By Chad McPeters
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]inter in the Lowcountry can give fish a severe case of lockjaw. Below-freezing air temperatures, combined with roaming pods of hungry bottlenose, can weld many fishes mouths shut. As water temperatures lower, so do fishes metabolism, further reducing the need to feed. Letâs face it; the deck is stacked against you when it comes to gettinâ bit in the winter, unless we are talking about frost bite. Some anglers trade their rods for rifles this time of year and chase less elusive prey, such as wild boar, moose and grizzly bears. Die hard anglers know that sometimes you need a secret weapon. Fortunately for me, I just happen to know one by the name of Capt. Mark Phelps.
Capt. Mark Phelps, a contributing author to Coastal Angler Magazine since it was established in Charleston, is the owner and operator of Shore Thang Charters, Inc. Capt. Markâs extensive knowledge of inshore fishing provides him with one of the most consistent catch records in the business. We had originally planned to venture out earlier in the month, but the frigid northeast wind was determined to keep us off the water so we had to reschedule. Our second attempt would prove to be much more successful.
It was a gorgeous, 70-degree day at the IOP Marina, and after a month of ice storms, everyone there was glad to be out- side. My co-publisher, Eddie Hardgrove, and I hustled from our parking spot to the dock where Capt. Markâs beautiful 18- foot Hellâs Bay Guide boat was floating silently. We had decided to fish the latter part of the falling tide, and as we slid across the water, I could see the tops of oyster beds peeking from just underneath the surface. Our first spot was a tidal creek that served as drainage for a large area extending inland. As we poled across the flats lying on both sides of the channel, we could see puffs of mud in the water from spooked fish. Two big fish torpedoed towards the small channel that led into deeper waters, and the wake from both fish spread out across the plane of still water. The fish were scattered and spread out throughout the flat, which was a change from the full-choke pattern they displayed in the early winter. From the moment the motor was off, we began casting. Capt. Mark had us fishing two totally different lures to test what was working. Ed had a suspending twitch bait, and I had a scented, artificial plastic shrimp on a 1/8th ounce jighead…motion vs. scent. As we slowly poled across the flat, we were spooking fish and seeing random reds throughout; but apparently, none were hungry.
Two massive oyster banks guarded the second spot we fished, with an opening in the middle that was less than half the width of the Hells Bay. I gritted my teeth, waiting for the glass to grind against the razor sharp hull shredders, as Capt. Mark nonchalantly maneuvered us through the tiny opening. Silence. We could have been drifting on clouds, and it would have made more noise. The shallow water ahead of us was full of activity, and we could see a big school of reds cruising the flat about 100 yards in front of the boat. Again, there were a few random redfish scattered throughout the flat, but they were enjoying the warmth of the sun a lot more than the lures we were slinging. Since I have produced fish with a little scented curly-tail, chartreuse swimming minnow before, I switched baits to see if the combo of scent and motion would do the trick.
We spotted fish at 2âoclock, and Eddie and I stood in anticipation at the bow of the boat, both of us with our finger on the trigger, waiting to get within casting range of the school. Capt. Mark steadily kept us on the trail of the fish, and as soon as we closed the distance, Eddie and I simultaneously started casting. I would cast to where the fish were moving and let the lure sink to the bottom. After a few seconds, I would give it a little twitch then slowly retrieve the line. The scented plastic and wiggling chartreuse proved too much for one enthusiastic young redfish, and on my fourth cast I hooked up.
The stout little red produced a couple of great little runs before succumbing to my will. Capt. Mark reached in and delicately scooped up the 25-inch red. After a brief period of admiration, we liberated the young fish to fight another day and Capt. Mark congratulated me on my catch. âItâs tough to catch them this time of year,â he stated. âThatâs a young fish that just hasnât learned any better. The older, bigger fish arenât that easily fooled which is the reason that theyâre older and bigger.â The tide was draining out of the flats quick; and after a few more casts, it was time to end our angling adventure. Winter redfishing is tough; and from the chatter on the radio that day, we were doing better than anyone else on the water. Iâm just glad I had my secret weapon!
Whether it is your very first time fishing or you are a very experienced fly fisher who wants to catch the fish of a lifetime, Capt. Mark Phelps and Shore Thang Charters, Inc. will do everything possible to make sure you have a great experience on the water. Thanks to Capt. Mark for putting us on fish; Iâm sure he would be more than happy to do the same for you. Visit his website at www.shorethangcharters.com, or give him a call at (843)475-1274 and he can be your secret weapon too!
Chad McPeters
Coastal Angler Magazine
Charleston/Columbia
