I have officially concluded that very few reds are calling the Limehouse area home this winter. Since early December there was a marked reduction in fish. Since Jan 1 I have caught a total of 4 reds in five trips. Last year I was getting 5 to 25 fish a trip. Today was no different. I find myself in disbelief wondering where they have gone. Towards the end of the day I saw some swirls that may have been spooked fish, but maybe I’m seeing things.
The good is I caught some trout today. 7 total; all about 12" and eager to eat. Moderate current over hard sand/gravel bottom from 5-10 feet deep. Glow DOA and smoke grubs. They were only hitting if the bait was on the bottom.
Hairball, you are reitterating what I wrote in an earlier post. My water I fish regularly is between Limehouse and Bull River (St. Helena Sound), which is a lot of water, but I check all my areas at least once per week. The fish are just not there in the same numbers, and I am left scratching my head. I’m glad to hear it’s not just me.
It’s not just in the limehouse bridge area. I’ve been fishing my spots in the stono down towards Kiawah snd i’m getting skunked way to often.
The last 2 years including last thanksgiving and christmas I was catching 15 to 20 nice reds each trip. Talk about scratching your head,
I m almost bald. Dose anyone have an idea of what’s going on?
Great!.. I am already having a hard time with that neck of the woods (stono down towards kiawah) Have you tried the kiawah this year. I dont think alot of guys on this site focus on the stono and kiawah ( I know there are a few like the stonoman).
It’s not just in the limehouse bridge area. I’ve been fishing my spots in the stono down towards Kiawah snd i’m getting skunked way to often.
The last 2 years including last thanksgiving and christmas I was catching 15 to 20 nice reds each trip. Talk about scratching your head,
I m almost bald. Dose anyone have an idea of what’s going on?
i believe the scdnr kinda skimped out on the stocking program int those waters. maybe were just due for a fish stocking in tthe stone. i havent ever had to much sucees their but i will fish a spot that has all the promises of holding fish, and not catch a thing, in another river the same structure would hold alot of fish.
There is no greater fan of fly fishing than the mud minnow.
Hey fish whistle have not fished the kiawah very much this year but there was a video around that showed a large school of reds trying to hide from some dolphins [it was real cool]and I had a charter capt. tell me that it came from kaiwah. It looked like Kiawah to me. If this wind slows down I want to go to the back of bass creek some time this week. Good luck on your fishing.
I have been fishing the Stono from Limehouse to Seabrook for four years. The first two years I caught 10-20 trout in 4 hrs nearly every trip. Also caught the occasional red and flounder.(not targeting those) During the spring, summer and fall after the first of our cold winters, my catch was reduced to 0-4 trout per trip, zero reds and flounder. I did eventually find a nice school of reds in the fall and began targeting those due to the lack of trout. Then we had another cold winter. On the first 5 trips after the second cold winter, I had caught zero trout, zero reds and zero flounder. 2 sharks and an oyster toad fish was the haul. I bagged fishing the area at that point. Later on in the summer I did manage to catch 4 10" trout in one trip and somewhere along the line I did catch 2 keepers, both male. I understand the drop in trout population, but not reds and flounder. Going to try sheeps this year.
The last two years fishing the Stono (Limehouse area) with exception of this winter I can tell you there was no shortage of reds. Most were overslot at well. An average day would be 5 to 10 reds with one over 30". Good days with up to 25 fish. My best days are close to 40 fish in a matter of a few hours. Trout used to be great, but with the cold winter has suffered. It was no problem for me on an October day to use 6 dozen shrimp and land 30-40 trout by myself. I know the trout will and have started to show again. The lack of reds has me perplexed.
And that trend has continued all the way out to the the mouth of the N. Edisto. I don’t think anything has happened to them, just don’t know where they could be. When the water is clear enough to read a newspaper under 4 feet of water, you KNOW what is there, and they just aren’t there on the flats in the same number as the last few years.
quote:Originally posted by hairball
The last two years fishing the Stono (Limehouse area) with exception of this winter I can tell you there was no shortage of reds. Most were overslot at well. An average day would be 5 to 10 reds with one over 30". Good days with up to 25 fish. My best days are close to 40 fish in a matter of a few hours. Trout used to be great, but with the cold winter has suffered. It was no problem for me on an October day to use 6 dozen shrimp and land 30-40 trout by myself. I know the trout will and have started to show again. The lack of reds has me perplexed.