So far, April has been awful weather-wise. The few trips I have been able to manage have been miserable from a weather standpoint. However, the bite has been pretty good. Where I have been fishing has been dictated by the wind direction. Certain rivers provide better cover depending on the wind direction – and of course there is always somewhere to hide way up a tree-lined creek. It seems the winds have been coming from the NE a lot.
The topwater bite has been getting better every week. Yesterday was kind of bizarre. There were squalls coming from the NE blowing at 15 and gusting to 20+, so the skies were gray and misting. My little Whaler is very light and gets blown around a lot in a gust, so there I was casting between gusts and spitting rain and yet getting topwater strikes on almost every cast. It sucked, yet, it was great 🙂 For me, a Spook Jr is out performing other offerings – probably because the mullet have not really moved in thick yet, so bait is smaller.
We always advise people to keep their eyes open on the water. Yesterday I was fishing a spot and heard a strike. Behind me in very deep water a trout was striking pretty good sized shrimp. A quick cast within a 6 ft radius yielded 3 or 4 decent trout on top. This tactic is a very effective one. See a strike, drop your plug close by. But, you have to be quick, or you will miss your opportunity!
The lowly Pearl MinnowZ by Z-Man paired with a gold Trout Eye jig continues to produce really well for me. It doesn’t have a flashy name, or look real pretty – it’s just flat white. But, it is the #1 overall best selling Z-Man bait worldwide because it just has universal appeal. It’s been working great since late winter and now well into spring. I keep saying I’ll switch it out when it stops producing, well, not yet. Yesterday it yielded a double-inshore-slam of quality fish. I guess I’ll keep it tied on….
I’m looking forward to some calm winds and warmer weather myself. Enough of the winds!!
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We were honored to have an article published about our business Ralph Phillips Inshore Productions by Palmetto Magazine. This is a really nice state-wide magazine by the publishers of Azalea Magazine, based in Summerville. Here are a few screen shots, but pick one up and check it out if you get a chance. They are free and are available at many local businesses.
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Ralph did a seminar on “Finding Fish” at last nights Summerville Saltwater Anglers membership meeting. This subject is our #1 most often asked question, and it was very well received by the club. I was not able to make it due to a Track Meet (I’m a pole vault coach), but Ralph and Les covered my butt.
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If you need to stock up on Trout Eye jigs or Z-Man plastics, please check out our store. Buying jigs in bulk is by far your best value.