So far, for me, trout fishing around the Edisto area (North an South) has been as bad or worse than 2000, 2010, and 2011. Seems as though the Charleston area fared much better, but our trout numbers are seriously low. Dozens of trips have only yielded average catches of 2 or 3 per trip. May and June are usually peak for topwater fishing for large roe trout, but I have yet to have more than a few blow-ups from small fish on several trips. It’s been like fishing in a bath tub most of the time. Anyone else experiencing the same?
We were down the first week of June again this year and had a similar experience, except we caught one trout… all week. All the usual places were unproductive at best. We finally tried for them upriver and that’s where we caught the only one of the whole trip. I don’t know what happened, but they were not there.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
fairly low numbers and definitely hot water, but size is good here in Charleston- mostly 17-21" fish in my catches since early may.
what’s concerning to me here is that it seems the 2012 trout year class is poorly represented, and 2011’s red drum cohort (upper slot-ish) is largely absent all over…
Ron- the guys at the marina also said the redfish were way off as well in the South Edisto. You think it was that cold snap?
Hydra-Sport 3300VX
B.W.- I’m seeing the same thing here as you reported with the reds as well. Decent numbers of 16-19 inch fish and the remainder on the flats are mostly 25+ inches. F.S.- Our water in the Edisto rivers dipped below 45 degrees for a week straight, so that’s never good. Lots get eaten by flipper and cormorants as they slow down. I guess a better question would be is anyone having an average to good year so far for trout?
There is no question in my mind that the numbers are way down from last year. We seem to have a range of sizes of trout, maybe all recent year-classes, but far less of each. The big ones are running 22-23", real nice ones. But man we are not catching the numbers this year.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
Btw I’m referring to Charleston
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
I’ve had a pretty good spring and summer so far. It’s been hit or miss with some slow days the past few weeks, but I’ve had some days with really good numbers and some with really good size too over the last few months. For some reason, the topwater bite has been way off this year for me. I have no idea why though.
Rad, interesting thread.
trout numbers are down where I fish. The average size is up a little. My top water bite has been slower than the past
Lots of small (2-3 inch) brown shrimp and p-nut menhaden in the creeks now so no excuses for excellent bait to use. The size DOES seem to be bigger on average, but the average is WAY down. 30+ trout around the high tide period during the summer months around here should be the norm. Lots are usually undersize, but having 10 or so keepers is normal. Right now, if you catch 10 total in this area, you are doing well. I hope the numbers improve as the year progresses, but I feel it will be at least 1-2 years (warm winters) before numbers get back to average around Edisto.
Raddaddy. I also fish mostly North Edisto and Wadmalaw areas. Moved here just over 12 years ago. Fish artificials only (yeah I know…). For may be the first 5 or 6 years I had a blast working stuff out and slowly getting sos I could usually catch fish. Oct/Nov/Dec was awesome most years.
For the past year or two Ive really struggled. I have 3 possible reasons/excuses. 1. Like many other folks when you can go to a particular place and catch fish its very difficult to make yourself find new places and may be because (2.) Inshore Redfish are juvenile fish and once they get to 30" + they tend to move offshore. So the ‘sure thing’ spots you fished and fished all ‘empty’ every 3/4/5 years. Those fish are in the ocean. Reason 3. i heard a few years ago that DNR regularly ‘topped up’ the naturally occurring fingerling Reds/Trout/Flounder each year in the Charleston rivers but had stopped doing this in the Edisto. I have no idea if there is any truth in this.
Personally Im not quite as convinced that this years poor fishing is just from last winter. My temperature notes, and I use the Dawho ramp the most often, showed only a brief dip into the mid 40’s. And thats on a transom do hicky that sits in 10" water. Interesting that Charleston Harbor water temperature is recorded from a device that is 6 or 7 feet below the water surface.
Very interested in this conversation…and catching a few more fish!!!
Richard E.
I think you can find some numbers of fish on a certain day, spot but my observations are from all rivers, all tides, running a trolling motor at typically productive spots in different patterns. So it’s more based on statistics in a way to say they on average the numbers do seem to be off.
Hey barbawang, have the trammel net surveys backed this up?
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
lack of upper-slottish reds is definitely backed up by their data. as for trout, they don’t catch them in the nets until they’re of fair size, so i don’t think they can really say much about last year’s crop yet… but regarding the 2+ year olds, i’ll have to check with them and get back.