The Evasive Trout Feeding Window

Maybe you have experienced it yourself? BOSN and I did on Saturday.

Full report here
http://ralphphillipsinshore.com/reports/


2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com

I was close to same time frame Saturday. I have most of my luck floating mud minnows right now. Have tons of artificials but finding it hard to give up on what’s working.

2006 Pro Line 17 Sport Honda 90

Good stuff Optiker! I always enjoy these posts!

As far as time went on Sat. we caught some good trout from 330pm until dark. But I can tell you these were the most healthy trout and best trout bite I have seen all year! They were all fat and thick all the way to the tail!

Fishing Nerd

“you win some, you lose some…but nothing beats getting some!”

Optiker, What river do you fish in?
Im new to the area and trying to find my own spots. Whats your advice on trying to find good spots? Go out at low tide and find oyster beds? Thanks. Love your articles by the way
-Jon

Jon I fish all the rivers. Mostly Cooper and Wando though. Yes, the best way to find good spots is by going at low tide and find any kind of structure, incl oyster beds. Look for current breaks, eddies, feeder creeks, points, etc.


2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com

Fished Sun and the reds were biting well but the trout were really negative. Had multiple nose the lure all the way to the boat or half heartedly pop the topwaters.

Where do you pull those graphs from?

Cheat a little.Get a gal of menhaden oil and dump a little in the creek.Fish the slick.

Stonoman

Young, the chart is at tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov I have learned a ton by looking at this particular graph. it also has tide cycle and water/air temps - all synced with time


2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com

Great report and pics Optiker. Thanks for the graphs, too.

I have experienced the same but in the fall(Oct-Dec).

Probably because I haven’t fished the salt side as much as the freshwater side in the spring. I’m usually catching bream, bass and crappie this time of year.

I have hit the Cooper a couple times this year and haven’t done real well on artificials. Maybe because the water is still so dirty?

I know some folks have done ok with live and cut bait.

Reckon I need to give 'em a try this weekend…:wink:


2006 17’ Sea Hunt Triton w/ 90 Yamaha, formerly a 1991 15’ Key West Explorer w/ 60 Johnson.

Saturday, we rocked the Redfish and Trout shallow. Using Lucky Craft Sammy 65/100 and StreakZ 3.75. Sunday, top water was a bust but we rocked the Trout again. This time in 18 feet of water. Passing fronts really do move fish around and change their feeding pattern.

careful dave the natives will likely be attempting to snipe your osprey now :smiley:

I have had similar days in April. Do you believe this activity to be the same encountered in late fall?? That seems to be far more predictable.

Redstripe, I don’t believe so. However, I have had a couple days in the fall where all species of fish were very turned on for most of the day. This is more specific, with trout - and I’m not talking about a good bite I’m talking about a stupid bite, like its absurd how aggressive the feed is – every cast, and hit usually as soon as the lure hits the water. Looking back at my notes, the last time this happened to me was also when the wind clocked to the S and picked up. So that might have something to do with it? The mystery is what keeps it fun :slight_smile:


2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com

I had the same thing happen but about 45 minutes earlier in the Bulls Bay area, not any reds but the same with the trout in a current eddy

quote:
Originally posted by Optiker

Redstripe, I don’t believe so. However, I have had a couple days in the fall where all species of fish were very turned on for most of the day. This is more specific, with trout - and I’m not talking about a good bite I’m talking about a stupid bite, like its absurd how aggressive the feed is – every cast, and hit usually as soon as the lure hits the water. Looking back at my notes, the last time this happened to me was also when the wind clocked to the S and picked up. So that might have something to do with it? The mystery is what keeps it fun :slight_smile:


Have you noticed any correlation regarding tide?


2006 17’ Sea Hunt Triton w/ 90 Yamaha, formerly a 1991 15’ Key West Explorer w/ 60 Johnson.

5151 - very cool. I might have been slightly off on the exact time, so I wouldn’t be surprised if our times lined up perfectly

bigt7mm - no, I haven’t.


2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com

Very educated. But. They schooled in. They run faster than race horses in mud. When they break the surf, it’s on. Not unlike salmon or other bi-saline fishes, “excuse me, biologists”, your terminology does not pertain widely. They scoot up creeks to do their deed. It’s a fast program for them.
Now, they could have been under cover near you and were invigorated for reason of climate, but unlikely they were just “there” and went on a feeding frenzy.
Only a good diver could prove it but my bet is a fast moving school.
You are the best though! Great article.

Please don’t comment on things you know nothing about. They don’t “scoot up creeks to do their deed.” They spawn multiple times per year in deep holes at night in big water. “When they break the surf?” Come on dude. Lots of trout go TOWARDS the surf to spawn from up the rivers.

quote:
Originally posted by dadgum

Very educated. But. They schooled in. They run faster than race horses in mud. When they break the surf, it’s on. Not unlike salmon or other bi-saline fishes, “excuse me, biologists”, your terminology does not pertain widely. They scoot up creeks to do their deed. It’s a fast program for them.
Now, they could have been under cover near you and were invigorated for reason of climate, but unlikely they were just “there” and went on a feeding frenzy.
Only a good diver could prove it but my bet is a fast moving school.
You are the best though! Great article.


from the DNR publication. see pg 16 for spawn locations

“We know
that the fish in these locations were involved in
spawning because we dropped a short section of gill
net at some of the sites to sample the animals there…”

http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/pdf/SpottedSeaTrout.pdf

Are we talking fish sex here?

“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?