June 21, 2007

By | June 21, 2007

Fishing this week started in a nice way! A nice seatrout bite near the sound. The seatrout bite isn’t red hot but definitely good! Action can best be described as interesting. Roe trout can be found near high water around marshy points. Clean water and a good drift are always a plus in trout fishing. Male seatrout can found close to sandbars in around 12 feet of water. Action around the sand bars is red hot! A variety of fish are working the bars: whiting, ladyfish, bluefish, spanish, bonnetheads and blacktips to name a few.

Redfish action is picking up but the bite remains off. Young of the year redfish are barely able to bite a hook. These small reds are likely only seven inches or so. Not catching many of these tiny fish. These young of year will quickly grow and by the July 4th they should be biting everything hitting the water and by September or October these young of year will be legal size (14 inches).

John Bruke reports our salt water catfish is in trouble. Come to think of it when the last time you caught a gaff top or regular old salt water cat? If you’re like me it’s been a long time. Most of us can remember catching so many catfish that were consider a major nuisance. Granted a lot not love is lost for an obnoxious old cat much like an obnoxious old charter captain. On the other hand as Capt. Wild Bill says, this is a sign something isn’t right with mother earth. South Carolina is immediately closing the taking of these fish while this situation is being studied. The point is to be aware of changes impacting our wetlands and that water quality is a major issue facing our coast and to stay informed.

Fishing for the remainder of this week should be good! Rain and clouds early in the week helped cool conditions and provide some much needed rain. Tides throughout the week look good. When winds kick up fish protected waters. Afternoon storms can kick up on any given summer day. Best fishing during summer is usually during the morning. This afternoon a dockhand said he launched a small boat from the marina and the family headed directly into a storm. Rain in a distance will look like sheets coming down. Running into a storm is not fun and potentially not safe. Check the weather forecast before and during your day on the water. Several GPS units have weather radar capability. A VHF radio is another good source of information and last but not least call a friend ask them to look a weather radar either on the weather channel, by internet or actual radar unit. There’s lot of information out there. Now is good time to familiarize yourself on how to obtain weather information.

Hope this of help! Good fishing!

Capt. Jack McGowan