By Capt. Mark Phelps
Fishing the Charleston area in April can be simply unpredictable, and the type of fishing will depend on the weather. If spring truly comes early and we have 80 degree days, we might be fishing an early summer pattern. However, if the weather is cool, we may be fishing for redfish the same way we fished all winter.
This winter, the redfish bite has been excellent for artificial and fly anglers. If the weather in April is still on the cool side, redfish will continue to be found in schools of 20 to 50. On calm days, you should still have enough visibility to do some great sight fishing with fly or artificial lures on the flats. Try small olive or black flies fished slowly on the bottom. For spinning rods, use a DOA shrimp or jerk bait on a weedless hook. Some days in the spring, redfish will get quite picky to say the least. When this happens, try anchoring the boat and soaking some cut bait. I like to use cracked crabs or cut mullet for this purpose; however, if you have some live mud minnows or live mullet, they will also work well.
The groundhog said we will have an early spring, and I hope he was right. If April brings warm, sunny days and the water warms to the high 60s or low 70s, we will have several options. Redfish will begin to look for crabs in the grass at high tide, and you might find the first tailing fish of the year. Crab flies and a weedless DOA shrimp or artificial crab work great. This is also a great time to start fishing for sea trout, and a mud minnow or DOA shrimp under a cork is hard to beat. I always like April for the start of flounder season. Try using a mud minnow or finger mullet on the bottom fished slowly, and you might catch dinner. If the seas are calm, you can look for the annual cobia run off the beaches and jetties. The last few years have seen some red hot cobia action in April as they migrate north for the summer. Cobia love bait fish and eels, so anything that resembles these will work. Make sure you have a rod and reel in the 20- to 50-pound class because some of the cobia can be over 50 lbs!!! It’s time to get on the water and enjoy being in Charleston!
A great way to spend the day on the water is to book one of the area’s great guides. Having fished in Charleston for almost 19 years, I am extremely knowledgeable and experienced in this area. As owner and operator of Shore Thang Charters, I would love to share my expertise with you on the water.
Capt. Mark Phelps
Shore Thang Charters
www.ShoreThangCharters.com
ShoreThangCharter@hotmail.com
(843) 475-1274
