The area I typically fish has several options. I was wondering if it would be best to fish the creek mouths as the water drains, or just along the grass of the main river, or fish under the docks, or fish in the shallow flats area. I’m after reds and flounder. Are the reds only abundant on the flats during cooler months?
That is a complex question. You wll find fish at all of those locations at different times of the tide. Spring thur late fall you will find reds on the flats when the tide is on the flats. At low tide reds will be under docks and in the shallow flats. When the tide is moving you will find reds and trout at creek mouths and along the grass lines. Try all the areas until you find a pattern of the fish in that area. The fish move around. The science of fishing inshore is finding the fish at different times of the tide.
Think like a red drum. They are trying to get food and trying to stay shallow or under a dock so flipper will not eat them. The bait (Shrimp, mudd minnows, and mullet) try to stay on the edges of the water as shallow as possble to stay away form fish that eat them. As water is going in the grass so does the bait and then the reds follow close behind. When the tide is falling bait fish are draining off the flats and down the creeks. Reds, trout, and flounder look for ambush spots to eat the bait fish as they drain by. You will then find Reds etc. around grass lines and creek mouths.
Take the time one day cut your motor off and drift down the river and watch your surroundings. You will at some point see fish busting bait or pushing wakes in the water with their noses. If the tide is up in the grass you will see grass moving and parting to the side when a fish is swimming through it. Don’t be afraid to toss some cut mullet right up into the grass stick the rod in the rod holder and wait they will find it. Fish like to hang around and feed in specific locations. When you figure out where they like to be/hang out feed so to speak u can catch them. Hard to see them when your running up and down the river at 30mph… Slow down and find em!
2007 Scout 221 150 Yamaha 4 stroke
Buy a tide log. Make notes in it every time you fish (where, time, water temp, baits, conditions, good or bad results). It will help you put the pieces of the puzzle together. There are no “honey holes”. Only good spots at the right tide.
Vinman
“Every saint has a past, every sinner a future”
www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
2011 Carolina Skiff 178DLV
90 HP Honda
The answer to your question is yes. Fish them all at different tides and times of year.
A wise man once said “Do as I say not as I do” Good advice when I tell you that.
Good response stanotti
Real skiffs have tillers :o)
My greatest catch was also a release.
Great information ! I’m relativey new to the red fish game as well and have so much to learn - this info is invaluable to a novice like me.
Not to hijack this thread - but maybe you guys can lend some advice to me as well. I recently bought a boat - but do not have a trolling motor. Other than “go buy one” - anyone have some advice for me as to what tactics I should be using to catch reds given the limitations of not having a trolling motor?
Thanks
Read this… at least twice
http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/pdf/reddrum.pdf
You’ll learn more about why reds do what they do than you can imagine.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
Poling is always an option.
Real skiffs have tillers :o)
My greatest catch was also a release.
That is the first time I have seen that. I am new to surf fishing as of last year – just a vacation fisherman that got hooked on Redfish fishing at FI. Great read. Thank you for posting it.
quote:
Originally posted by Too BusyRead this… at least twice
http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/pdf/reddrum.pdfYou’ll learn more about why reds do what they do than you can imagine.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
Keep it Awesome!!!
30.06,
Learn to drift your boat with the wind/tide. Wind anchor … not a danforth with chain etc. Buy a mushroom anchor or put a galvanized eye bolt in a coffee can with quik-crete. Use a 3/8 inch dia. rope. Deploy it over the side to the water, tie it off where you can easily release it and about 20-25 ft of the rope (depending on depth) where you are drifting. You want the the rope to have a long scope. Drift. Hook up, then QUIETLY deploy the wind anchor. It will keep you within casting distance or slow your drift enought to allow a few more casts in the vicinity. Raise it, tie off, resume drift. Repeat. BE QUIET handling the rope and deployment.
JB
Take 5 - thanks for the advice, I’m going to give that a shot. I thought about using a push pole but I have a 21 ft bay boat and with the currents in some of these waters I’m not sure how affective I would be with it.
Too Busy - I only read the beginning of this and see clearly that it is chock full of info that I need to know - printed it at work and wl read it when I get home.
Thanks for the responses guys.
Yeah, you’d need a “lot of shaft” to pole and 21 foot boat. Pun intended.
Real skiffs have tillers :o)
My greatest catch was also a release.
There are simmilar articles for sheepshead, trout, and flounder.
All good answers. I rarely fish skinny water because I have a 22’ bay. I’ve found in our area that for spring and summer fishing, my experience is, that flounder and reds are a lot a like in that they are actually lazy fish. Both are optimistic preditors that usually don’t “chase” bait but will go into shallows/flats at high tide to eat crab and minnows and then hang around the same area at low tide to go up on flats again. My best tide to catch slot reds and flounder is a rising tide an hour or so before it gives water to flats and reed areas. Even if you can’t get on the flats scout out tailing fish at a high tide. If they are on the flats/reeds they will be somewhere around at low. When they really get aggressive is in the fall when they will move a lot and gorge themselves before the cold. For what it’s worth that’s my perspective…Tight Lines…
I will ensure that my superiors rest easy with the knowledge that I am on the helm, no matter what the conditions - Surfman’s Creed, USCG