Fishing in the exciting waters of the lowcountry with Captain Mark Phelps
The Charleston area has some of the best inshore salt water fishing found in the United States. The waters spanning from Cape Romain national seashore through the historic Charleston harbor and then down to the Broad River in Beaufort offer miles and miles of beautiful salt grass flats, oyster bars, bays, rivers, and creeks.
These areas are teeming with shrimp, crabs, and mullet which redfish, trout, flounder, and other species feed on daily. The area is also home to other wildlife such as pelicans, heron, porpoises, turtles, alligators, and the occasional manatee. While fishing the incredible waters you also get to enjoy nature at its finest. |
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| Shore Thang Charters, Inc. offers several types of fishing in several locations in the Charleston area. I fish out of an 18 ft. Hells Bay “flats” style boat. I use this type boat because it is very versatile. The solid construction and unique design allow me to provide a smooth and comfortable ride in the bays or a few miles off the beach in good weather. I am able to take 3 people with fuel and bait as shallow as 5 inches of water. When booking a trip please let me know the type of fishing you would like to do and what your experience is. That way I can tailor the type and style of fishing to best fit what you want out of the trip. Because I cover a broad range of fishing areas, I like to trailer my boat close to the fishing grounds for the day. This means we don’t have to run long distances to find fish and I can suggest a meeting place that is convenient for your location. |
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| Flats/Bay Style Fishing
Flats fishing is my favorite type of fishing. When flats fishing I use a push pole in order to enter very shallow areas where we can sight cast to fish. This can be very rewarding but is also challenging. The idea is to push the boat along very quietly and slowly and look for any life moving along the flats. You can find redfish, trout, sheepshead, flounder, and sharks. The challenge is then getting the angler to cast bait, lure, or fly in front of the fish without spooking them. When the conditions are right this can be one of the most exciting types of fishing you will ever do. It can be very tricky, though, because very calm winds can make fish extra sensitive, and stronger winds make seeing the fish very difficult. When fishing the skinny flats is not productive, we have several options in deeper grass flats, creeks, and channels. The deeper flats can be worked with a trolling motor or just simply by drifting through a productive area. In these areas, you can catch a wide variety of fish, including redfish, trout, flounder, ladyfish, pompano, jacks, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, sharks, sheepshead, and many others, depending on the season. |
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Spring
In the spring, we can catch redfish, trout, and flounder. Also, there is usually a run of cobia in the spring in the Broad River which is just south of Charleston. This offers a great opportunity to catch cobia on a fly, artificial lure, or live bait. These cobia range anywhere from 5 to 80 pounds
Summer
Summer offers a wide variety of sight fishing opportunities. We can fish the flats and the creeks for redfish, trout, and flounder. The harbor carries schools of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and ladyfish. In addition, schools of very large jack crevelles appear in the harbor. In fact, a world record jack crevelle was caught on the fly right here.
Another option during summer is bottom fishing. Several species can be caught along the harbor jetties, off the beaches in the surf, and elsewhere up and down the coast. For example, big bull redfish up to 50 pounds can be caught. Also, we frequently catch several types of sharks, including black tips, spinners, Atlantic sharpnose, bonnet heads, hammer heads, lemons, and bulls. When conditions are right, it is possible to catch sharks on the fly. Finally, tarpon fishing is available during the summer. While tarpon are not as common here as in Florida, there are several that are caught each year. This is not always a consistent fishery but can provide a nice surprise from time to time, and the tarpon here are rarely under 100 pounds. Some years are better than others—I have jumped as many as six tarpon in one day here.
From May to October each year we target “tailing redfish”. During the warmer months of the year around the full and new moons we get above average high tides. These high tides allow redfish to go very shallow into the flooded grass flats to eat crabs. This is sight fishing at its best. Redfish up to 35 inches, weighing 15 pounds, can be found in a few inches of water. This is a favorite way of fishing for redfish because it’s completely visual. You will actually see the redfish stick his entire tail out of the water while he is feeding on the crabs in the grass. If you are looking for this type of trip you should ask specifically for a day when we have an above average high tide. There are typically only 5 to 10 days a month during which this is an option, but it is well worth the wait. If you are interested, this would also be an excellent time for wade fishing.
Fall
The fall is probably my favorite time of year for fishing in the lowcountry. The air is cooler and there is less humidity, providing very pleasant weather for outdoor activities. Charleston natives enjoy oyster roasts, baiting for shrimp, and eating delicious frogmore stew during this time of year. The fall is the peak season for redfish, trout, and flounder because at this time they are literally gorging themselves in preparation for the winter—this is an angler’s dream. The redfish begin to school in groups in shallow water to feed. Since they are so hungrily searching for food, they will eat most any fly, artificial lure, or bait which is placed in their path. On a good day, you can catch up to 100 fish.
Winter
The winter season in the lowcountry can offer excellent sight fishing opportunities for several reasons. First, food is scarce, and the fish are more willing to eat a fly or artificial lure. Second, redfish and trout are found in larger schools—it is not uncommon to find 50 to 100 redfish at a time on a shallow mud flat. Finally, because of the cooler temperatures, the water becomes very clear. This enables us to see fish very well when they are close and also seek out the large schools at quite a distance. |
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