August is already here and the summer is about over, Cooler temperatures and some of the best fishing of the year is just ahead of us but August is still a good month to get out and fish. Go early to get ahead of the heat and thunderstorms that usually show up in late afternoon this time of year.
We fish baits on our trips to get a variety of fish, we also practice catch and release and tag many species for SCDNR. (South Carolina Departmen
t of Natural Resources) If your fishing with live shrimp and are not getting a bite you need to move, every fish in our waterway will eat live shrimp.
We usually catch over 10 different species of fish inshore, try using finger mullet, mud minnows or menhaden to get away from the smaller fish you encounter using live shrimp. If you are looking for more of a quality fish, try fishing on the bottom and using corks to cover more of the water column.
Most of my trips are families, trying to fish four or five cork lines is impossible so we fish the bottom. Last summer, we never used corks all summer while others had great success using them. We caught plenty of good fish on the bottom so both work.
Try rigging the live shrimp by starting the hook at the base of the shrimp’s tail on the underside so that the hook shank is hidden inside the shrimp’s body. For years we ran the hook between th
e dark areas on the head but I have found that hooking them in the tail works well when we fish the bottom.
If you have kids on board and just want action for them fish fresh bait shrimp around docks or other structures, they will stay busy with a variety of fish including Croakers, pinfish, black sea bass, perch, dogfish, sharks, rock bass, sheepshead, black drum, red drum, sea trout, rays and other species can all be caught this way.
The summer shark fishing is at its peak in August, fish deeper cuts, areas where creeks dump into the river or off the beach around the shrimp trawlers for best results. We save ladyfish, bluefish and other fish to use for sharks. Also, keep some blue crabs around for areas where bonnet heads are. We fish two lines around the trawlers but fish four lines in the sounds and rivers. We use half a blue crab on one or two lines and mix cut fish on the others lines to see what is working best that day.
Reef fishing is always action packed even if it is only black sea bass. The same gear you use inshore will work out there. Bring a variety of baits to increase chances of catching other fish. There is no bait that a black sea bass will not eat but you can use bigger baits or large buck tail jigs to keep the smaller ones off your lines. Always keep a rod or two rigged with a spoon or plug to toss at Spanish should they appear, we fish the nearshore reefs and do not get the kings and amberjacks other offshore reefs produce.
Capt. Michael Waller
843 224 8197 – 843 343 7538
Salt Fisher Charters
