Brunswick County.doc Purifier Test (live)
Capt. Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Guide Service said even the unusual amount of fall rain couldnt put off the good fall fishing in lower Brunswick County. He said there was a variety of fish that were already feeding well and the cool snap earlier this week appeared to make them even hungrier.
Weve already had a good fall and the fishing is still getting better, Dickson said. The action starts with redfish, flounder and speckled trout in the creeks and continues into the ocean with big red drum, flounder, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. Weve been concentrating on the flounder, redfish, red drum and specks and the fishing and catching have been really good.
Dickson (843-458-3055) said he intentionally differentiates between redfish and the large red drum. Redfish are the slot and barely over red drum that are found in the backwaters, creeks, along the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway, through the inlets and along the surf. The large red drum are the mature red drum that range from 35 to 50 inches long and they are following schools of pogies just off the beaches and occasionally entering the inlets to feed.
Its a totally different deal, Dickson said. Redfish are in the backwaters and sometimes mix with flounder and trout. You can handle them well with light tackle.
These big red drum used to come to Little River Inlet each fall and would move into the inlet to feed on the rising tide, Dickson said. Beginning last year, we also found them shadowing schools of menhaden as they moved along the ocean beach. Many days the fishing along the beach is better and its rare to have to deal with a crowd. The big red drum are big strong fish and you have to step up your game and tackle to catch them successfully.
Dickson said he stayed with spinning tackle for the larger red drum, but upgraded to larger reels, heavier rods, 30 pound test line and 6 to 9 inch pogies for bait. The rig is still a Carolina rig, but made with stronger mono and a large circle hook. Dickson said the object is to be able to put pressure on the big drum and land them as quickly as possible so they are good and strong for a successful release.
Dickson said fishermen who didnt want to wrangle the large redfish could have all the fun they wanted with their smaller cousins, some flounder and a growing number of speckled trout inside the inlets and along the jetties at Little River Inlet. He said the cooling water had made the smaller reds and flounder aggressive and they would pounce on mullet minnows and mud minnows fished on Carolina rigs. Trout will occasionally hit the minnows too, but prefer live shrimp suspended under a float.
Dickson said the smaller reds, flounder and trout were staging at the mouths of smaller creeks where they drain into larger creeks and the Intracoastal Waterway. He said they fed on the rising tide, but the fishing was usually best during the falling tide. Dickson said the minnows and shrimp in the small creeks are flushed into the larger creeks as the tide falls and become a buffett for the flounder, redfish and specks gathered there.
Dickson made a point that Little River Inlet is barely inside South Carolina and a S.C. license is required to fish there. A representative of the S.C. DNR Enforcement Division said boats running through Little River Inlet were not subject to S.C. license and limit regulations unless they stopped to fish or had been observed fishing in S.C. waters.