Lowcountry Fishing Report - 10/17/2012

Fishing Report for the Coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina:

BIG Spanish mackerel caught on Oct. 7 off Folly Pier

Charleston Inshore : Colt Harrison at the West Ashley location of Charleston Angler reports that water temps have dropped again, into the middle 70's. Daylight hours are waning and the fish are getting into a fall season state of mind. Redfish are the story in October! Find them in grass flats on high tides, mud flats on low tides, grass edges, oyster mounds, in the surf zone and even around the Folly Pier. Colt relays that he sees the redfish feeding in various ways including 'sipping shrimp' on low water, bulldozing through schools of mullet at mid-tide or tailing for fiddler crabs at high tide. The huge tides of Fall should sweep bait out of the backwaters and into the estuary, creating a feast for the inshore fishes. Trout and flounder have been easy pickings on soft plastics and live finger mullet. Recreational shrimpers are reporting a painfully slow season thus far, and have one month left to cast their nets. In the nearshore fishery, bull redfish are causing quite a stir with the action almost non-stop at times. Along the beach anglers are finding spanish mackerel, bluefish and false albacore that are shadowing glass minnows. Use Diamond jogs, Hopkins spoons and Gotcha plugs on this assortment of feisty fish. Weakfish are showing up and can be found on artificial reefs along with sheepshead and flounder. For the latest seminar information visit the Internet at The Charleston Angler.

Scott at Haddrell's Point West shares that it is time to walk the dog! Especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Why? Because the topwater bite is wide open for trout, reds, and bluefish that provide explosive action for anglers. The Heddon Super Spook Jr. or Bomber Ba-Dank-A-Donk are both can't fail options. Later in the day, the trout are being found while trolling along grass banks with soft plastics. (Some things never change, since this is exactly how your humble fish reporter was instructed to fish for trout while being born and raised 'along grass banks' and such.) Large bull redfish are being found at the jetties and in the surf with cut mullet the hands down bait of choice. The sheepshead bite is picking up as water temps drop, with plenty of fish in the 2 to 7-pound range gnashing their teeth around bridges and rock piles. Fishing the nearshore is easy when you find a calm day, with spanish mackerel and bluefish crushing silver casting jigs and #00 Clarkspoons. Just look for the birds working above the schools, and get in on this action before they migrate south for winter. For the latest seminar information visit the Internet at Haddrell's Point.

Josh Boyles at Southern Drawl Outfitters reports that the bull reds have gotten thick in the sounds. Also, the blackfin tuna and wahoo bites are strong. Don't forget that the Lowcountry Redfish Cup is fishing out of Hilton Head on October 20, with the Capt. Mtg. at Southern Drawl on Oct. 19 at 5:30.

Offshore Report: Scott says though it seems most offshore boats have remained docked lately, the few that are fishing are catching wahoo in 140 to 300-feet of water, as well as decent numbers of blackfin tuna. Bottom fishing has been producing plenty of triggerfish and vermillion snapper in water depths from 75 to 150-feet using squid or jigging.

Colt shares that a few billfish are still in the bluewater, including sailfish and perhaps a stragler blue marlin. Dolphin and blackfin tuna are eating blue / white or pink / white lures from Blue Water Candy, rigged with a ballyhoo. High-speed trolling for wahoo from ninety-feet of water on out to the ledge is producing some full-grown Hoos! Bottom fishing has been hot the past few weeks for triggers, scamps, gags, vermillion - and the extremely elusive red snapper is being found in plentiful numbers from twenty miles on out. Those fishing for swordfish have had an amazing run of success, which begs the question, who doesn't want to spend the night on the ocean in a thousand feet of water soaking a luminescent squid for a nocturnal swordfish?!!

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