Fresh St. Helena Island Fishing Reports

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly **hidden content**) reports that as the water clears in December sight-fishing will become a better and better pattern, particularly on low tide but also when the water is first getting in the grass. Look for fish to be aggressive since water temperatures have not yet bottomed out. Scented soft plastics as well as natural baits will all work. Additionally, there should continue to be large numbers of fish found around docks and other cover as Beaufort has an abundant population of redfish. The trout bite was fair in November but could get better December. Look for fish in current seams where they will eat soft plastics on ¼ ounce jigheads, and they will also feed on mud minnows – or live shrimp if you can get them. Finally, expect sheepshead and black drum to be found around inshore structure until temperatures force them to move deeper.

Captain Patrick Kelly **hidden content**) reports that in November fish will only continue to ramp up their feeding, storing up reserves since they are about to lose their bait supply. They know that most shrimp and baitfish will eventually leave and crabs will go into hibernation. Redfish should bite better and better as they start to group up a bit more, and mud minnows, finger mullet, cut mullet, and shrimp are all good bait choices. The trout bite will accelerate this month as temperatures drop and fish will be caught around the mouths of creeks and current rips in moving water. Shrimp under a popping cork are usually hard to beat, but as shrimp become more rare a variety of artificials will work. Flounder will be caught on mud minnows and finger mullet until water temperatures drop into the lower 60s, and black drum will also feed up more and more this month on shrimp and crabs.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly **hidden content**) reports that in October fish will eat more and more, storing up reserves since they are about to lose their bait supply as shrimp and most baitfish eventually leave and crabs go into hibernation. Redfish should bite better and better on low and moving tides, and on very high tides they will continue to tail throughout October. Mud minnows, finger mullet, cut mullet, and shrimp are all good bait choices. Trout will be caught around the mouths of creeks in moving water, and shrimp under a popping cork should be hard to beat. Artificial lures like DOA shrimp can also be very effective. Flounder fishing should be good around structure on mud minnows and finger mullet, and there should also be some tripletail around well into the month. Black drum will also feed up more and more this month on shrimp and crabs, and the bull red drum will eventually show up in area inlets and off the beaches. L

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly **hidden content**) reports that in September the tailing pattern for redfish should continue to be strong, but the low tide bite should also get better and better. It was already good at the end of August once the water began to clear, and fish were feeding on everything from shrimp to mud minnows to mullet to Gulp! baits around pretty much any structure including docks, oyster beds, and creek mouths. As a bonus, very soon the fish that are starting out the month just under the slot will be 15 inches. The black drum fishing should also continue to improve on shrimp, and more large trout will be caught as temperatures cool. Numbers were already strong at times during August. More keeper flounder should be caught on mud minnows and finger mullet, and migratory species like tripletail, bluefish and ladyfish should be around until temperatures cool. And the silver king, tarpon, will likely continue to prey on schools of mullet and menhaden all month. Overall, by the end of August the fishing was getting really good, and for the next two months it should be flat-out excellent.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly **hidden content**) reports that in late July young-of-the-year redfish showed up in droves, which provide a ton of action for anglers and also indicate that it should be a really good fall for fishing. Anglers can still pick up some bigger fish in the creeks, particularly around creek mouths with oyster beds, but in August targeting tailing fish on the flats may continue to be one of the best ways to find a bigger grade of fish. July also saw good catches of trout on live shrimp, and the trout should only get bigger this month as we approach the fall. Expect the early August full moon to see some really nice trout caught over oyster bars and around grass lines. While legal fish are still relatively uncommon there have been more flounder caught this year than usual, particularly around structure. At the rocks they expect to continue to catch lots of black drum this month, while with fiddler crabs you can catch sheepshead. Later in the month more big ones should be landed if there is a little cooling. Migratory species like jacks, tripletail and tarpon should be around until the fall and, finally, don’t overlook sharks which can provide a ton of action for anglers.

3 nice sharks off the beach today! Dean brought his family out to get on some sharks for shark week and lets just say we got it done! 2 healthy hungry female black tips and a lowcountry bull shark around 6.5 feet! This crew got to feel the highs and lows of landbased shark fishing though because we lost a giant today! You win some and you loose some but this crew got exactly what they need to get thier fix for shark week!