Thanks to Ron Davis, inventor of The Chatterbait, for this inshore report.
Trout: Excellent. The Edisto area is experiencing the peak of the speckled trout bite right now and no live bait is really required. 3-4 inch plastic grubs fished on 1/8-1/4 ounce jigheads can be cast or trolled in the creeks and main rivers. Anglers should concentrate on the 4-10 foot depths and cover lots of water until a school is located. These fish are moving a lot this time of year, but once located, multiple fish will be in the same area.
Spottail bass: Good. The reds have begun schooling up tight due to drastic water temperature drops all across the area. Water temps are in the mid- to upper 50s, and the fish are feeding quite actively once the schools are located. Mud minnows fished under floats are working well, but November and December are the peak months to throw artificials at these shallow minded fish. Plastics fished on flutter hooks and light jigheads are locals’ number 1 choice, but other lures that are just as effective but often over-looked are spoons, spinnerbaits, hard plastic jerkbaits, and shallow crankbaits. Once fish are located, it’s wise to keep changing offerings to continue the bite. Creek fishing has also be good. Deep bends with structure such as trees, rocks, or seawalls are holding very good numbers of fish which are mainly small puppies. The great crop of juvenile reds this year should lift overall numbers in this area which is great news since numbers have been declining since 2011.
Sheepshead: Good. The trash fish have moved on with the cooler water temperatures, so mainly all that’s left around the docks are sheepshead, black drum, and redfish. Bits of oyster and clams are great choices for bait this time of year, and the sheeps will be holding around structure in 10-20 feet. The migration of many sheepshead to the offshore structure has already begun, so on calm days, it’s wise to check your local nearshore structure for schools of hungry fish.
Flounder: Poor. Most have made their move offshore for spawning in 60-80 feet.
Offshore: No new report from Edisto Marina.
