Who would be fishing in this weather? Well, the extreme cold snap has fortunately passed and midday high temperatures are reaching into the 60s. Highs in the 60s are also forecasted for the next week. There’s no doubt you’ll still need some of your winter gear but fishing has returned as something to be enjoyed rather than endured. The redfish pictured was caught just yesterday afternoon.
Our fishery has become quite simple and redfish are the only real target right now. These fish have begun to form remarkably large schools. These schools can literally number in the hundreds. A redfish’s primary concern right now is to avoid the bottlenose dolphin who feed aggressively on them. Redfish will congregate in shallow water on the flats where it is both hard for dolphins to reach them but also easier for the fish the sense any threat.
Accordingly, anglers have to become stealthy and very conscious of any noise they make when approaching these schools. We’ve been using white Gulp! jerk shad with good success. I like to fish these artificial baits on flutter hooks because of the action the hooks make when moving through the water. Ultimately, you may have to wait for the schools to gradually come closer to you instead of pursuing them. Cracked blue crab fished on the bottom can be very effective. It puts a nice scent in the water and even wary redfish find it hard to resist!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
See you on the water!
Capt. Geoff Bennett
www.charlestoncharterfishing.com
(843) 324-3332