This weekend we had the good fortune to be granted permission to fish a salt pond – a once a year or so treat for us.  Going to this pond makes us excited like little boys because the catching is so good.  It is strictly catch and release fishing and that makes for some big fish.  We invited along Daniel from Z-Man Fishing along with some good friends, Martin and George.  We fished only Z-Man soft plastics and Trout Eye jigs.  This day, the pond did not disappoint, and some of the highlights included a couple true gator trout, topped off with witnessing Daniel catch 11 redfish on 11 consecutive casts.  That was pretty cool!  As usual for ponds, the fishing is best near the water flow – in this case “trunks” which were an ingenious way to flood rice fields back in the day, but still of great use in controlling the level of salt ponds.  Until next year…

---

 

In Other News:

keep an eye out for the next issue of the Post & Courier’s Tideline magazine, that will feature an article by Tommy Braswell on Fall fishing by three of our legendary fishermen in Charleston:  O. C. Polk, Sandy Stuhr and Ralph Phillips.  It is always a pleasure to sit and just listen to these three talk.  There is 150 years saltwater fishing experience between them.  Can’t wait to see the article.  We also have some video to supplement the article.

Some updates on Trout Eye jigs:

• Our Z-Man branded jigs have had a warm reception after ICAST.  You might have seen them featured in Saltwater Sportsman magazine.  They have been picked up by most of the major fishing tackle distributors, such as Tackle Warehouse, Bass Pro, Cabelas, Academy Sports, etc.  We want to thank Z-Man for believing in our product, and the Charleston fishing community for your support of our local company with American made products.
• There will be some great full page ads this fall in many  fishing magazines promoting the Trout Trick / Trout Eye “system”.
• It’s now Fall, and time to fish artificial baits.  Purchasing Trout Eye jigs online is the best value you can get, bulk jigs are at a 20% discount.  Orders of $50 and up also get free shipping.

Bucktails:

Bucktails have been making a comeback among tournament bass fishermen.  We now have retail packaged bucktails that are available online and at select retail shops.  They sell for $6.95 for a 2-pack and come in several color combos, including CAROLINA and  CLEMSON – just for fun.  They catch fish too…  Currently they can be purchased at Berkeley Outdoors Marine on 17A.

 

 

Phillips Custom Rods

Our rods have been gaining a loyal following, with some great feedback, such as the following:

I’m loving my Phillips Custom rod.  This is a 2lb smallmouth I caught a week ago on the Shenandoah River. The smallmouth are just starting to get active again, and their bite is very subtle right now.  I was using a Carolina rigged 6″ worm and I could feel him from the second he bumped the bait.  He was about 10′ deep and did not want to come into the boat, but the rod was more than he could handle.  I use my Phillips custom rod exclusively now when fishing soft plastics off the bottom. The sensitivity is outstanding.  I can feel every rock and twig. When I set the hook, its lights out and they have no chance against the backbone of the rod. They are coming to the boat for a picture.  Perfect combination.

Thanks and hope to see you on the water.  Send us your catch pics!

Ralph and I were very fortunate to be invited by Z-Man Fishing to attend ICAST 2015 in Orlando for the first time.  It was an eye-opening experience and if you are every given a chance to go, it’s worth it!   The best way to describe it is: the entire fishing industry of the whole world – in one room.  Z-Man has included our TroutEye jigs as part of a trout “system”, paired with their TroutTrick product.  Our jigs were prominently displayed in the Z-Man booth as one of their new products for the year.  They were even included in the New Product Showcase.

 

The New Product Showcase is a must-see, because it includes only the latest-greatest new products and from these the Best of Show products are chosen by a team of industry folks.  There were some really cool new products and some that make you scratch you head and think “huh???”.

Going to a show like this is very inspiring, because you can see some real inventive and creative ideas come to life.  It really got our gears cranking while dreaming up new product ideas.

I thought I’d compile a list of impressions of the show.

• The show is not open to the public.  It is only for industry people such as vendors, shop owners, “pro-staff” guides, etc.  For that reason there was not much “swag” that you would expect to see at a trade show.  It has more to do with large purchasers and distributors inking deals with vendors.
• There are a staggering number of people manufacturing hard baits.  Hard baits in every conceivable shape, size, color, pattern, jointed, etc etc etc.  Some of you may have seen the 13+” fish pattern that looks so realistic swimming that it’s hard to tell it’s not real.  Crazy.  I’m not really sure what it’s supposed to catch, and for the cost I’m pretty sure I’d start to cry when I broke it off on something. It must be a hard nut to crack to get into that product space.   I think we will stay out of that one!
• We were most impressed with the lowcountry businesses at the show.  I’m not just saying that because we are biased to homegrown businesses, but truly some of the best products and businesses are coming straight from the lowcountry.
  • EZ Waves – This company is owned and started by Vickie Waller (Capt. Mike Waller’s better half).  She has a concept that I predict will revolutionize the guiding industry.  EZ Waves makes it easy for customers to book a guide and easier for a guide to do what they do – guide.  To be fair, it’s not a unique idea, however, EZ Waves has really got their act together, and Miss Vickie really knows how to start and run a business.  The devil is in the details, and she is really doing it right.  I know a few guides that have already signed up and they are raving about this company.  I think it’s a sure-win.  www.ezwaves.com
  • Jig Skinz – This product, invented by Courtland Babcock, is a great idea for reconditioning old plugs and jigs.  I had known about this product for a while, but got to see it demonstrated for the first time and really, you have to see it to believe it.  It’s amazing!  He has new bait fish patterns for this year and they look like the real thing.  Very, very cool product.  www.jigskinz.com
  • Flood Tide Co – We stopped and spoke to Paul Puckett of Flood Tide Co.  They have a line of apparel for fly fishing that is just cool.  They are powered by the creative mind and artistry of Paul and Doug Roland (who won a videography award).  In the apparel industry, you need to rise above the noise with some really cool designs and Flood Tide is the real deal.  www.floodtideco.com
  • Z-Man Fishing – Well, it’s hardly a surprise that we are lucky to have one of the premier fishing vendors in the world right here in our back yard.  Z-Man has a ton of new stuff including the TT/TE combo, but also some 10″ long jerk shads for striper, cobia and tarpon that are sure to work really well.  www.zmanfishing.com
• Neither Ralph nor I are too impressed by “celebrities” but they were everywhere.  The only two that I got a little star-struck by was Flip Pallot and Lefty Kreh.  Those guys are the real deal and so down to earth.  We spoke to Z-Man pro David Walker and he was so laid back and cool.  He gave us some insight into jig hooks for pro bass fishermen.

No doubt, much of the products there are meant to catch fishermen, and I don’t know if I will change my favorite hard plugs for something new but you never know.  But if you have a keen eye, you can find the few truly promising new products.

We hope to go back in the future – maybe we can win “Best in Show” for a future product…

Angelfish on Steroids from RalphPhillipsInshore on Vimeo.

This is the time of year when you can have the time of your life catching spadefish at the nearshore reefs.  Well, really, its getting a little bit past primetime but you can still catch them, as evidenced by this report.  I’ve heard it described as “as much fun as you can have with your pants on” and I’d have to say that is not far off the mark.

So, I have been spade fishing a half dozen times, most often successfully, sometimes not.  Each time I have learned something new, and yesterday was no exception.  So, I finally got my good friend, neighbor, fishing buddy and VP of SSWA, Ray out to experience the thrill.  Thankfully, my plan came together and he had some sore arms by days-end.

We had a large time and caught about 15 spades, which was pretty good since we had zero jellyfish for bait.  We caught all our fish on fresh shrimp.

I’ll save the details on how to catch spades to a future post, but suffice to say it is very, very fun and as Ray said “Pound for pound the hardest fighting fish he has caught”.   They usually eat right at the boat, and you watch it all happen.  When they realize they are hooked its an absolute rodeo on inshore gear.  I have hooked a fish at the boat and had it break me off 40 feet down in a matter of seconds.  They will smoke your reel for sure!

A note on conservation.  When you figure these fish out, you can load the boat with them easily.  But that doesn’t mean you should.  They are very good to eat, but only fresh (in my opinion).  We watched a boat near us catch many, many fish and keep them all.   I wonder how many of them will be thrown away after a year in the freezer…  Anyway, we kept a few and released the rest.

A great day on the water with a great friend.  Spades, give em a try!

As our business grows, we are adding products that we personally use and endorse for improving your inshore catching results with artificial baits.

We are now a distributor for Z-Man Trout Tricks and they can be purchased on our online store at ralphphillipsinshore.com/store along with TroutEye jig heads and bucktails.

We currently have 7 colors available that we have used and have had success with. We may add more as we get a chance to use them and see how they work for us. If you have a favorite color that you would like us to offer, please just let us know.

---

“Pairing the deadliest soft plastic trout lure I’ve seen—now constructed from 10X Tough ElaZtech®—with a perfectly matched jighead creates a complete system that is simply unmatched its ability to catch fish when other baits and presentations are ineffective,” comments Daniel Nussbaum, Z-Man General Manager and Executive Vice President. “Both products have unique features that set them apart from other inshore artificials and, paired together, will absolutely help anglers from Texas to Virginia catch more trophy seatrout.”

“The TroutTrick is an amazing bait, and our ElaZtech material makes it even more durable and gives it improved action,” adds Nussbaum. “I fished the ElaZtech versions paired with the Trout Eye jigheads religiously last fall and winter, and the combination consistently caught more and bigger trout than anything else I used.”

Rounding out the TroutTrick system, the Trout Eye jighead produces the ideal sink rate that optimizes the bait’s ability to produce reaction strikes. Created by South Carolina inshore fishing guru, Ralph Phillips, the Trout Eye jighead features an oversized eye, superb balance, high-quality 2/0 Mustad hook, and needle- sharp keeper barbs that make rigging with ElaZtech easy and grip all types of soft plastics securely. The real differentiator with the jighead lays in its oversized 3D eyeballs that create a prominent strike target that game- fish can home in on.

“In 40 years of fishing for blue marlin and seatrout to everything in between, I have learned that predators strike the eye,” remarks Phillips. “Our Trout Eye jigheads are designed to have the biggest eye possible for a jig this size, and they just simply produce.”

“The Trout Eye jig is, hands-down, the best inshore jighead I’ve used,” Nussbaum comments. “The keepers really grip our ElaZtech super-plastic, and the fact that it improves the effectiveness of TroutTrick made partnering with Ralph on distributing it a no-brainer!”

We are very excited to formally announce our partnership with Z-Man Fishing Products Inc.  Z-Man will be distributing our TroutEye jigheads along with their new product, the Trout Trick.  Those of us in Charleston, SC know all about the Trout Trick.  It has been a local go-to bait for about 5 years now.  It’s gratifying for me on a personal level, as one of my very good friends, Bob Sanders, originated this bait and worked tirelessly to get others to simply try them.  He already knew how effective they were.  In fact, he made a living off chartering people new to fishing by using only artificial baits, and only Trout Tricks.  That’s how effective they are.  It’s great to see his vision come to life thanks to the fine people at Z-Man.  Although they are called Trout Tricks, those of us who use them know that they just as well could be called Redfish Tricks, or especially Flounder Tricks.

If there were any criticism of the Trout Trick, it was how easy it was to tear.  A bait would not last longer than a few fish usually.  Well, Z-Man has solved that problem by now making them out of ElaZtech material.  With this material, the Trout Trick is almost indestructible.  ElaZtech material is naturally buoyant, and when rigged on one of our TroutEye jigs, will stand straight up when left on the bottom.  The weight of our TroutEye jigs is the perfect solution to the slightly more buoyant material.  This allows the Trout Trick to fall at just the right rate to trigger a reaction bite on a speckled trout.

Please click the image below to read the full press release from Z-Man regarding our partnership.  We are very excited to be aligned with such an amazing company.

This Memorial day weekend was great fun for my family.  We spent 3 days just being vacationers.  My plans usually involve fishing pre-dawn till 9 or 10 am then spending the rest of the day with family.  Back to work today I’m tired, a little sore and a little sunburned.  Gotta love it, not even June yet 🙂

I have a favorite flat that I scouted myself a few years ago after Ralph taught me about how to find fish.  It’s a very special place to me and I keep it tight to my vest.  This particular place (I call it the pumpkin patch) has been awesome for catching redfish on top in 1 foot of water.  It must be the abundance of bait that gets them eager to charge a plug.  Through trial and error I have learned how to get them to attack.  Simply working the plug across the flat seldom works.  I’ll leave the details to a future post.

Anyway, I haven’t been here in over 6 months and I was wondering if they would be around.  My point with this article is the difference a day can make in fishing.  I fished this same flat, basically the same time of day, in the same way, using the same techniques, and had very different results.

Day 1.  Got to the flat and all the ingredients were there.  Lots of bait, some strikes.  Started working the skitterwalk and was having no luck.  Behind me is an aggressive strike.  I turn around and launch a long cast and a great big red back comes out of the water and crushes it.  He ran around an oyster rake and I could feel my line dragging across it.  Opened my bail and ran the trolling motor to the other side and it freed up.  Real nice fish at 31.5″.  Found a group of smaller fish tailing.  Tried to get one on a topwater fly but could not get one to take.  Best I got was a follow and deny.  Good day!  Off the water at 9 am and the lot was full and three boats waiting to put in.

 

 

Day 2.  Got to flat and there was no crashing.  Only lazy movement of fish.  I could tell by their behavior that they were not happy fish.  Tried all my tricks and no fish.  Moved on to some new water and found a bend with laydown trees.  This is familiar to me.  Lost a little flatty and eventually found 4 trout and a 20 ish inch red in deep water off the end of a tree.  The Z-Man Trout Trick in opening night color saved my day.  I thought I might get skunked on Sunday.  Winds were strong out of the East, but they really were all weekend so can’t blame it on that.  Other reports in the area were similar.  Fish were really negative on Sunday.

Day 3.  Got to flat and was walking the skitter when POP! a red snapped it hard and ran.  It was a big fish and kept pulling my drag toward an oyster rake.  I have a rule to not horse fish but I broke my own rule when I palmed the spool a bit to try to turn it…. bad idea, lost it.  Skitter came back with a scale pierced on a hook so it must have been hooked outside the mouth.  Oh well.  No matter.  Shortly later had a huuge strike that punched a hole in the water.  He was NOT happy to be hooked.  Ended up at 32.5″ a real big fish.  Later had another monster absolutely hammer the plug only to miss it.  He missed a second time a short time later.  I could not get him to come back for thirds.  This day, the fish were happy and aggressive.

 

On reflection, some days the fish are gonna be negative.  I think a lot of people would have been skunked fishing the waters where I was.  The trick is to continue to search different patterns till you find something that works.  shallow/deep.  flats/deep water.  oysters/docks.  etc.  A finesse bait like the Trout Trick are the best baits, in my opinion, for when the fish are turned off.  This was the case for me on Sunday.

Hope this helps.  In the mean time, I’m gonna keep working on my fly casting… it needs it!

——

Some friends have been doing well on the Z-Man Trout Tricks.