July Fishing Report
By Captain Robert Olsen
This article is dedicated to Harold Olsen
Hello, fellow fishermen and women. It has been nothing but red hot recently, and I am not just talking about the weather. Fishing has been nothing short of fabulous over the last few weeks.
From the beaches there has been constant action with the redfish, trout and quite a few Spanish coming in close. There are also some rumors or “fish tales” that have been circulating that quite a few king mackerel have been caught off the Folly Pier over the past week, as well as some big king mackerel. A 36 pounder has been the biggest I’ve heard of, but that is coming from a fellow fisherman. There was even a report that a kayaker caught a king from just outside the breakers. If the kayak story is true, I will be the first to congratulate the talented angler. I have reason to believe it is somewhat factual since, just a few weeks ago during a big inshore/nearshore tournament which I entered, the winning king mackerel came from someone fishing exclusively from the Pier.
The inshore action is still on fire as long as you are getting out there during the right tides and begin early in the day before everyone is out riding around, stirring up the water. Fishing for sheepshead around dock pilings using fiddler crabs is probably the easiest approach right now. I would rank fishing a live shrimp under a cork for targeting trout and redfish a close second. Fish any oyster rakes, points or drop offs. It may take moving a few spots to find the fish, but it is well worth the effort.
As for the never-disappointing shark action, anywhere in the creeks and rivers close to the ocean have been just about a guarantee to bend the rods I fished in the ocean over the last couple of days and have caught too many of them to count. I can usually rely on my brother to keep the population down, but last week my older brother, Harold Olsen, who is a commercial shark longliner, fell a short height from a ladder and his life was ended way too soon. I think he may be the reason we caught over a dozen today during my halfday trip.
On a side note, during a couple of charters over the last few days, the shark action has been overwhelming. Too many sharks to count, but fun to catch!
Hope everyone can make the time to get out on the water and enjoy our wonderful weather here in Charleston.
Tight lines,
Robert Olsen is the captain for Knot @ Work Fishing Charters, a family oriented, personalized charter service, specializing in custom trips for the family or individual and exceeding expectations. Captain Robert Olsen is a licensed and insured USCG captain with over 20 years of local knowledge of the Charleston area. For more information or to schedule a fishing charter call 442-7724 or visit www.knotatworkfishing.com.
NOTE: Harold Olsen is the older brother of Robert Olsen. Harold was a commercial shark fisherman out of Shem Creek for about 30 years before recently passing away. He ran the boats Bonsai and Endangered One.
“He had more lives than anyone I have ever known. He was the most giving person I have ever met and a great older brother.”
