Hello all!
New member. I’m thinking about hitting up the wrecks around Hilton Head tomorrow. Tire reef, whitewater, maybe eagle’s nest or ross if I am feeling courageous and the seas are kind (like they should be). I’ve never fished out there this time of the year. Any pointers?
Thanks!
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort
Really? Nearly 200 views and not one friendly pointer? LOL. I mean I know I’m a rookie, but I could really use some friendly advice. I waste a BUNCH of gas and hardly catch fish. Is there a local sportfishing club or somewhere where guys meet up to talk about fishing? I consider myself a really good fisherman… this whole salt water thing is just new to me. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort
Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club, 2nd Thursday of the month. Beaufort Boy is the President. I did send the info in an email. The Beaufort folks are great. These boys and girls are at the 170 bridge now, fish the last two hours of the incoming tide, cut mullet on the bottom.
OR do a little searching here???
Dan, thank you very much for the email. Regarding researching stuff on here and otherwise, trust me; I have. Nobody posts “Hey I caught such and such on such and such reef yesterday” or “The such and such bite near the mouth of such and such in late September on such and such tide” I know everybody has their “spots” and everybody has their hesitations about lending specific advice. I know I won’t find that online, but doesn’t mean I won’t try. After moving from a freshwater state where I could slay fish with anybody and have plaque after trophy to prove it, it’s just frustrating shooting blanks and getting skunked time after time. Just looking for help man, not aimless sarcasm. I drive people up the wall with questions and the pursuit of advice, but honestly if it’s not about boating or fishing; I’m not interested. That being said, if there is anything I know that would benefit a new fisherman, a kid, or somebody genuinely seeking general advice I would go out of my way to help them. If it doesn’t affect me, why do I care? If it’s not hard, why not help? Anyway, I’m a long winded dude and for that I apologize. Thank you to all on this site. After hours on the Hull Truth, etc its nice to see a group of fisherman in my area!
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort
I sent you a PM.
Kentucky… Worked in the area on a utility contract late 2010, fell in love with the area then moved here. Just moved down here officially in July. Live in Ridgeland but work in Hilton Head.
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort
x2 on Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club. I’ve been in Beaufort for about a year now and have made it to about half the meetings. Really nice group of men and the speakers are very helpful and informative. Unfortunately, I had to miss the last meeting but always intend on going each month. Drop me a line if you ever want to go… I dig your enthusiasm and couldn’t agree more with what you said about sharing knowledge. I’m still working on knowledge worth sharing =)
My suggestion was NOT meant as “aimless sarcasm”!!! I live in Indiana and get over to B’fort every Oct for a couple of weeks-something my wife and I have been doing for close to 15 years. We’ve made a lot of friends over the years-most are like second family to us. I certainly am not a tournament fisherman, just like to get out and play around…if the fish just happen to be on the end of hook when we’re cranking one in that’s just a feather in cap and sometimes another meal to share with our friends.
I’ve come to know that usually asking for specifics on here (the HHI/Beaufort thread) can sometimes be real touchy-especially for offshore areas and techniques. I’ve probably learned just as much lurking on the reports on up on the Charleston threads-seems to be more reports and a lot more people that are willing to share information…there’s just more people up there too.
Sorry I can’t help you on the off shore stuff though-when I’m running around in an old 14’ jonboat to do our fishing…well I think you see the problem there 
We’ve been really fortunate to have “locals” that have taken us under their wings and tried their best to teach us the lowcountry ways. Plus we’ve not been afraid to pay for a charter or three and learn from the local pro’s too.
Good luck and tight lines!!
Big Tuna,
I am certainly interested in the Beaufort Sportfishing/Diving Club. Assuming it’s the 2nd Thursday of each month, I’ll get with you closer to that date. I definitely want to go!
Dadfsr,
No worries man, that’s just the way it came off. I used to come down here from KY myself on occasion, and came down here the last time and just stayed! I figured hell I’m young enough with no kids, no better time than now, eh? I’ve noticed what you said about the specifics, especially offshore. I wouldn’t consider the FishAmerica or Whitewater Reef offshore and I would even go to the Whitewater in your Jon Boat on a calm morning! Not that it’s worth it in my opinion, the only thing I’ve ever caught there was one lonely spadefish lol. I think I may “rent” the Fishn’ Coach one day soon to squeeze as much knowledge as I can from him. Everybody on the island that I’ve talked to about fishing holds him in high regard.
Good luck to you as well my man!
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort
Your sailfish could make it almost anywhere on the right day. Have seatow, radio, backup radio, common sense and the fear of mother earth and you should be able to go out. Find the wind/wave predictions on here, southcarolina-offshore.com and noaa. Most use buoy 41004 as the reference, but the sc offshore site has a localized prediction.
The Betsy Ross holds fish of all types, but we didn’t catch anything but sea bass yesterday… and you can’t keep them right now.
Who is this fishing coach? I’m not local, just prefer the area over most in the low country.
BG
Thanks btodag. I sure hope it’s enough boat. I have a smaller boat that I bought late in 2010 when I first got here (18’ wellcraft, eveinrude 120) but took it to whitewater reef once and just felt that it wasn’t enough boat to do anything like that on anything other than an absolute perfect day before the winds kicked up.
I have three radios, (two with 8’ antennas and a handheld). I have two sounders, one built into my chartplotter and one standalone furuno unit. It has a closed transom, 24* deadrise, high gunnels, yada yada yada. Everything I was told is important in an offshore boat. It just doesn’t have the length. Rigged it measures right around 23’ but the hull itself is only about 21.5’. I know length is very important that far out. I’ve only been that far on a charter, never under command. I have a lot to learn before I am comfortable, that’s for sure. Getting across the breakers at the entrance to the calibogue sound was a nerve wracking experience in itself. I do still need to get SeaTow.
“Fishin Coach” is the name of a charter that runs out of Hilton Head, he also posted in this forum a couple posts earlier. I do not know him personally but as I said, his name comes highly respected in the fishing community on the island. He’s sent me some private emails with some very useful information.
Thanks for the links!
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort
I’m not sure how I missed the fishing coach’s post. I read it, just didn’t read his name/signature.
Sea Tow is insurance to get you back home, they’ll come get you even if you don’t pay for it up front, it’ll just cost you way more after the fact vs the annual membership.
I may get bashed for posting this, but I took my 22 Sea Hunt to Edisto banks, which is about 65 miles off and a little north. I don’t have a top, just a bimini and that would have made it more comfortable but probably not safer. Saturday I went with my buddy on his 19’ Pioneer to the R7 tower, which is about 45 miles or so to the south but it was a very nice day.
As far as the breakers go, it’s typically rough through the transition, but if you are in actual breakers, you may be too shallow. Does your chart plotter have the depth lines? My first unit didn’t have that and I didn’t know what I was headed for. Just had to watch the depth and the water behavior. It’s definitely better with the soundings, but it’ll fool you into thinking you can squeak over a hump at times.
The common sense and fear of God are the things that you have to make sure you have before going out.
BG
Yea my plotter has depth lines. The area or “line” I was told to take was only about 4’ deep for a minute with 1-2’ areas on each side of me. I was only about 25-50 yards off the beach. On the way out, It wasn’t bad because the water was nice and still. On the way back in, however, the winds had picked up. I was trying to go slow to stay on my TracBack line but the slower I went, the more the breaking water pushed my boat off course.
Just new experience, and something I’m not used to. Driving a boat isn’t the problem, getting used to the water is the issue. I’ll figure it out, and I learn more each time I go.
There just HAS to be a better or easier route out of the sound. No way (in my opinion) does every boat big or small go bouncing in between breakers that close to the beach like I did. I’ll admit though, that on the chart it does look like the most plausible exit.
Anyway, when I am out of sight of land, its not the waves or swells that worry me. That boat eats waves alive, unlike any boat I’ve ever been on. It was funny when I first got it because I would slow down like I’m used to for every slow moving Hatteras or whatever because of their wake. This boat barely skips a beat. I go full steam ahead and as long as I at least quarter them, it makes me almost kinda giggle every time I go through them because I am so very impressed by the wave-slicing qualities this boat has.
The hesitation with going farther out, like you mentioned, is the unknown. What if!? What if the weather buoys were really wrong. What if the weather turns out to be nowhere near what was predicted? Is my boat safe? Am I knowledgeable enough with my skills in handling the boat to meet mother nature head on in serious ocean conditions? The answer to that, for me, is not yet. The boat may be, but I’m not. It’s not a fear, its just a healthy respect.
What is out there, on this side of the stream, 45-60 miles away that can’t be caught at the 20 mile reefs? (Just out of sheer curiosity)
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilto
quote:
A Salt Weapon Posted - 09/24/2012 : 10:44:50 AMWhat is out there, on this side of the stream, 45-60 miles away that can’t be caught at the 20 mile reefs? (Just out of sheer curiosity)
Salt Weapon…that really depends upon the time of year. From April’s (and even earlier) good weather days to mid- & late July, the edge of the continental shelf (aka “the ledge”) holds surface and shallow feeders like dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel, blackfin tuna and billfish (sails, whites and blues)…plus mid- and deep depth dwellers like snappers and groupers, amberjacks, cudas and much more. Billfish are actually out there almost all year if you can get out, with white marlin pretty prolific in August and September.
After the initial Spring run from early May through mid- to late June and the water heats up in early July, dolphin, kings, blackfin, wahoo and sailfish will be found in 90 to 120 feet…with some coming in as close as 60-70 feet, although that’s fairly uncommon.
The main reason folks don’t make the long runs offshore in winter is cooler temps and rougher seas on average (in addition to the high cost of fuel when the bite may not be hot).
Good luck…and tight lines. If you go beyond 20 miles in your Sailfish, just pick your days and know your boats limitations and fuel range…and ALWAYS file a float plan with someone.
Jim
WildlifeSc, Thanks dude!
That’s some awesome info. I think I may charter a “stream boat” to see what its all about. I’ve been in the gulf stream, but it was off the southern tip of florida… a bit different I’m sure considering you could see land most of the time. hah! Anyway, you saay 90-120 feet. The Betsy Ross supposedly is in 90 feet. I wonder if Dolphin visit that structure on occasion? Man, that would be amazing. Some of the best fish I ever ate. I generally file a float plan on facebook of all places. Might sound silly, but where else can I get hundreds of people to at least casually read it? I always note that if I haven’t taken it down by nightfall…call the guard! Learning the boat’s limitations is what I am working on right now. I say I “waste” fuel by not catching any fish, but I am getting more and more comfortable in the boat everyday. Its a world of difference from the Moombas and Stratus boats I’ve had all my life that’s for sure. Totally different game. I love everything about it though. Man I love to fish! Thanks for the post.
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort