There has been a lot of talk about a potential trout kill. I’ve heard of none caught since this last cold snap. Here is a challenge: Post a trout caught in Feb and make us all feel better 
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
Personal Trout Slot Limit: 16"-20" Creel: 2
The weather and my schedule has been the real challenge for me. I haven’t been fishing in about a month.
I thought you were the Trout Whisperer. If you can’t catch one, we’re probably in trouble. Have you tried using that jerk bait you were throwing last year?
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
Hoof I haven’t really targeted them recently. Well, much. The couple times I did I was blanked but the conditions were wrong too so I can’t say they are gone.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
Personal Trout Slot Limit: 16"-20" Creel: 2
may give a quick try around lunch today, but I would imagine the grub will have to move verrrrry slowly for them to care, even if they are watching. a 6.6’ tidal range isn’t going to help my amateur techniques either… gotta get some of those ralph grubs to try!
John Archambault thinks that the temps dropped gradually enough that they were mostly able to get deep, also talked to a charter captain Saturday who said he saw one floater in the morning (forgot to ask if it was stunned vs dead). they worked over the big reds on the flats, but he hasn’t targeted/seen a trout in a while either.
I second hoof, if anybody can do it, it’s optiker!
Dave, if you aren’t catching any, there is no way I would catch one. Maybe by accident. I’ll probably focus on the wiley oyster, THOSE I can catch.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
I think barbawang is right on the money, with the water being as cold as it is, even if they are around, I think they are probably in survival mode and not likely to pursue an artificial bait. Might take the water to get up a few more degrees till they will attempt to eat. Last time I caught trout was on 1/10. Water was 48-49 and to catch them you had to just barely drag/twitch the bait on bottom and the bite was very very light.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
Personal Trout Slot Limit: 16"-20" Creel: 2
the swift tide was making trout trick fishing difficult for me the other day although I did get one strike while fishing from a kayak. It put a tear about 1/2 way through my trout trick about 1/4 inch from the hook. I’d bet it was a trout. I must have hit it right in the face because I made a few dozen casts in that same area without another bite. beresford creek falling (very fast! very sporty paddling against it in the kayak ) tide in about 8-10 feet of water I’d guess.
The flats trout are GONE in the N. Edisto. Hope they made it to a deep water refuge or headed offshore, but typically when you don’t see any mixed with the reds on the flats it’s bad news. Cormorants have been feasting on 12-15 inch trout early in the mornings in Sand and Russel Creeks. When you come upon a ■■■■■ of 20-50 birds and watch from a distance, they routinely come up with trout in their mouths. Sometimes it takes several minutes for them to get the trout positioned correctly to choke them down.
Fished for a few minutes late this afternoon. Caught a Sheephead and 14" trout on MinnowZ Bad Shad. Both fish were a pleasant surprise. Water 49 degrees and clear. Hope the Trout are just hunkered down and the bite will turn on soon.
Heard from barbawang today and he said the DNR guys got some in their trammel net sampling in the Ashley on Friday. So all is not lost…
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
Personal Trout Slot Limit: 16"-20" Creel: 2
Mannnn…I hope the trout make it this winter. 2009 and 2010 were rough on the trout. Then, we had two good years. Now, Jack Frost is putting them close to the tipping point again. I have my fingers crossed.
A friend of mine told me about a stocking program some agency (maybe DNR) started for the trout in the Cooper, Wando, and Intracostal areas. He said somewhere in the vacinity of 800,000 fingerling trout were released in total in those areas.
Is there any truth to that?
2012 Skeeter ZX22 Bay
Yamaha 250 hp SHO
Minnkota Riptide 101
I’m sure barbawang can give the real details, but yes they raise trout at the Waddell Mariculture facility for stocking. Partly for times like this when there might be a (partial) kill to help recover the resource faster.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
Personal Trout Slot Limit: 16"-20" Creel: 2
Well, that is good to know. Perhaps, stocking trout in times of winter kills will help stabilize the resource for all of us to enjoy for a long time. I know NC cut back their creel limit after 2009 and 2010 came through and killed, most likely, a lot more fish than in SC.
The water in NC moves so slow that it is easy to see trout floating on the surface…belly up. Most places in SC have a much stronger tide that I suspect helps hide th amount of trout that actually gets killed during bad winters.
In any event, I’m glad prodcutive things/measures are in place to help out the trout population.
Thanks for the info.
2012 Skeeter ZX22 Bay
Yamaha 250 hp SHO
Minnkota Riptide 101
not sure on the numbers, Karl Brenkert would be the guy to ask. he’s at Fort Johnson, BrenkertK@dnr.sc.gov
“stock enhancement experimentation” is what they do with fish whose parentage can be identified genetically (cobia, reds, trout, stripers, etc) to see if they can get them to successfully join the wild population and increase it… which is why fin clips and tag returns are extremely helpful. once a stocking approach has been determined successful, they then seek to describe why and how putting out fish of that certain size and age at that certain location, time, temp, salinity, etc, etc could be a formula in the future for helping a stock recover. that’s not my job though, so if you have specific questions you should contact Karl.
We fished all day Monday at many different spots that always produce for us and didn’t get the first bite. It was a pretty sickening feeling…
I don’t think the sky is falling for trout this year. just my opinion, and here’s an article that I would tend to agree with. I’ll try to go out and get some trout maybe feb 15th or so.
http://www.ncoif.com/vulnerability-of-the-spotted-sea-trout-to-cold-trout-kills/
I was reading 51.4 degrees in the Kiawah River late yesterday afternoon…Maybe the low temperatures didn’t last long enough and we dodged a bullet…
I got bit by a mosquito yesterday.
That made me think it didn’t get cold enough for long enough to really kill anything.
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
I saw 2 tout on the flats today! 2 more than I expected!
Thats the best news I heard all day
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
Personal Trout Slot Limit: 16"-20" Creel: 2