Lowcountry Fishing Report - 5/29/2012

Fishing Report for the Coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina:

Scott Hammond knows how to wrestle a gator !!

Charleston Inshore Report: Bart Manley at the Market Street location of The Charleston Angler says that both the month of June and water temps in the 80's are fast approaching. The redfish continue to be active and have been tailing when the tides are right, like the first part of June. Fly fishermen will want to tie on small crab patterns with bead chain eyes, which can make a more subtle presentation.  Traditional anglers should throw live bait under a popping cork rigged with a mud minnow or shrimp, and let them swim just alongside the grass for some solid strikes. Bart reports that the trout and flounder bite continue to be good. He steers his customers towards artificials like the Z-man Minnowz with paddle-tailz in shrimp color, and DOA shrimp in Fiji Chix color. With an inshore fishing tournament every Saturday for the next few months, it's time to get in the mix and try and win some prizes! Charleston will host the IFA Redfish Tour on June 2, and the Carolina Lady Anglers will fish that same day. For the latest seminar information visit the Internet at The Charleston Angler.

Scott Hammond at Haddrell's Point West has done some speckeld trout fishing during the past three weeks and has positive news to report concerning the health of their stocks. After a couple of brutal winters in 2010 and 2011, the trout have made a fantastic comeback, and Hammond is finding 20 to 40 trout each morning he has fished for them. Both the numbers of fish encountered and the size of the fish have been impressive and Hammond has put the bogagrip on fish weighing 4 to 5-pounds, which he refers to as the true gators of the Lowcountry! What to catch all those trout on? Well Scott advises a good variety such as live shrimp under a popping cork, live pinfish too, as well as Mirrorlure's 17mr, Zman Paddlerz and DOA shrimp! Fish for the trout in 4 to 6-feet of water along hard bottom areas and shell rakes. Redfish are staying in their summertime pattern, meaning that during low water, anglers should target them around structure like docks. Don't overlook the flounder being caught around inlets and in the harbor. For all the latest seminar information visit the Internet at Haddrell's Point.

Charleston Offshore Report: Scott says that solid numbers of dolphin are being reported from anywhere as shallow as 100-feet and as deep as 1800-feet. The wahoo bite is becoming more sporadic with the best reports coming lately from the SouthWest Banks area and along other areas of the ledge. Blue marlin have been showing up lately with dozens of reports of fish in the 150 to 300-pound range, which is typical for spring. Finding a weather window to fish has been this year's biggest challenge.

Between Tropical Storm Alberto and Tropical Storm Beryl there sure has not been a lot of offshore fishing days in May, but Bart tells me that the dolphin and wahoo bite have been consistent. Most of the offshore news came from the Georgetown Governor's Cup where over 30 billfish were caught and released in just two days of fishing by the 35-boat fleet. One blue marlin was brought to the docks to be weighed-in by the Charleston boat Wildlife.

To view past fishing reports of the coastal Lowcountry click here.