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02/03/11 by Captain Mark |
 Charleston Fishing Forecast for March
By Capt. Mark Phelps
The key word for March is transition. March will show
us the first signs of spring here in the low country.
The days will be longer and the weather will be warmer
than the past few months, but we will still have some
cold days. Fishing here in Charleston will be hot and
cold as well. Some days will have lots of action and
other days will a little tough. Because the weather
will change from hot to cold in March, you have to
change your tactics to catch fish consistently. When
the weather is cool and calm, the redfish will be
schooled up in their winter spots and you can have
some great sight fishing to large schools on the
flats. When the water turns warm, however, the fish
often spread out. This means you have to be flexible
with how you fish. The fish might be in one location
feeding like mad one day and be completely void of the
area the next day. When this happens you have to
think like a fish and figure out where they went.
Sometimes they have simply moved around the bend or to
the other side of the channel. With all the change
and transition, you also have to change the type of
bait you use each day. When fish are schooled up, the
DOA shrimp or jerk baits will work very well.
However, when they spread out you might find the water
is off color or the wind is blowing. In this case you
may need to try anything from cracked crab to cut
mullet to mud minnows. You will find that the redfish
are finickyâone day they will eat only one
thing, and the next day they will only eat something
else. This happens more in March than any other time
of the year. If the weather is on the warm side you
might start catching trout by the end of the month. I
would use a DOA shrimp or mud minnow under a popping
cork to catch these. I like to drift a cork along the
grass later in the day when the water is the warmest.
The trout that have moved into the marsh will go into
warmer water next to the grass looking for something
to eat. The key thing to remember is to be flexible
and don't be afraid to change when, where, and
how you are fishing to catch fish in March.
This winter, I spent some time researching and
experimenting with some of the new equipment that is
on the market. After trying many rods, I discovered
the G-Loomis NRX 8wt fly rod. Initially I knew it was
going to be a good rod, but once I began fishing it
exceeded my expectations. This rod will cast in close
and still have power to cast into the backing on a
long cast. Most rods will do one or the other but not
both! As far as spinning rods go I found possibly the
best light tackle rod for redfish--the G-Loomis
Walleye 8400 series. This is a rod initially created
for walleye, but the sensitivity is awesome when
casting artificial lures and waiting to feel the
slightest bite. The recoil guides won't break,
and they somehow seem to allow for a longer cast. The
rod is 7'1â and handles 1/8-1/2oz, which
is great for long casts with light lures. The other
new product I have recently tried is the new Suffix
832 braided line. This line clams to be slicker and
stronger than old braid. It definitely casts farther
than the old braid I was using, and it does feel
slick. The other benefit is I do not seem to get wind
knots!! Go out to your local tackle stores and check
out some of the new gear that has come out in the last
year or so.
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12/22/10 by Captain Mark |
 Charleston Fishing Forecast for January
By Capt. Mark Phelps
I want to wish everyone a happy new year. May this be
a year of bent rods to you all! Now that all the
holiday festivities are over, it's time to think
about fishing again. There is no better time than
January to sight fish for redfish on the flats in and
around the Charleston area. We are in the heart of
winter here so the water can be cold but very clear.
Inshore fishing will mostly consist of sight fishing
for redfish. There are several things you can look
for to help you catch fish this month. The redfish
are in large schools of 100-200 fish per school.
These fish will be found in shallow warmer water, and
since the water is so clear, you will be able to see
the fish very well. I typically look for calm, warm
days in January when the tide is low in the mid
morning or early afternoon. This allows for the dark
mud flats to warm up in the sun for a few hours. The
warmer water draws the redfish to the very shallow
areas and also puts them in the mood to eat something.
Small plastic lures or flies work very well. There
is very little bait in the water this time of the year
so redfish will eat a wide variety of artificial
lures. One important thing to remember is the large
schools of fish can spook easily, so be very quiet
when approaching the school and make long casts to the
fish so as not to spook them. If you give them room
to move around they will stay happy and continue to
eat your offering. Another important thing to
remember is that cold water will slow the fish down.
You want to work your bait or fly very slowly to give
the fish time to eat it. They will not run down bait
like they did in the fall because the water
temperature has them moving more slowly. If you think
you are fishing slowly, slow down more. Follow these
tips and you will find some excellent and exciting
sight fishing.
A great way to spend the day on the water is to book
one of the area's great guides. Having fished in
Charleston for almost fifteen years, I am extremely
knowledgeable and experienced in this area. As owner
and operator of Shore Thang Charters, I would love to
share my expertise with you on the water. Please email
me at ShoreThangCharter@hotmail.com, check out my web
page, www.ShoreThangCharters.com, or call
843-475-1274.
Forecast by:
Captain Mark Phelps, Shore Thang Charters,
843-475-1274, www.ShoreThangCharters.com
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09/30/10 by Captain Mark |
 There are a lot of great activities to enjoy in the
low country in October. Eating fresh local oysters
and shrimp is great, but if you like fishing, you must
go for the redfish and sea trout-October is the best
month for these two local species. October is
"crunch" time for Charleston redfish. October brings
cooler weather, less humidity and great fishing. This
begins the official start of the fall feeding
frenzies. The cooler water has all the mullet and
shrimp thinking about migrating to the ocean for the
winter. That means the bait will be in great numbers
and on the move. This causes redfish and sea trout as
well as flounder to eat more and more often each day.
Not only is the weather nice enough to stay out
fishing all day, but also the fish seem to feed all
day. Redfish will start forming into schools working
the bait as they try to escape. You can find redfish
by watching the gulls that hover over the redfish
schools hoping for an easy meal. The redfish will
bunch up the bait and attack at will. During this
time the bait will jump out of the water and the gulls
will dive into the water for an easy meal. When the
redfish are in this kind of frenzy they will eat
almost anything you put in their face. Of course a
live finger mullet or shrimp will get eaten; however,
I love to throw artificial lures and flies during this
time. Top water lures, DOA Shrimp or jerk baits work
excellently for this. Any flies that imitate a shrimp
or gold flash work well also. The sea trout and
flounder will not be as visual as the redfish but eat
aggressively and often as well. The sea trout can be
found on most current rips and breaks in 4-6 feet of
water. Sometimes they will eat a DOA Shrimp as fast
as you can throw it in. I like to drift a DOA Shrimp
about 2 feet under a popping cork to find the fish the
best. Flounder will be found in good numbers as well.
Look for edges of mud flats or sand bars. Flounder
will also migrate off shore in the winter so look for
them to be on the move to the inlets by the end of the
month. October is possibly one of the best months of
the year to fish inshore. The weather and fishing are
great along with some great local seafood for dinner.
A great way to spend the day on the water is to book
one of the areas great guides. Having fished in
Charleston for almost fifteen years, I am extremely
knowledgeable and experienced in this area. As owner
and operator of Shore Thang Charters, I would love to
share my expertise with you on the water.
Please email me at: ShoreThangCharter@hotmail.com,
check out my web page: www.ShoreThangCharters.com or
call: 843-475-1274.
Forecast by:
Captain Mark Phelps, Shore Thang Charters,
843-475-1274, www.ShoreThangCharters.com |
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