July Reds in Beaufort, SC

[JohnH0802]

The wade fishing for redfish has really been difficult hear in Beaufort with the heat and amount of baitfish out there. I have seen a few fish, but they are not coming all the way on the flat. I think it is a combination of water temperature and the amount of baitfish. I fished several times when the water out on the flat was as hot as bath water, and did not see any fish until I got right along the creek edge where the water was 2.5 feet or deeper and quite cooler. It is hard to spot fish when the water is that deep. In addition I saw redfish chasing baitfish. The fish have not really been tailing, and so when you do see one you have only a few seconds to make a catch before the fish dissappears. In the last 10 days or so I have only managed to hook two fish, one that broke me off (this fish was in 3 feet of water and was close enough that I saw the fish swim by even though he was not out of the water at all), and caught one small fish. It tailed once real close and I dropped a cast (if that is what you can call having only about 5 feet of flyline past the rod tip) to it right away. The following is the picture of the one I managed to land:



I think that if the water temp drops some, and some of the bait leaves the fishing for tailing reds will definitely pick up. As hot as it has been here I am looking forward to the fall. Spoon flys and baitfish patterns are what I have been using.

John

[DavidR]

John,

I have had the exact same problems over here in HHI. Hot water, wind and humidity very few tails and when I do see fish they are crusing aroound and very spooky.

[JohnH0802]

Have they been staying off the flat proper as well? It appears to me that they are staying in deeper water, and when they do come on it is at the very edges and when the water is deeper.

[DavidR]

I have to believe they are for the most part staying in the cooler water. The strange, well for the flat I fish the most, part is that those fish that have come up have come in a lot closer than I would normally see. By that I mean that when they are cruising across the flat often they are already in close in shallow grass areas I don't normally see them in beside or behind me. They are also seemingly smaller than previous years as an average. Could be partly a result of the stocking program.

[JohnH0802]

I have noticed that the fish that I have seen in the last couple of tide cycles have been smaller, but prior to that I had been seeing some bigger fish, including fish over 30 inches.

[DavidR]

Will start at it again tomorrow, Wednesday, have more good tides over the next few weeks than bad. Here's hoping some of those fish feel like tailing.

[JohnH0802]

I hope so as well. I am planning on going one way or another at least Fri-Sun. Would fish more than that but work is interfering.

[MadisonBoats]

John,
Man, that looks like fun. I planned a few trips to try it; but, they were side-tracked for personal reasons. The next time I head down that way; I may have to hit you up for some tips...?

[JohnH0802]

Please do. If you give me some notice, I may even be able to do better than some tips.

John

[No Hackle]

John, I wonder if you have ever fished the Savannah area. I'll be there mid- sept on my anniversary trip . My wife wants to wade some flats with me for photos.
Thanks ,Lynn