Late September fishing Report
By Captain Geoff Bennett
As is often the case, the weather cooled in September and the fishing improved. With a more hospitable climate, fish began to feed more aggressively on a growing array of bait. Shrimp are everywhere and it’s a great time to be on the water!
While trout fishing has already been good, it’s usually excellent in October. It’s hard to beat the experience of tossing a popping cork with a live shrimp suspended underneath it. Fish these corks along grass banks and over oyster beds. Try to find places where the current will carry the cork across your targeted area and twitch the cork occasionally. Another tactic is to throw soft plastic shad tail lures on jigheads. The best lures from Bass Assassin and D.O.A. come in a wide array of colors. Two popular colors are Electric Chicken and New Penny. They may sound like silly names but they work! I will pair these plastics with a 1/4oz. red jighead. You’ll be able to use this rig to fish the same places as the popping cork, but also around deeper holes, docks and ledges. Experiment with the speed of your retrieve as well as the depth at which you are fishing. With every season, there is a new hot color so don’t be afraid to try a few. A visit to a local tackle shop can get you pointed in the right direction.
Fishing for redfish has been very good whether on the flats or around deeper water. Along grass banks, try the same popping corks mentioned above with live shrimp. Over the last two weeks, I’ve started picking up more and more redfish using this tactic and I expect this trend will continue. You can also attach a live shrimp to a 1/4oz. jighead and pitch it along the banks or into a deeper structure. Sometimes you’ll locate pods of redfish that are sitting along a shelf where there is quick change in water depth. It’s an easy way to prospect an area for fish and the presentation of a live shrimp often proves to be irresistible.
The middle of September brought some massive high tides both in the morning and evening which allowed us to access flats and other areas that are normally unreachable. Redfish take advantage of this high water and move further up and in as the water rises. We had lots of success finding fish feeding with their backs or tails waving out of the water. It is an amazing thing to behold. Sight casting opportunities were excellent for fly fishermen with redfish responding to crab patterns.
Flounder fishing has been productive. We have been catching them on cut mullet and live mullet fished on the bottom around structure and docks. While targeting reds and trout, we have been catching a decent amount on artificials in both deep and shallow water. In the accompanying photo, Pat Berry of Virginia holds a four pound flounder taken on a recent charter.
Capt. Geoff Bennett operates Charleston Charter Fishing providing fly fishing and light tackle charters. Clients choose from a full menu of fly rods, artificial and live bait fishing options with charters tailored to their desires. USCG licensed and insured, Capt. Bennett is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable charter to anglers of all skill levels and ages. For more information, call Capt. Bennett at 843-324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at captain@charlestoncharterfishing.com.
