Charleston’s October Fishing Forecast
Nice pair of redfish
There are a lot of fun activities to enjoy in the Lowcountry in October. Eating fresh local oysters and shrimp is great; however, if you like fishing, you must go for the redfish and sea trout as October is the best month for these two local species.
This month is crunch time for Charleston redfish. October brings cooler weather, less humidity and great fishing, beginning the official start of the fall feeding frenzies. The cooler water has all the mullet and shrimp thinking about migrating to the ocean for the winter, so the bait will be in great numbers and on the move. This causes redfish and sea trout, as well as flounder, to eat more and more often each day. Not only is the weather nice enough to stay out fishing all day, but also the fish seem to feed all day. Redfish will start forming into schools and work the bait as they try to escape. You can find redfish by watching the gulls that hover over the redfish schools hoping for an easy meal. Redfish will bunch up the bait and attack at will. During this time, the bait will jump out of the water and the gulls will dive into the water for an easy meal. When the redfish are in this kind of frenzy, they will eat almost anything you put in their face. Of course, a live finger mullet or shrimp will get eaten; however, I love to throw artificial lures and flies during this time. Top-water lures, DOA Shrimp or jerk baits work excellently for this, as well as any flies that imitate a shrimp or gold flash.
Sea trout and flounder will not be as visual as the redfish but eat aggressively and often as well. The sea trout can be found on most current rips and breaks in 4 to 6 feet of water. Sometimes, they will eat a DOA Shrimp as fast as you can throw it in the water. I like to drift a DOA Shrimp about 2 feet under a popping cork to find fish the best. Flounder will be found in good numbers also. Look for edges of mud flats or sand bars. Flounder will also migrate offshore in the winter, so look for them to be on the move to the inlets by the end of the month. October is possibly one of the best months of the year to fish inshore. The weather and fishing are great, and some tasty local seafood can be caught and eaten this month.
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 21 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