Sullivan's Island Winter-Spring 2019-20

RED DRUM (REDFISH, RED DRUM, SPOT TAIL) Where to catch: Charleston’s trophy fish can be caught around the inshore smaller tributaries and larger rivers. The big red fish or “bulls” can be caught at the jetties at the mouth of the Charleston Harbor. Bait: Live shrimp, minnows or mullet tend to work best. Cut bait also works for bigger red fish. When to catch: Caught year-round but are more abundant inshore during the summer months. State record: 75 pounds. SPOTTED SEATROUT Where to catch: Similar to redfish, the spotted seatrout mostly hang out in the inshore estuaries. Seatrout tend to hang out in groups and love to hunt baitfish where the smaller rivers meet the larger ones. Bait: Depending on the time of year, artificial lures work well on seatrout. When to catch: Seatrout may go for colder water in the winter months. State record: 11 pounds, 13 ounces. SHEEPSHEAD Where to catch: Sheepshead also like to hang out in our inshore estuaries but are unique in that they feed almost exclusively around structures — bridges, docks, sunk sailboats, logs, etc. If there’s a place for your hook to get snagged, chances are that there’s also sheepshead hanging around. Bait: Sheepshead love crabs! They will happily bite on fiddler crabs or cut blue crabs. When to catch: Sheepshead are most abundant during the summer. State record: 16 pounds, 6 ounces. SHARKS Species : Different species like different areas, but the most common inshore species are bonnethead, black tip and bull sharks. Where to catch: Rivers, beaches, the harbor, angler piers, jetties, etc. Bait: Sharks aren’t picky but love crabs, live shrimp, cut bait and smaller fish. When to catch: During the warmer months, anglers can find sharks almost everywhere. State record: Bull shark at 477 pounds, 12 ounces. FLOUNDER Where to catch: Flounder, one of the more peculiar- looking fish, burrow down in the pluff mud on the river bottoms and banks. Bait: Flounder are bottom feeders and can be caught by bobbing mud minnows along the bottom. When to catch: Like most of the inshore fish, they prefer the shallower waters during the warmer months then may retreat to deeper water during the cooler months. State record: 17 pounds, 6 ounces. MAHI-MAHI (DOLPHINFISH) Where to catch: Mahi-mahi are mostly caught offshore. They love structures in water like weed lines where they hunt smaller fish and hide from bigger fish. Mahi-mahi like temperature breaks in the water where currents from different directions and temperatures converge. When to catch: Summer months are prime for reeling in mahi-mahi, with size declining as summer progresses. Bait: The best bait is dead ballyhoo. State record: 77 pounds, 8 ounces. Source : Charlestonfishingcompany.com. LOCAL FISH GUIDE 13 www.SullivansIslandMagazine.com | www.SullivansIslandHomes.com