May 5
Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees inshore around Charleston.
Brutal wind earlier this week severely limited fishing opportunities, but Captain Logan Riley with Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) reports that especially early in the morning they were able to run some trips out to the jetties – especially when low tide fell early. They have been picking up some bull red drum out there, and there have also been some really good days for sheepshead. While sheepshead can be caught around the tide cycle at different spots, the best jetty fishing is generally at the top and bottom of the tides.
Inshore the creek redfish have been fairly cooperative, but the trout have really fallen off as they move to deeper water when temperatures hit about 70. The reds are around docks, hard bottom banks, and oyster beds, and natural baits are working the best. Live shrimp are getting harder to gather but mud minnows are working well and fish are also starting to eat mullet.
There should be some great nearshore and offshore fishing coming online when the wind lays down, but Captain Rob Bennett with Lowcountry Inshore Charters (843-367-3777) reports that they have pretty much been restricted to the same redfish patterns this week.
However, for anglers wanting to just get a line pulled in difficult conditions don’t overlook the sharks. They are showing up in all the inlets and will take most any fresh cut bait fished on the bottom. It does not have to be bloody.
April 27
Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s inshore around Charleston.
The inshore redfish bite has turned a corner, and Captain Rob Bennett with Lowcountry Inshore Charters (843-367-3777) reports that even as summer fishing approaches they are still finding fish very schooled up. Around the cycle including at high tide they are finding tight groups of fish, and mud minnows under a cork have been the ticket to catching them. Fish have been around oysters and points on grass lines.
At the same time the trout have not really showed up in numbers, but in May they usually turn on.
One of the best things going is the whiting fishing, and Rob reports that the preferred place to catch good numbers of big fish is in about 15-20 feet of water in the inlets around sandbars. Small pieces of fresh peeled shrimp are all you need. Smaller fish are usually closer to the beach.
Wind has made the nearshorereefs a challenge to fish, but when you can get out there they are eaten up with small black sea bass but there are also still some weakfish around as well as Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Most excitingly the cobia are just starting to arrive, and the king mackerel should arrive soon. For cobia live menhaden on the bottom are the gold standard (unless you can get eels), and you should also put some live baits on the top. Jigging big bucktails a few feet off the bottom is also a good way to catch them.
The offshore fishing is also turning on, and people are starting to get boxes of dolphin as well as some wahoo and tuna.
April 11
Morning surface water temperatures are around 63 degrees inshore around Charleston and the water has gotten dirty.
The nearshore reefs are still about the best thing going around Charleston, and Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports that they are loaded up with Spanish mackerel, bonito, weakfish, bluefish and small black sea bass. Each time out his boat has caught over 150 fish, and while there are other ways to get bit his boat is relying on nothing but mud minnows. Soon cobia and other species should show up.
A little further out Captain Logan Riley with Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) reports they have been able to run several trips out to wrecks in 75-80 feet of water for bottom fishing, and they have had some incredible days for grouper. One trip caught over a dozen grouper and two gags over 20 pounds!
Closer in the jetties are coming alive with redfish including some bulls, and they have even seen Spanish mackerel as far in as Castle Pinckney! Yesterday they were schooling there at low tide.
Inshore Redfin reports that the trout fishing has been pretty good floating live shrimp along grass lines at high tide, and the redfish are also picking up a little after a tricky March.
March 31
Morning surface water temperatures are around 63 degrees inshore around Charleston and the water is dirty.
Fresh back from a trip to the nearshore reefs, Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) can report that the reefs are also loaded up with above-slot redfish. They also caught their first Spanish mackerel of the season, Atlantic bonito, and sub-legal black sea bass.
March 30
Morning surface water temperatures are around 63 degrees inshore around Charleston and the water has gotten dirty.
The jetties have really come on in the last week or two, and Captain Logan Riley with Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) reports that they have been killing the slot-sized and over-slot redfish at the jetties. Live shrimp fished on a Carolina rig or under a bobber have been working very well, but perhaps the best bait has been a quarter section of blue crab on the bottom. There are also a ton of bluefish showing up at the jetties, and as they return from their spawning run offshore more sheepshead are also arriving each day. There are also sheepshead showing up inshore around docks.
Inshore Redfin reports that the trout fishing has been pretty good floating live shrimp along grass lines at high tide, while Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports that the redfish action is typically fair for March.
On days when you can get out to the nearshore reefs bluefish from 1-6 pounds are biting as fast as you can throw any lure at them, and false albacore (which provide good table fare) are also around. There are also weakfish, although they don’t seem to be as thick as a week or two ago. And of course there are lots of juvenile black sea bass.
When the nearshore reefs are too far to go there is still really good action in the inlets for whiting, and around the inlet mouths in 10-20 feet of water they are thick. Sandy bottoms are the best and pieces of shrimp will work just fine. It’s a great way to fill up a cooler with delicious fillets for dinner.
It’s still a very good time to fish for American Shad, and the Rediversion Canal at St. Stephen’s is still the best place to go (out of Arrowhead Landing). The bite is also good at the Lake Moultrie Tailrace Canal outside Monck’s Corner and on the Santee River below Lake Marion. Most everyone is fishing out of a boat and at the Tailrace you put in at the tailrace landing and for the Santee River you put in at Wilson’s Landing. There are a lot of boaters, sometimes hundreds within a stretch of river, and so it’s important to be respectful.
The main tactic is anchoring up and casting a single rod with a small chartreuse curly tail grub, Shad Dart or 1/16 or 1/32 ounce casting spoon on 6- or 8-pound test line. Sabiki rigs can also work. When there is a lot of current you can add a pinch of split shot, and you are generally fishing 1-10 feet of water.
When they get really thick fish can be caught in the middle of the river, but generally the edges are the best. Fish will hit right up to the side of the boat.
Most anglers are targeting the shad for their roe, and so it’s important to bleed the fish by cutting their throat soon after catching them to keep their eggs from turning blood red.
March 22
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees inshore around Charleston.
The wind and weather have been pretty horrible for Charleston fishing, but with better conditions predicted Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) is optimistic. Already the fish are starting to stack up at the nearshore reefs in 40-60 feet, and Rob reports that bluefish are biting like crazy. It’s almost hard to get a bait down to anything else, but there are also weakfish and Spanish should be starting to arrive. Sheepshead, black drum and bonito are also around.
When the nearshore reefs are too far to go there is really good action in the inlets for whiting, and around the inlet mouths in 10-20 feet of water they are thick. Sandy bottoms are the best and pieces of shrimp will work just fine. It’s a great way to fill up a cooler with delicious fillets for dinner.
Even though it’s still a tougher period for redfish, Rob reports that he has found a decent bite for slot-sized fish around docks and oysters on lower stages of the tide.
It’s about the peak of the American Shad season, and this week the Rediversion Canal at St. Stephen’s has been particularly productive. The bite is also good at the Lake Moultrie Tailrace Canal outside Monck’s Corner and on the Santee River below Lake Marion. Most everyone is fishing out of a boat and at the Tailrace you put in at the tailrace landing, for the Rediversion you put in at Arrowhead Landing and for the Santee River you put in at Wilson’s Landing. There are a lot of boaters, sometimes hundreds within a stretch of river, and so it’s important to be respectful.
The main tactic is anchoring up and casting a single rod with a small chartreuse curly tail grub, Shad Dart or 1/16 or 1/32 ounce casting spoon on 6- or 8-pound test line. Sabiki rigs can also work. When there is a lot of current you can add a pinch of split shot, and you are generally fishing 1-10 feet of water.
When they get really thick fish can be caught in the middle of the river, but generally the edges are the best. Fish will hit right up to the side of the boat.
Most anglers are targeting the shad for their roe, and it’s important to bleed the fish by cutting their throat soon after catching them to keep their eggs from turning blood red.
March 9
Morning surface water temperatures are around 62 degrees inshore around Charleston.
There haven’t been too many days when you can get offshore, but Captain Logan Riley with Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) reports that when they have been able to get out to the nearshore reefs the sheepshead fishing has been on fire. In 45-50 feet at Capers they had a banner day recently, with the fish hitting both fiddler crabs and live shrimp. If anything they took the shrimp a little better. They also picked up a ton of undersized black sea bass with one keeper, but the real prize was lots of big sheeps including two at nine pounds!
If they are not already there, Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports that very soon skipjack tuna, bonito, weakfish and bluefish should also be showing up.
Inshore March through May is often the toughest time of the year for redfish, but Redfin reports that the bite has been surprisingly good around structure. Docks and oyster bars have both held fish, with the low outgoing tide generally best but always the lower half of the tide cycle. Shrimp and paddletail swimbaits have both been working. It has also been exciting to see a few flounder show up in creek mouths on the outgoing tide, and at high tide they have picked up a few trout along grass lines.
Rob adds that there has also been good black drum fishing around deep docks with 15-20 feet of water. Cut shrimp is all you need, but if you have fiddler crabs or live shrimp there are also some sheepshead inshore.
The American Shad are on fire at the Lake Moultrie Tailrace Canal outside Monck’s Corner, in the Rediversion Canal at St. Stephen’s and on the Santee River below Lake Marion. Most everyone is fishing out of a boat and at the Tailrace you put in at the tailrace landing, for the Rediversion you put in at Arrowhead Landing and for the Santee River you put in at Wilson’s Landing. There are a lot of boaters, sometimes hundreds within a stretch of river, and so it’s important to be respectful.
The main tactic is anchoring up and casting a single rod with a small chartreuse curly tail grub, Shad Dart or 1/16 or 1/32 ounce casting spoon on 6- or 8-pound test line. Sabiki rigs can also work. When there is a lot of current you can add a pinch of split shot, and you are generally fishing 1-10 feet of water.
When they get really thick fish can be caught in the middle of the river, but generally the edges are the best. Fish will hit right up to the side of the boat.
Most anglers are targeting the shad for their roe, and it’s important to bleed the fish by cutting their throat soon after catching them to keep their eggs from turning blood red.
February 24
Morning surface water temperatures are up to almost 60 degrees inshore around Charleston and clarity is way down.
It’s not technically a Charleston bite, but once the American Shad start running it’s hard to lead off with anything else at this time of year. This week Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports that they are just getting started at the Lake Moultrie Tailrace Canal outside Monck’s Corner, and there should also be fish starting at the Rediversion Canal at St. Stephen’s and the Santee River below Lake Marion. Based upon the incredible run taking place in the St. John’s River in Florida this year biologists predict an excellent season up and down the whole East Coast.
Most everyone is fishing out of a boat and at the Tailrace you put in at the tailrace landing, for the Rediversion you put in at Arrowhead Landing and for the Santee River you put in at Wilson’s Landing. There are a lot of boaters, sometimes hundreds within a stretch of river, and so it’s important to be respectful. The main tactic is anchoring up and casting a single rod with a small chartreuse curly tail grub, Shad Dart or 1/16 or 1/32 ounce casting spoon on 6- or 8-pound test line. Sabiki rigs can also work. When there is a lot of current you can add a pinch of split shot, and you are generally fishing 1-10 feet of water.
When they get really thick fish can be caught in the middle of the river, but generally the edges are the best. Fish will hit right up to the side of the boat.
Most anglers are targeting the shad for their roe, and it’s important to bleed the fish by cutting their throat soon after catching them to keep their eggs from turning blood red.
Inshore fishing is a little unpredictable, and Captain Logan Riley with Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) reports that the moon phase has made for really strong tides. As a result they are fishing lower tides and targeting smaller creeks where there is less current. The outgoing and lower half of the tide cycle has been best, and the catch has almost exclusively been redfish.
Recent rains have also dirtied up the water, as a result fish are related more to structure than normal.
Consistent with that, Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports that he has been doing well for redfish on the outgoing tide around docks that have oyster growth around them. The fish are generally in 3-7 feet of water, and he has been catching everything on mud minnows. Sections of blue crab will work as well.
The big winter schools should be breaking up soon, and Redfin reports seeing a couple of fish tailing in the grass this week!
The trout bite has been slow.
With so much wind getting offshore has been a challenge.
February 16
Morning surface water temperatures are up to almost 60 degrees inshore around Charleston and clarity is generally good.
There’s not a ton of change with the redfish inshore, but Captain Logan Riley with Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) reports that with this warm weather coming in things may be very different by next week. For now they are still catching fish on the flats as well as in pockets around docks. In both areas the best bite is at low tide when you can see the schools working the banks. The fish have been a bit finicky at times, but they are taking both artificial lures and live shrimp. Some days lures are actually working better than shrimp.
The trout bite continues to be a little slow, but in 3-5 feet of water they are catching some fish around smaller creeks draining into larger areas that have oyster bars. The outgoing tide has been easier to catch fish. Live shrimp have mainly been picking up smaller trout, while they have gotten a few better ones on hard baits like Rapala jerkbaits and Mirrolures as well as paddletail grubs on jigheads.
At the nearshore reefs from 3-10 miles out there is still very strong action for sheepshead and big black drum, with a few of the drum on the larger end of the slot but many over 20 pounds. Redfin reports that a variety of crustacean baits will work for both species, with sheepshead mostly wanting fiddler crabs or mud crabs but also eating live and even fresh cut shrimp. Black drum will eat all that plus sections of blue crab.
There are also still some good catches at the jetties, proving that all the fish don’t go offshore at the same time.
Finally, Redfin Charters notes that they have been running some shad charters this week and so far the fishing has been slow in the Cooper River tailrace.
February 2
Morning surface water temperatures are around 55 degrees inshore around Charleston and clarity is generally very good.
Right now it’s mostly about the redfish inshore, and Captain Logan Riley with Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) and Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) report that they are catching fish on the flats as well as in pockets around docks. In both areas the best bite is at low tide when you can see the schools working the banks. The fish have been a bit finicky at times, but they are taking both artificial lures and live shrimp. Some days lures are actually working better than shrimp.
While Redfin Charters is picking at the trout the bite has definitely not been good, but in 3-5 feet of water they are catching some fish around smaller creeks draining into larger areas that have oyster bars. The outgoing tide has been easier to catch fish. Live shrimp have mainly been picking up smaller trout, while they have gotten a few better ones on hard baits like Rapala jerkbaits and Mirrolures as well as paddletail grubs on jigheads.
Rob considers January and February two of the toughest months for trout.
Nearshore 7-10 miles out there has been some pretty fantastic action for sheepshead and black drum, with a few of the drum on the larger end of the slot but many over 20 pounds. Redfin reports that a variety of crustacean baits will work for both species, with sheepshead mostly wanting fiddler crabs or mud crabs but also eating live and even fresh cut shrimp. Black drum will eat all that plus sections of blue crab.
In 40-90 feet the action for black sea bass on artificial reefs or live bottom has been good.
January 20
Morning surface water temperatures are around 51 degrees inshore around Charleston and clarity is very good.
It’s been some pretty productive fishing for redfish recently in Charleston, and Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports that on a charter Wednesday they caught more than 30 fish. They were a mix of sizes but all over 15 inches, and fishing in a bigger boat he targeted docks. However, they also spotted some fish in skinny water on the flats where they are heavily schooled up. At this time of year you pretty much have to be fishing three hours either side of low water.
When Rob cleaned six of the fish their stomachs were packed with mud minnows, confirming they were using the right bait! A quarter section of blue crab will also work pretty well.
Typical for January in Charleston the trout fishing is pretty tough.
The nearshore reefs are covered up in small black sea bass, but if you can get fiddler crabs and figure out how to avoid the sea bass there are abundant sheepshead. Out in 60-90 feet there are giant redfish in the 30-50 pound range.
January 5
Morning surface water temperatures are around 51 degrees inshore around Charleston and clarity is very good.
With some more favorable weather there is once again more interest in fishing around Charleston, and Redfin Charters (843-277-5255) reports that the redfish are grouped up in big schools on the flats. They are easy to locate but harder to get to bite, and they don’t need to eat every day right now. They are also extremely skittish, and so you have to make long casts and lead them.
The reds won’t touch mullet right now, and they are only having success with shrimp caught in deep holes.
The trout fishing has been a little more consistent, and the best action has come in deep holes in the creeks. There have also been some trout caught out at the jetties.
When you can get out Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports bull red drum and giant black drum in the 20-50 pound rage are on the reefs in 40-50 feet of water. They will both take half-crabs, squid and shrimp fished on the bottom. There are also lots of black sea bass on the reefs.
Wahoo fishing has also been excellent on the ledge.