Winter Redfish Bite Resumes in Carolina Backwaters

Although water temps are still very cold they have edged up slightly into the upper 40s and low 50s, which has allowed anglers push poling for red drum to resume catching them back in the inshore shallows.

Captain Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Fishing Charters told me that after a period of completely frigid and stormy weather things are now back on track for the redfish hunters in the backwater creeks. Most of the redfish caught in these schools are in the 21 to 26 inch class.

"Water temps have edged up just a little," said Dickson, and that has gotten the redfish schools back on shallow banks."

I talked to Dickson as he had a fishing rod in his hand. He said that some tackle stops had been able to obtain mud minnows and that fishing them on jig heads in the shallows was getting the redfish to bite.

"We're still taking them on the Gulp Shrimp," Dickson said, "but the live mud minnows are a nice change-up that is very effective."

Dickson said the speckled trout action remained inconsistent, as it has been all winter.

"We're catching a few here and there," said Dickson. "We pulled in a 21-inch trout the other day. There are a handful her and there but it is not consistent like the redfish."

I also spoke to several groups of anglers who have been surf fishing the area. They said that the catch had mostly been skates and dogfish but they were taking some eating-size silver perch and an occasional black drum. As usual, the black drum can be were taken near pier pilings.

For more fishing reports and articles check out my blog A Dash of Salty and my website Surf and Salt.