Lowcountry, S.C. fishing report for mid-August

Redfish are at top of the list in mid-August fishing report

The inshore fishing report continues to be good in the Beaufort, S.C. area. Redfish are making up the majority of the catches for most anglers, and they are biting a variety of baits and lures. Trout are also taking the same baits and lures, but on a smaller scale.

Live shrimp and mud minnows have been tough to beat for the redfish. But some anglers have been catching them on frozen shrimp and many are reporting big numbers of redfish on FishBites in a variety of flavors.

Some of the hottest redfish areas in the area are where smaller creeks around Hunting Island and Fripp Island empty into Fripp Inlet or the Atlantic Ocean. These creeks have narrow passageways that connect the inlet or ocean to the inshore creeks, creating a funnel that fish must go through to pass from one area to another. These funnels are especially productive when the tide is just rising or when it has fallen to dead low.

Finding these passageways is easy at low tide. They may be dry, but they usually have a small amount of very shallow water that doesn’t appear to be anything worth casting into. And for some of them, that is true at dead low tide. The trick is to find where the deeper holes will be in these passageways as the tide begins to come in.

Fishing on foot is a good idea in these locales

Kayaks are great craft to use when fishing this way. It’s often best to beach the kayak high and dry, then fish on foot as the tide rises, getting back in the kayak only once the water is too high for it to stay beached.

As the tide begins to rise, fish will move through these narrow passes from the ocean into the creeks. They are looking for food, so make sure to offer them something to eat. Live bait usually seems like the best option. But it’s not always true. Live baitfish can swim into debris or under submerged logs or weeds. This can foul your line, and can keep the baitfish hidden from predators looking for an easy meal.

In some cases, cut bait or frozen shrimp, which sits as still as the weight on your Carolina rig will hold it, is a better choice. FishBites, which are heavily-flavored synthetic baits that are designed to break down slowly, dispersing lots of scent into the water, can also be very good choices. These baits look very much like strips of chewing gum, and it might feel a little weird putting it on the hook. But they have been catching redfish of all sizes. Occasionally, trout and whiting have also been biting these baits.

The lowcountry fishing report is expected to stay hot for some time now. It will only get better once fall is here, which isn’t far off. Make sure you have plenty of choices for bait, and you should have no trouble catching your share of fish.