We fished the northern end of IOP Sunday afternoon from 1-5:30. Very little wind with a flat calm ocean. The tide was dead low when we got there. We set up on the outside of a trough that was a least 100 yards long. Knee deep water in most of it. I put out 2 big rods with with chunks of cut mullet and then my daughter and I starting fishing our small rods with fresh shrimp and starting catching small whiting right away. I cut a couple up for bait. Long story short, we fished all afternoon catching about 40 whiting and 3 decent sized blues. We kept 6 whiting for supper. There was very little current and the tide came up slowly. Still no Reds even after the tide flooded the trough. We moved 2x’s, but still no Reds.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but I can’t seem to find those big boys. Also, there were schools of mullet in the surf and big schools of bait about 200 yards out.
Mr. Taylor thats a good looking trough there, the same thing happened to me on saturday, the one I found produced only 1 red, I couldnt explain it I would have bet money that when the tide rolled in and the trough filled up that I would have done better, my trough was huge, deep. and had a cut that stretched at least 100 yds from the ocean all the way to the high tide line filling it in, it was full of bait as well- dont get it, cant explain it , your spot looked beautiful you clearly know what your doing, thank you for your post Sir. Those are some nice pics did that rain dump on you?
No it only sprinkled at bit, but we could see it pouring rain over Morris Island and toward Folly. Still a good day. I’ve got some nice whiting fillets to fry for supper tonight !
If it makes you feel better my group spend the better part of Saturday surf fishing near an inlet with a fantastic slough and only managed 1 bluefish and a couple big spinner sharks (not landed). Zero’d on the reds in what seemed like a perfect spot.
Great photos. I’m still new to all this so take my comments for what they are worth but aren’t the reds spawning in the surf this time of year? That’s why I was fishing the beach instead of trough where I was at. It was full of mullet, good size too at least 6 inch, and whiting too. A lot of kids playing in it so I didn’t even bother. The Mrs. is working late tonight so I’m going to try around 57th st this evening.
Mr. Walkman I believe the Red Drum are spawning and feeding in the surf this time of year. We were right on the beach fishing in the surf in front of that trough. As the tide came up and filled in, we fished 2 rods in the trough and 2 on the back edge at the breakers. Just wasn’t our day to catch them, but we’ll be back next weekend. Looks like you had a great vacation !
Mr. Walkman I believe the Red Drum are spawning and feeding in the surf this time of year. We were right on the beach fishing in the surf in front of that trough. As the tide came up and filled in, we fished 2 rods in the trough and 2 on the back edge at the breakers. Just wasn’t our day to catch them, but we’ll be back next weekend. Looks like you had a great vacation !
Jack Taylor
on the IOP?
I may be headed that way as well this afternoon depending on what the wife says. Hopefully see ya out there
This is a very nice “high” trough. Looks nice and deep and seems to hold water well.
If you want to catch a bucket full of Whiting, Blues, Spot, Croaker, Black Drum etc. (And in the late spring live mudders or finger mullet for some Specks ) Fish the upper sections. Now, the big Reds don’t ALWAYS come up in the troughs, but if you see Mullet, they know they are there also. I would set-up farther down near the “On Ramp” though during the falling tide. The mid to high troughs, for me, seem to produce better on the out going. Definitely NOT my favorite because it’s hard to tell where anything is when the water is up.
If you find a nice trough/slough/hole what ever, move around some. If I have good fresh bait and not getting the bites I want, time to move. Normally to the right (south). Sometimes before I commit to moving I will make a few LOONNGG casts down the beach in the trough. If something hits, I start moving, one rod at a time.
“There’s a fine line between fishing and standing in the surf like an idiot.”
Thanks David. Since we got there just before dead low, I should have been paying more attention to wave action, looking for a submerged trough, cut and/or holes. since the tides had been higher than predicted since the monsoon, I figured it would come up quicker and fill in over that trough than it did.
I’ve been fishing lowcountry waters for almost 30 years now and I’m constantly amazed at how much I don’t know. That’s what makes it fun. I appreciate your good info !
We can do everything right and sometimes they just dont show, To me Jacks spot looked perfect, it was October, he had bait running, overcast,bait was sticking, all conventional wisdom would have pointed to a great day, if I was out there I would have had a grin ear to ear thinking it was going to be on, then I would have left the same way Jack did with questions as to why I didnt kill them that day, they just didnt show- When those days happen to me, and they happen frequently I remind myself the importance of those days- to distinguish what a good day is all about ,its an important part of it. If we ate steak every day at some point eating steak would become boring and it would no longer be a treat. I went out last year once after multiple weekends of doing well in october in a proven spot that looked great, I was night fishing and there was so much bait out that it was a freak of nature. Every time a wave rolled in I could see thousands of bait fish in each and every wave shining in the moon light-it was stunning. What was also stunning was me departing after hours of fishing-with 0 reds. The only thing I could think of as to why I didnt do well was there was too much bait. Was it possible they gorged themselves and couldnt eat another bite or was it that my couple of baits in the water were a couple out of a million and the odds were so low of them finding mine I pulled the goose egg on such a night. This fishing stuff can be baffling sometimes, but one thing for sure if I keep going often, odds are every few times I will get into them and at that point I really appreciate what I have, whats the old saying " You dont know what youve have till its gone"
) Fish the upper sections. Now, the big Reds don’t ALWAYS come up in the troughs, but if you see Mullet, they know they are there also. I would set-up farther down near the “On Ramp” though during the falling tide. The mid to high troughs, for me, seem to produce better on the out going. Definitely NOT my favorite because it’s hard to tell where anything is when the water is up.