Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Report - 3/4/2014

Fishing Report for the Coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina:

Sailfish Taxidermy by Jimmy Hortman at SEWE

Beaufort Inshore: Craig Lupton at Buck, Bass N' Beyond begins on a startling note that the cold snaps have shut down the trout, and he can't seem to get any reports on specks. With March winds bringing in the cold like a lion, let's hope that the trout are hunkering down somewhere in safety. The redfish on the other hand have been biting with regularity. Look for mud flats located near the mouth of small creeks, the kind where the 'street gang' schools of reds love to patrol. Some big schools are being spotted being more active around noon, with the sun shining full strength down into the water. Craig says to stay as far away as possible from the school making long casts throwing shrimp imitators like the Zman holographic shrimp on the Owner twist lock hook that is either 1/16th or 1/8th ounce. Or try a Carolina rig with a 1/4-ounce or 1/2-ounce weight and 18 to 24-inches of flourocarbon leader and a 3/0 wide gap worm hook. Using a Gulp sand worm or Zoom trick worm in red, cast the worm ahead of any school and wait for them to get close. In clear water, reel in until the weight makes a mud cloud which gets the redfish focused on seeing the lure. In murky water, use a live mud minnow for the same effect. A DOA shrimp under a popping cork can also be effective in cloudy water, especially near marsh edges with oyster beds. For all the latest store information visit the Internet at Buck, Bass N' Beyond.

Offshore: Craig shares that the offshore bite has been worth the trip out, and lots of flat clams days were available on weekends in late February. What's biting? Try dolphin, wahoo, and blackfin tuna in the triple ledge area in water 230 to 240-feet deep. Try dragging naked ballyhoo way, way, way back for the blackfin bite. Craog's Pro Tip is to either leave early or fish late since the tuna love low light conditions and will surface more readily then. When the bite slows down, then switch over to bottom fishing. Triggerfish, vermillion snapper, and black sea bass are plentiful. Try dropping multi hook rigs down and use Stingray wing strips for bait, since they are tougher and last longer, producing more time on the bottom each drop.

To view past Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Reports click here.