As always, great stuff Rad. Domromer, I’ve read a ton on this site that is very helpful. My advice on advice - When you run across good tips (like Rad’s above) copy/paste into a document that is easy for you to find and review often. It is a bit like drinking from the fire hose at times and too much to process at once. If you have the “tips/advice” where you can easily locate/review it’s good to re-read them often as you also obtain more on-water experience. Things I forgot that I read suddenly made a lot of sense the 3rd or 5th or 10th time I read them after experience. I’m still lacking “experience” time due to lack of time to get out there (and Folly is a second home) but putting more and more together every time I do manage to get out. Being able to connect with some experienced folks and fish with them on occassion would help a ton particularly in seeing what people are trying to put into writing on here.
I have some tips/advice that I have collected into Word documents that I’d be more than happy to share with you to save you some “searching” (and anyone else for that matter). Most of it is from about a year ago, not a ton of info but some good stuff. It’s been interesting to go back and look at some of that as a result of this thread since I haven’t done that in a while (do as I say, not as I do!). Just send me a PM with your email address and I’ll email the Word docs to you. I don’t check the PM thing often so don’t be surprised if it’s a day or two before I respond.
Any bait or tackle shop will help you pick out what seems to be the weekly tackle or bait. I prefer Charleston Angler. Haddrell’s Point is just fine, but I find that The Angler is more generous with live bait purchases. Seems Haddrell’s literally counts your bait. I bought a pint of fiddlers from them and got 50 to the digit! Also, the last conversation I had there was with two young fellas that worked in the Mount Pleasant store and I think they both had brain damage from sun poisoning! LOL! Charleston fishing is the best place to ask questions. People here are real helpful in my experience, so far, and I’ve even had offers to join people on their boats and fellas who were willing to go with me on mine to get some fishing in and throw some pointers my way. Don’t expect anyone to give you coordinates to their fishing holes though! So far I’ve been fishing saltwater for a year and it seems to me, what works for one person may not work for others. I don’t have a depth finder, so every trip is a trial and error adventure. That’s why I take 4 or 5 rods, set up for different bait presentations.
You should go visit the (Haddrell’s) W. Ashley store at Windermere Plaza. Scott and Dee have more knowledge inshore and offshore than anyone I have dealt with in any other local B&T shops.
quote:Originally posted by Dustin Cole
Any bait or tackle shop will help you pick out what seems to be the weekly tackle or bait. I prefer Charleston Angler. Haddrell’s Point is just fine, but I find that The Angler is more generous with live bait purchases. Seems Haddrell’s literally counts your bait. I bought a pint of fiddlers from them and got 50 to the digit! Also, the last conversation I had there was with two young fellas that worked in the Mount Pleasant store and I think they both had brain damage from sun poisoning! LOL! Charleston fishing is the best place to ask questions. People here are real helpful in my experience, so far, and I’ve even had offers to join people on their boats and fellas who were willing to go with me on mine to get some fishing in and throw some pointers my way. Don’t expect anyone to give you coordinates to their fishing holes though! So far I’ve been fishing saltwater for a year and it seems to me, what works for one person may not work for others. I don’t have a depth finder, so every trip is a trial and error adventure. That’s why I take 4 or 5 rods, set up for different bait presentations.
Made some progress today. I went down to the fishing shop next to the West Ashley Library. Picked up a bag of trout treats and some 1/8 red jig heads. Then I went and fished the dock across from crosby, the tide was pretty low so I might have been fishing a few inches of water. Made a bunch of casts but no luck. I was fishing from shore as it was too windy for the kayak. Then I crossed under the bridge and started casting between the new bridge supports and the current bridge. I think on my first cast I got a strike. I don’t believe I set the hook in time as the fish leaped out of the water and threw the hook. It looked to be a pretty small trout. I fished another 30 minutes until it was too dark to see. No more bites but at least I’m making some progress! Thanks for all the advice.
On a side note I know you are supposed to fish the plastic super slow…what defines super slow? You could move it an inch a minute…but that seems excess. What is super slow when it comes to trout and redfish?
Lot of good honest posts on here, and thanks Rad for taking the time with all that great info for someone to start with, good stuff bubba!
Don’t hesitate to ask questions in your local shop, and do just that, shop for your tackle at the local places.you will get back more than you can imagine. If I can ever be of any help, especially with trout, don’t hesitate to swing by and spend 10 or 15 mins with me going over some gear and techniques…this is what I am paid to do and I honestly enjoy seeing the success of my customers on the water.
domromer, Your instinct in lure selection was spot on, in my opinion. This time of year, a jerkbait (suspending) such as a Smithwick Rogue and a Bomber Long A in clown or natural colors is one of my top choices, as well as one of my favorite ways to fish. You can cover a ton of water and you are “creating a reaction bite” when you stop the lure between jerks. Negative (not feeding)fish will hit it. The suspending jerkbait not rising is an advancement over other ones such as the old Rebels. Time on the water and following your instincts go a long way.
This thread is a classic example of what a great site CF.com is. As I posted a while back, I googled inshore fishing chat rooms from Va. to Texas and can’t find one that comes close to this one.
Kudoes to everyone sharing info. Most all of us seem to be conservation minded and this mind set gets passed on with all the technical observations.
Raddaddy, thanks for taking the time for an awesome post. While Ron rarely mentions it here, he guides out of Edisto and it would be money well spent booking him on a charter. I have fished with Ron numerous times over the years, and he is as knowledgeable an fisherman as I know.
And thanks to everyone for sharing and making this site what it is. MERRY CHRISTMAS
Bob Sanders
This gentleman, with the jerkbait trout, booked a charter with me, by himself, “to learn”, a couple of years ago. He showed up with a notebook of questions…one of my favorite types of charters.
