FISHING CHARTERS

Fishing the marshes, creeks, and rivers of the Charleston area can provide some of the best inshore fishing in the southeastern United States. Fishing the local waters around Charleston can be some of the most memorable experiences with family and friends and is a great way to enjoy a day on the water.

They are abundant, and can be caught year round with light tackle. Methods of catching Red fish often fishing with live bait, dead bait, and artificial bait around marsh lines, mud flats, and oyster bars providing some great action and memorable catches.

Typically they inhabit estuaries year-round, but tend to congregate in the cooler months making them easy targets for anglers with local knowledge. Live shrimp are the preferred meal for trout but they are often fooled by various artificial baits like DOA Shrimps, Soft Plastic, topwater plugs, as well as flies that mimic a baitfish or shrimp.

Another very fun abundant fish to target is Sheepshead which are typically found in coastal waters, bays, wrecks, piers, pilings, rocks, and jetties. Sheepshead are omnivorous grazers that use their unique teeth to grind and crush invertebrates associated with hard structures which makes them notoriously difficult to catch. Their primary food source are mussels, clams, small oysters, barnacles, crabs, shrimp, and small fish.

Tarpon migrate annually to South Carolina waters in late May and stay until October. The best months for tarpon fishing in South Carolina are August and September during the annual Mullet run. This event triggers a large scale feeding frenzy as large tarpon and many other predator fish take advantage of the available mullet and menhaden. On average, the larger tarpon are caught in South Carolina later in the season, and fish in excess of 130 lbs are common.

Several species of shark can be found inhabiting the rivers, inlets, creeks of Charleston. Some of the most common sharks species found are bonnet head shark, Atlantic sharp nose shark, black tip shark, and bull shark. Bonnet head shark and Atlantic sharp nose shark size typically range anywhere from two feet to 3 feet or better. Both these species of shark can be caught on light tackle and put up a hefty fight before being landed. The Black tip shark is a relatively fast growing shark, reaching maturity at about 4-5 years of age and living longer than 10 years. Maximum size of blacktips off the U.S. eastern seaboard is about 6 feet in length and can typical be caught on heavier tackle. Many people consider the bull shark one of the most dangerous sharks in the world because of their aggressive nature. Besides, its aggressiveness its ability to live in saltwater as well as freshwater allows it to be caught in inshore waters. Typically heaver tackle is used when trying to land these hard fighting sharks.

Flounder being a rather tricky fish to catch have the ability to change their spot pattern and skin color to blend in with their surroundings and like to lay and wait on the bottom and then ambush their unsuspecting prey as they swim by. A flounder’s mouth is very soft with an intricately designed jaw structure with loose and rather delicate skin everywhere. If you try and set the hook as soon as you feel it taking the bait you will more than likely rip the hook out of its mouth. The best thing to do is wait briefly once you feel that the flounder has taken the bait as it will chew on it for a few seconds and then swallow. This will be the time to set the hook. Flounder can be caught on live or artificial bait and the most common live bait to use is mud minnows and finger mullet.