I’ve been fishing the Stono for 30+ years but the last couple of years the catch has certainly slowed down. What is caught on the trout side is usually under-sized fish. Bass are too big, not many young and slot fish anymore, just old stock. Monday I trolled off and on from behind John’s Island airport to Wadmalaw Sound and only caught two undersized trout. That’s unheard of for October.
Fresh water intrusion has taken a large toll but, seems there are other factors influencing the fishing.
Any ideas?
Fishing in the Stono has been slow for the last 5 years. With that said, I have been catching legal trout and lower slot reds recently mostly fishing the “best” docks and structure with live shrimp under a float. However, like you say it is not nearly what October should be. I don’t think it is the freshwater as the decline has been presetn for a number of years and I often have better success in the areas that have lower salinity like around Rantowles.
it seems to me that there’s a lot more pressure on the Stono both in fishing and in recreational boaters. maybe all of the extra traffic is turning off the bite?
it seems to me that there’s a lot more pressure on the Stono both in fishing and in recreational boaters. maybe all of the extra traffic is turning off the bite?
I don’t know about that. There are spots on the ICW in the IOP and north area that you can always catch fish and that has a ton of traffic too. I wonder if it’s the “muddiness” of the Stono.
Spoke with DNR, they point to oxygen concentration as a factor.
Oyster beds in the Wadmalaw Sound are not for consumption due to low oxygen concentration and higher bacteria due to the small amount of water exchange during the tides. I agree with that but how about up by the airport, seems to be plenty of water flow. Something just don’t jive!
Spoke with DNR, they point to oxygen concentration as a factor.
Oyster beds in the Wadmalaw Sound are not for consumption due to low oxygen concentration and higher bacteria due to the small amount of water exchange during the tides. I agree with that but how about up by the airport, seems to be plenty of water flow. Something just don’t jive!
Old Chicken Make Good Soup
That contradicts what their website shows, I have eaten many oysters from S172. It is currently closed from the Matthew.
[url]http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/shellfish/State_Shellfish_Grounds/Charleston/S172.pdf[/url]