Many fishermen use stainless-steel spikes, but much more common are the PVC surf spikes with an angled cut on the bottom.Ī surf rod can be 6 or 7 feet long - if that’s all you have, but more common are longer rods, even 10- to 12-footers. The most essential tool is the sand spike, which is a rod holder to get your fishing outfit upright and ready for a bite. You still use bait on a hook in search of a strike, but your rod, reel, tackle, and implements are all different. Surf fishing requires some very specialized equipment, often an entirely different tackle box. After anchoring up and getting out on the bar, he walks to spot he wants to try. Simmons surveys the ever-shifting sandbars associated with these barrier islands and picks one that looks like a likely fishing spot. Reed Simmons of Mount Pleasant said, “I like to put in at the Isle of Palms and run to the front of Bulls Island, or sometimes I even make the 15-mile run to Cape Island.” Some likely locations to fish in the Charleston area include either end of Folly Beach, and Breach Inlet between Sullivan’s Island and the Isle of Palms.Ĭapt. If there are fewer tiny shellfish and other creatures in the surf-zone, then there will be fewer fish attracted to it. Sand that has rolled around in the surf for years has been pulverized into small granules that allow mole crabs (also called sand fleas), a local favorite for sheepshead and pompano, to burrow. In fact, sometimes the grain of the sand being brought in is not fine enough to support all creatures. Kronsberg said, “The beach has recently been renourished, and all the new sand has covered up the older natural formations.” The anglers would then jockey for position to get in front of one another to cast in the direction that the school of fish was moving.įishing with friends can add a competitive edge to the day, but since you are on the beach anyway, it’s all just much ado about nothing.įolly Beach has always had some great, surf-fishing but recently the action there has been quiet, with the exception of the presence of pompano. When one angler got a bite, everyone noticed which rod was the next to have a hook-up. Kronsberg told a great story about a trip to Cape Island with six friends who spaced their lines down the beach. Of course, multiple shrimp on a hook is always a solid back-up bait, and sometimes, throwing a cast-net in the surf can produce mud minnows. If bait-stealers like bluefish and pinfish are driving you mad, try fishing with a quarter of a blue crab for bait - redfish simply love crab, and other fish are less likely to bother it. Kronsberg said it is important to pick out likely spots when targeting redfish, because casting out onto a flat, sandy bottom isn’t likely to produce any action.įresh mullet steaks are the best bet for enticing bull reds or puppy drum to strike, but frozen finger mullet are also an option. Keep a mental image of these areas so you can fish them on any tide, knowing that your baits are in a productive location. Look for topography such as a gulley, sandbar or jetty, because the surrounding water currents often hold baitfish. The best way to decide where to fish is to scout a likely area of beach at low tide. From December through February, they may move out into as deep as 60 feet. In late November, when the water cools, fish 30 inches long or better move towards the ocean, into roughly 30 feet of water. Now older, wiser and readily available for surf-fishing information at Haddrell’s Point Tackle Shop, Kronsberg said, “Spot-tailed bass cruise the beach six to seven months out of the year.” Other species likely to be caught in the surf include: pompano, black drum, whiting (sea mullet), spot, flounder and sharks.Īvram Kronsberg grew up fishing on Sullivan’s Island, one of the prime-for-surf-fishing barrier islands along the coast, and he became hooked on the sport at age eight. Springtime usually kicks off the surf-fishing season, as the warm weather beckons anglers to the beach, but productive surf fishing extends all the way through November’s cooler days, with October being a peak time for catching large redfish. A popular sentiment goes, if you’re lucky enough to be at the beach, then you’re lucky enough. Surf fishing can be one of the more leisurely techniques to target South Carolina’s inshore fish species.įishing from the shore is a great option for visitors or residents without access to a boat.
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