Hi guys. I am from Long Island NY where we use large plugs to target stripers in the back bay and off the beach. I am coming down in the fall to live in James Island. So I guess me question is very general. How big an artificial can one use in the area to target reds and trout? What other species can one target with plugs?
Thanks
Welcome to the Lowcountry Woodcarver. Yes , you could use plugs for redfish and trout but I would not recommend it. I would say to use soft plastics such as paddle tails. These are relatively inexpensive and yes most importantly , they catch fish. You can purchase these from some of our local tackle shops like The Charleston Angler and Hadrrels Point. Both of these places have very nice people that will get you set up right. Good Luck!
17’ Mako
The major plus of going to these types of tackle shops around here is they will give you great fishing information like where and what to fish.
BOATLESS
Just from my experience smaller plugs work better than large plugs. Like Screaming said I would look more towards soft plastic and even more than that get a cast net and go live bait. More than enough of it around once the water warms up. Also x2 on Harrells which will be right down the road from you. Great guys who wont steer you wrong.
A wise man once said “Do as I say not as I do” Good advice when I tell you that.
First off, welcome Woodcarver. Second, you’re going to find those who are straight live/cut bait and those who are straight “arti’s.” I personally try everything and the kitchen sink until I find what they’re eating. Hard plugs and soft artificial baits are definitely a player when it comes to catching fish. I’ve found hard plugs to be effective during certain times of year. I like topwater plugs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits beginning this time of year and throughout the summer. I play with the size until I find what the fish are keying typically…match the hatch, if you will. Soft platics are always a part of the arsenal too. I’ve found soft plastics are more effective when fish are either inactive or nuetral. Live and/or cut bait are pretty much no brainers and a good fall back for me. I prefer to be more active, that’s all. There are a lot of good tackle shops in the Charleston/Mt Pleasant area. Be sure to shop around and check out pricing, selection, and staff knowledge. Make them earn your business.
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
Thanks guys. I guess my big 7 and 8 inche surface swimmers and poppers will go into storage when I get down there.
It’s funny cause I have a lot of soft plastics that I have not been using much from the beach that could work well down there.
Another question would be do you guys use bucktails?
Save them and use for stripers in Santee which is only 40 mi west of Charleston! Good luck
Or save them for a ride offshore.
Have fun and good luck
Plenty ways to use them here too, just not for Reds or Trout. As suggested, pretty good Striper fishing in freshwater here, not saltwater in this area. Redfish take the place of Stripers here in the Harbor(Bay) you call it up ther
“The big one’s still swimming, let’s go.”
Plug wise, for gator trout yes you can use your big stuff but it is a low percentage game, I think. Especially if you are new to the fishery. I know that a few people do it, and catch with them but they are basically pro level serious fishermen with lots of experience and in their home waters. I try it now and then but have never had the patience to stick with it, when I know I can probably catch with a more standard approach. But you can try.
Personally, I like the 3 1/2" Mirrolures and the like. Some people like different brands, I am a Mirrolure guy mostly. 52 model, whether 52M, 52MR, 52TT, etc. 808 is a big color, 11, BL/CH (I may have that backwards, CH/BL?), Mardi Gras, are a few that could get you started. They are sinking, 1’ per second approximately. The Mirrolure suspending/sub surface plugs are really great too. They have different sizes. The same colors work for me with those. There are topwater models too but I don’t fish topwater 99% of the time.
I have had really good luck with YoZuri Crystal Shrimp but man are they expensive. Two sizes, lots of colors. And different places, the fish want different sizes and colors very specifically, in my experience, so it can really set you back. I don’t target reds much, but have caught them, many flounder, and many many trout with the YZs. Good luck, I think you will love the inshore fishing down here in SC.
From wiki:
“Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As they grow larger, their diets shift toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullet; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout.”
So what would a 20"-25" Speck prefer to eat? A 10"-12" Mullet.
I say use 'em! Especially if you were to catch a dink on a popping cork with a 2"-4" shrimp or jig. Work it in the same area. And as Stratoyak noted, the catch percentage will be lower.
As for Red Drum…maybe not.
“If it were catching, Everyone would be good at it.”
I think stratoyak touched on something that is very important to keep in mind. Even in the bass fishing world, larger baits do tend to produce larger fish caught, but it also typically means less fish caught. Obviously big fish will eat small baits too but by using strictly larger baits, you’re eliminating the smaller predators from the equation.
So you need to ask yourself if you’re looking for quantity or quality and then, depending on the answer, adjust your lure offerings accordingly.
Earn it everyday
If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.