The Waller Report
Summer is over, and fall is quickly approaching. The best inshore fishing is now only a few weeks away, but the waters in September are still warm and full of life and bait. The variety you can catch inshore this month is too many to name. Reds, trout, flounder, sharks and sheepshead make up the majority of our catches, but we still get blues, jacks and ladyfish among many others.
This month, we work docks at low tide using fiddlers or shrimp, then switch to creek points and creek mouths on the higher tides. We use live shrimp on most trips; however, if we are targeting sheepshead, we use fiddler crabs. Since every fish that swims will eat live shrimp, including a lot of smaller fish, you need to carry plenty of bait for a trip this time of year. The majority of our fishing is bottom fishing. Work corks or floats along the shoreline, but only fish with one or two anglers. When you have multiple anglers trying to cast and work floats, more than two usually results in lots of tangles and crossed lines.
The nearshore reefs are always productive. Spadefish may still be around but not for much longer. We land black sea bass (BSB), triggerfish, sharks, reds, weakfish and bluefish while fishing the structure on the reef. Mornings are usually better due to the winds not being as strong as later in the day. The same gear you use inshore will work at the reefs unless you are targeting sharks, in which case you will need to use some stouter tackle. We try different baits to see what is working and to catch different species. Some fish eat all baits, while others are more selective. BSB and reds will eat anything, while sheepshead and black drum will not bite on fish or minnows. If you are targeting reds, do not keep any from the reef even if they are in the slot limit as no reds may be retained in Federal waters, and all of our reefs are in Federal waters. Also, remember that you will need to use circle hooks when keeping BSB.
Capt. Michael Waller
SaltFisher Charters
www.saltfisher.com
(843) 224-8197 or
(843) 343-7538