Wadmalaw redfish action has been great

Lots of mullet in backwaters triggering excellent catches

It looks like it’s going to be a banner year for fishermen in the Wadmalaw area, according to guide Rawling Pratt-Thomas of Charleston.

The reason? The waters of the Stono, Wadmalaw and North Edisto rivers and the surrounding backwaters are slam full of mullet minnows – and the redfish are responding.

“The redfish have been very good lately, despite the weather conditions,” said Pratt-Thomas (843-834-1061). “They’ve broken up out of their big schools and into smaller pods because there’s so much bait; they’re everywhere. And the peanut menhaden should be coming in soon.”

A half-day trip last Thursday proved that Pratt-Thomas knew what he was talking about. The first two bays he stopped to fish produced close to a half-dozen strikes each, with several fish coming aboard that were above-slot sized, as well as a handful in the slot. They hit artificials, as well as cut mullet.

“We’ve been catching them in the bays on a falling tide,” said Pratt-Thomas, who estimated that most of the pods he encountered contained 10 to 20 reds each. “You go up to the edge of the marsh at high tide, and the mullet will be there.”

Pratt-Thomas said that peeler crabs had probably been more productive than mullet as cut bait, with crabs beginning to molt.

“We’ve been fishing crabs and mullet on a float rig or with just with a couple of split shot up the line,” he said.

Productive artificial baits have included 3-inch Gulp! shrimp in new penny colors and soft-plastic Sebile swim baits in mullet colors.