Coastal River Charters

Tides are building throughout the week peaking at 8.7 feet on Sunday. Big tides, tides close to the 9 foot range mean strong currents, muddy water and more challenging fishing conditions. If you read this report much you know my preference is larger tides as opposed to extremely small tides. Large tides mean vast amounts of water and fish will be moving. In general the smaller tides are best but when currents are barely moving fishing can come to stand still. Although the tides are high fishermen should be able to catch fish. Clean water and suitable currents should be the key. Lots of trash fish in local waters. A few late season tarpon as well as sharks are on the beachfront. Seatrout and redfish action has been good! Conditions have been warm if not summer like. This week a northeaster has set in bringing a drop to more fall like temperatures. Lots of redfish in all sizes. Shrimp appear to be very abundant. Some fishermen saying they are seeing more redfish than ever and wondering if the boost is due to the redfish stocking project or if nature is just producing more. Whatever the reason redfish numbers appear by most accounts to be good shape. Fishermen like those throwing a cast net get locked into fishing one area. Spreading out just a little could produce big results. Just because several boats are in an area is no guarantee of good fishing. My suggestion if lots are in area look elsewhere. Not will fishing be more peaceful and scenic it will likely be fishier. Try a new spot! Fall is an awesome time of year to drop anchor on a new location. If a spot looks good try it. One fisherman at the marina this week described his catch to me of a little of everything: a few seatrout, a few redfish, a couple of black drums. In short the recount was a good day of fishing. His strategy for fishing came from one my seminars. Likely the spots he fishes I’ll never fish and vice versa. He took general information and applied it to his fishing. Nothing complicated. Just letting the day unfold and good can will happen. Some days can be like work (meaning you have to do more looking to find fish) but even a tough day is fun!

My hope is that you have fun on the water! Redfish bite has been good! When we’ve had clean water and suitable currents we’ve caught some dandy seatrout. Looks like another good year for black drum. Inshore sheepshead can be found close to rock jetties, pilings and other structure. Lots of small menhaden in the rivers. Small blue fish are working the menhaden. Those who like eating blues should be able to find them in the rivers and in the sounds.

Hope this of help! Fish On!

Capt. Jack McGowan

Seatrout are biting! Lots shrimp in the creeks! Lots of small bluefish in the sounds as well sharks. As temperatures begin to fall look for the blues and sharks to head out for deeper water. For now plenty of sharks, bluefish and whiting in the sounds. Spanish mackerel can be seen jumping out of the surf chasing finger mullet. Fishing a finger mullet in the surf is an excellent way to catch to spanish. Large redfish can found around inlets, sand bars, jetties and other beachfront structure. Again finger mullet would be an awesome bait! Take your cast net and throw your net when see a school of mullet skimming the surface. Spanish mackerel can quickly chew up a light leader so be prepared to do some quick cranking or try beefing up to a steel leader. If the steel leader fails to produce fish switch back to mono. Likely these fish are in a feeding mode and a steel wont matter.

The seatrout bite has been good! Lots of seatrout in the sounds as well on the inside. The key to catching seatrout is current and long drifts. With a long drift you’ll likely find fish. Staying close to bank could be mistake. Lots of seatrout can well off the back and in some creeks they could be literally in the middle. Today the largest seatrout were 50 to 60 feet off the bank. Popping and conventional bobbers worked equally as well. If you fishing in six feet of water start fishing at the bobber. In other words you’re only fishing the depth of the leader. Take a few casts to explore the area. If you fail to have any bites keep deepening up. Change is the key! Once you find a pattern that works keep repeating it. With this mind above all stay within the limits. Consciously taking more than a limit is illegal. Don’t condone it or laugh with a friend who does. Keep what you want to eat and release the rest.

Redfish and blackdrum bite has been strong! Fishing is funny sport. Areas that can produce incredible one day could be dormant the next. That said there have been lots of reports of nice redfish (20 inches and better with several over sized fish) and black drum (in the three to seven pound range) around Wassaw. These fish are mostly close to the grass in some spots several yards off the structure but usually the smaller redfish are found close to structure. Lots of small redfish are legal size (14 inches). There are still lots of undersized redfish (13 inches or so). Trash fish are numerous. When bait fishing parcel out your bait with care or you might end feeding a bunch of pinfish and yellowtails.

Tides peaked at 8.3 feet Tuesday morning. Tides should fishier and fishier as we head into the weekend. Fall is a great time for fishermen to hit the water! One frequently asked question is, where can you catch fish? This is time when almost any spot of marsh grass could be a potential hot spot. Likely spots to anchor is any place you can detect a subtle change such as a point. Seatrout love clean water and current so hard bottom areas could be likely areas.

Hope this of help! Practice Catch and Release! Support the fishery join your local CCA Chapter!

Fish On!

Capt. Jack McGowan