March fishing delivers tough conditions, strong finish

Fishing in March can be hit or miss. Thankfully, for the most part, fishing has been very good. 

On Saturday, however, I knew that fishing was going to be tough. The tide interval was wonky, about two feet less than normal. Plus, the barometer was rapidly rising. These conditions move the fish around and make them tough to catch. 

For a few minutes, I thought about not fishing and doing a bit of yard work. Then I came to my senses and called my old friend Jonathan Anderegg. He will fish regardless of the conditions. 

Over the years, we have fished together in several gales, freezing temperatures in a polar vortex, and countless torrential rainstorms. I called Jonathan and explained the situation. He responded by asking, "What time are we going?" 

We launched the skiff around 11:30 a.m. Our plan was to target redfish at low tide then switch to trout when the tide started to come in. 

Brody (the amazing fish-finding and stock-trading dog) selected a shallow creek off the Wando River as our starting location. No redfish were at home. We checked a couple of other shallow creeks. Same results. No fish. No steak dinner for Brody. 

The tide began to rise, so Jonathan and I switched our focus to trout. Given the rising barometer and weak tide flow, we moved to a deep creek close to the harbor. Trout and redfish were in residence. The bite was not hot but pretty steady. Over the next hour or so, we released about 30 fish. Not a bad day for March. 

COMMUNITY FISHING CLASS  

Location: Providence Church on Daniel Island  

Date: Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m. to noon  

Topic: How to locate fish and techniques to catch them  

If you would like to attend the class, please send me an email at captgregp@gmail.com.