It seems that virtually year round redfish are the most popular species for anglers to target inshore in the Edisto Island area.  Fortunately, even though the population is a little bit down right now Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (803-513-0143) says fish can be caught – particularly with families on spring break visiting the coast!  Overall he rates the bite as fair.  In the creeks most fish are being caught around deep bends with rocks or tree structure, and (as usual in the creeks) the last two hours of the outgoing tide and the first two hours of the incoming tide are the best.  Fish will eat cut bait, shrimp or mud minnows fished on a Carolina rig.

Fishing on the flats has been a little bit slow, mainly because numbers of redfish on the flats are the most diminished.  Fishing the outgoing tide has been the best, and fish are biting on chunks of cut blue crab fished on the bottom as well as mud minnows fished under a cork.

Tailing activity is just getting started, particularly around the high tides at the new and full moon, but with water temperatures only in the 64-67 degree range there aren’t too many tailing fish to target.  Water temperatures will need to get over 70 for tailing to become a more consistent pattern, but already there are pretty good numbers of fish cruising the short grass flats on higher tides.  Ron points out that these horizontal fish can be easier to target than vertical ones!

Sheepshead: Good.  Captain Ron Davis advises that the sheepshead bite is probably the best thing going, with fish finally starting to return inshore in good numbers.  Fish usually return earlier than this, because even though it was a warm March February was cold.  A lot of fish have been undersized, but each day sizes get better.  Fishing with fiddler crabs around older docks/ pylons has been the best bet, but they have to have at least 10-15 feet of water at low tide.

Whiting: Good. Captain Ron Davis reports that around the sand bars that line both the South and North Edisto Rivers whiting action has been pretty strong.  Both cut shrimp and cut mullet fished on the bottom will work.

Trout: Fair.  Captain Ron Davis reports that the catch seems to be divided pretty evenly between fish caught in the creeks and in the main rivers.  In the creeks fish can be caught on the first 2-3 hours of the incoming tide in deep bends/ deep holes towards the backs of the creek.  ¼ ounce jigheads baited with a curly tail or boot tail grub are the best bet.  On the main river the best action is coming during high tide on main river points closest to the ocean, with both DOA Shrimp and mud minnows fished 3-4 feet under a cork working.  Because of the absence of a fish kill this should be a good trout season.

Flounder: Fair. Captain Ron Davis reports that flounder are just starting to return to the Edisto Island area, and fish can be found in the rivers on the first major points and white shell banks with a mix of sand and mud on the bank.  Fish will also be found in the major inlets coming into Edisto Island including the inlets at the mouth of Jeremy, Townsend and Botany Creeks.  Mud minnows fished on the bottom on either a Carolina rig or rigged on a ¼ ounce jighead are the best bets, and if you want to avoid hang-ups try a weedless jighead.