Looking to head out on the water with a buddy this weekend. If it weren’t for stingrays or blowfish, I can honestly say I have no luck catching any keepers or photo worthy fish. Besides the fact that my partner has been fishing saltwater for a few years, he is no help.
Him and I are stuck on bottom rigs because thats all we know… What’s running this time of year? Any tips, tricks, hints or holes? We are catch and release fisherman in freshwater and only keep what we can eat that night when it comes to saltwater. I have gone through 3 pints of fiddlers in search of Sheepshead with NO LUCK:dizzy_face:, and too many pounds of mullet, whiting and shrimp in search of anything that will bite! I need help! Any day on the water beats the best day in the office, but along with the sunburn, I’d like to bring home some dinner or AT LEAST a picture of a nice fish. Any help is much appreciated fellas!
Watch the tides carefully, keep a tide chart on the boat for sure lol. Fish up along the weedline, even if the water’s only a foot deep. Half tide is my preferred time. At peak high, you have to throw at the very edge of the weeds. Low tide, you have to hunt the fish down in the shallows (or, just stop and have lunch).
Go to a good shop like Haddrell’s tackle and let them help you pick some good artificial baits and colors— Trout Tricks and DOA shrimp have been good for most of us.
Also, use a popping cork or a Thunder rig and an 18" leader (I prefer 20 pound fluorocarbon leader, it’s very tough and very low-vis). You can use artificials under this, or live finger mullet or live shrimp. I use a small split shot near the hook to convince the shrimp/mullet/mud minnow to stay down, otherwise they often hang out up on the top.
Finally, don’t make the mistake of staying only in the saltiest water out there. Some of the best fishing around here can be had way, way up the rivers. If you see the grass/weed line, and pluff mud, you probably have redfish, trout, and flounder somewhere.
“I have gone through 3 pints of fiddlers in search of Sheepshead with NO LUCK”
Try oysters.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc.
https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
I try and stay away from store bought rigs, I think they are too bulky and pricey. Try learning how to tie a carolina rig and a float rig(google is your friend as are those free dnr paper books on flounder, red and trout…those are invaluable). Also some of my best luck with Redfish have been on just a hook and split shot(sometimes I don’t even worry about a leader). Fishing takes a whole lot of time and attention to detail to get even sort of good at.
oh yeah and sheepshead can be the most addictive and maddening fish to fish for. I’ve spent all day trying to catch them at the jetties with fiddlers with no luck, then decide to go try some osyterrakes for redfish with shrimp under a cork and whole and behold I catch some nice sheepshead.
Thanks alot, Redfish! River it is. Hey, gotchacovered, do you have to shuck the oyster first, or do you put it on the hook whole?..lmao!
If it is sheephead you want, it’s all about paperclip. Ask Bonzo.
How heavy over a rig are you using for the Sheepshead, the lighter the better, just be sure it’s not so light that you can’t land it. Also the lighter the weight the better, use the least amount of weight possible to get the fiddler crab down and still hold through the current the other day I was using 1/4oz and have used as little as a split shot before. Use a sz 1 Owner Mosquito. Good luck have fun.
Bragging may not bring happiness,
but no man having caught a large fish,
goes home through the alley.
-Anonymous
quote:
Originally posted by Dustin ColeThanks alot, Redfish! River it is. Hey, gotchacovered, do you have to shuck the oyster first, or do you put it on the hook whole?..lmao!
Aw, shucks.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc.
https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
A reputable, seasoned, inshore captain can shorten your learning curve immensely. 5 or 6 hours with the right person can remove YEARS of future, frustrating, trial and error failures for whatever species you seek.
What area do you normal fish? I use 20lb. line with a 2/0 hook for all my fishing.fish are everywhere right now grass, oyster rakes, docks, creek mouths. I fish live bait always but have started to have some luck tossing a plastic.
quote:
Originally posted by RADDADDYA reputable, seasoned, inshore captain can shorten your learning curve immensely. 5 or 6 hours with the right person can remove YEARS of future, frustrating, trial and error failures for whatever species you seek.
amen
at lowtide fish under docks that look old or have a drop off. Fish the bottom with finger mullet, cut mullet, shrimp, mudminnows, or blue crab chunks. You will catch redfish this way. You can fish docks until around mid tide. After that fish deep oysterbeds if you can find them. Also fish along the weed lines. Fish this way until high tide. You can throw artificials like the trout trick and catch fish this way or fish the bottom or a float. At high tide try to find fish in the grass or up on mudflats. Hope this helps
oh yea and for your rigs use 20-30 lb braid and a 25lb flurocarbon leader with a red circle hook 1/0 to a 4/0 with a splitshot or more as needed with the current. put the splitshot about 5 inches from your hook. and with the docks if you aren’t catching fish under the dock try around it even outside of it in the deeper water. I have found many deep oyster beds that the big reds will sit on this way. One of my favorite spots is an oyster bed about 10 yds off a dock in deeper water.
Well, gotchacovered, sorry, but I thought you were joking! Apparently alot of people fish with oysters?! Tying small oysters or barnacle to the hook with a small rubber band. Thanks for all the tips guys. I can’t wait to get out and try them all. My friend makes fun of me because he brings 2 rods and I always bring at least 4. I am the master of changing rigs/lures if I don’t get a bite within 5 to 6 casts. I went out today (bad idea because of the wind and current was running so fast) and saw a few fish but I could keep up with steering and fishing at the same time… Folly beach peanut guy, I usually stay around the Ashley River around leeds avenue as far as rivers go. When we get on my buddy’s boat, it’s usually the jetties. I’m just trying to find a good place for an old 14’ flimsy fiberglass boat with a 6 horse motor. Good advice, Raddaddy. My wife suggested it, but I’m a man who likes learning by trial and error. Never a bad idea to learn from a pro though. Maybe that will be a good anniversary trip. Is it worth paying for an inshore charter during the cold seasons? Also, I tried to do some sheepshead fishing under the Ashley River bridge against the pile-ons. Can you find sheepshead this far up the river or are they typically near more salt?
DFreedom/Bonzo, What’s with the paperclip? I’ll try anything, especially if it makes me look like a genius in front of my fishing buddies!
I am no where near the level of masterbaiter that Bonzo is so he will have to clue you in to paperclips and sheepshead.
quote:
Originally posted by Dustin ColeWell, gotchacovered, sorry, but I thought you were joking! Apparently alot of people fish with oysters?! Tying small oysters or barnacle to the hook with a small rubber band. Thanks for all the tips guys. I can’t wait to get out and try them all. My friend makes fun of me because he brings 2 rods and I always bring at least 4. I am the master of changing rigs/lures if I don’t get a bite within 5 to 6 casts. I went out today (bad idea because of the wind and current was running so fast) and saw a few fish but I could keep up with steering and fishing at the same time… Folly beach peanut guy, I usually stay around the Ashley River around leeds avenue as far as rivers go. When we get on my buddy’s boat, it’s usually the jetties. I’m just trying to find a good place for an old 14’ flimsy fiberglass boat with a 6 horse motor. Good advice, Raddaddy. My wife suggested it, but I’m a man who likes learning by trial and error. Never a bad idea to learn from a pro though. Maybe that will be a good anniversary trip. Is it worth paying for an inshore charter during the cold seasons? Also, I tried to do some sheepshead fishing under the Ashley River bridge against the pile-ons. Can you find sheepshead this far up the river or are they typically near more salt?
No rubber band. Just use the oytser as bait.
Nothing wrong with carrying extra rods. Ideally, I like to carry a different rod for each different bait that I expect to fish.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc.
https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862