I’m new to the Charleston area and was hoping I could get some direction of where to go flounder gigging. I live in mount pleasant. Thanks for any advice or help y’all can give a fella!
add to that question… when does gigging season kick off around here? is it still a little early?
i just started last year and didnt have a lot of good nights so i cant be a lot of help but… if you have a boat just about any creek that holds a foot or two of water at low tide is good. if you dont have a boat ive had decent luck walking breech inlet as well as walking up the inland side of folly from the folly ramp.
Should be soon! I can’t wait!
miss’n fish’n
212 SEAHUNT CC
Sea Squirt 16
Walking Breach Inlet, if your ankles are in the water, is technically illegal. You could, I suppose, just gig the ones along the very edge of the water but I’m not sure you’ll get many that way.
I’ve specifically asked Sullivan’s PD about this and they assured me that setting a foot in the water can result in a fine.
That aside, you can flounder gig at the big sand flat over at Pitt Street in Mt. P, but you have to climb down/up the big seawall. Not a huge deal if you’re reasonably limber, just don’t cut yourself up on it.
Do NOT get any part of you wet at Breech Inlet. I, personally, have pulled people out of the water there. It is deceptively treacherous. Long time ago, the job had me on the water in that area a good bit.
One of the guys thought he was safe because he was on a sail board (no sail - but, thought it was buoyant enough to be safe). He ended up in the water clinging to the board which was turned on its side and pinned against a bridge piling by the current. Another little bit, and he would have been done.
17’ Henry O Hornet
26’ Palmer Scott
what is the deal with breach inlet? is it just protected land or waters? how about boating in that area?
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha
spottail just opened back up at the begging of this month. The flounder are gonna be far and in between right now, but you defiantly can find some bass cruising around to stick. Every day next week after monday will be perfect tides for it( you gig low tide) I defiantly will be going a couple times
quote:
Originally posted by Skrimpdaddywhat is the deal with breach inlet? is it just protected land or waters? how about boating in that area?
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha
I don’t mean to be overly dramatic. But, a casual approach to that inlet can turn nasty in a hurry.
Boating is no problem as long as you can fit under the bridge. The current through there is huge when the tide is pulling. It churns with strong upwellings (and down) that can pull a strong swimmer under and keep him. Very dangerous for a human in the water.
I haven’t been over there in a while, but, after years of that inlet taking a person every year or so, they put up big blunt warning signs either side of the inlet for beach goers. That seems to have cut down on the drownings dramatically. Don’t see that story in the news any more.
17’ Henry O Hornet
26’ Palmer Scott
redfishmatt said it was illegal to set foot in the water what is up with that?
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha
It’s illegal because of the dangerous current. Before they put up the fine there would be several drowning there each year due to the current. I have personally went through there in a kayak on an out going tide and got pinned against a boat at the marina right there and got free just as my yak was starting to go under. Also, gets sketchy going through there. Puckered me up pretty good. I don’t launch from there anymore because of that.
See my previous. Many people have drowned there over the decades. I am not sure what the municipal laws say, but, it would be reasonable, in my opinion, for those two islands to make it illegal to enter the water at or near the inlet. Maybe rfmatt can fill in the details? Or, if you really want to fish that immediate area, call IOP and/or Sullivan’s Island and ask them.
17’ Henry O Hornet
26’ Palmer Scott
Very good to know. I’m really just interested in finding a place I can go and have some luck flounder gigging. But to be clear we are talking about the inlet in between Sullivan’s island and isle of palms under the big bridge right?
PalmerScott is right on. I can attest that the current there can be ridiculous. I don’t know if you are still allowed to fish from the bridge there, but several years ago I fished off the bridge many times, and even an 8 ounce sinker was completely useless in the middle half when the current was ripping.
I like to take my dipnets and poke around rockwork and catch various small shrimps and blennies for my aquarium, occasionally. Breech is almost a great area for that. But before I did it and got a ticket, I called the Sullivan’s Island Police dept. He assured me that anything that could be interpreted as “wading” (meaning, basically, even ankle deep) could land you a nasty fine.
I think the law is too strict, but it’s appropriately, and necessarily too strict if you know what i mean. Nobody is likely to have any sort of danger from the current if they are less than knee deep on a protected side of the rocks, but if they allowed that, then you’d have loonies going waste and chest deep out there. Actually still do, i see folks swimming out there all the time.
I think Hogg Inlet further up north is about the same way. I think they used to have a Grim Reaper on the billboard up there warning you not to swim.
Do not wade/gig at Breech. Go to Pitt Street.
Thanks. Everyone is so helpful on here. Once again thanks.
Yea, seriously if it is that bad and i am sure it is, good call.
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha