Glad to be back in SC for a visit! It’s been too long! Staying with my parents in MTP and they have access to a dock on a feeder creek. There is a nice little flat that I’m itching to fish a flood tide on but honestly, I’m a little scared to venture out on it by myself. Was wondering if anyone would mind sharing some local knowledge about how to stay safe while wading? What things should I look for and what things should I avoid? Also, what characteristics make up a good flat for feeding redfish?
I know there’s fish in the area. I’ve tried a couple of times since I’ve been in town but no dice yet. At the feeder creek, I did have a redfish follow a spoon all the way to the bank and take it but then immediately break me off on my spin rod. There has been tons of activity around the banks of the feeder creek but I haven’t noticed much activity in the spartina grass at high tide. I always thought that as soon as the grass was flooded the activity I see in the creek would move into the grass flats. Is there something I’m missing?
Anyway, I’d appreciate any help I can get. I got skunked three years ago when I was here… hoping I can change that this year! But if I don’t that’s okay too… I’ll figure it out next time!
Thanks and tight lines!
Stay on the hard sandy ground - short grass…one wrong step and the pluff mud will swallow you up quicksand style…never to be seen again!
All jokes aside…there isn’t much to be worried about. Leave all electronics behind at least until you know the flat really well…because you will eventually step in a hole/soft mud and get good and wet. Good luck.
quote:
Originally posted by mudflats
Stay on the hard sandy ground - short grass…one wrong step and the pluff mud will swallow you up quicksand style…never to be seen again!
if you want to walk a flat go there on a real low, low tide and walk around. This way you can see the topography of the flat and see if it is walkable. It will also allow you to really see the layout of the flat and where the deeper pockets will be, where the channels are, and it’s easier to see pluffy soft mud than to blindly step on it in water 
“Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!”
http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
Charleston Director- www.SCKayakfishing.com
www.lowcountryflyshop.com
Tarpon 160os
+1 on the sinking to your waist. Ask me how I know 
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
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Thanks for all the advise! Taking a mud bath is exactly what I’m trying to avoid. This morning I got stuck up to my ankles so I can’t imagine what up to my waist would be like! Haha!
Went and talked a little with Scotty D today at the shop and he gave me a lot of good tips. (Thanks Scotty!) Think I’ll venture out during the morning low tide and check out the flat… seems like a smart thing to do Thanks for the tip nikonjedi! I’ll probably give it a shot during tomorrow afternoon or Thursday afternoon’s rising tide. I’ll give a report back afterwards.
There isn’t a flood tide today but at around 6:50 there will be a higher than normal high tide.
Thanks hotsause, that’s the time I was planning on going. So what’s the difference between a flood tide and a higher than normal tide? (Please excuse my dumb questions )
A typical high tide in charleston is different depending on what location you are looking at the tide from. But let’s just use charleston harbor as an example. Anything from 4.5 - 5.2 is a normal high tide. Whenever you see the tide get above a 5.8 you can expect some flood tide fishing. The higher the tide the better the fishing in the grass will be. So looking at the tide chart I know that the flood tide will be best this month from June 19 (6’high tide at 5:07 pm) through June 24th (6.8’ high tide at 9:52). The 24th at dead high will be dark obviously, but with a 6.8’ tide that is a flood tide at least an hour and a half before dead high.
Hope this helps.
Tide location is pretty specific… the harbor is a good base but there can be a 5.2 in the harbor and a 7.2 up the Wando… There is such a thing as too much water on a flat as well… You need to find where you want to fish and learn the tide for that area… where I fish a 6.8 is WAY too much water in the grass… you could have a 40" redfish tailing on the tip of his nose and he’d never make a wrinkle on the water that you would see… The tide is different in a lot of areas… some flats will flood every high tide whether it is a 4.8 or a 5.4 and others will be dry until you get a 5.5 or better… Figure out where you want to fish, get out there on a published high tide, and see how much water is there. It’ll take a few times to figure it out but when you do you can glance at a tide chart and know if it is going to flood enough for tailers or not…
“Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!”
http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
Charleston Director- www.SCKayakfishing.com
www.lowcountryflyshop.com
Tarpon 160os