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Beaufort and Hilton Head - July 3rd, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Great
Tides South Carolina [click here]
All species have showed up in force in Lowcountry waters over the last two weeks. Tarpon seem to dominate but Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Redfish and a variety of sharks including Blacktips, Spinners, Lemons, Bulls, Hammerheads, Bonnets. There has also been a few stingrays and leopard rays the size of a small spaceships. In other words, there are plenty of faces to pull on and lots of work for your biceps if you're willing.
We had lots of fun running and gunning for Spaniards and Blues this week. Lots of strong bites on Clark Spoons but hot action with the fly rod tossing poppers and Clousers into schools feeding on the surface. You gotta love watching fish blow a popper out of the water two or three times before finally getting the hook in one. A few Spaniards in the fish box makes for fun stories at the dinner table.
We were on the water at first light yesterday looking for the tarpon bite. Shortly after getting the line out and generating a good chum line, the top rod with a live pogey on the surface screams for mercy. I grab the rod and set the hook but the screaming doesn't slow for a few more seconds. Cobia. A slob. Twenty minutes later she's to the boat. Good start to the day. We then proceeded to catch 20 or 30 thousand blacktip and lemon sharks. Later I noticed a small pod of menhaden(pogies)moving at a rapid pace on the surface so we cruised over to check them out and sure enough a tarpon busted in the middle of them. I put a livey on under a Thunder and pitched it along the edges of the school. Shortly after the third or fourth cast settled, BOOYOW! Lady and gentamens, when a seven foot tarpon blows out of the water thirty feet from your toes and your hair doesn't stand straight up you don't have a pulse. That must be the most fun you can have with your clothes on. We put another one in the air from the same small pod of pogies a bit later and that was all the excitement my friends could stand for the day.
I love the Lowcountry in summer. Plenty to do on the water. Let's go fishing.........................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - June 21st, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
It's all going on in the Lowcountry waters these days. It seems the cobia just want to stick around and tarpon have showed early and in very good numbers.
We caught yet another cobia on the surface, casting a live pogey to her. My young friend and cancer survivor Jesse and his brother Will took turns on the 45lber and finally brought her to the gaff after a 50 minute sweat drenching battle. The brothers were washed down and worn out but after a little "high fiving" and a bottle of water they both said,"Let's do that again." And we did. Remember to count your blessings my friends.
'Poons showed up a week or so ago but man they are here in swarms now. We don't have a tremendous amount of pogies in the sound yet so the tarpon are also eating well. Look for schools of pogies and shut down the engine and watch a little. Chances are good the tarpon are under the bait and will blow up on it at some point. The problem becomes which blow up to cast to. Good problem.
We chased Spanish Mackerel off the beaches today with good success. Clark spoons with a 1 oz. trolling weight worked better than the naked spoon. The schools of Spaniards were moving quickly so efficient boat work is necessary to keep your lures in the bite. After the Spaniard bite cooled off we slipped away to collect a tarpon. We managed to jump two but didn't get one to the boat. We got to the spot a little late though. The boat closest to us jumped NINE poons on the morning bite.
I would offer this to you folks hoping to put a tarpon in the air. If you want to catch a tarpon, target the species and stay after it for the day. Your chances increase dramatically if you stay focused and allow your guide to keep you in the best location at the best time of the tide. If you try to catch a little of this and a little of that, your chances of catching a little of this AND a little of that are not as good. It can be done and I'll do my best to help you do it but the point is that you will likely miss "prime time" for one species or the other.
Poons and Company are alive and well in the Lowcountry. Let's go fishing........................
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - June 10th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
Lots of good things going on in Lowcountry waters these days. Water temperature is now over 80 degrees and air temps have been in the 90's for two weeks.
A few tarpon have been seen and two jumped but none brought to the boat just yet. I saw a nice 'poon free jump today while fishing in the Port Royal Sound. Maybe tommorrow.
We have had lots of good trips chasing reds, cobia, Spanish Mackerel and hords of sharks. It makes for a busy day when all species are whacking the baits.
On a recent trip we were fishing a rip in the sound and had some really exciting bites. Several black tip sharks had blown up baits on the surface making for hot runs and a few meltdowns on the Fin Nor 20 reels. Big Spanish Mackerel did the same and we put of few of those in the box. I stepped up on the stern deck to check a rod and directly below me was a 45-50 lb cobia with her nose in the chum bag! As I spewed compound expletives I grabbed a rod that had a surface bait and reeled like hell until the live pogey was on top of the cobia. I dropped it in front of her and she inhaled it and took off for Europe. Only thing was she let go after about 200 feet. I couldn't believe the hook pulled after I set the hook. She did a U-turn looking for the bait so I dropped that rod and grabbed the second rod rigged with a pogey that was also on the surface. I reeled frantically so I could cast to the cobia that was now 100 feet or so away. The Cajun Thunder float was rattling like crazy as I reeled it in and the cobia obviously heard it because she tracked it back towards the boat and about 30 feet away she zeroed in on the pogey. When I saw her light up for the pogey I stopped the retrieve and she streaked in and blasted it. BOOYOW! She hauled ass and burned the 30 lb Power Pro for about half the spool before she came under control and the tug of war began. My young 13 year old friend did a fine job on the rod and we had her boatside in about 30 minutes. I cannot do justice in words as to how exciting the take was on that fish. All on the surface and right behind the boat in plain view for us all. That is as good as it gets.
The redfish bite was good this week also using cut bait and grubs. I expect lots more Spanish in the Sound this week too. It's going on brother and it's all good. Let's go fishing.........................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - May 19th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
As Spring progresses and water temperatures continue to rise, the fishing environment changes with it. Warmer water brings in different species of baitfish in growing numbers and with them comes other species of gamefish.
Menhaden(pogies) are moving further into the Sound each day and there has been one confirmed sighting of a tarpon and one tarpon jumped already. The water temp is 75 degrees so 'poons and Spanish Mackerel will move in shortly. I expect one of us will stick a Tarpon this week while fishing for cobia.
The cobia bite was lukewarm last week as south to southeast winds combined with a falling morning tide made for sloppy conditions in the Broad River and the Sound. We still managed a few nice catches of smaller cobras but no monsters. Two winning catches in cobia tournaments last week were under 50 lbs so that confirms the bite was off a little. The river and sound have cleaned up beautifully and I'm sure this week will be good.
Oh yes. Sharks. Muchisimo sharks. Each "spot" we fished on Saturday was crazy with sharks. The first bait I put out Saturday AM was hammered in less than thirty seconds. Sharpnose sharks in the 8-15lb range were swarming the chum slick. I suppose we caught three or four dozen and I lost about a gazillion dollars worth of tackle. I nearly lost an angler when a big shark came to the boat rather quickly and then decided to make a run under the boat at Mach II. As the angler was snatched forward and seemed to be going overboard, I did what all USCG licensed captains should do. I grabbed my rod...........No, my angler didn't fall completely out of the boat and besides, he would probably have been caught up in some of the other lines we had out.
It's another day in paradise. Cobras abound. I've restocked the tackle bag so LET'S GO FISHING.......
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - May 11th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
Please excuse the delay in reports. My computer has been trashed by multiple viruses and it is just now back in my cobia slime stained hands.
Did I say cobia slime stained hands? Oh my. The full moon last Wednesday pushed in a huge wad of cobras and along with that came a nice high pressure system that settled off the coast bringing light winds and bright sun. Furthermore, we had slack tides from mid morning to midday AND we had clean water for the most part. Can you say drop dead perfect conditions? We had those conditions for 3 days straight and we certainly made the best of it.
We have released a few nice brownies along and along the week before but last week it all came together. The guys fishing the bottom with bait caught lots of fish and those of us sight casting did the same. The cobras ate live eels, live menhaden, live threadfin herring, frozen squid, whiting and flies.
Friday morning I fished with four guys from SC that had not caught a cobra. We decide to look for cruisers as long as conditions would allow so not long after we began looking, a nice liitle male pops up and I pitch a wiggly snake(eel) in front of him and he blows it up but misses,makes a 180 degree turn around and hammers the eel. Booyow. Twenty minutes later a small fish of 19 lbs is released in healthy fashion. While I'm hooking up another snake, one of my guys says,"Isn't that another one?" Man, I look up and a 50lber is at 12:00 and closing. I pitch the snake and BOOYOW. She screamed off a considerable amount of 30lb Power Pro before the real battle began. My man Steve, a former tennis player from Newberry College, fought the fish for just a little less than an hour before I deposited her in the fish box. She weighed in at 49.5 lbs. We had another hook up within 5 minutes and another clean release of a 50lber. Yet another cobra in the 40 lb range was caught and released and another of 60 plus ate the snake but the dumbass guide set the hook too soon and she pulled the hook. You get the point. Conditions were perfect and we certainly took advantage of it. We were sight casting to cobia and I didn't start the engine on my boat for a three hour period. Nice. Very nice.
By the by. A guy on a friend's boat caught the new pending state record cobia last Saturday. An 86 lb behemoth. I saw it and picked it up with the gaff. It was truly a monster fish and difficult to handle. I've dragged drunken college chums from the backseat of the car to thier bed easier.
More to come. The cobra invasion has begun. Let's go fishing.......................................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - April 26th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
The cobia migration is now underway in the Port Royal Sound. The numbers of cobia being caught are rising on each tide with several in excess of 50 lbs already taken and one other just over 60 lbs.
We were on the anchor with a serious chum slick working this morning but took only one good shot from a brownie(cobia). Lots of smooth dogfish and several feisty reef sharks kept us busy. Loggerhead turtles are abundant also. The wind laid a bit so I pulled the hook and took off to see if we could spot a cobra(cobia)on the surface. After about twenty minutes of idling up the river, I spotted a monster cruising just beneath the surface. Most clients don't want to cast to their first cruiser so I took the Fin Nor 20 on a Cape Fear 14-25 loaded with a live eel and made a drop dead cast in front of the cobia that was now only 50 feet from the bow of the boat. I expected the cobra to blow up the eel but she just eased up to it and stopped. I couldn't believe it. The problem? The damned eel was dead. No movement. Not a flicker. Dead as Julius Cesaer. I twitched the eel and began a retrieve but she just turned and followed the dead eel right back to the boat and then glided under my feet like Jaws. I wanted to puke but my client started cussing like a teenager on MTV. This baby was 65-70 lbs if she was an ounce. The eel was alive and kicking when I hooked her up and put her in the cooler so I don't know what the deal was. She may have just vapor locked when I dropped her in front of that big cobia. You never know boys and girls. Stuff just happens.
Redfish are here as always but still a little finnicky and we'll continue to chase them as well as cobia for weeks to come. I'm stoked. Let's go fishing.........................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - April 19th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
Redfish are alive and well in the Lowcountry. Most flats are well stocked with 5-9lb reds but they are pretty finnicky over what they will eat. I have used a plethora of baits and lures over the last week and the most effective by far has been a chartruese/salt and pepper flake grub on a black 1/4 oz CAL jighead. We offered cut mullet, mudminnows, fiddler crabs, belly strips and frozen shrimp with few takes. Live shrimp have been non-existent lately as the bait suppliers have been stymied by bad weather in Florida. All that will be over soon as bait stores will be supplied by local folks as well.The grub was hammered when put in the proper spot. It is a bit frustrating when very large schools of reds are within casting range and even a good cast with bait is turned down. Fly trips were actually more productive this week using a copper clouser pattern I tie and like to use when water color is a little dingy. It sinks fast and has just the right flash for off-colored water.
And.........................the cobia have arrived. First one of the year was on the 15th, about 35lbs. Today yielded a 54lb brownie by a guide buddy of mine who made a special point to call me on the radio because he knew I was redfishing all day. He thought that was cute but what he doesn't know is I put a super mojo on him that Ajax won't take off.
I shall pursue the wiley and elusive cobia(or cobra as some of our local country brethren refer to them)all day Sunday with hopes of a glowing report to follow.
The boat is sqeaky clean,the tackle bag is packed,the cooler is topped out and I'm at Mach 2 with my hair on fire. Let's go fishing.......................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - March 23rd, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
March in the Lowcountry brings weather conditions to die for and to die in. Early this week it was calm, 80 dgrees and drop dead gorgeous. Redfish were quite cooperative on fly as we poled the flats and dropped chartruese/white clousers in front of some really nice fish that ate with gusto. Water temp is now bumping 60 degrees so these guys are feeling their oats and fighting hard. Remember to manage your fly line on the deck so when the fish eats and makes the initial run, your line will properly clear the deck and find its way to the reel without hanging on your shoe, camera case, leg, rod butt or other obstacle that will cause for an immediate and poorly timed release of the critter you are pulling on. That also causes several things to occur. 1. I lose a fly. 2. You and I miss a photo op. 3. You spew a short burst of foul language worthy of an old sawmill foreman.
The weather changed later in the week and it wasn't for the better. West winds of 15-25 turned the water dingy and finding fish became difficult. We were on flats holding fish but they were almost impossible to find. Almost. We worked hard and managed respectable catches on spoons and mud minnows.
Conditions are favorable again this week so I expect more fun in the sun.
A quick note on boating safety. Yesterday, the wind picked up to 30 knots in the afternoon and as the tide turned to come in against that wind, the Port Royal Sound was treacherous at best. One of my guide friends was near me at Hilton Head and expressed concern over the trip back to Beaufort so we agreed to run back together just to be safe. One rogue wave could put a flats boat in dire staights in seas like that so be smart and run safe when conditions are poor. You get no bonus points for being bold when the water gets dangerous.
Water temp will be in the mid 60's soon so you know who will be dropping in for the yearly visit real soon. Cobia.....and lots of them. Let's go fishing........
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - March 5th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
This week has seen temperatures in the high 70's and bumping 80 today. Water temperature has taken a turn upwards also and the redfish are surely feeling the difference. We fished four different flats today on different sides of the sound and they were all absolutely packed with reds. Pigs. Tanks. Big fish. One redfish had a spot on her tail the size of a softball....ok, maybe a silver dollar.
Water clarity remains good to excellent so these fish,though plentiful, are still very much aware of what's happening around them. Porpoises are abundant and terrorize the flats as long as water depth allows them. All this translates to light lure presentation if you want to get bit. Point in case. Today we had more opportunities than you could count so we conducted yet another experiment. My clients had pulled on scads of fish so they were happy to play a little. Without going into great detail, the bottom line is this. We tossed spoons. No hits. Half ounce grubs,multiple colors, no hits. Top water spooks, no hits. What then? Jerk baits with no weight. (I ain't coming clean on the color just yet.) These baits are very light and when presented properly, make little commotion. The other key is to move the bait little if any. It sinks slowly so cast a bit in front, allow it to sink to the right depth and barely twitch it as the fish arrives. Better yet, just let it continue to sink. This technique worked beautifully today. These baits were blown out of the water a number of times but the big reds aggressively hammered it all day.
One other thing about today. The first flat I stopped on this morning was fogged in a bit so we pushed around quietly waiting for the sun to burn it away. It was deathly quiet and we could hear a fish break the surface every now and then. The fog actually rose above the surface of the water a few minutes later and lady and gentamuns, there was a sight to behold a hundred feet away. I stooped down low to look beneath the fog and there were redfish dorsal fins and tails everywhere! Slowly waving and moving in water so calm it looked frozen. Dozens of redfish completely at ease. That photograph would have made the cover of every fishing magazine on the planet. We were all speechless for some time. Mother nature at her finest.................then we moved in and mohawked 'em for 30 minutes. It's my job. What can I say.................Let's go fishing.
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - March 2nd, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
A hint of spring in the Lowcountry this weekend as temperatures rose from highs in the 30's to 70 degrees. Can you say hallelujah?
I fished Saturday with friends from Virginia that were visiting a local plantation. They were staying on property on the Combahee River so we fished the St. Helena Sound which is to the north of Beaufort. The weather forecast was fair at best but NE 10-15 is pretty average this time of year so we shoved off as planned. I ran for 25 minutes to a flat that has been productive all year and was glad to see the water clarity good even though we were inundated with rain all week. That's where the good news stops. About 4 minutes after I shut the engine and began looking for fish, a gust of wind nearly blows my hat off and here comes a north wind at 20-25 knots and steady. The flats were whitecapping as the tide switched and visibility went to hell in a handbag. We spent a little longer hoping to push over a school of reds but fishing became close to impossible and I called it a day. To make matters worse, we had to turn into that north wind and run the entire trip back into the teeth of it. That was a chilly ride but the bay boat kept us dry so it was tolerable. Thank goodness for trim tabs. So much for the NOAA weather forecast.
Sunday morning was drop dead gorgeous and other folks from the same group as Saturday were all smiles as we loaded up at the landing. I ran to the same initial flat as the morning before and mere moments after shutdown a large school of reds was cruising directly toward us. My guys were ready, willing and quite able as they were all experienced fisherpeople. One pulled the hook,one got drilled in the cranium and the other wolfed down a gold flake grub (the fish). Almost nine lbs of redfish was boated, weighed, measured and released. We had our way with these guys for awhile and when they got finnicky we blasted off for more unsuspecting critters.
Other flats produced good numbers of smaller fish and just at the end of the day we boated an 11lb bruiser that was cruising the shallows over an oyster rake. Everyone had smiley faces for the return trip and most of the other guests were waiting for us at the landing. The necessary barbs and jabs were issued by those percieved to have landed the most fish and then I was off to scout other areas while the tide was still good. Nice people and a nice day on the water.
A quick note about handling fish. There are recent studies indicating there may be considerable harm done to fish that are lifted by the lip. One study says the lower jaw becomes severely weakened and the fish cannot feed properly therefore slowly starving. Another study indicates the internal organs may be dislodged when the fish is suspended by the lip as we do with a Boga Grip,other handling devices or by hand. I'm not sure how accurate these studies are but it seems logical that the chances of harming the fish will be greatly reduced if we support the fish under the belly while holding them with a tool or hand. I always wondered why my kids kicked so much when I picked them up with my thumb in thier mouths and my other fingers under the jaw. Now I know. Hoowah!
Come on down to the Lowcountry people and let's go fishing.....................................
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