Friday Fishing Report

I Launched out of C. C. Haig Boat Ramp on Pinckney Island at 11:00 on Friday morning to fish the incoming tide. I was a little later than planned and with the week low tide the water was a lot higher than I had expected. I had planned on heading to the Chechessee River to fish some spots before the water hit the grass but it was already so high that I went to a flat in the May River where I have had success just after the water covered it. The water was pretty high when I got there but I anchored up and put out a live shrimp and mud minnow and started casting a gold spoon. The water was 83 degrees and fairly cloudy with visibility to a couple of feet. I could see well enough to see a small redfish flash at my spoon in the shallow water towards the grass. That was all of the redfish action for the day. There were a lot of small fish tearing up my live bait near the grass line especially the shrimp.

From there I went to a creek on Daws Island where I have caught trout etc. on the higher incoming tide. Again I found the water higher than I hoped but anchored up and put out the baits. For the most part I had the same result. A lot of small fish taking my bait. They’d take the shrimp and hold the cork under for several seconds but never got the hook.

I finally caught one 12" trout right inside the grass line and after a while longer moved on to a creek on Rose Island. No sign of fish in the creek but I heard a couple redfish crashing up in the grass nearby. Idid see a pair of Bald Eagles sitting on a small dead tree trunk over the Marsh. Really cool!

Overall an enjoyable day despite the slow action. It was plenty hot out there with very little breeze. Occasionally, the clouds would provide some shady relief. Also, it was the first time I could get down to fish since the beginning of June so it was as much of a boat and equipment shakedown to prepare for a trip to NW Florida in a couple of weeks.

I’m really trying to learn the inshore fishing and don’t have the kind of success other poster

Thanks for the report, I had some friends down and we just cruised around on Saturday. Was a good crowd of boats fishing the entrance of the mouth of the May river. What are they typically fishing for in that are All? Not sure if they did any good but look like a busy place.
-Ray

There is a deep hole in the mouth of the May River. I saw a boat there on Friday. Don’t know what they were fishing for.

I’ve seen folks deep holing for shrimp there before but this guy wasn’t throwing a net.

I know what ya mean on the crowd. There were a lot of boats out Friday as well. That spot is right between HHI and Bluffton so it’s almost always crowded.

deep hole shrimping