Cracking the trout code proves difficult this week

A heavy travel schedule kept me off the water for most of this week. During my absence, the trout fishing pattern changed. The usual hot spots produced a few fish (stupid ones which I kept for dinner to remove from the gene pool), but not the huge numbers of fish that have spoiled me for the past few months. I spent Saturday and Sunday searching for trout. A couple here and a couple there made for a decent day of fishing, but I never really cracked the new trout code.

Saturday, almost all of the fish were holding on secondary structure or ledges (well away from the bank) in 15-20 feet of water. A 3/8 ounce lead head jig provided a better feel when fishing the deeper ledges. The strike was very light. On several fish, I never felt the bite, but noticed a slight movement in the line where it enters the water. Gulp shrimp and smoke minnows were the more productive plastic bodies. Sunday, I fished smaller creeks and concentrated my fishing in the deeper water created by a bend in the creek. Creek bends with docks or oyster bars produced trout on a pretty regular basis. The fish seem to be in transition. Some are still in their Summer/Fall habitat and others are taking up winter residence in the smaller creeks. I’ll do more scouting for trout this week and will hopefully figure out their new cold weather pattern.

Redfish are another story! Dropping water temperatures are improving visibility. The reds are beginning to form large schools and holding on shallow flats. Recent trips have produced consistent catches of reds in the 30-33 inch range. Now is the perfect time to sight fish for reds on the flats.

If you have any questions about my reports or fishing in the waters surrounding our island, please feel free to e-mail me at captaingreg@shallowwatercharters.com.

Freshwater Fishing Trends at Lake Moultrie

Largemouth Bass: Fair, cast spinnerbaits, plastic worms and lizards along docks and structure. Also cast Rattletraps and Rapala lures around Pinopolis Point and Old Hatchery. Striped Bass: Fair, casting and trolling. Crappie: Excellent, 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. Use crickets and redworms, nightcrawlers around fish attraction areas and banks. Shellcrackers: Good. Use crickets and redworms along the banks in river runs and along points, possibly in canals.

Pier at Folly Beach

Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. April through October. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Nov. Open 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Dec. through Jan. Whiting, black drum and spottail all caught with live shrimp.