Hi guys,
I’m coming down to the Charleston area in May for a day or two of flats fishing. I’ve been doing some research to put a small tackle box together. Most of it is just from my freshwater bass box. What isn’t in the pic are the shrimp. I’ve got gulp alive 3" in natural and pearl white, and DOA shrimp in near clear gold glitter. Is there anything that I’ve obviously missed that generally works well in the area?
I know this is my first post and am already asking for something but am just trying to make the most of the day or two I have available.
Those paddle tails in the picture would work they well for reds- if you wanted to go after trout I would rig them with a jig head. Also, if I was you I would get some live e bait - mud minnows or shrimp. Fish under a cork or on a Carolina rig near structure and you will eventually get something.
Honest to goodness, if I was fishing for trailers then, all I would toss would be the gold spoon,maybe an artificial shrimp rigged backwards and weedless. That would be it. No way you can fish those hard baits in the grass.
Your tackle boxes can be very simple. 1/8-1/4 oz. jigheads with curltail or paddletail grubs. Weedless 1/8-1/4 oz. heads for the grass or docks. 1/8 oz. flutter hooks for Gulp! or other plastics on the flats during lower tide periods. Popping corks, leader, kahle or circle hooks, and split shot for live baiting on mid to upper tides along the grass lines for trout, reds, and flounder. Also, trout and reds can be caught on the flats in May with topwaters and jerkbaits especially during low light periods. Pick your poison for those. All of this can be stored in 2-14"X9" plastic containers.
The only other time I’ve been skinny water fishing, we didn’t cast into the grass. The guide had us fishing the edges so I didn’t actually didn’t get into anything that would prohibit those hard lures. That being said, the only time we used a hard lure was around the docks on the way out when he was assessing my casting ability. Other than that it was 1/4oz jig heads with 2/0 hooks and frozen shrimp, mostly on the bottom, occasionally under a bobber. We fished the mangroves too (Crystal River FL area) but didn’t have any luck there. We fished the peak of high tide, actually bottomed out and waited for the tide to float us to get in where he wanted to fish. I chose my weekend this time based on high tide being in the middle of the day and the lunar cycle (which I’m clueless on, but went by the online graphs). We’ll see how it shakes out. I’m just trying to collect as many opinions as I can and adjust to conditions when I get there.
Your tackle boxes can be very simple. 1/8-1/4 oz. jigheads with curltail or paddletail grubs. Weedless 1/8-1/4 oz. heads for the grass or docks. 1/8 oz. flutter hooks for Gulp! or other plastics on the flats during lower tide periods. Popping corks, leader, kahle or circle hooks, and split shot for live baiting on mid to upper tides along the grass lines for trout, reds, and flounder. Also, trout and reds can be caught on the flats in May with topwaters and jerkbaits especially during low light periods. Pick your poison for those. All of this can be stored in 2-14"X9" plastic containers.
Lol. That’s more complicated than my year round tackle box. He said he was flats fishing. I’m assuming in May flats fishing = tailers?
Keep it simple bubba. You’ll have better success gaining confidence in a couple of proven baits. Also, keep in mind, it ain’t like you going to have 1,830 shots to see whats working. You got a shot on a tailer, you blow it that fish is done with you.
quote:Originally posted by Hoppy
Keep it simple bubba. You'll have better success gaining confidence in a couple of proven baits. Also, keep in mind, it ain't like you going to have 1,830 shots to see whats working. You got a shot on a tailer, you blow it that fish is done with you.
I know what you’re saying. I’m trying to limit my tackle to one 6x10 plastic tray and the gulp container.
Next Q… am I liable to run into anything that requires steel leaders?
No. Anytime you’re ever tossing fake baits for reds trouts or flounder, never ever, ever, ever, use anything other than straight mono tied to your bait. No leaders, no snap swivels, etc. Moreover, if you’re using braid, or different sized line than leaders, never use a swivel for you line to line connection.
I am just trying to make the most of the day or two I have available.
Your focus needs to be on finding fish, not what you’re tossing to them. Fish aren’t everywhere. You can have 539 of the best lures ever made with you, but if you’re tossing them to nothing, it matters not. Find the fish first, then figure out what they will hit.
Ok, Unit to Uni it is. I have 20lb braid on the inshore rods I bought. They’re med heavy action though. I thought about just bringing my med-fast bass rods with the 10lb braid and 8lb floro leaders. Too light?
If I were on the grass flats and had to pick one lure it would be a Zman shrimp in redbone on 1/8 oz weighted worm hook. On mud flats, Zman 4" paddler in badshad on same hook. The reds will eat those most days. You’re challenge is going to be finding them, as already mentioned. Do some research before you head down and watch the tide.
I am just trying to make the most of the day or two I have available.
Your focus needs to be on finding fish, not what you’re tossing to them. Fish aren’t everywhere. You can have 539 of the best lures ever made with you, but if you’re tossing them to nothing, it matters not. Find the fish first, then figure out what they will hit.
I can research baits all day, ask questions and get responses. Ask someone for a location (especially on the first post) and 90% will send a thick guy with a bat to correct your error in judgement . I had been planning on starting out at the Paradise Landing on the Wando River.
Good choice, and good attitude. There is no substitute for time on the water and paying attention to whats going on around you. Pay your dues and it will all start falling in place. Not only that, it will be more rewarding, regardless of the water temperature…
^ he’s right about finding the fish. Also, You can use the search feature on the form and learn a lot about a new area very quickly. Sometimes you will even stumble across someone posting a specific spot.
Have an open mind. Don’t limit yourself to one approach or method. Just like hitting a new lake chasing largemouth, I like to have baits that cover the entire water column (top, middle, bottom). Then, as the day progresses, you’ll be able to narrow in on what the fish doing and where they’re doing it.
As far as your Berkley Gulp! shrimp colors, I’d add New Penny to the mix.
I used to think I had to use fluorocarbon leaders all the time but time on the water (and pestering some people on here for advice) has shown me that you don’t always need it. I always have it with me but rarely tie on a fluorocarbon leader anymore, regardless of water color. I use two different pound tests of Sunline SX1 braid, 12 and 16. The 12 is 2lb test diameter and the 16 is 4lb test diameter. Being that small, it’s visibility is minimal at best. It’s not like throwing 50+ pound test braid for frogging or punching grass mats. Like I said, I do keep leader with me and if I’m not getting bit, and the water is clear, I’ll tie one on and see if that makes a difference. Other than that, I go straight braid.
Good luck and stay after it and welcome to the site.
In the future, where every stranger poses a potential threat, knowing the predator mindset is the only safe haven.
I forgot to mention that I have some Pro-Cure inshore gel on the way to stink up the lures that aren’t in the gulp juice.
. I had been planning on starting out at the Paradise Landing on the Wando River.