By: Englis Glover
Here are a couple great ideas for the colder season here in the Carolinas. Most of us start chasing waterfowl this time of the year, but there are some great opportunities throughout our area that can be rewarding and fun for anglers.
About six years ago, I was introduced to wintertime sheepshead on the inshore reefs. The âlittle convicts,â as they are affectionately known, offer great fights in the depths of the inshore reefs. We are fortunate to have so many opportunities off of South Carolina to target these fish. They can also be found around jetties and inside the bays around docks and pilings or anywhere with a food source such as barnacles. Targeting them on the reefs means being extremely accurate with your anchoring and fishing vertically around the structures. I find that a Fishizzle Meal Ticket jig in the ½- to 1-ounce weight with a frozen or live fiddler crab works perfectly for feeling the difficult bite of a sheepshead. Another piece to the puzzle that can get them into a feeding frenzy is to offer up some chum, such as barnacles or clams.
Capt. Jason Burton of www.FlyGirlFishingCharters.com has been successful targeting these fish and offers great trips to enjoy this fishery. Just know that if the weather is calm during the winter months, you need to get out there and take advantage of every opportunity.
We have all heard of the incredible schools of redfish that pile up in the shallows throughout the Carolinas as the temperature drops. These schools can be made up of hundreds of fish, with sizes ranging from under slot to well over 20 inches. These fish can be found in and around feeder creeks and open flats and can be in as little as 5 to 10 inches of water. In most cases, these fish are protecting themselves from the hungry dolphin. But also, schools of mullet can be concentrated around these areas and make an easy meal for these lethargic reds as temperatures drop. I have targeted them from Little River to Beaufort this time of the year, and I am really drawn to my experiences in the Charleston area with its numerous areas offering opportunities at these fish.
Capt. Jamie Hough of www.FlatSpotCharters.com has sent many an angler home with sore arms and tons of fish with sore lips. As one of the best tournament redfish captains around, its no wonder he stays booked up. These fish are normally sight fished, and targeting them with light and medium tackle such as grubs and Gulp Shrimp rigged weedless or cut bait on a circle hook jig will produce great numbers. If you want an opportunity to catch upwards of 40 to 50 fish in a four-hour trip, I suggest Capt. Jamie. While most will not be slot fish, it is great to practice catch and release on this species that has made an incredible come back over the last 10 years. If you want to chase reds from your own boat, be quiet. These fish spook easily. Trolling motors and push poles are a must and will put you right in the action as the fish move up in the creeks and on the flats.
Drop me an e-mail about Speakinâ Englis, and tell me topics you would like discussed. I canât promise I can cover the topic in a column, but we can definitely get you the info you need.
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