As the days begin to get shorter in the month of October, we begin to experience a little nip in the air here in Charleston. Fish recognize the change of season and will begin to feed more aggressively. This is particularly true of inshore fish, as there is still a good bit of live bait in the water; however, the fish are aware that the bait will begin to thin out as the weather cools. Anglers also enjoy this month as the number of jet skis and non-fishing boaters begins to decrease.
Inshore, you will find some great redfish and trout fishing. So far in September, reports of trout have been looking really good with plenty of smaller fish and a healthy number of larger fish being caught. Floating live bait under popping corks is effective for catching both redfish and trout; however, there are plenty of different types of artificial lures that will get the job done. Top-water baits work very well in the early morning and the late afternoon to evening hours. Soft plastics are effective and offer many different options as well. Check our site to find out what baits are hot, and visit the guys at your local tackle shops to find out what everyone is buying. Flounder fishing will remain good through the month using live mudminnows, finger mullet and soft plastics. Fishing feeder creek mouths on outgoing tide and around the area inlets will produce some nice fish. Sheepshead fishing around the jetties and the docks will be very good using live fiddler crabs as bait. Tarpon fishing will begin to taper off but should still be decent until midmonth assuming the weather remains mild, while surf fishing will be good in October with big redfish herding up big schools of mullet.
Offshore, sail fishing should be good during the month. Along with sailfish, there should be plenty of nice wahoo, black fin tuna and scattered smaller dolphin. There will still be some barracuda and king mackerel out there, and the bottom fishing should be very good as well. Make sure you review and know your regulations for bottom fishing as these laws are constantly changing in regard to size and bag limits. The reefs will also be holding some nice bottom fish, especially black sea bass. If you are up to the challenge, amberjacks should be there as well.
Another popular activity during the month of October is recreational shrimp baiting season. Our shrimping forum is quite active this time of year with tips, techniques and reports. As always, we welcome you to come and share your fishing experiences with us on CharlestonFishing.com. Our members’ willingness to share their knowledge and experiences are what makes the site such a valuable resource for all of us. For those of you who prefer the woods this time of year, come on by and check out the hunting section in our forums as well.
