Charleston Fishing Report – April 2011 by Capt. Geoff Bennett

During March, calm weather days were few and far between. When the wind did lay down, fishing was excellent especially sight fishing for redfish at low tide.  As April often ushers in better behaved weather, anglers can expect fishing for reds to be very good this month and look forward to trout becoming part of the mix.

The large schools of redfish have begun to break up. You’ll find redfish traveling in smaller groups on the flats as well as under docks and in deeper holes. To counteract the wind, we’ve been fishing with live and cut bait on the bottom. Cracked blue crab has been especially effective. Use circle hooks in size 3/0 and enough weight to hold the bait stationary. Put the rod in a holder and wait for the reel to scream as the fish will set itself!

Trout have just started to appear in deeper water and live shrimp will be the ticket when targeting them. Working docks and shell beds with a shrimp on a 1/4oz. jighead can be very productive. You’ll want to make sure that you can get this bait deep enough to get in front of the trout. As trout become more active, popping corks cast along grass banks and over oyster beds will be a good bet paired with live or artificial shrimp.

We’ve begun to catch the first flounder of the year. They’ve all been caught on shrimp or mud minnows under docks. Finger mullet is an excellent bait for these fish. You’ll need to focus on structure when fishing for flounder. Pilings are good places to prospect as well. Flounder bites can be soft and you’ll want to let the fish eat for a few seconds before you set the hook.

Fly fishermen were the most challenged by all the blustery weather. We frequently found redfish tailing on the flats on low tides sometimes with their backs out of the water as they fed aggressively. Smaller white/chartreuse and black clouser minnow flies were the most productive. As baitfish become more prolific, larger bodied flies will become part of the rotation. Reports of redfish tailing in the grass at high tide have even begun to circulate.