“Inshore Super Slam” in DI waters

Daniel Island Fishing
Report

Saturday was a perfect day for fishing. Arriving at the landing around 8 a.m., I was not surprised to see that several other Daniel Island residents had already launched their boats. The air was cool, but held the promise of a warm afternoon. An incoming tide brought clear 64 degree water into the creek.

Pulling away from the dock, I thought this is a trout kind of day. I then tied on a ¼ ounce lead head jig and tipped it with an electric chicken plastic body. Hoping to stack the odds in my favor, I sprayed a little YUM shrimp scent on the jig. Using the trolling motor, I moved along the marsh edge and concentrated my fishing around submerged oyster bars. Initially, the action was pretty good, each submerged oyster bar held one or two trout. Most were in the 16 to 20 inch range and all were very feisty fighters. Moving down the bank, I noticed a large submerged ledge on the depth sounder with fishing holding at the base of the ledge. I moved the boat back into position and cast a jig into 6 feet of water on the upper shelf of the ledge. As the jig fell down the ledge into about 10 feet of water, it was inhaled by a trout. My next cast produced another nice fish. This was repeated over and over again. In short order, I was able to catch and release over 20 trout from the same ledge.

Checking my watch, I had to leave the trout biting to meet a friend of the family at the Daniel Island Marina. Over an early lunch, I described the hot trout bite of the morning. Of course, upon returning to the spot with my friend onboard the bite had slowed dramatically. We released two flounder, four more trout and a couple of big bluefish.

We then got to thinking we each had a shot at an inshore super slam (four different species in the same day). So off we went in search of reds. Several stops and no reds had me beginning to worry that our super slams were not to be. Another two stops without a redfish and we decided to call it a day.

On the run back to the ramp, we noticed the dropping tide had exposed a steeply sloping oyster bar. I pulled back the throttle and idled into casting range. Our first casts completed our super slams! Dropping the trolling motor and working the entire bar, we were able to catch and release twelve more reds.

Excellent company, great weather and lots of fish! Did I mention Saturday was a perfect day for fishing?

Please help preserve the productive fisheries surrounding our island by keeping the fish you can use and releasing the rest for another day. Tight lines! Captain Greg

Fresh Water Fishing Trends at Lake Moultrie

Largemouth Bass: Slow, cast Rattletraps and Rapala lures around Pinopolis Point and Old Hatchery. Also cast spinnerbaits, plastic worms and lizards along docks and structure. Striped Bass: Poor, casting and trolling Stretch-25s early morning. Crappie: Excellent, try using crickets and small to medium minnows around fish attraction areas and brush piles. Some crappie being caught on the bed with minnows and jigs. Catfish: Excellent, 9 to 15 feet deep using cut herring, stink bait, chicken livers and shiners 9 to 20 feet deep near the bottom dike edges and around the dam. Bream: Excellent, try using crickets and redworms, nightcrawlers around fish attraction areas and banks. Shellcrackers: Good. Try using crickets and redworms along the banks in river runs and along points, possibly in canals.

Saltwater Fishing Trends at the Piers

Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier (Georgetown): Open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with free parking and fishing. Visitors also enjoy great bird watching. A Freshwater Fishing License is required due to brackish water. A second fishing pier on Winyah Bay has now opened called Hobcaw Point Observation and Fishing Pier. Spottail caught with mullet. Trout on cut bait and shrimp. Some flounder also caught.

Folly Beach Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. April through October. Spotted sea trout and whiting both caught with shrimp. Redfish caught with live and cut shrimp. Black drum and sheepshead caught with cut shrimp.