Fall fishing promises great returns

In the Lowcountry, we are blessed with great year-round fishing. However, the arrival of fall brings the promise of truly fantastic fishing. As the days become shorter and the water temperature drops, everything with fins and teeth feeds voraciously. For the next several weeks, fishing and catching will be synonymous. A bold claim but for the most part true.

Trout are gathering into large schools and gorging themselves on shrimp and finger mullet. The large schools are pretty easy to locate. Sea gulls often hover above the schools and eat the shrimp or finger mullet that the trout drive to the surface. When you encounter this situation, fishing and catching are truly synonymous.

Before beginning to fish, take a moment to observe the size of the forage that the trout are eating, then select a lure that is of similar size and color. Also, look at your depth/fish finder and try to determine the depth at which the trout are holding. Before making your first cast, drop your lure into the water and make note of how fast it sinks. You now have all the information you need. Cast your lure and let it sink to the depth where you saw the fish on your fish/depth finder. Chances are, a trout will eat the lure as soon as it sinks into the targeted depth. If by chance your lure is not eaten, an aggressive twitch and pause retrieve will often trigger a strike.

Late last week, my brother Dave and I happened upon just such a scene. After collecting the requisite data, we picked up rods rigged with Z-Man TRD lures on 1/6-ounce NedlockZ jigs. We did not have to count down our lures (to the appropriate depth) because the trout were eating them soon as they hit the water. For the next 90 minutes, we caught a fish on nearly every cast. We literally got tired of catching them.

Fishing and catching may not always be synonymous, but for the next few weeks, it is a pretty good bet.

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