July 22

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 84 degrees and both the North and South Edisto are clear. Menhaden and mullet of every size as well as shrimp are abundant. 

It’s mostly about the morning bite right now, and Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that inshore the fishing gets pretty slow after lunch. With the new moon coming more small male trout are now showing up, then there will be a few days of more big females, and then it will slow down again.  Overall numbers of 15-17 inch fish are pretty far down this year.  

For now the key is fishing with live shrimp around main river grass lines and white shell points at high tide and on the high outgoing. Once we get back to lower tides first thing then the best bet will be fishing deeper shell rakes in 7-10 feet of water – where most anglers traditionally have their boat.

Redfish will bite throughout the day but the action is better in the morning before it gets choppy, and on the flats the high outgoing tide has been good around oysters. Low tide in the creeks is tough because it’s in the heat of the day. 

Flounder are a common by-catch on live bait but they are running pretty small this year. 

The sheepshead bite is still tough, not because the big fish are not around but because in the summer they seem to feed up on the bottom of docks and become extremely hard to catch. You can still see them, which makes it even more frustrating. The best action is for smaller fish around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is good in 3-8 feet of water, but unfortunately there seem to be less big fish this year. 

Tarpon have really arrived in the last couple of weeks, and at the mouths of the inlets and deep holes inside the rivers at the mouths of all the major creeks they are abundant. You often won’t catch the fish you see rolling on the surface, but they will show where the tarpon are and let anglers know where to put out baits at multiple depths. While a lot of people prefer menhaden Captain Ron prefers mullet because they are heartier.

At the nearshore reefs there are lots of juvenile cobia around, and the Spanish mackerel fishing has gotten a little better. The best Spanish action is just outside the color change where the rivers meet the ocean. Spadefish have been pretty deep and hard to catch recently, but even though there are not jellyballs around on calm days you can catch them on clam strips and shrimp. 

The best bottom fishing is in 80-100 feet right now.  

In offshore trolling the sailfish action is good, and there are some marlin around. There are a few big wahoo being caught and a very few dolphin. 

We apologize that these reports are running a few days behind – the author had some unexpected issues in his other job arise. 

July 10

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 84-85 degrees and both the North and South Edisto are clear. 

With high tides in the morning this week, Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that inshore they have caught more big trout this week. However, the numbers have not improved much and catches are still down about 30-40% from last year. The best area to fish is still main river shell points close to the ocean, and finger mullet and shrimp will both catch fish. 

Because of the tide cycle they have had better success with flats redfish than creek redfish this week, as the creeks usually fish better at low tide but not in the heat of the day. But the high outgoing tide on the flats has been very good, and one day they relocated a school and wore them out. The next day the same fish were more cautious, showing the influence of fishing pressure, but it has still been a good week for redfish.  

The sheepshead bite is tough, not because the big fish are not around but because in the summer they seem to feed up on the bottom of docks and become extremely hard to catch. You can still see them, which makes it even more frustrating. The best action is for smaller fish around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is good in 3-8 feet of water, but unfortunately there seem to be less big fish this year. 

Tarpon have really arrived in the last couple of weeks, and at the mouths of the inlets and deep holes inside the rivers at the mouths of all the major creeks they are abundant. You often won’t catch the fish you see rolling on the surface, but they will show where the tarpon are and let anglers know where to put out baits at multiple depths. While a lot of people prefer menhaden Captain Ron prefers mullet because they are heartier. 

Probably the best thing going right now is trolling nearshore for king mackerel in 40-90 feet, and until about 10 or 11 am trolling drone spoons behind planer boards or slow trolling menhaden is working very well for kings (and big Spanish). Basically the key to locating the king mackerel is to look for the bait and Spanish mackerel, which they also eat, and follow the birds. Small cobia are also abundant. Spadefish are still plentiful at the reefs but very finicky, although it should get easier to catch them in mid- to late July when young-of-the-year jellyballs appear. 

Unbelievably the best bottom fishing is still in 60-70 feet right now, and in 50-70 feet the red snapper are moving onto live bottom and seemingly displacing the black sea bass. They can also be caught in 80-100 feet.   

In offshore trolling it is very good fishing for billfish and particularly sailfish right now. They are also picking up a few dolphin on each trip, typical for this time of year, while tuna and wahoo have slowed way down. Wahoo will turn on again at the full moon in August.

July 2

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 85 degrees and both the North and South Edisto are clear. 

Away from a new or full moon this week, even with moderate tides for fishing Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that the effects of the winter’s cold spell seem to be really apparent with the inshore trout fishing. They have certainly picked up some keepers fishing around main river shall points close to the ocean, but most of the fish have been 12-13 inches. While low tide coincides with cool morning temperatures the water has been clear enough that the fishing should be strong, but catches are down significantly from last year. It may not be helping that shrimp are hard to come by as they are seemingly between hatches, but finger mullet are abundant even though the trout aren’t devouring them. 

This week the redfish on the flats have been a little hard to locate, although they are starting to see tens of 10-inch fish. The better action has been in the creeks where catching fish around low tide structure on finger mullet has been pretty reliable. 

There are also a fair number of small flounder around, but less than last year, and still the number of keepers is down as well. 

The sheepshead bite is tough, not because the big fish are not around but because in the summer they seem to feed up on the bottom of docks and become extremely hard to catch. You can still see them, which makes it even more frustrating. The best action is for smaller fish around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is good in 3-8 feet of water, but unfortunately there seem to be less big fish this year. 

Tarpon have really arrived in the last couple of weeks, and at the mouths of the inlets and deep holes inside the rivers at the mouths of all the major creeks they are abundant. You often won’t catch the fish you see rolling on the surface, but they will show where the fish are and let anglers know where to put out baits at multiple depths. While a lot of people prefer menhaden Captain Ron prefers mullet because they are heartier. 

Probably the best thing going right now is trolling nearshore for king mackerel in 40-90 feet, and until about 10 or 11 am trolling drone spoons behind planer boards or slow trolling menhaden is working very well for kings (and big Spanish). Basically the key to locating the king mackerel is to look for the bait and Spanish mackerel, which they also eat, and follow the birds.  Small cobia are also abundant. Spadefish are still plentiful at the reefs but very finicky, although it should get easier to catch them in mid- to late July when young-of-the-year jellyballs appear. 

Unbelievably the best bottom fishing is in 60-70 feet right now, and in 50-70 feet the red snapper are moving onto live bottom and seemingly displacing the black sea bass. They can also be caught in 80-100 feet.   

In offshore trolling it is very good fishing for billfish and particularly sailfish right now. They are also picking up a few dolphin on each trip, typical for this time of year, while tuna and wahoo have slowed way down. Wahoo will turn on again at the full moon in August.

June 27

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 83 degrees and both rivers are clear besides boat traffic and tidal influence. 

Once again this week we are in a cycle of extremely low and then high afternoon tides, and Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that in addition to the extremely strong currents the timing of the morning high tides makes it difficult to catch bait. You can still catch finger mullet even on higher tides but shrimp are not easy to come by. 

Overall the inshore trout fishing is still good and there are plenty of 17-18 inch roe trout around, although Ron notes that catches seem to be down about 30-40% from last year and some spots that usually produce are fishless. But it is still much, much better than was feared this winter. While you can certainly pick up a trout or two back in the creeks, the much better fishing is around the big spawning aggregations at main river shell points near the ocean. Finger mullet have been working well in the absence of shrimp. 

The redfish action is pretty normal, and if you can get a finger mullet in front of a redfish’s face he will eat it. Ron is pretty much fishing four or five schools on the flats, and the best tide is mid-tide in either direction. Dead high and dead low are no good, but when there is a couple of feet of water moving over oyster bars that makes for the best fishing. The creeks are tough to fish this week because low occurs in the heat of the day and it’s just so hot. When low tide cycles through to the morning again fishing will improve. 

At this point there are less young of the year redfish around than usual.

There are a fair number of small flounder around, but less than last year, and still the number of keepers is down as well. 

The sheepshead bite is tough, not because the big fish are not around but because in the summer they seem to feed up on the bottom of docks and become extremely hard to catch. You can still see them, which makes it even more frustrating. The best action is for smaller fish around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is good in 3-8 feet of water, but unfortunately there seem to be less big fish this year. 

Tarpon have really arrived in the last couple of weeks, and at the mouths of the inlets and deep holes inside the rivers at the mouths of all the major creeks they are abundant. You often won’t catch the fish you see rolling on the surface, but they will show where the fish are and let anglers know where to put out baits at multiple depths. While a lot of people prefer menhaden Ron prefers mullet because they are heartier. 

Nearshore the small cobia are thick and there are tons of spadefish around, although they have been very finicky. King mackerel and Spanish are both abundant, and trolling spoons or slow trolling live bait for kings is working. To locate the Spanish mackerel look for the birds, and so far this whole summer they have been in a pattern of feeding best early. Usually they follow the tide cycles more. 

Unbelievably the best bottom fishing is in 60-70 feet right now, and in 50-70 feet the red snapper are moving onto live bottom and seemingly displacing the black sea bass. They can also be caught in 80-100 feet.   

In offshore trolling it is very good fishing for billfish and particularly sailfish right now. They are also picking up a few dolphin on each trip, typical for this time of year, while tuna and wahoo have slowed way down. Wahoo will turn on again at the full moon in August.

June 19

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 81 degrees and both rivers are clear this week. 

With the new moon next week tides will start to creep towards greater variance between high and low, but Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that this week milder tides have made for much better fishing. Shrimp remain the bait of choice as finger mullet still slip through a cast net, but with so many picker fish soon mullet on a Carolina rig will be the best bait for trout, redfish and flounder. 

In both the creeks and on the river flats the redfish bite has been good – when you can locate fish. There are a lot of 8-10 inch rat redfish around by now. 

The bite is better on lower tides when the fish are more concentrated, and in the creeks they are around holes and structure while they hold around oyster bars and creek mouths in the rivers. Mud minnows are working well but cut menhaden and mullet are also effective. Shrimp is good as long as there are not too many bait stealers around.  

There are a bunch of small flounder around but still very few keepers. 

The sheepshead bite is still fair but dropping off each week, with fish getting smaller. The best action is around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is good in 3-8 feet of water, but unfortunately there seem to be less big fish this year. 

Nearshore there are spadefish and black drum can be caught on shrimp, and there are also some bull reds around. But if you catch one they usually take off. The better whiting are also at the nearshore reefs, or more specifically on the sand nearby. 

Spanish mackerel are also around and whenever they are found king mackerel will be close, and they can be caught trolling plugs early or after 9 am slow-trolling live bait. There are lots of small cobia in 40-90 feet but catching one over 36 inches is pretty rare. 

The best bottom fishing is in 70 feet right now, while 80-90 feet is slow. 

In offshore trolling the dolphin fishing has dropped way off, tuna are slowing as it warms, occasional wahoo are being caught, and billfish are doing well.   

June 11

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 78-80 degrees and water conditions have been muddier than usual this week. Bait is getting bigger each day. 

With super high tides this week it’s been an “off-week” for inshore fishing, and by that Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) means that in the dirty water the trout (and more) fishing is not as good as during more moderate tide periods. Fishing the same main river shell points at higher stages of the tide when the water is the cleanest they are catching 6-8 keepers and averaging 30 fish on a trip, while between moon phases the norm is to catch 12-15 keepers and 40-50 fish. Shrimp are still the bait of choice as finger mullet are only 2-3 inches and slip through a cast net, but with so many picker fish around by July when they have grown mullet on a Carolina rig will be the best bait for trout, redfish and flounder. 

In both the creeks and on the river flats the redfish bite has been good – when you can locate fish. There are a lot of 8-10 inch rat redfish around by now. 

The bite is better on lower tides when the fish are more concentrated, and in the creeks they are around holes and structure while they hold around oyster bars and creek mouths in the rivers. Mud minnows are working well but cut menhaden and mullet are also effective. Shrimp is good as long as there are not too many bait stealers around.  

There are a bunch of small flounder around but still very few keepers. 

The sheepshead bite is still okay but dropping off, with fish getting smaller. The best action is around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is good in 3-8 feet of water, but unfortunately there seem to be less big fish this year. 

Nearshore there are spadefish and black drum can be caught on shrimp, and there are also some bull reds around. But if you catch one they usually take off. The better whiting are also at the nearshore reefs, or more specifically on the sand nearby. 

Spanish mackerel are also around and whenever they are found king mackerel will be nearby, and they can be caught trolling plugs early or after 9 am slow-trolling live bait. There are lots of small cobia in 40-90 feet but catching one over 36 inches is pretty rare. 

The best bottom fishing is in 70 feet right now, while 80-90 feet is slow. 

In offshore trolling the dolphin fishing is slow, tuna are slowing as it warms, occasional wahoo are being caught and billfish are doing well.   

May 29

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 78 degrees. Both rivers are clear again and bait continues to become more abundant.  

With only marginal changes in temperature there is very little change with the fishing around Edisto this week, but Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports more and more bait continues to arrive. In addition to the bait-sized shrimp which appeared in the creeks last week there are more and more menhaden as well as mullet. Again, all the bait means that for trout and redfish, outside of a good early morning topwater bite when you can really cover water, live bait is out-fishing artificials about 5 to 1. 

Inshore on the main river points the trout bite has been strong when there is clear water, but the keeper ratio is still fairly low.  Fishing live shrimp under a popping cork when there is clean, moving water – generally on higher tides – is the best pattern. 

In both the creeks and on the river flats the redfish bite has been good when you can locate fish. The bite is better on lower tides when the fish are more concentrated, and in the creeks they are around holes and structure while they hold around oyster bars and creek mouths in the rivers. Mud minnows are working well but cut menhaden and mullet are also effective. Shrimp is good as long as there are not too many bait stealers around.  

There are a bunch of small flounder around but still very few keepers. 

The sheepshead bite is still good but dropping off, with fish getting smaller. The best action is around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is very good in 3-8 feet of water, and Spanish mackerel are scattered over the bars. 

The nearshore fishing remains surprisingly slow, with a few Spanish mackerel and cobia around and spadefish showing up at 60 feet. However, in particular the Spanish are here in much lower numbers than normal, with more fish actually closer to the beaches where they are spread out and harder to catch than at the reefs. It seems that we are at a lull between spring and summer runs of Spanish. 

The best bottom fishing is in 80-90 feet and it’s also good at the ledge, and in a few weeks cobia will have moved to 80-90 feet.

In offshore trolling the dolphin run seems to be winding down, while there are great numbers of marlin and good numbers of sailfish around. Wahoo are scattered like normal and there is good action for tuna early and late in low-light conditions. 

May 21

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are around 77 degrees. The North Edisto is clear but the South Edisto is getting dark because of high water levels. Lots of bait has showed up in the past week.

One of the biggest changes inshore in the past week is that shrimp have really moved into the creeks, and Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that they are big enough for bait. There are also lots of menhaden around as well as more mullet.  All the bait means that for trout and redfish, outside of an early morning topwater bite which has been good and allows you to really cover water, live bait is out-fishing artificials about 5 to 1. 

On the main river points the trout bite has been strong when there is clear water, and on his last trip Captain Ron’s boat caught about 50 fish. While only 10 were keepers, that is still a good sign for the trout population. 

In both the creeks and on the river flats the redfish bite has been good when you can locate fish. The bite is better on lower tides when the fish are more concentrated, and in the creeks they are around holes and structure while they hold around oyster bars and creek mouths in the rivers. Mud minnows are working well but cut menhaden and mullet are also effective. Shrimp is good as long as there are not too many bait stealers around.  

There are a bunch of small flounder around but Ron has not heard of a keeper caught by a single captain or recreational fisherman out of Edisto. 

The sheepshead bite is still good but starting to drop off, with fish getting smaller.  The best action is around structure in 6-8 feet of water at low tide with fiddler crabs. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is very good in 3-8 feet of water, and Spanish mackerel are scattered over the bars. 

The nearshore fishing remains surprisingly slow, with a few Spanish mackerel and cobia around and spadefish showing up at 60 feet. However, in particular the Spanish are here in much lower number than normal, with more fish actually closer to the beaches where they are spread out and harder to catch than at the reefs. It seems that we are at a lull between spring and summer runs of Spanish. 

The best bottom fishing is in 80-90 feet and it’s also good at the ledge, and in a few weeks cobia will have moved to 80-90.

In offshore trolling the dolphin bite has fallen apart this week (although it could come back), while there are great numbers of marlin and good numbers of sailfish around. Wahoo are scattered like normal and there is good action for tuna early and late in low-light conditions. 

May 7

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers and inside the creeks are both in the low 70s. Both the North and South Edisto are extremely clear and bait is slowly arriving. 

As predicted we are finally getting an idea of the numbers of trout inshore after the winter freeze, and Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that it’s pretty clear the population is down but that numbers are still decent and by no means was the fishery devastated. Early there is a fair topwater bite at the main river shell points, and during the day they can be caught there with mud minnows on a light Carolina rig, DOA shrimp, and a variety of soft plastics. For some reason bait under a cork is not working as well. With no shrimp and very few mullet around mud minnows are the main live bait choice, although there are also good numbers of 4-inch menhaden that can be netted in the mornings.  

There is also a strong topwater bite for redfish along grass lines, especially when the early morning coincides with mid-tide.  Both in the rivers around oyster beds and in the creeks at low tide (in holes and around structure) mud minnows are also working reliably for redfish, and while there are good numbers of flounder around very few keepers are being landed so far. 

Bonnethead sharks are prolific and taking both crabs and shrimp. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is very good in 3-8 feet of water. 

The nearshore fishing is still in a very weird in-between phase, and at the four major reefs from 30-60 feet which Captain Ron fishes there is basically nothing around except small black sea bass. Spanish mackerel, bonito, and bluefish have all vacated them, and (while they should show up any day) cobia and spadefish are not around yet as of a day or two ago. 

The best bottom fishing is in 90-100 feet and at the ledge.

In offshore trolling Ron had one good day where they caught 14 dolphin last week, but then yesterday they only got three big dolphin to go with a couple of wahoo and some blackfin tuna. While the dolphin run is not yet peaking the wahoo and tuna are doing well, although the tuna will generally only bite early and late.

April 24

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers and inside the creeks have both passed 70 degrees. Both the North and South Edisto are extremely clear and bait is showing up en masse.

This week we will start with the unexpected, and Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that yesterday at the Edisto 40 he was absolutely shocked by how little life there was nearshore. They saw no weakfish, no bluefish, and only three or four small Spanish mackerel jumping. They didn’t jig up any red drum on bucktails or jigging spoons, and in fact the only thing they caught besides mostly small black sea bass was three good sheepshead on jigging spoons. Had they had fiddler crabs or even shrimp he suspects they would have worn them out. (Cobia and spadefish have also not showed up at the reefs yet to Ron’s knowledge). 

With the driest March and April in recent memory, the Spanish mackerel and bluefish are actually in better numbers close to the beach because the water is so salty without significant freshwater flow from the Edisto River. Beyond that it’s hard to know why the nearshore reefs don’t have more life.

Fortunately, the inshore fishing is really good around Edisto, and with menhaden and mullet showing up in droves species are arriving and feeding up. In a couple of weeks there should be a lot of shrimp.

In the creeks redfish are doing really well two hours either side of low tide around seawalls and docks, and it’s as easy as just fishing mud minnows. While there haven’t been good tailing tides yet Captain Ron is already seeing fish trying to get into the edges of the grass and feed on fiddler crabs, and so that should be very good as soon as the tides are right – possibly the next several evenings. 

Small flounder have also arrived, and it’s common to get 5-8 while targeting other species. Ron has heard of very few keepers so far.

The trout have been pretty sporadic, but very soon they should be getting on the main river points near the ocean. Topwater lures fished early in the morning are perhaps the best way to target them, and in fact about anything will eat topwater right now. 

Inshore the sheepshead are also still good around structure, and they have such a long spawn (January to May) that it’s typical to catch them both inside and at the reefs during this period. 

Off the beaches and in the inlets around shallow sandbars the whiting action is very good in 3-8 feet of water, and again Spanish and blues are around. 

The best bottom fishing is in 90-100 feet and at the ledge.

It has been the best week of weather in April that Ron has ever seen this week, and in the last few days dolphins have started showing up while offshore trolling. For the next month it should just get better when weather allows boats to get offshore. Wahoo and tuna are also showing up at the ledge. 

April 9

Morning surface water temperatures at the mouths of the main rivers are about 68-70 degrees and both the North and South Edisto are extremely clear.

The inshore fishing around Edisto is improving, and Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports that right now the biggest numbers of redfish are in the very backs of small creeks off major creeks. There aren’t a lot of fish on the main rivers right now. It can require a small skiff to get to these areas, and if you don’t want to get stuck then planning around the rising tide can be a good option.  When located the fish are feeding pretty well on a variety of baits.  

The numbers of trout still appear to be good after the concerns of a winter kill, but it won’t really be until the first new fish start arriving and spawning later this month that Captain Ron has a better idea.   We still have about four degrees to go before that happens, and for now the vast majority of the catchable trout are still in the creeks.  

They can still be caught throwing grubs or dragging mud minnows on the bottom, but as temperatures rise very soon topwater fishing in the early morning will get to be a very good way to locate them. 

Early flounder are also returning inshore, and some giggers are starting to pursue them at night. But the best thing going is still the sheepshead bite, and fish are feeding on structure in 6-8 feet of water and will take fiddler crabs, barnacles, and more. There are also plenty of black drum to be caught on the same pattern. 

But the best overall bite is nearshore, where tons of 1-4 pound bluefish, bonito, and big weakfish have arrived. Spanish mackerel have also arrived but are not yet thick, and on the bottom there are big schools of red drum. Except for the drum most of the fish are suspended in the water column and 1-2 ounce jigging spoons and bucktails are very effective for catching them. Cut bait is all you need for the red drum, but with so many species around sharks have arrived and so anglers should use sufficiently heavy tackle to get them to the surface before they become prey. Captain Ron also notes that they often get skittish after you catch a few. 

This is still a good time for bottom fishing for black sea bass in 45-60 feet, while the best bottom fishing for other species is in 90-100 feet. 

The offshore trolling for wahoo is picking up and some tuna are also being caught, but it should still be about two weeks before dolphins arrive. After a cold winter they look for the run to start at the last few days of April.