Stalking Redfish with John Irwin: The Lowcountry's Go-To Fish

From the poling platform of his Ranger flats boat, Capt. John Irwin stalks a school of red drum like a heron over minnows in a tidal pool. The 35-year-old guide positions the 18-foot boat with his push pole and his eyes lock onto a target in the clear, sediment-filled saltwater.

"OK. Rob," Irwin calmly, but assertively directs. "Two o'clock. About 30 yards."

Focusing on this arbitrary spot, I flip the bail and quickly toss out a white fluke with a weighted flutter hook.

"Reel, reel, reel," he says. "OK, now let it sit."

A dark blue shadow steadily approaches the defenseless, sinking lure.

"Now give it a jerk," Irwin says.

My rod tip dives and the gray head of a bruising red drum aka redfish thrashes through the surface. It peels 20 feet of line off the whining reel, followed by another bullish run before reaching the gunwale.

As I ready to land the fish, it makes another thrilling run to the stern. My arms are straddled around the poling platform, juggling the rod from one arm to the other as Irwin performs a balancing act 6 feet above the 55 degree water.

The feisty 26-inch redfish finally subdues at the boat side for a quick photo, and release.

While the boat is stuck on the sandy flat at dead low tide, Irwin and one of his fly fishing buddies continue to work the lingering school of what he estimates to be over 100 strong.

They each land a healthy-sized fish on the fly rod within 20 minutes.

After several more fruitless casts the school disperses as the full moon tide pushes in, and floats us off the flat.

"Today was a little slow," Irwin says with disappointment. "Yesterday we caught six. And one day last week we caught 13."

This is Charleston, the heart of the South Carolina Lowcountry, during what's considered the slow time of year in mid February.

But spring tides and warmer water temps bring some of the area's best red drum fishing in coming months.

Also called spottail for the signature black spot on their tail, federally protected red drum have reached inshore angler stardom in the Lowcountry's waters.

Their insatiable appetite, strong pound-for-pound fight, and wide range within South Carolina's 187 miles of coastline make it a popular year-round target.

That's why Capt. Irwin and his Fly Right Charters guide service have called Charleston home for the past 6 years, despite guiding since he was 18 years old, around the world.

His specialty is the fly rod, and 80 percent of his clients are fly casters, but he welcomes bait casters, and even return client Steven Colbert from Comedy Central's Colbert Report.

Irwin shares his redfish honing and catching techniques for your landing your first bull red in the Lowcountry.

Where to find red drum and when

Although they range from the Gulf of Mexico up to Massachusetts, it's the miles of the Lowcountry's marsh-lined waterways that carve out live bait buffets and nurseries for redfish.

In these creeks and rivers reds don't usually average for than 10 pounds, although Murrells Inlet boasts the 75-pound state record. Hatteras Island, N.C. claims the 94-pound 2 oz. world record.

Their diet of fiddler crabs, shrimp, periwinkle snails, and bait fish are found in marsh grass through high tide, and oysters and drop-offs at low tide from spring through the fall.

In spring months, Irwin says redfish are easiest to find "where there is sparse grass on the edges and they can get in those pockets, and they can get in there and lie around."

They can be caught between both tides, but Irwin has a preference.

"I think if you can get those falling tides in mid morning I think those will be the best days," Irwin says.

Each incoming spring tide brings in warmer water and more redfish bait.

"You get mullet and bait on the flats, and the fish are more in a feeding mode," he says.

When the water temperature hits 70 degrees, Irwin says that's best.

Fishing pressured areas

It's no secret that hot fishing spots will attract more anglers. The Lowcountry is no exception with redfish in spring and summer months.

Charleston is host to Cabela's sponsored IFA Redfish Tour, among dozens of other inshore tournaments throughout the year, which draws more out-of-town traffic.

"I would say the waterway is the most pressured, but there are some big fish and they're really accessible," Irwin says. "You have to be more careful with those fish."

Irwin says the waterway is a bit of an exception, and redfish tend to settle down there more quickly since they're used to boat traffic.

"You always have to be as super sneaky as possible," he says. "Even the ones that don't get fished are still pretty aware."

More pressure, though, doesn't necessarily mean less productivity.

"The other day we caught 16 fish in three hours off the waterway." Irwin says. "I also think they're a lot more stupid."

And what do you do when someone's already on your go-to spot?

"If there's someone fishing, going down the bank, you don't want to go in front of them," Irwin suggests.

Regardless of which creek mouths or oyster flats you plan to fish, Irwin does not prefer one spot over another.

"From a guide's perspective, fish are in certain areas, and you can have just as much success as anywhere else," he says.

The spinning reel presentation

Redfish are a versatile target in terms of approach and skill level. Choosing the right tackle can make your trip a lot more enjoyable.

Casting at them with a spinning reel can be used by a beginner to the most experienced angler.

Irwin suggests a medium action, 7 or 7 ½ -foot rod, with a spinning reel spooled with 8 to 10-pound line.

Line is a matter of preference; braided for more sensitivity, or mono for stretch.

With this tackle, there is a wide-array of options for lure and bait presentations.

"I use, you know, jerk shads and DOA makes a good jerk shad," Irwin says.

Although Irwin normally refrains from bait fishing, he prefers to use Gulp shrimp and minnows that put out a stink.

With a 5/0 flutter hook, these baits can be rigged weedless and help you avoid snags on oyster-laden bottom of river banks and creek mouths.

"If it's cooler you want to fish slower and let the bait get down," Irwin says. "You basically want to get the bait in front of the fish and make the fish feel like he can chase it."

Irwin's weedless rigs save money and time on lures when fishing edges with sparse grass in spring.

"We start targeting them in those areas and fish them going down," he says.

There is always the more popular, less-work option, of a baited hook with shrimp or a mud minnow below a popping cork.

Fly casting presentation

Fly fishing on the windy, open water can be tricky business. That's why it's no surprise that it's Irwin's preferred casting method, especially when reading his aptly named business.

"For fly we use a lot of 9-foot, 8-weights and a lot of 12-pound fluorocarbon," Irwin says.

When the rod is set up, Irwin has a go-to fly pattern color.

"I almost always tend to steer toward the darker colors," he says. "Black flies work really well in dirty water, and redfish tend to key more on darker stuff."

On some days the water changes from its normal muddy color to a sandy-clear. This allows the fish to see you, if you can see them.

"If the fish are sitting at 10 o'clock, and the sun is directly behind you, then you'll be in good shape," Irwin says.

If one color doesn't work then switch it up.

"If they're not eating it, I'm constantly changing it," he says. "This time of year you want to use things that look like bait fish."

One of the draw backs to fly fishing is the casting range.

"You have to get those guys in closer range," he says. "Your ideal approach is to get close and wait for them to get close to you.....you always want to approach the fish with the sun at your back."

It was this patience that helped Irwin land a 16-pounder on the fly with a black copper fly.

Conservation

Redfish were on the population ropes after heavy commercial fishing in the 1980s. Strict regulations were imposed on the commercial fisheries of the East Coast, and South Carolina's current limit is three fish per person, between 15 to 24 inches in length.

Irwin has seen a lot of positives over his recent years as a local guide.

"I think it's super good," Irwin said. "I've seen it get better year after year, and I don't know if it's because we're getting better at catching them, but it's really good."

When you land that bull you've been fighting for 10 minutes and want to weigh it, Irwin suggests just taking a picture.

"One of the worst things is hanging the fish vertically to weigh them, especially a fish around 10 pounds," Irwin says. "The boga grip is not good."

Captain John Irwin
Fly Right Charters
John@FlyRightCharters.com