Hello everyone,
I thought I would chronicle my surf fishing trip this year. I did a little pier and surf fishing with dead shrimp last year. It was fun, but I’m trying to ramp up the action and size of the catches this year. I’d consider myself pretty new at surf fishing. I’ve done a little over the years, but never to the degree to which I’d pay attention to tide or habitat. This year, I’ll focus on the tide, rigging, and bait.
I’ve got my 40 year old Penn Senator on a new 9ft pole. It’s a basic Shakespeare Alpha Bigwater pole I got on clearance at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $20, but it’s a good match for intro surf and pier fishing. It was discounted because the combo reel that came with the pole was gone. I’ve probably got some 40lb high-vis yellow line on the reel. I don’t remember what I spooled up last year, but I’m using the same stuff.
My fancier surf outfit is my new Okuma Coronado CD-65A on my new 12ft Hurricane Black Beauty 2 (BB2) rod. I’m spooling on a bed of 17lb. Berkley Trilene XL Armor Coated green mono connected to 300yrds of Power Pro Super Slick Hi-Vis Yellow braided line. I’ll probably going to put on 10 ft of the Berkley Trilene XL Armor Coated as my shock line. Does 10ft sound like the right amount? I’m hoping the rod length, open face reel and braided line allow me to cast further than I have managed in the past.
I’m renting a place on Edisto Beach around the 400 block. I’m sure I’ll hit the closest stretch of beach and fish while the kids play in the breakers, but I’m hoping to hit the 3100 block beach access which is close to where the river and ocean meet. I hear 2 hours on either side of high tide is a good time to fish if you can’t get out in the dead of night. I’m also wanting to hit Botany Bay. That’s more of a day trip and a hike for me personally, but I hear the results can be worth it. I’m going to use my cast net to try to catch some live bait and get a sense for what the game fish might be after, but I’ll be backed up with Berkley Gulp lures. As a ‘carpetbagger’, I ha
Tackle can be purchased at Edistotonian and gas station on the corner as you come on the beach. Get some fresh shrimp form Fontaine’s Seafood on the creek.
Fish the inlet at the end of the state park - about a mile walk. Botany Bay surf can be very productive.
if youre staying on 400 block, there is a nice spillway on Jungle road on the side opposite side from the ocean…it is in that area, not sure if at the end of 400, 500, or 600… i hope i am not giving up any secret minnow hole but there is plenty of room for more than one trap in there. you do not want to throw a net in there though! lots of rocks, barnacles and oysters. when the water is down you can see the minnows all over in there. ive never tried mudminnows in the surf, have always used mullet if live baiting.
looks to me with your setups that your looking for sharks…i would keep a fresh srimp out on the bottom for a whiting, croaker, blue or something…then once you get that, put him on live and put a minnow on the bait pole for flounder/trout/bass.
…there is a nice spillway on Jungle road…looks to me with your setups that your looking for sharks…
I remember that spillway from last year. I did actually throw my cast net in there. Got some decent bait fish and no serious snags. I didn't fish with them, though. It was more of an exploratory cast to see what was around. I caught a lot of mullet with the net at one of the golf course ponds right across the street from the Edisto Yacht Club. Big ones and small ones.
I’d like to catch something big, but I’m hoping I catch a monster redfish and not necessarily a shark. (I don’t really want a big shark. WTF am I going to do with it when I beach it?). I was planning on using a mullet rig in the surf. Can anyone give some guidance on what length of mullet I should be using on a fish finder rig? Being new at this, I don’t know what’s considered “too big” for gamefish as whole bait at Edisto. 8" mullet? 4"?
Sunday 26th morning 7am. Tried some casting a few hours ahead of high tide. This is my first time casting with a long surf rod, but I think I’ve got the hang of it. I was trying some chunk and strip squid that I bought at Wal-Mart in Walterboro. Using a bluefish rig as a leader with a homebrew fish finder rig. I’m not as prepared as I would like to be. Forgot to buy several basic leaders and sand spikes.
Sunday 26th morning 7am. Tried some casting a few hours ahead of high tide. This is my first time casting with a long surf rod, but I think I’ve got the hang of it. I was trying some chunk and strip squid that I bought at Wal-Mart in Walterboro. Using a bluefish rig as a leader with a homebrew fish finder rig. I’m not as prepared as I would like to be. Forgot to buy several basic leaders and sand spikes.
What all do you need? I have a few spikes and some Carolina shark rigs on cable you can use. I can also get you some fresh mullet. It makes a big difference fresh over frozen. I will pm you my number, call if you want.
Awesome kindness MattR,
I picked up two sand spikes at Edistonian this morning. I might hit you up for something later! I’m glad Edistonian is open on Sundays. I started fishing again around 10am, an hour after high tide. I was fishing two three hook bottom rigs to maximize bait types. I had some floats at the top of the rig to try to keep things a little more vertical. I tried two different sizes of preserved cut squid from Wal-Mart and 4" and 6" Berkely Gulp white swimming shad. I don’t think I got a single bite. One of the tails was missing off the 4" shad, but that’s the only sign of nibbles.
A little disappointed for the effort I put into it. Last year I used live shrimp exclusively. I may try the pier this afternoon with frozen shrimp or some live shad.
Yesterday all we were getting hooked up on was fresh mullet. My fresh was getting low so I broke out some frozen I had. Not 1 hit. Back to fresh and they were hitting.
My wife got that huge red on a chunk of fresh mullet with a piece of squid too on the bottom. I tried strait squid, frozen shrimp, mud minnow, and various gulps. Nada.
Yesterday all we were getting hooked up on was fresh mullet.
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Were you using a mullet rig or just hooking them through the mouth/head? Just chunks? I just caught a few proper sized mullet for my mullet rig. Are you surf fishing or running that pretty boat you mention in your forum signature?
Yesterday all we were getting hooked up on was fresh mullet.
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Were you using a mullet rig or just hooking them through the mouth/head? Just chunks? I just caught a few proper sized mullet for my mullet rig. Are you surf fishing or running that pretty boat you mention in your forum signature?
I was in the boat. I was using a 7/0 j-hook with 130lb mono leaders. I was trying whole 5-6in mullet but that was requiring 16oz of lead to get to the bottom. These full moon tides really gets the water moving. When I just used the centers of those mullet I only needed 8oz and they seemed more productive. I was really hoping for a cobia.
Have you fished there at the point of Edisto beach by the condos? I was idling through there yesterday and within casting range of the shore there was 35+ feet of water and lots of big things on my sonar near the bottom. It actually hits 50 feet for a little bit through there.
OUCH THAT HURT! just offering you a little advice. if you dont want it, dont take it…
you ask WTF will you do with a shark if you beach it…same thing you’d do with a monster bass, get a pic and release him. 9 times out of 10 if you catch a red on a mullet that is 8+" long, he is gonna be over slot.
when using live mullet, i prefer baits that are 3-5" for your keeper size bass. also gives you an opertunity for about any other species that may pass by looking for a meal. if you want a monster red though, go with that size (8+").
the packs of preserved bait you bought in walmart , i believe, are packaged to catch fishermen, not necessarily fish. the price is about the same as buying fresh or frozen bait. chalk the money you spent to “learning expense”. cut your time and money lost and stick with the bait you catch in your net or buy it from a market. i cannot confirm it, but i just do not want to use a bait that may be from somewhere else…maybe it doesnt smell or taste exactly like locally caught does…could be that i am just supersticious i guess.
the tail being bitten off of your grub suggests to me that may have neen a bluefish bite. notorious for short strikes.
where is the pier that you refer to? how are you fishing it?
quote:Originally posted by ryan poe
where is the pier that you refer to? how are you fishing it?
I was fishing the public pier last night, next to Edisto Marina. It’s the relatively new pier/boat slip. No nibbles. I was trying live mullet, some mullet pieces, and a few other juvenile fish I caught in the “spillways” behind Pompano Rd. Also squid strips again when everything else failed. I was fishing for a few hours before high tide. I was hoping to catch a calm period after the tide came in when the current wasn’t so bad. 7oz. weights kind of kept me in place, but not for very long. I think the oysters and grass beds are bad in that area. No nibbles except for the sand gnats. I was surprised that were that bad over the water/pier. They were pretty constant nibblers.
I tried my 12’ pole during low today today at low tide around the 400 block. It’s hard to get to other locations at this point in my trip, but when the kids demand we get to the beach, I’m fishing over their heads .
Would anyone here recommend a nearshore trip for some good sized redfish? Is surf fishing likely to be just as productive? Anybody else fishing on Edisto this week?
We are headed down on July 11 - July 20. I seem to have just have much luck fishing from the beach as from my 17’ CC. I’ve skunked 3 years in a row now for redfish and trout.
Go out to the beach front and use the 2 or 3 hook rigs. Use small circle hooks and small peices of fresh shrimp. Cast out far as you can . To really tell anything you about have to hold the rod in your hand. There should be plenty whiting and pomps to keep you busy. For the big fish use fresh cut mullet or bluefish( best for sharks)
I went out to the end of Yacht Club Road toward Bay Point Villas after Edisto Watersports recommended that location. They said hitting it a low tide was the best time, but I was going shortly after high-tide with frozen squid and shrimp. I caught a horse shoe crab, but that was it.
I’m thinking about hitting Botany Bay today, but I don’t know if high or low tide is best. ‘My book’ says a few hours either side of high tide, but locals counter that.
I went out to the 3100 block during low tide. Not much biting for me, but a guy down the beach was catching a few small things. I was ready to pack up when something big hit my line. I tried to muscle it onto the beach, I think. The line snapped (or a knot failed) about 20 feet from shore. I saw enough of a splash to guess that it was probably about a 4ft shark. Nothing else after that.
Last full day at Edisto was Friday. We hit Edisto Watersports for some near shore fishing. 3 hour trip with four fishing. Caught a lot of whiting, two keeper trout and a hand full of sharks.
I’m glad Edistonian is open on Sundays. I started fishing again around 10am, an hour after high tide. I was fishing two three hook bottom rigs to maximize bait types. I had some floats at the top of the rig to try to keep things a little more vertical. I tried two different sizes of preserved cut squid from Wal-Mart and 4" and 6" Berkely Gulp white swimming shad. I don’t think I got a single bite. One of the tails was missing off the 4" shad, but that’s the only sign of nibbles.