I am new to the area, I was wondering where some good spots are on the cooper or the Ashley to catch some nice reds! Any tips on a good rig would be much appreciated!
Thank you!
Welcome aboard… you just learned the first lesson of this site.
j
First off, ride around @ low tide to learn the waters. that way you can see the mud flats or sand bars, take note of them, & don’t run aground. i have the most luck with reds on an outgoing tide, just after mid tide. so say high tide is 12 pm, i’d be fishing from 2-4pm. i prefer live shrimp or mud minnows, catch em yourself or buy em. although it’s more sporting to fish with artificials like DOA shrimp, & even more sporting to use a flyrod + a hand tied fly you made… i use both a “carolina rig” & a “popping cork” to catch reds. i toss a carolina rig out and a popping cork out. the “carolina rig” is just a sinker with a foot or 2 leader (i prefer flourocarbon) and a circle hook or a khale hook (j-hooks & stainless hooks are no-nos!). the popping cork is good for fishing around oysters, it helps keep your bait from getting stuck. popping cork is tied on just like a carolina rig, except you put a cork where the sinker would be. watch the popping cork for movement, set the hook if you see it bobbing. check the carolina rig every so often by reeling in a couple feet, often times one will be nibbling or hooked & you won’t see rod movement. i like to find a mud flat that’s between some docks, take your pick there’s 100s of them up the ashley & cooper
chevyrulz just gave you some solid advice. Low tide scouting will teach you a lot.
I like both rigs he described. A jighead with a trick worm works great. Leave the hook exposed unless you’re fishing in the grass and have to go weedless. Paddle tail baits work well at times.
I prefer to fish the low tide coming in and like to pole up into a creek with the tide following fish if I see them going into it. If you see baitfish, follow them. Where there’s bait, there’s bigger fish trying to eat them. If you see birds crashing the water, there are baitfish nearby. Don’t go running in full force though, because you might ground your hull/motor into the edge of a flat/oyster bar.
I like to put in at Bushy Park on the Cooper. Check google maps and look for fishy looking spots to check out. You probably aren’t going to get any exact spots out of anybody.
Get out there and bring back a report. Good luck!
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
This question gets asked all the time here, which is good. Just do a search for Cooper River or Ashley river, etc. You’ll find posts on when, where, and how to catch fish. Thankfully the hot spots are pretty generic. Find oysters. Put out baited hook. Catch fish. Good luck!
Thank y’all so much for the advice!
14’ McKee Craft 50 hp Honda
Again, welcome aboard. Hope you know I was just messin with ya earlier. Lots of folks get crotchety when some one asks for spots. I couldn’t care less, just don’t be there when I get there. Great tips so far, but I will add one thing. Structure is often key. Be it a dock on a bend in the creek, pylons, etc. Also, where I put in is on Virginia Ave. Just be aware of tides. Don’t use it at dead low and if you have t-top or Bimini, forget about it. PM me if you want the route to get in and out successfully. Go get after dem fishes!
j
Hoof, I could watch that guy on your profile getting a beat down by that fish all day!
quote:
Originally posted by HoofArdedchevyrulz just gave you some solid advice. Low tide scouting will teach you a lot.
I like both rigs he described. A jighead with a trick worm works great. Leave the hook exposed unless you’re fishing in the grass and have to go weedless. Paddle tail baits work well at times.
I prefer to fish the low tide coming in and like to pole up into a creek with the tide following fish if I see them going into it. If you see baitfish, follow them. Where there’s bait, there’s bigger fish trying to eat them. If you see birds crashing the water, there are baitfish nearby. Don’t go running in full force though, because you might ground your hull/motor into the edge of a flat/oyster bar.
I like to put in at Bushy Park on the Cooper. Check google maps and look for fishy looking spots to check out. You probably aren’t going to get any exact spots out of anybody.
Get out there and bring back a report. Good luck!
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
Capt. Tim Deckard
Daily Charters -> http://BeaufortCastawayCharter.com
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