Aftermath of storms can bring 'epic fishing,' but watch for debris

In the Lowcountry, fishing heats up as the water cools down. This week, the fishing was blazing hot. Redfish and trout were gorging themselves on shrimp and finger mullet. Finding feeding fish was easy. Predators were crashing shrimp and baitfish on the surface. The commotion was hard to miss. Rather than making a bunch of blind casts, I used my trolling motor and the tide to quietly move the skiff along shallows, only casting when I observed feeding fish.

Since shrimp was on the menu, my lure of choice was a 1/6-ounce Z-Man Finesse BulletZ (weedless jig) with a Trick ShotZ (twilight colored) lure. This lure looks nothing like a shrimp, but it moves like one. Especially when retrieved with a short snap and pause retrieve. If I could cast the lure near the feeding fish, it almost always resulted in a hook up.

While the fishing is very good, Hurricane Florence is threatening our coastline. So, most of this week will be dedicated to storm preparation. It has been my experience that a few days after the storm passes, fishing can be epic. If you decide to fish after the storm, please be aware of all the debris that will be in the water. Nothing ruins a fishing trip (and a boat) more than striking hurricane debris.

Right now, fishing and catching are almost synonymous. I expect the catching to continue for several more weeks. Plan accordingly. The best fishing of the year is upon us. Don’t miss it!

Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.