Fishing has been a little up and down. When wind have been light catching has been easy. A wind blowing against the current can slow the current and the bite. There are lots of ladyfish in the sounds. The same spots where ladyfish are thick can also produce seatrout. Ladyfish are thick! Getting a bait pass a lady to a seatrout can be a trick. Ladyfish seems to be concentrated mostly in the sounds. Fishing points upriver on incoming tide can produce nice seatrout. The whiting bite has slacken. Most of the whiting now are small (9 inches or so). While these fish (whiting) are a little small they can make a good bait for a large red drum or a shark! Speaking of sharks they are thick! Lot of male atlantic sharp nose sharp nose have pushed in! Those wanting to tangle with sharks will want to fish a fish as a bait. As said a whiting can make a great bait for big fish bait also mullet are plentiful in the heads of creeks. A mullet is another great bait for big reds and sharks!
A few triple tails have been caught in front of Williamson Island. Despite a few small triple tails its likely a little early for this fish. Another summer fish, jack crevalles are showing up in the sounds as well. Some keeper sized red drum in the sounds and in the rivers. Bonnet head sharks are abundant. One avid fisherman said these fish pull about as strong as any inshore shore fish. This is a pretty good compliment for the bonnet head.
The inshore bite in recent days is mostly seatrout and ladyfish. When the ladyfish start biting the bite is about as intense as could ever be. While its unusual for a fisherman to keep a ladyfish for the table; ladyfish do make one of the best bait fish. Tarpon can’t stand a ladyfish. A tarpon as well lots of other fish will slam a ladyfish! Sometimes a fisherman will say they hooking up little tarpon. Likely the fishermen are into ladyfish. Large ladyfish are typically on the Georgia/Carolina coast. On artificials the bite is often a series of soft bumps. Ladyfish have large eyes and excellent sight. Likely its hard for seatrout to compete with such and efficient predator. Sometimes when you find one fish such as redfish close to oyster shells or a grass line, out a little farther seatrout and further ladyfish. Ladyfish and seatrout are sight feeding predator fish. Ladyfish and seatrout can be founds in currents where bait is trapped such as around a point.
Hope this of interest and help!
Fish On!
Capt. Jack McGowan
www.coastalrivercharters.com
912.441.9930
