Freshwater influx moving bait out of bay
Winyah Bay has been full of fresh water in recent weeks – runoff from late-summer tropical storms – but that hasn’t hurt the fishing.
Rod Thomas of Capt. Ponytail’s Guide Service averaged about 30 to 40 specks per trip this week – all on artificials.
“They’re hitting shrimp fished under a float, but I’m catching all of mine on plugs and plastics,” said Thomas (336-240-5649). “They’ve been all over the place, along the grass edges, specially around Mud Bay, Pumpkinseed Island and Marsh Island.”
Thomas has been doing his damage early in the morning on a Floater Bite, a topwater plug that’s about six inches long and looks a little like a Sammy. He can work the bait on top or about six inches deep, and most of the bites have been coming with the bait just under the surface.
Some of Thomas’ success on artificials may have to do with the fact that the bay is rapidly emptying of bait, he said. Shrimp and baitfish are piling out into the ocean, in front of the freshwater, so artificials are really working.
“I’ve been catching them better on a rising tide, especially the last two or three hours as it approaches high,” he said. “The fishing has been pretty consistent everywhere, all the way to the jetties.”
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