Fresh Harbour Town Fishing Reports

Bull Red Blitz: The Lowcountry Ignites As autumn settles over the South Carolina Lowcountry, so does one of the most electrifying inshore migrations of the year—the arrival of bull red drum in full force. Right now, the bite is blazing, with anglers encountering oversized reds measuring up to and beyond 45 inches. These heavyweight bruisers are staging in classic fall patterns—stacking up near inlets, sandbars, creek mouths, and deeper channel edges. Feeding aggressively ahead of their offshore spawn, they’re inhaling fresh cut bait with reckless abandon, offering anglers an unforgettable fight and a true test of gear. “This is the time of year we wait for,” says one seasoned local guide. “The bulls are fired up and ready to eat—cut mullet, menhaden, blue crab—it doesn’t matter if you find the right water.” Most hookups are coming on heavy Carolina rigs rigged with circle hooks and stout tackle to muscle these fish in strong current. Anglers are encouraged to practice responsible catch and release—minimizing time out of the water, supporting fish properly, and avoiding over-handling to protect this vital breeding stock. With perfect conditions lining up—cooler temps, moving tides, and active baitfish—the Lowcountry’s bull redfish season is peaking. For anglers chasing their next big pull, the window is wide open.

While sharks of various sizes still dominate our area waters, we have gotten a few surprises over the past couple of weeks. Between storm and rain events this month, we've managed to keep the rods bending, and the smiles continue.

Lot's of action last week consisting of all species and sizes of Sharks ranging from 2- 7ft, along with a few Bull Redfish that somehow managed to get through the gauntlet of teeth, to snag our baits. Some very nice size Spanish Mackerel that were caught during the high tide were an added tasty bonus. Pretty much more of the same to come. As always, take a kid fishing. But maybe this week, take a father fishing as well.

80 degree water temps means the Sharks are here for the foreseeable future. Big ones, little ones, inshore and nearshore and all points in between. Luckily we have been able to take breaks from them by catching Spanish Mackerel during the high tides, as well as a few Jack's. The Bull Reds have been harder to come by the past few weeks and I'm not holding my breath that we'll be seeing much of em over the next few months. Oh well, there's always the Fall for them. Tight Lines to everyone, and don't forget to take a kid fishing!

After spending the last couple of weeks in the boatyard getting ready for the season, tune-up, fresh paint, etc., the Mighty Mako is ready to begin it's 34th season of catching fish, putting smiles on anglers faces, and making lasting memories for all who come aboard for an adventure.

Kind of a mixed bag of results this past week. Fished the nearshore sand bars and inshore ledges looking for Bull Reds with no success. With water temps below normal, it may be a few more days before they arrive in our inshore honey holes. The creeks offered some fun ultralight action for smaller Red's, as well as some BlackDrum and Trout. Tides are crucial when fishing the shallow backwater. Hope to see some larger fish in the coming week