Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by Capt. R.C.
2023 is underway, and so is inshore fishing for redfish and trout. I’ve been doing a lot of scouting this winter; trying to target some new areas during our offseason. For my first report of the year, I am going to give you the lowdown on how things are going.
Most Recent Trip
Last week our guest, Rob, booked a trip with us while they were down for a skeet shooting tournament at Backwoods Quail Club. He brought his son-in-law and grandson along for a half day fishing trip. His grandson, Logan, nearly cracked in to the top 10 out of over 120 competitors in the clay tournament.
On the next day, he caught a couple nice slot sized reds; and his dad caught a couple really nice trout! These guys could really fish, and it definitely made a difference. We had to work for it; but for it to be the day after a full moon, we had a fairly productive day.
Redfish Schooling Nearshore and Inshore
We have been able to locate redfish schools nearshore from Myrtle Beach to Murrell’s Inlet and south. It is a pretty impressive sight to find one of these schools feeding on the surface in the middle of the ocean. If you are lucky enough to come across one of these schools, it is important that you use some tact for the best results.
I like to get upwind, if possible, to maximize my client’s casting distance. If these fish are near the surface, they will hit just about anything you throw at them; but please use proper size gear to minimize stress on these breeding fish.
Our resident redfish have been schooling in the creeks since early December. We have had some great days catching double digits of reds before leaving them alone to search for another school. Since there are only 3 generations of redfish in our estuary at any given time, we practice ‘catch and release’ for this species. This, along with minimizing pressure, is how we hope to preserve this fishery for years to come.
Trout and the Recent Cold Snap
Speckled trout (aka winter trout or sea trout) mostly went in to their normal hiding pattern due to a solid week of temperatures falling in to the teens. There were very few reports of seeing fish that fell victim to ‘cold shock’, so it seems like they were able to mostly survive the extreme temperatures. Despite frequently being called ‘winter trout’, these fish can become extremely challenging to locate and catch this time of year.
This time of year, you have to look in deep holes inshore of Myrtle Beach where these fish are trying to find warmer water and lighter current. We have located a few this January, and have been able to catch some nice size trout.
These fish loaded up their calorie intake from September to November, so their main goal now is survival. The cold water temperatures and lack of bait have the trout in more of an energy conservation mode right now.
Call or Book Online Today
If you will be visiting coastal South Carolina, this is still about the best time of year for catching redfish. Give me a call, or book online, so you can experience the same fishing me and my friends grew up to love.