Nearshore rocks, reefs and wrecks produce mixed bag of fun

Be prepared for whatever decides to bite

One thing about summertime fishing is that it’s predictable. Good fishermen can figure out where fish are holding in early June and have a good idea that they’ll stay through Labor Day.

That’s one thing that Chuck Griffin of Aqua Adventures Fishing Charters counts on to get him through the summer. Find a good piece of nearshore livebottom or hardbottom – be it a wreck, a rockpile or an artificial reef – and fish will hang around for months.

“Nearshore wrecks and rocks and reefs will hold a lot of different kinds of fish all summer: flounder, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, bluefish, black sea bass and sharks,” said Griffin (843-884-6696), who runs charters out of Isle of Palms Marina. “People think about catching Spanish mackerel mostly in May, because they’re one of the first fish to show up in the spring, but we catch ‘em best out here in July and August. You can come out here and catch ‘em every day.”

And Griffin isn’t talking about trolling spoons around. He likes to anchor upcurrent of whatever piece of bottom structure he’s targeting and drop baits down along the edges, all the while casting spoons or other lures at or just below the surface for mackerel. “Make a long cast and reel just as fast as you can,” he said.

One key is to fish while the tide is moving. A current really gets the fish feeding because it keeps things stirred up. “When the tide is dead, it’s slow,” Griffin said. “You want the water moving. A light tide is best. Another thing is, if the water’s dirty, don’t even try; they won’t bite.”

When he’s dropping down baits for flounder, he likes to fish mud minnows or finger mullet on Carolina rigs. Black sea bass, specks and bluefish will rip a live bait to shreds if it’s fished on the bottom.

“You need to bring a lot of different tackle out,” Griffin said. “You need a lot of different hook sizes and leader sizes. You’re catching a mixed bag of fish; even if you’re targeting one species, you need to have small and big rods, all kinds of grubs and spoons – something for anything.”

Earlier this week, Griffin took a part to a nearshore piece of structure and returned with a handful of flounder, a nice speckled trout, a dozen or so Spanish mackerel. In addition, there were dozens of bluefish and black sea bass that came over the gunwales. A live bluefish and jack turned into live bait that produced hookups with a backtip and a spinner shark.