Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Report - 9/17/2013

Fishing Report for the Coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina:

A tarpon explodes out of the surf and attacks a bait fished on the surface for Team Sperry

Charleston Inshore: Shane Clevenger from the West Ashley location of The Charleston Angler shares that with summer's heat starting to diminish, some of the best Lowcountry fishing is now on tap. The trout bite is turning on so target creek mouths with oyster banks on an outgoing tide for best results. Rigging a live shrimp under a popping cork works great but if you're having trouble with bait stealers, switch over to mud minnows or an artificial like DOA shrimp. Remember the golden rule for trout fishing, if you don't catch any in the first 15-minutes then it's time to move on. But if you do hook up, remember to cover the water and seek out the others that are likely in that same area. The avid fly fisherman is beginning to practice his knots in anticipation of the turbid waters clearing up now, and serving up some great sight-fishing. Redfish will be schooling up, and fattening up ahead of winter, so visualize that perfect cast of a crab pattern landing in front of a bronze-backed redfish with shoulders - then go make it happen! Shrimp season is off to a mixed start, with good amounts of shrimp one day and then much weaker the next, but there are 50 days left to cast your nets. For all the latest seminar reports visit the Internet at Charleston Angler.

Scott Hammond from Haddrell's Point West is telling the truth when he says there is no doubt that NOW is the best time to catch a tarpon in Lowcountry waters. The mullet run has kicked in and large pods of 'poons are right behind them! Locations like Bulls Bay, North Edisto, and the Charleston Jetties have been producing solid reports of tarpon, and here's a report form the Lowcountry Tarpon tourney.
Good baits include large mullet, blue crabs, or how about a 10-inch Hogy lure. The flounder bite continues to be strong using live minnows and Zman Diezel minnowz, and the trout have been inhaling DOA shrimp fished under a popping float. Shrimping season opened up with reports of a mixed bag, some big shrimp but some small shrimp too. An end-of-summer blitz of Spanish mackerel is now ongoing in the nearshore fishery in tidelines just beyond the beaches, so cast a #00 Clarkspoon or 3/4-ounce casting jig for some fast-paced Spaniards. For all the latest seminar information visit the internet at Haddrell's Point.

Beaufort Inshore: Craig at Buck, Bass and Beyond shares that the Broad River has come alive with jack crevalle and ladyfish. It's a jack attack alright, with lots of BIG jacks providing BIG fights. The trout reports are flooding in, but not many keeper-size specs yet. Some nice black drum are showing up under bridges and are chewing on mullet. Redfish are on the high tide flats, and are taking a Zman paddlerz in electric chicken rigged weedless on a 2/0 gamakatsu weighted wide-gap hook. Bluefish are in the nearshore and are hitting drone spoons trolled behind a #1 planer. Out in 180-feet of water, squid is tempting better than average black sea bass and triggerfish to come topside. For the latest updates visit Buck, Bass N Beyond.

Offshore Report: Scott says no reports of any epic sailfish bite has been heard yet. Bueller?? There is still time yet however. Some nice blackfin tuna action remains in 130 to 200-feet of water, and some stud wahoo are also mixed in. Bottom fishing is producing good numbers of grouper, sea bass, vermillion snapper, and triggerfish over live bottom in 75 to 150-feet of water. Cut squid and cigar minnows will work for all but grouper prefer a live pinfish or a butterfly jig.

To view past Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Reports click here.