Just when you thought it couldn’t get any hotter, July rolls around and for us all this year is the 250th Anniversary of our Independence! A semiquincentennial, as they call it! Happy Anniversary America!
While it is still hot and the fishing is still great, we are all lucky to be able to enjoy the freedoms of so many things including a favorite hobby of fishing! The inshore bite will continue to be strong. Fishing the creeks will require you to fish extremely early. A topwater bite can still be had, and once the sun comes up you can switch to live/cut baits or go to your favorite soft plastic worked sub-surface. I personally think a creek bite shuts off by 10:00-11:00am simply due to the heat. I tend to move closer to the ocean if I am still wanting to target reds, trout, and flounder. I also move my baits closer to the bottom as the sun gets higher in the sky. Those fish will hover the bottom looking for cooler water when temps get high. When fishing soft plastics I tend to use darker colors, simply because the water this time of year is typically more stained and muddy. If uneasy using artificial baits go to a live or cut bait. There is so much bait in the creeks it won’t be a bad idea. Live baits like shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and small menhaden would be great baits of choice!
Your deeper water species such as bull redfish, tarpon, sharks, and jack crevalle would be better targets in the heat. While the bigger redfish can be sensitive to the heat, at times most of the previous mentioned species don’t mind it. They are typically targeted in water depths of at least fifteen feet up to depths such as forty and fifty feet. Fish finder or carolina rigs are your ideal setups. Using anywhere from three to eight ounces to hold bottom is common. Leader class should be sixty to eighty pounds for most. Live menhaden and mullet can be a great bait for all of it. At times, a fresh cut bait on the bottom can outdo live bait so don’t be afraid to cut a live one up and send it down, you may see better results! Jetties, inlets, and sandbars are your typical locations. Don’t be afraid to move around to find better clarity water, lots of bait, and a better “feeling”, especially when targeting tarpon.
The offshore bite still continues to do well! We had a great mahi mahi bite for May and June and hope some of it will continue this month too, although history shows it slowing down some. The one thing that does ramp up is the sailfish bite! And don’t worry blue marlin lovers, they can still be caught this time of year too! Most bites will likely occur in slightly deeper water this time of year. While for most of your gamefish I would concentrate on the ledge area in 180’ of water I wouldn’t stay there all day, especially if not getting bit. While the weedlines and edges move all the time, as of late they were out deeper in 550 feet of water. So first and foremost get a sea surface temp report before you go, and then when out there look for some of those areas and don’t hesitate to run a little bit and look around to see what you see! Sometimes it could take something as small as a floating pallet to have lots of mahis on it and change your day completely!
This month also marks the new redfish changes, reducing the catch limits and adjusting the harvest slot size, as well as a new mandated hook type. The new rule will take the bag limit to one fish per person, per day. It will take the boat limit to two fish per boat, per day(regardless of the number of anglers on board.) It will take the slot size to 18-25 inches total length. The new hook rule will require that when using a 4/0 size hook or larger, when using natural bait, it has to be a non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hook.
Don’t forget to visit our website for upcoming events as well as some extremely helpful tips and techniques to catching everything that Charleston has to offer!
Happy Fishing and Happy Fourth!
Tight Lines
Capt Mike Able
Haddrell’s Point Tackle & Supply • Since 1983
843-881-3644 (Mt Pleasant)
843-573-3474 (West Ashley)
