Hey everyone,
Long time reader, first time poster. I moved to the Bluffton area about 2 years ago and have been trying to become a “successful” recreational inshore fisherman. Needless to say I have had little to no success (in 2 years have only managed one trout and one red 
).
I have fished from shore, bought a boat, fished from boat. All I can seem to catch consistently are shark. I have spent tons of time on the water chasing bait fish and following tide in and out. I have kept a journal on spots I feel would be successful, but have yet to catch anything.
After being upset with spending endless amounts of money on my new hobby, I followed replies that I have searched on here for and hired a local guide for a half day trip. I told him well in advance what I wanted to learn, and that I was more interested in locating fish than milking him for them. Well, he hooked me on to 2 good size reds and let me reel them in (woohoo :/)(sarcasm). With only 30 minutes left in our trip he informs me that he doesn’t take locals usually and he would absolutely not take me to any of his “regular” spots. So basically I paid 425 to catch 2 fish and learn nothing new.
I have exhausted all my will to continue (not to mention the wife is upset I keep spending so much to never bring anything home).
Any help is greatly welcomed.
In case you need to know about me:
Grew up on gulf coast, fished bays there for flounder.
Moved here, know how to find and catch live bait.
have a 17"skiff to get into pretty mush any water I need.
Have learned to time the tides and work creek mouths and flats as necessary.
I just can’t get on the fish… Please help me 
What bait/rigs are you using? Try trolling by the marsh grass with a artificial and a mud minnow on your jig head when your traveling from spot to spot. Are you marking oyster banks and hitting them at different tides? I like to find a nice oyster bank with a big flat somewhere within casting distance. Use a Carolina rig and work the banks for flounder with a mud minnow while your cork sits over the oysters. Just have fun with it man. Enjoy a cold one. That sucks about the guide. $425 to catch a couple reds is horrible.
All fishermen are liers except me and you and I?m not sure about you.
Good advice above. Its a huge topic to answer in a thread on a forum. This time of year, reds hang around structure in deep water. Docks, riprap, oysters, fallen trees, etc. If you net some mullet, cut them up and put a fresh bloody chunk on a carolina rig with a 2/0 circle hook. Go to different places you see that fit the description of structure, and put one or two of said rigs out. Wait no more than 15 min. If no bites, move to another likely spot. Keep trying and eventually you will hit a spot where you will get several knockdowns in a matter of minutes after putting out your bait. Get out your notebook and note the tidal stage at that spot. Keep doing this and you will eventually fill up your book with productive spots at all tidal stages. Reds are habitual and will generally be at the same place at the same tidal stage pretty darn reliably. Now, that pretty much covers summer pattern redfish with cut bait. Should be enough to get you started. I promise it works. I used this technique recently in unfamiliar waters and spots, and had luck on my 4th drop. I now have a reliable new spot.
One caveat to the above. Your best bet would be to have a variety of bait (cut mullet, live mud minnows, fresh shrimp, fresh quartered crab) and at any of the above spots, put out one rod with each type of bait. When you get bit, switch the other rods to the same bait. It’s really not rocket science, but you will have a lot more luck this way.
Post a report lifting some fish!
I agree, that sucks about the guide, but not for the reason above. 2 fish and even skunks can happen on a guided trip even with the best. What sucks is his attitude. His bad customer service will catch up with him eventually
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
like stated above if you haven’t caught a fish in the first fifteen move. Ive always slow trolled mm to catch fish but with this wind last weekend I tried the anchor fishing. And it produced caught my first hat trick of the season 7 flounder 2 trout and a red. Hell of a good time. look for intercepting creeks. shell banks for flounder sandy bottom for trout and pluff mud for reds. Fish anywhere that looks like a mountain stream flowing into a eddy. fish on the bottom of the eddy and float your cork at the point of the current. And with bottom riggs think simple. 2 three way swivels 2 #2 kahle hooks and the lighest ounce bass cast lead that will keep you on the bottom. make sure not to make your leader to were your hooks can tangle. And if you still cant catch them theres always bream fishing.
All great replies guys, thanks. I have tried bottom rigs, popping floats, live bait, cut bait, shrimp, mud minnows, top water plugs, spinners, spoons. I am just at wits end. Thanks so much for your responses, hopefully I can get on some fish and turn this thing around.
For what it’s worth, I’m struggling this year as well. But that stuff by that guide is really ridiculous. I realize guides need to protect their own research and “sweet spots”, but he had no interest in teaching you anything. He just wanted to get paid to take someone fishing, rather than earn a wage and be a reasonable teacher. Thumbs down.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
Come fish with me during the month of October and November. Just bring your fishing pole and I will supply bait and rigs. You will catch the biggest Reds you have ever seen.
[quote]Originally posted by Redfish_matt
For what it’s worth, I’m struggling this year as well. But that stuff by that guide is really ridiculous. I realize guides need to protect their own research and “sweet spots”, but he had no interest in teaching you anything. He just wanted to get paid to take someone fishing, rather than earn a wage and be a…
Yeah, I don’t want to really bash the guy, but he did know my intentions and I can’t help but think he just wanted to get paid. I know no one can promise fish with every cast but I really didn’t learn anything from the guy. And the real issue with this is the amount of money I spent to “ensure” that I have the best knowledge possible to head out and do it myself. I left feeling taken advantage of and now I don’t have the gumption to ante up another 500 bucks to “try again” with another guide. I’m sure there are some good guides around but he has made me gunshy of paying that kind of fortune to have it happen again.
I really didn’t want to come out sounding like I am complaining about not catching fish, I know we all get skunked. My main issue is that I have spent so much time and money to really try and enjoy what surrounds me, and it makes me appreciate where I live even more. I just don’t want to feel like I am wasting all of these resources just to give up because I can’t ever seem to have a “good day fishing”.
I do admit that I really love living in and around this beautiful area, I just wish that the fishing I love loved me back lol.
quote:
Originally posted by king of the pierCome fish with me during the month of October and November. Just bring your fishing pole and I will supply bait and rigs. You will catch the biggest Reds you have ever seen.
I will have to take you up on that!
I feel your pain fishnfred. I’m in a similar situation. I love fishing inshore for redfish, trout & flounder but I live 2.5 hours away and haven’t been able to get there near as much as I’d like. I have read tons of advice on this forum and have fished w/ guides many times. I’ve almost always done well w/ them but even they get skunked once in a while. Now that I have a boat, I can’t find quality fish either. There is another forum on here where folks pair up w/ fishing partners and you may find someone knowledgeable and willing to help there.
Hang in there and enjoy all the other parts of the experience. When I’m frustrated b/c I’m not catching fish I take a few minutes to look around at the beauty of the place, enjoy the wildlife that I’ll never see from the yard and take a few pictures.
when I get frustrated I just remember all the deer I’ve seen n let walk while hunting during deer season as I watched several capt’s last year get real frustrated because they couldn’t find deer…
even let a visitor shoot a nice 10pt on my stand! too bad things aren’t always reciprocal
deer season is upon us, I’ll have to make a decision which way to go in less than a month… the river or the woods, I know the woods much better…
'bout time
Hey man, you are not the only one having problems. I’ve been fishing in the Stono recently and have only managed one red so far. I have tried everything also, MM, Mullet, cut mullet, artificials. Think I’m going to start going back towards Folly & the Kiawah area where I always have pretty good luck. It does get frustrating when you are not catching fish, but then again I’m just always happy that I’m able to get out on the water and just enjoy life. While I was in college I met so many people who didn’t grow up near a beach or river, and never had a chance to go fishing after school or during the summer. I just realized how fortunate I really am to grow up here in Charleston doing this stuff my whole life. The fish will come.
02’ Seapro 17’CC w/ 90 yamaha 2stroke
MEKS pick the woods man. Skeeters and all thats where ill b headed AUG 15!
quote:
Originally posted by sniper7MEKS pick the woods man. Skeeters and all thats where ill b headed AUG 15!
as if there really is a choice to make, I’ll be in the swamps
'bout time
Sent you a PM. $425 for a half day is too much for an inshore trip. $300 to $350 is the going rate. Maybe guides do charge locals more…I don’t know.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
Fishnfred - I feel your pain, and hopefully I can help a little. I grew up in Myrtle Beach where we didn’t have all this estuary, so inshore was pretty new to me. I started by just roaring my motor up in creeks, anchoring and fishing MMs on carolina rigs. Apart from the occasional trout, all I caught were sharks, stingrays and whiting/croakers (if fishing cut shrimp). Now I’m much more focused on tide stage, water temp, and stealth (trolling motor was huge help). I recommend (just like basketball, baseball, what have you) that you go back to basics…
- In the heat of the summer, early morning and late evening will be best.
- At low tide, focus on docks off of deep water, preferably at a river bend. And when you throw your rig up under the dock if you haven’t gotten a hit in a few mins, move to the next. If you’re missing hits, then move on after a few mins and come back once things have calmed back down.
- mid-tide work shell banks.
- high-tide they say work the grass and grass edges, but I’ll be honest I can’t be productive on high tide to save my life! ha, maybe i’ll figure this one out later.
Don’t give up man
Fishnfred, I grew up in Chs but moved away for twenty years. I returned in 2004 and since then my hours fished to fish caught ratio is likely the world’s worst. Not counting rays or baby sharks, I have caught maybe 4 reds, 6 flounder, 3 croakers, 5 bonnet head, and 20 keeper trout in 9 years!!!
In other areas around the country,fishing with guides and friends, I do OK. I’m talking an average of 24 hours a week on the water year round. I just can’t find them!!!
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: EVEN WHEN THE FISH GOD SPURN YOU.
TALLYHO
19ft Seahunt Navigator
150 Yammy 4s
The best place to find inshore spots is to keep notes on where others are fishing. Up here in the Charleston area, a good spot will always have a boat on it, so after a while with some good notes on what the tide is doing and what time of year, you should be able to come up with some good starting points. For example, when you go over bridges in the area during the first couple hours of the incoming tide, there is a real good chance that you will see boats anchored up in the mouth of certain creeks that empty into the Stono, Ashley or Wando, but at high tide, you will not see them there as much, but rather at different spots. Good luck and stay with it. That’s why we call it fishing, not catching!
Go to walmart buy a chart with fish locations for the area you are fishing…fish on bottom and below cork near structure(oysters).
works for me cut mullet will catch anything biting!
Look for bait being ambushed that is usually a sign of feeding fish...If you dont get a bite in say 10 minutes MOVE....some days they just dont bite but most days there are many more than the limits!Some good advise on here, thanks.