March weather can vary greatly from day to day. Perfect conditions for chasing wahoo and tuna are not what most people assume they are.
“Obviously, everyone wants to be out there when the water is calm and pond-like but that’s not the best fishing weather,” said Capt. Ross Holmquist of Beaufort. “Fishing is better in choppier water when trolling because you can get away with more flaws in presentation. But on the other hand, it’s not a fun or safe ride out to the Triple Ledge on a rough day; you have to find a happy median.”
The same rules of weather for tuna and wahoo do not apply to sheepshead. Smaller, single-engine boats are easier to position on top of shallow wrecks and reefs but are not as safe as bigger boats when the water gets rough. Subtle takes from sheepshead are also easier to detect when the boat is relatively still. Even if the weather does not seem to be all that bad, it is worth checking closely.
Ultimately, it is the captain’s job to know what the boat is capable of and when it is not safe to go out.
“I only go out on calm days, because it doesn’t take much wind to make navigating out of the Port Royal Sound quite rough,” said Capt. Steve Roll of Port Royal.
Wind and waves are not the only safety concerns in March. According to Holmquist, even on warm days, fishermen should be prepared, because it is often colder on the water than on land, and conditions can change quickly.
“It’s important to have warm clothes and a good, warm wool blanket onboard just in case anything happened and someone where to get wet or too cold,” he said.
Updated marine forecasts for areas off the South Carolina coast can be checked at http://www.erh.noaa.gov/chs/. Also, up-to-date weather forecasts, current conditions and tide information are available from NOAA through marine VHF radios.
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