I finally got a little boat (16’ CC) to take my three boys out fishing. We have been fishing the Wando and creeks that run into it lately. We are catching small reds, trout, and flounder, but hardly any keeper size fish. I’m not asking for honey hole info, but is there a different technique used to catch the bigger fish? I was raised on freshwater so I’m still trying to get use to the learning curve. We have used artificials/live bait on jigheads, carolina rigs with live shrimp and minnows, popping corks with live bait under them, etc. Any advice, tips, etc would be greatly appreciated. I’d love to get my three young boys on some decent fish. Thanks in advance!!
Tmitchell27, congrats on the new ride;;; Just a few tips that might help some , spend as much time as possible riding your areas at low and make notes “pics even better” of the deeper holes , oyster beds , structure thats submerged at higher water , skinnee humps/flats , surrounded by deeper drop offs , contour of drop off from grass line… Never pass up spending a little extra time at the small creek mouths feeding into bigger water especially on falling tide and if you feel you’re fishing tooo slow then slow down some more ;slower the better!!!Larger fish tend to chase bait slower than the young and smaller;; might be the reason they got bigger!!
Make good notes which will enable you to more accurately set fishing depths with popping corks, ect , be able to target deeper holes , adjust your retrieve , ect ,ect…
Do this scouting on dead low tide and dead slow speed so IF you should happen to ground out and “you probably will”[:0] it makes for a shorter wait to float again as the tide comes back in…
Lastly you won’t catch a fish sitting on the couch! Now take those boys fishing and let them learn as much/fast as you ; you’ll be building memories while you figure it all out;;;;;Good Luck:sunglasses:
George McDonald ; MAD Charleston
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When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
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Good advice from Gail. The time of year has a lot to do with fishing patterns, and the dead heat of late July and August tends to keep the fishing slow. Fish don’t like working out in a sauna any more than you would…the water temp is about 85 degrees right now. As the days get shorter, the extended periods of darkness help cool the water. As the water cools, the fish start becoming more active. What you are doing right now is the front end work that Gail was talking about. I bet that as you see the summer wane, and fall start to enter the scene, you will catch bigger fish. I’ve caught more large fish in the Wando River fishing a carolina or fish finding rig with a fresh chunk of cut mullet. Now if you want to test out all the “new stuff”, go ahead. Fishing is about learning, and some of the “new stuff” really works. 2nd place on my all time bait for big fish is a fresh caught shrimp…bottom or popper cork. The reason shrimp is 2nd place is that they tend to get whacked by everything, and they don’t hold the hook like a bloody piece of mullet. I’ve caught several fish on one piece of mullet bait, but never happens with shrimp…you get tapped…time for another shrimp.