Go clean, deep for specks

Edisto Island angler said trout are good option in June

Many anglers on South Carolina’s Edisto Island give up on speckled trout in the heat of June, and while they find it’s easier to catch redfish and flounder, they are missing out on some good fishing. Specks are a little more high-maintenance this time of year, but they’re worth the trouble, at least for anglers like Devin Moss, who spends summers fishing the area.

“It takes some work to stay on the trout this month, but just remember that you want clean water, clean oyster banks and deep holes. If you fish in these type areas, you can stay on the trout no matter how hot it gets,” said Moss.

Moss said trout are more sensitive to water temperatures than reds or flounder. They won’t stay in shallow creeks once the water heats up. Instead, he said they will hang out along oyster-lined banks closer to the open ocean. He spends most of his time fishing the rivers and creeks around Edisto where they empty into the ocean, and the beach areas close to those creeks and rivers.

And when he says he likes to fish around clean oysters, he’s talking about the oyster shell banks that look bleached white. Any time those shell banks are close to a deeper hole — say around 8 feet deep — that’s even better. Those deep holes are where the trout will head when the water gets dirty. A jighead paired with a live shrimp is the bait of choice, but Moss said that’s the only place he’ll use live bait for trout this month.

“The dirtiest water is usually on the last half of the outgoing tide, so during those times, your best bet is to fish that deeper water,” he said. “Once the tide starts coming in again, those oyster shell banks are the place to fish. But you’ll also see a clear defining line of clean water as it heads into the creeks. The trout will follow that line of clean water, and anglers should too. Once it starts covering up the white oyster shells, you want to concentrate on those areas.”

This is where Moss said artificial lures like D.O.A. soft plastics are your best bet.

“Those deep holes are good for live shrimp, but in the shallow creeks, there’s too many junk fish that will pick your live bait apart. Soft plastics are best in the shallow water. I like the D.O.A. shrimp, but their Bait Buster is good too. I keep it moving steadily but not too quickly. Just make sure you’re in the cleanest water with the whitest oyster shells you can find. The trout will be there,” he said.