SC’s central coast specks and redfish catch fire

Specks and reds come to life in November

The central coast of South Carolina is full of fertile fishing grounds that get a fraction of angling pressure as the rest of the coast. That’s great news for anglers like Capt. Stephen Flook of Unashamed Adventures (864-430-8830).

“Especially this month when fewer anglers are on the water anyway. I can spend an entire day out here and not see another fishing boat. And the redfish and speckled trout fishing is about as good as it gets, especially for anglers casting artificial lures,” said Flook.

He equates fishing for these species here this time of year to what most people consider as bass fishing. His favorite lures to throw include Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ in beer run color. Casting this lure to holes that are slightly deeper than surrounding water is his main tactic. He and his clients catch both specks and reds this way.

When the tide cycle lines up so that incoming tide occurs as the sun is rising, Flook said that’s a good time to begin the day casting walk-the-dog type lures. This draws plenty of strikes from speckled trout.

“It’s an exciting way to fish, with lots of blow-ups that can get the heart pounding,” he said.

This bite can last for an hour, or for much longer, depending on the day’s conditions.

“Once the sun gets high enough and bright enough, the topwater bite generally slows down. But if it’s a cloudy, overcast day, we can continue catching them on surface lures much longer,” he said.

As the sun brightens up, the DieZel MinnowZ really shines. Casting it on a 3/8-ounce jig allows Flook’s clients to make long casts, probing those deeper pockets from a safe distance without spooking the fish.

To specifically target specks, Flook said those deeper holes next to oyster mounds are gold. For the redfish, however, he casts to the shallower waters in those same areas and in the shallower flats. They’re looking for safety in numbers as they move with the tide to stay out of reach of porpoises.

“This is one of my favorite months for specks and redfish. They are very aggressive on artificial lures, fewer boats are on the water, and the weather isn’t unreasonably hot or cold,” he said.