Sunshine or rain, this captain finds them
A sunny afternoon in June is an ideal time for a leisurely boat ride along the marsh creeks that wind past picturesque McClellanville, SC. For Capt. Stephen Flook however, “sunny” and “afternoon” are not his favorite conditions when it comes to fishing. But that doesn’t mean he’s sitting it out because the weather isn’t to his liking. Never.
Come rain or shine, stiff breeze or dead doldrums, Flook guides almost every day of the year. And yes, he finds the fish.
“In June, we target redfish, speckled trout, flounder and sharks inshore,” he said. “Then in the fall, winter and spring we also target largemouth bass and stripers in some of the brackish rivers nearby.”
Some days are all about redfish. For that, he said his most effective strategy is built around an early start.
“I’ll let you start off with some topwater plugs in the morning,” he said. “Early morning hours before sun up. We hit the water at 5:30 or 6 and target oyster bars on points. Whether the tides are rising or falling, as long as you have current.”
Flook likes to use walk-the-dog topwater plugs such as the Rapala Skitter Walk in chrome and black, or the Berkley Jay-Walker. All those work great, he said.
“You can walk the dog slow or fast, and if a speckled trout misses your plug, you can stop it, let it sit there, and that trout will come back and hit again.
“That works for redfish as well, but if a redfish misses your plug, do not stop the lure. Keep going. Just keep walking it and you’ll get a good strike.”
Go live or artificial
He likes tossing various artificial shrimp as well.
“As far as artificial lures go, I like the new Z-Man EZ ShrimpZ and EZ Prawn StarZ. I love those under a popping cork, like a Four Horsemen Oval cork, either in chartreuse or orange for the cork, and a variety of colors for the Prawn StarZ,” he said.
“I like it rigged with anywhere from 2 to 5 feet of leader under the cork. Then simply cast it up current near some oysters. Reel it slowly to keep the slack out of the line. Give that cork two to three pops, then let it sit for 5 seconds, and then repeat all the way back to the boat. It’s a natural presentation that will catch reds and speckled trout all spring.”
An influx of baitfish in spring however, can cause a re-thinking of strategies.
“We’ll get some small peanut-sized menhaden in the creeks, and we’ll also get finger mullet,” he said. “We’ll be using live shrimp by then. You can catch some shrimp in the deep holes or buy them at a bait shop. Mud minnows work great too. So there’s a whole smorgasbord of live bait to be had.
“If I’m fishing live bait, I’m either using a Carolina rig with a 1/2-ounce egg sinker, a swivel, and about a 15-inch piece of 20-pound line. When you tail-hook a menhaden, finger mullet, mud minnow or shrimp, the bait is constantly flicking under the cork, trying to get away. That seems to work the best for me, and triggers the most strikes in the spring. If I’m not catching a lot of fish, I’ll move around until I find clean water, the cleanest for the area you’re fishing. If the water’s really stained and nasty, then try and find the clearest water you can.”
Another tactic he likes, when the tides are right, is wade-fishing.
“If you have a flats skiff, or a flat spot you can get up on,” he said, “you need to look for tailing redfish up in the shallow grass flats. On the inside of the spartina, redfish will get up in there and feed on little crabs, shrimp and snails. That is a good time to target them with an artificial like the Prawn StarZ.
“If you don’t have a flats boat, you can take your bay boat or johnboat and pull up to a grass flat, tie your boat off, and hop out and wade. Just grab an old pair of tennis shoes and rock and roll like the old days. I use some binoculars and scan the flat for tailing redfish. Give it about five minutes, and if you don’t see any fish tailing, I would ride to the next flat. Bring along some binoculars too.
Don’t skip overcast days
In June, Flook much prefers an overcast day.
“Cloudy days, you’re going to jack them all day long, nonstop,” he said. “Or if it’s a little rainy out. I love a little fog, a little rain, a little wind and rain combination. That stuff’s always the best because it keeps everybody else off the water. And the fishing is insane because of the barometric pressure.
“If it’s clear, blue and sunny, sometimes those are tougher days. You’ve got to get out early. I’m a morning guy anyway. I like to get up very early. I’m talking 3:30 to 4 every morning, I’m on the water in the dark because I just love the sunrise.
“I can catch them regardless of the tides. High or low, whatever the tides, you can always catch fish. It might be slower, but you’re still gonna catch fish. I don’t really have a favorite tide. I believe that if you have a bait in the water, your odds are better than if your bait is not in the water.”
While spinning rods and reels are his primary gear, Flook also enjoys taking fly fishermen out in search of redfish.
“What I like is an 8-weight Hardy fly rod with a variety of different crustacean patterns such as little crabs or little shrimp imitations.
“I look for redfish to be in the creek mouths or in little pockets with some oyster bars,” he said. “Those fish will get trapped up in there and that’s a great time to get your first one on the fly. Cast that fly upcurrent, let it sink down in the hole, and strip it real slow. Keep your line very tight, keep your rod tip near the water, and just keep stripping and get him hooked real good. Flood tide is best for fly fishing. You need to accurately be hitting a paper plate 30 to 50 feet every cast. If you can do that, you’ll be ready to rock.”
Whether you fish with artificials, live bait, or enjoy the challenge of casting a fly, Flook knows where the fish are, 12 months of the year. When you go out on the UNASHAMED, be ready to catch redfish, trout, sheepshead and depending on the time of year, a lot more.
To learn more about Unashamed Charters or to schedule a trip, visit https://fishingcharterschs.com. Or you can reach Flook at 864-430-8830 or unashamedaventures@gmail.com.
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