The return of the redfish!

Trout population in short supply after January’s cold temps

The Charleston Boat Show was last weekend. Judging from the crowds, I expect to see a lot of people with big smiles and shiny new boats on the water this spring. While at the show, I had the opportunity to speak with several guides and anglers from across the Lowcountry. Reports from anglers that specialize in fishing the barrier islands (north of Charleston) are concerning. People that really know how to catch trout are not catching any. Thankfully, redfish and trout in the waters that surround Daniel Island seem to have fared better than in other areas. In speaking with the biologist at the Department of Natural Resources, the extent of the trout die-off (due to record cold water temperatures) will not be fully known until May or June. Until then, they strongly recommend releasing all trout so they can reproduce and restore our fishery.

For the next few months, in order to give trout a break, I will be targeting redfish in the shallows with my Shimano Asquith 8-weight fly rod. In the weeks after the snow storm, redfish have returned to their normal winter haunts. So, it is a good time to pursue them on the fly or with finesse lure techniques. My favorite winter-time fly is a chartreuse Clouser Minnow. For finesse lure techniques, the Neko rig has been a solid performer. Over the past few weeks, I have shared how to rig and fish the Neko with several anglers. All of them have reported great catches when other techniques have failed them. With the trout population in trouble, fishing pressure on redfish will increase. If we practice catch and release, the redfish population should remain in good shape. Occasionally, if you want a fresh redfish for dinner, keep one. Occasionally, I do.

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

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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