig heads and a trout trick… They’ll hit it on the fall… Good luck and tight lines…
A Hot Spots map would answer most of your “where and when” questions. “Hows” through your local bait and tackle stores, seminars or join a fishing club. All you have left is the “whens” can I fish!
Good luck
Vinman
“Every saint has a past, every sinner a future”
www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
2011 Carolina Skiff 178DLV
90 HP Honda
“Hot Spots Map”?? Where could I find one of those? Yeah the Charleston Angler may get sick of me, but I guess as long as Im spending money they dont care. Any recommendations on a bait shop on James Island? Went to JI county park yesterday just to get a hook in the water and ended up with a 14" trout. Good start to my season. Thanks for all the help and input! Sunday’s the day…
low country newb
The Angler should have the maps. We’ve used them a lot as a general idea of places that are supposed to hold fish. But, you’ll have to explore the sites yourself to find the exact “spots”. There’s boat landings at Wappoo cut and RIverland terrace as well as Sol Legre and Folly landing.
good luck…!!
Welcome to the Lowcountry ! This is a fisherman’s paradise. There are more places to fish, more species to catch that once you start catching, you’ll have a hard time deciding where to go and what to fish for. Here’s an article that will provide some very helpful info.
Like everyone else said, the tides, the moon, water temp. all effect the fishing. I would get a notebook and start logging all your trips. Best of luck on your fishing adventures.
http://www.scfishingreport.com/a-year-round-guide-to-edisto-island-inshore-fishing/
Jack Taylor
my best advise for you is this:
put your boat in and pick a creek to go into, preferrable a creek that has houses w/ docks…get ya a couple packs of grubs <electric chicken is popular, i also like clear w/ rainbow flake/firetail> and troll the grubs down the creek…if water is up into the grass, troll as close as possible to the grass…SLOW, not a fast troll, at low idle speed…when you pass feeder creeks or large creeks for that matter, grab a rod with a popping cork and a DOA shrimp <or a jighead and Trout Trick> and make a couple casts into the mouth. once you get a hookup work the area thoroughly. this is the way that i experiment new waters.
also i suggest making a friend who can teach ya how to throw a cast net. also a minnow trap will get ya some bait without having to go to the tackle shop…bait is pretty easy to come by and time on the water is more valuable than time in the tackle shop, often when chasing schools of shrimp,mullet or menhaden you will see a tailing redfish or something up ahead in the grass that you can make a quick cast to.
again, this is my advise for you. should “accidentally” hook up on a trout that way , although i usually do better doing this in late summer-fall. others may have better , more valuable tips for you. take it iall in and process it,add it to your findings and you will get on em!
main thing is: trial and error is the best way of learning and the spots that you discover yourself are the best ones…gives you a sense of pride. and on days when the fish are simply shut down, having a confidence HOLE makes all the difference in the world. fishing days are hard to come by and having a spot that is a CONSISTANT PRODUCER can be the difference in a skunk or a success. just get out there and pound the water til you find em!
good luck, welcome to the lowcountry, and be sure to post (note: people like to see pictures on here, “if yu dont have pictures, it didnt happen” are the type of replies you will get.
liquor in the front, poker in the r
If you have plenty of dough, a guide is nice. If not, and even if so, just read through posts on this forum. Search for articles written in the time of the year you want to fish and in the area you want to fish. The fundamentals are pretty simple, so if you read a bit and then just get out there and fish, you’ll be successful.
Hot Spots is a good starting point. They give you some idea as to the “why’s” of fishing. Once you start catching fish you start getting a better understanding of why they like certain spots.
Of course, understanding tides is probably the most difficult and important, IMO. That takes time on the water.
Something else that helped me get a clue was fishing a mud minnow on a 1/4 oz. jighead. Allowed me to find fish better while fan casting an area. Generally if a fish is around, he’ll eat a minnow.
Good luck!
Vinman
“Every saint has a past, every sinner a future”
www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
2011 Carolina Skiff 178DLV
90 HP Honda
Inshore fishing ain’t rocker science, spend some time in a creek with some live bait and slow fish it slowly!!! cover it from high tide to high tide and remember the time of tide and places you catch fish ,it will work in any creek about all year. You have to spend some time to figger it out remember to slow down don’t run and gun!!!
Wont take many trips to learn. Good luck!!!