Preparation is next to godliness

Planning and preparation are critical to fishing success. With the offshore fishing season just around the corner, my son Elliott and I have been doing a lot of both. 

 

Sometimes, the tasks seem endless. However, it is less of a burden and actually kind of fun because we do them together.  

 

On Saturday, we spent the day cleaning and re-spooling our offshore fishing tackle. Sunday was dedicated to re-rigging all of our offshore lures.  

 

This week, Ohana, our offshore fishing boat, is going to the shop for routine maintenance. Then, we need to refresh our safety gear, i.e. life raft, distress flares and medical kit. 

 

All this preparation is cutting into our fishing time. But it is essential to safely and effectively fish offshore. 

 

I have a feeling the offshore season will be early this year. So, do your planning and preparations now. It takes longer than you think. 

 

Brody and I managed to sneak in a short fishing trip last Thursday afternoon. The water was clear and 61 degrees. Given the conditions, Brody said the fish would be feeding in shallow water. So, we began fishing in a small creek at dead low tide. Trout were stacked up in the oyster-lined channel and crushing my Z-Man Finesse TRD. Further up the creek, we encountered a school of slot-size redfish. They readily ate the same lure. It seems the spring inshore season is early as well. 

 

I am super excited to attend the Daniel Island Fishing Club meeting on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. The meeting location is Providence Church and the topic is Inspiring Women in the Charleston Outdoor and Fishing Industry. 

 

Capt. Kelsey Dick, with Shimano; Pam Corwin, fisheries biologist and accomplished artist; and Sterling Boyd, CEO of Free Fly Apparel; will be sharing their experiences. Do not miss it. Hope to see you there.

 

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