Labor Day marks the unofficial end of the tourist season, but area fishing starts heating up.
The month of September is a fantastic time to get out on the waters of the Lowcountry. Shortly after the Labor Day weekend, there is typically a break in the weather and daily temperatures back off from the triple digit heat indexes of summer.
This cooler weather, teamed with hot fishing action, is the perfect combination to make September one of our better months for fishing.
The Spanish mackerel fishing should remain good until fall starts to cool the water temperature. This is also true with the area tarpon and some of the sharks. The fall run of king mackerel occurs when the water temperature drops down to the 70 degree mark. Speckled trout fishing gets better as this month progresses.
The one fishery that will dramatically soar is the tailing redfish.
Redfish just love to get on the hard-bottom “fiddler flats,” where they will stand on their nose to get at the crabs that dive in their holes for cover. What makes this action so special is that the length of the fish and the depth of the water are not always the same, so the redfish tails stick up in the air like a waving flag.
Pay attention and you’ll be able to cast just in front of a hungry red. You can fish these flats from a shallow water skiff or kayak. Or, put on your waders and stalk them on foot. Just be certain that the footing is a hard-packed sand and mud combination. Look for tides that are above 7.5 feet and go in search of these tailing reds.
The flats are abundant in our area and, with a little searching, you should have no problem finding the fish.
Courtesy of Blue Water Tackleshop
The experts at Blue Water TackleShop in South Beach Marina have a full charter fleet. Our experienced captains who know where the fish are. South Beach Marina is the closest marina to the ocean. This means more fishing and less traveling. 843-671-3060 or www.bluewaterhhi.com.
