Seabrook Island resident Richard Glasgow (right) and his son Drew hold a redfish that Drew caught.
Fishing this past month was very productive and we can expect November to be just as good!
Chilly water temperatures remind trout and redfish that they better eat now, or it will be a long few months ahead without any food. As natural bait leaves our waters, artificial lures have become very effective. Take advantage of sunny days and go catch some fish! Redfish have begun their seasonal phenomenon of forming large schools. Groups of 50 redfish will become common and they can grow as large as 100-150 during the winter.
These fish are more wary and tossing artificial lures into the pod can spook them. Instead of casting at the schools, we will throw out as many as three lines with chunks of frozen mullet on #3/0 circle hooks and let them sit on the outside of the school. Eventually the redfish will find your bait and make those rods whip over! For trout, artificial lures are working great.
Trout hang together and when you catch one there will likely be many more. Lures in hues of gray and blue are performing the best when paired with a 1/4oz. jighead. Remember to move your lure slower than usual as the fish slowdown with the cooler water temperature. Try to bounce the jighead off the bottom and wait until you feel the resistance of a striking fish. Popping corks are still great options for both trout and redfish. Live shrimp can be used again with the bait stealers gone. I’ll attach a 2 to 3-foot leader from the cork to a size 1 circle hook while adding a split shot a foot above the hook. Cast over oyster beds, along grass banks, and at creek mouths and watch for that cork to disappear! It can be a hard habit to break, but when that cork drops, reel as fast as you can and let the circle hook naturally set itself. A big hook set can sometimes pull your bait right out of the fish’s mouth. See you on the water!
Capt. Geoff Bennett, owner of Charleston Charter Fishing, is a local fisherman who knows all the angles.