There are a lot of things to consider when fishing in the Lowcountry, but I never thought I would have to worry about whether or not the weight of snow would cause the tarp covering my boat to collapse! Valentine’s Day weekend brought the first real snowfall that Charleston has seen in quite some time. Fortunately, the snow was followed by a stretch of brilliantly sunny days with temperatures reaching into the 60s. Fishermen weren’t the only people celebrating the good weather; the redfish were pretty darn happy, too. As the water temperature warmed, the reds really turned on. It seemed everybody on or in the water really appreciated a few hearty days of sun.

While the redfish have become more active, they are still somewhat wary and cautious. They continue to huddle in large schools (sometimes numbering in the hundreds), and will continue to do so into March. As I wrote earlier this year, fly fishermen enjoy a distinct advantage in these conditions since the presentation of flies can be so delicate. A well-cast fly landing in the water is almost imperceptible to the fish and can be cast within feet of a school without spooking them. Fly patterns with gold and other flashy colors work well. When redfish refuse these, we’ll often go to smaller flies in lighter colors that resemble minnows.

If you aren’t fly fishing, you’ll still need to consider the impact your lure makes when it hits the water. Redfish are defensive right now and will flee rather than investigate a strange sound or a lure that makes a big splat when it hits the water. The standard ¼ oz. jigheads that you could bomb into a school of fish in the fall and draw aggressive strikes will now send the entire school fleeing. Try using the least amount of weight possible to get your lure in front of fish. You might have to try casting lures with almost no weight at all, which may alter your casting range.

Keep practicing the stealth and slow deliberate movements that you’ve been using throughout the winter to sneak up on schools of redfish. It takes some patience to get to them, but casting to massive schools of fish can send your heart racing. The water temperature is now firmly on the upswing and is setting the stage for our fisheries to roar back to life. It will be here before you know it.

See you on the water!

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.

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There are a lot of things to consider when fishing in the Lowcountry, but I never thought I would have to worry about whether or not the weight of snow would cause the tarp covering my boat to collapse! Valentine’s Day weekend brought the first real snowfall that Charleston has seen in quite some time. Fortunately, the snow was followed by a stretch of brilliantly sunny days with temperatures reaching into the 60s. Fishermen weren’t the only people celebrating the good weather; the redfish were pretty darn happy, too. As the water temperature warmed, the reds really turned on. It seemed everybody on or in the water really appreciated a few hearty days of sun.

While the redfish have become more active, they are still somewhat wary and cautious. They continue to huddle in large schools (sometimes numbering in the hundreds), and will continue to do so into March. As I wrote earlier this year, fly fishermen enjoy a distinct advantage in these conditions since the presentation of flies can be so delicate. A well-cast fly landing in the water is almost imperceptible to the fish and can be cast within feet of a school without spooking them. Fly patterns with gold and other flashy colors work well. When redfish refuse these, we’ll often go to smaller flies in lighter colors that resemble minnows.

If you aren’t fly fishing, you’ll still need to consider the impact your lure makes when it hits the water. Redfish are defensive right now and will flee rather than investigate a strange sound or a lure that makes a big splat when it hits the water. The standard ¼ oz. jigheads that you could bomb into a school of fish in the fall and draw aggressive strikes will now send the entire school fleeing. Try using the least amount of weight possible to get your lure in front of fish. You might have to try casting lures with almost no weight at all, which may alter your casting range.

Keep practicing the stealth and slow deliberate movements that you’ve been using throughout the winter to sneak up on schools of redfish. It takes some patience to get to them, but casting to massive schools of fish can send your heart racing. The water temperature is now firmly on the upswing and is setting the stage for our fisheries to roar back to life. It will be here before you know it.

See you on the water!

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.

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We’ve had streaks of rainy and windy conditions over the last few weeks. Fortunately, the temperatures have been holding steady following last month’s cold snap. If you’re like me, though, cleaning your rods and reels or working on your boat during nasty weather can only keep you entertained for so long. The days are starting to grow noticeably longer and you may soon find yourself with a case of spring fever.

So what’s an angler to do in February? The answer is that you need to pick and choose your days. Although few and far between, the handful of warmer, sunnier days this month have produced some excellent fishing. Right now, a redfish has two priorities: don’t get eaten by a dolphin and try to stay warm. The sun will make the water on the flats a few degrees warmer and redfish in large schools will flood these flats.

During these days, the redfish will be more likely to consider eating, which is kind of a daily bonus for them this time of year(though I suspect that, relative to getting eaten by a dolphin, anything is a bonus). Once we locate these schools, we have been fishing with artificial lures about four to five inches in length called “jerk shad.” I usually rig jerk shad weedless, with the point of the hook pressed into the lure’s back. The profile of this lure is not only slender but also lands softly in the water, which helps to prevent spooking these already dolphin-wary schools. You may want to try a flutter hook, which has weight on the shank that imparts action on the lure and will help you cast farther.

On occasion, you will find that anything cast towards a school will send the fish fleeing when the lure hits the water. Live bait fished on the bottom becomes the best alternative. I really like to use cracked blue crab with cut mullet as my second choice. Redfish are scent feeders and you can image the scent trail crab infuses into the water. Put your bait on a #2/0 or # 3/0 circle hook, add weight to the line near the hook to hold the bait on the bottom and wait for the fish to come to you. A circle hook is designed to catch on the edge of a fish’s mouth without any additional pressure applied by the angler. Try not to set the hook yourself until that rod is bent over and the fish is taking line – much easier said than done!

Think about calling in sick the next time a beautiful day comes along. In February, your boss probably won’t suspect you of playing hooky to fish.

See you on the water!

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Winter fishing success continues in December.

With the chilly weather quickly moving in you might think that fish are nowhere to be found, but it’s a different story below the waves. It takes a long time for our local waters to completely cool off from the scorching days of August. Water temperatures are now in the low 60s and will drop modestly into the high 50s by the end of the month. December can be a very hospitable month for both trout and redfish.
This crisp weather, with its occasional cold snaps, really turns on the trout. Pretty much all tactics are working for trout: both artificials and live bait are working as the trout are feeding aggressively. This is a great time of year to get your young fisherman (or fisherwoman) “hooked” on fishing.
For the trout, we are using 3” D.O.A. plastic shrimp underneath a popping cork and it is a great setup. These shrimp come in a wide assortment of colors ranging from realistic lighter tones to bright attractor colors. I’ve found the best success comes from using the Glow color, which is basically white, as well as their Glitter colors which are translucent and filled with glitter. To me, these colors best represent what a live shrimp would look like. The Fiji Chicken color has become popular this season and is quite effective. These artificial shrimp already have weights inside their bodies, with the ¼ oz. weight being the most common. The weight makes the lure fall naturally into the water. Don’t be afraid to change the length of your leader as trout may sit in different parts of the water column.
One of the most interesting phenomena that occur when winter begins is the large schools of redfish that begin to form on the flats. They will develop these giant schools and stay in them throughout the winter. They bunch together as a means of protection from predators, namely bottlenose dolphins. As a result, these schools are quite skittish and spook easily. One of the best tactics is to locate a school and setup nearby while waiting for the fish to eventually come close to the boat. Live bait, especially chunks of blue crab, work very well when allowed to sit on the bottom. Redfish will happily devour these offerings!
The water is also becoming quite clear as the vegetation that was present in the summer has cleared out. Fly fishing is simply terrific as we stalk these big schools of redfish on the flats. The water clarity allows you to spot redfish from quite a distance. It is an awesome sight to see literally hundreds of fish balled up together in one spot. Watching the water erupt and boil when you hook into one fish is an experience like no other.
See you on the water!

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 324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at captain@charlestoncharterfishing.com.

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