I am a noob in the world of boat fishing as it is fairly new to me… However down around stono inlet I have managed to find few good spots… There is a sweet spot for reds and trout down there. I am learning the reds tend to be in mouths of creeks and tout near oyster beds. Does anyone else experience this? I have yet to hook flounder… I know there is the tidal flats by oak island and bird key island… should I look there? Is it good fishing there? Second I have fished many a times with Chip mICHALOVE THE FAMOUS GREAT WHITE SHARK CATCHER…sorry for caps… he hammers the sharks with bonnet heads however he catches bonnetheads with live menhaden! How do I locate menhaden? BTW he also hammers the big reds as well with live menhaden… he makes 3 small cuts on back of menhaden and fills boats quick. Usually with a bonnethead we hook up to a tiger shark or big lemons or big blacktips in minutes! Is there a good spot to target sharks near stono inlet? I notice the water is very deep on the Kiawah side. Any ideas on how to target flounder and what to look for, how to get bonnetheads without menhaden, or how to find menhaden. I am pro at cast net! Am I on right track with the idea reds at mouths of creeks and trout on oyster beds? I typically use live bait, I suck at artificial for now. Trying to up my game but I suck. Any ideas or places anyone could tell me to up my game in that area? I am not looking for GPS coordinates, even though I have few of my own. Just ideas of places to try. For instance, I see bird key island or the flat by oak island are they worth time, do u target certain fish on flats? I do have fairly big inshore boat so cant go in less then about 4 ft of water. I have 21 ft sea hunt triton with deep V I thing I draft about 2 ft but also don’t want to suck sand and crap in motor going to shallow. Thx in advance, u guys always treat me with good advice!!!
Well, I am no expert on the Stono, I am mostly Wando and ICW. For Reds, yes you can fish points and they work well, but most of my spots are around structure.(docks, old barges etc) Trout do like oyster beds but you can also find them on point/mouths of creeks. That’s about all the info I can give bc I know very little about that area. Menhaden, on the other hand, they’re everywhere this time of year. They ■■■■■ on the surface and not only will you see them, you will hear them. Maybe it’s just me but if I’m looking for Menhaden, I can just listen and hear them hit the surface. You can probably find a video on youtube to see what it’s really like. As far as Reds ad Trout you should be able to find plenty of spots without having to worry about the depth. Good luck!
Bait moves around. Find the bait and you’ll find gamefish. Watch for birds on bait. Both trout and reds like moving water. I’ve found that trout like a rising tide, and reds seem to be more accessible on a falling tide. A falling tide gets the reds out of some of the shallow inaccessible creeks and flats. Good luck.
Harold Wilcox
www.haroldshogwash.com