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Archive for May, 2009
May Fishing Report - Charleston
Monday, May 18th, 2009Fishing has gone from good to great over the past couple of months in Charleston. Fish are aggressive and feeding better now that the water is warm and the creeks are loaded with bait. Bugs aren’t too bad and the weather has been cooperating lately as well.
Redfish: Biting like crazy, I have seen small shrimp popping in the marshes, so throwing a medium sized shrimp out on a light bottom rig or popping cork is working well. Mullet are schooling everywhere and are perfect bait size, so bring a cast net with you! Menhaden are starting to get larger now, but cut up they make an excellent bait. We have had some tailing tides this month, adding to the excitement.
Trout: Early May brought some awesome trout fishing. I finally caught a trout under 16″ (this one was 15″) this past weekend but before this all of the trout we have been catching were larger and fatter. We nailed 6 while flyfishing one late afternoon on electric chicken clousers, all over 16″.
Flounder: I am not really targeting flounder yet, but they are definitely here. We caught one bouncing artificial grubs off the bottom with a jig head a couple days ago. Their ambush style of feeding makes flounder a fun species for fly fishermen also.
Sheepshead: The jetties are holding some nice sheepshead right now, and inshore fishing for them has been good too. We caught 20 in an hour on light tackle this past weekend.
Bluefish: There are some big bluefish around that are definitely a blast to catch on light tackle. I don’t usually target them, but these fast swimmers seem to be in the smaller flats adjacent to deeper water and will hit anything that moves.
Cobia: The secret is out around town, so the cobia have seen a lot of pressure lately. Just before that, there were quite a few around. The good news is that this is just the beginning of cobia season. Sight fishing for cobia will really get your heart pounding.
I hope this helps! Feel free to drop me a line or send an email if you have any questions.
-Capt. Mike
Spring Fishing Trip - Redfish Photos
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
The Charleston Fishery
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
The Charleston area is bordered by two of the most pristine watersheds on the east coast. To the south of us near Kiawah Island is the ACE Basin…These feeder creeks and giant marshes provide a nursery for an outstanding abundance of fish. Just north of Charleston and Isle of Palms is the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and Bulls Bay. As the ocean tides flood these areas the water visibility clears and provides an excellent area to sight fish for redfish or catch spotted seatrout that rely on their sharp vision to prey on baitfish.
Charleston Harbor also has great fishing opportunities. Aside from reds, trout, flounder, black drum and sheepshead, our jetties (including dynamite hole and the grillage) hold sharks, huge bull red drum and even tarpon! Record sized Jack Crevalle show up in the harbor when the water gets warm and provide all the challenge an avid angler could want. Bluefish, spanish mackerel, larger flounder and ladyfish also show up in the warmer months and are a blast to catch on light tackle.
Nearshore trolling and reef fishing off the coast of South Carolina is a great way to fish and enjoy the open ocean without the much higher fuel costs of fishing the gulf stream. Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel and Barracuda can be taken by trolling over bottom structure that attracts all sorts of fish. At certain times of the year, cobia, jacks and barracuda hide and feed near buoys and provide a unique sight fishing experience. If you want to reel non-stop, come out and reef fish… Bottom rigs can be dropped to catch one fish after another such as black seabass, triggerfish, grouper, snapper, amberjacks and many different species of sharks such as spinners, blacktips, nurse, and bonnetheads(check out the photo pages to see what YOU can catch)!
Charleston Area Shark Fishing Charters!
Friday, May 1st, 2009
Avid Angling is offering a special opportunity for weekday charters! For groups up to 6 people, Avid Angling has teamed up with other charter captains in the area to take two boats (3 per boat) to catch sharks (with a chance at catching tarpon) in the Charleston Area. Double the captains=more fish! We cater to Kiawah Island, Folly Beach, Isle of Palms and anywhere in between, including Downtown Charleston. Come fish light tackle and battle 5 foot long sharks that will strip line like crazy! Fishing trips are set up tournament style, with both boats fishing within yelling distance of each other, so you can hold up your shark yell, “Hey Dad! Check this one out, waaaay bigger than yours!”. This is a great, low cost, exciting style of fishing. Please call Capt. Mike Illig at 843.566.3433 for rates and details! This trip is good for larger families, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and people who want to experience ocean fishing without the huge costs of heading to the gulf stream. This is a great charter at an unbeatable price!
See you this summer!
Capt. Mike Illig
Avid Angling Fishing Charters
www.AvidAngling.com
843.566.3433
Charter Photos - Spring 2009
Friday, May 1st, 2009
Charleston Inshore Fishing Report
Friday, May 1st, 2009Things are literally heating up here in Charleston! Fishing has been excellent and will only get better this season. Water temperature is well into the 70’s now and the fish are biting like crazy. The wind has been a little bit nicer to us as well, making time out on the water even more fun.
Redfish: Always good, but better right now. Water visibility hasn’t been that great due to extreme seasonal spring tides, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Most fish have been 5-10 pounds. Cut menhaden and finger mullet have been good baits and it hasn’t been hard to catch any in the cast net. Don’t forget about those tailing tides coming up!
Trout: I am finally starting to catch good numbers of trout. This time of year, it seems like they are all good size. In the last couple of days, I have caught trout on live menhaden fished underneath a float. Fishing on the bottom has produced some nice ones too. The menhaden are perfect bait size. All fish have been over 17 inches!
Flounder: The flounder aren’t here in huge numbers, but they are here for sure. I haven’t been focusing on them but still pick up a few here and there.
Sheepshead: Sheepshead fishing has been really fun. Inshore, we have had 30+ days in a matter of hours. The jetties and nearshore structures have some nice fish on them. Check out the “Fishing Photos” section for a nice one from the CIA Sheepshead Tournament last weekend.
Sting rays, bluefish, and whiting have also been adding to the excitement.
My friend Johnathan with some nice trout.
More Charleston Fishing Reports