Fishing is heating up thanks to March's balmy start
Late winter feels more like spring. This week, the water temperature hit 63 degrees, which is unusually warm for early March. Like the water, the fishing is heating up. Baitfish (glass minnows, mud minnows and finger mullet) have returned to the shallows. Trout are moving out of their winter deep water haunts and into the shallows to feed. Look for concentrations of baitfish around marsh points and oyster bars. If you see bait, there is a pretty good chance Trout and Redfish are nearby.
I recommend using a lure that is similar in size and color to the baitfish that you see. When glass minnows are present, a Z-Man Slim SwimZ (Opening Night) on a 1/8-ounce Trout Eye Finesse Jig is a good choice. Recently, this has been a highly productive lure combination. If mud minnows are the primary forage, try using a Z-Man TubeZ (The Deal) on a mushroom head jig. Mud minnows are usually handing around oyster bars for protection. The TubeZ and mushroom head jig help to fish around oysters without getting hung up (as much). When finger mullet are abundant, a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Ralph Shad) or MinnowZ (Bad Shad) on a 3/16-ounce Trout Eye Jig are hard to beat. Retrieve the lures with an erratic jerk and pause retrieve. It is important to keep the lures on or near the bottom. The strike most often occurs after the jerk and during the pause (as the lure descends to the bottom).
Fishing is very good right now and it will get even better as the water temperature rises. So round up the kids and go fishing!
On Saturday, April 1 at 10 a.m., I will be teaching a fishing class (in conjunction with the Daniel Island Inshore Fishing Club) at the Daniel Island library. The focus of the class will be “How to Catch Fish On and Around Daniel Island.” The class is free. However, I am asking attendees to consider a contribution to the Lucy Boyle Memorial Fund. If you would like to attend, please confirm your seat(s) with a message to captgregp@gmail.com.
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.