Late
Summer Update - Inshore fishing around the Winyah Bay and Cape Romain
areas have been extremely productive over the last several weeks.
Redfish and Flounder are being caught in shallow water and along the
banks around inlets and jetties, and sea trout have made a strong
appearance as of late. Redfish and flounder have been reacting to
various artificial baits but the most productive bait has been the
Morning Glory - DOA Shad on a 1/8oz Chartreuse jig-head. Topwater plugs
at daylight have been drawing some exciting strikes from redfish and
trout as well. Bone Color and Black/Chartreuse have been my best colors,
preferring the Bone color in the clear water and the Black/Chartreuse
in stained or muddy water. 
The Tarpon Fishing has been excellent since the mullet run began in late August. The beaches are packed with huge wads of mullet and the larger predator fish(like tarpon and sharks) are in hot pursuit. We’ve been doing a lot of scouting to pattern these fish on different tide cycles and conditions, and trying new fishing techniques, from running the beach looking for the big ocean fish, to flyfishing for “laid up” tarpon in the shallows early in the am. We’ve learned a lot this season about our migrant tarpon and we continue to improve our techniques for catching them.
Forecast: With Autumn right around the corner, the fishing only gets better! As water temps cool, game fish sense the change in season so they are actively feeding more aggressively than they have all year. Big numbers of trout can be caught under the right conditions - clear water, lights winds, and overcast skies is the ideal scenario for trout. I’ll be throwing my favorite artificial lures which include the DOA Paddletail and 3’ Shrimp in Electric Chicken, Figi Chicken(trout like chicken too), and Pink Ice. I recently discovered an innovative new popping cork from MidCoast Products that doesn't tangle and you and can literally throw it as far as you want. Check them out at http://midcoastproducts.com and look for the “Inticer” and “Outcast” models.
Redfishing
will offer anglers excellent sighfishing opportunities as they will be
gorging on shrimp, crabs, and baitfish in shallow water. Look for them
on the lower tidal states and come rigged with weedless flukes or Gulp
baits on jig heads, or any fly patterns that mimic baitfish or shrimp. Tarpon will stick around thru Oct as long as water temps remain above 70. Most of the fish Ive caught in Late Sept/Oct are large females in the 110-150# class so be prepared for a serious battle with a late season tarpon.
Please contact me with any questions and we hope that you’ll book a trip with us soon to take advantage of some excellent fall fishing!
Capt. Jordan Pate
