Lowcountry Kayak Fishing: Catch These 6 Coastal Species
The sea islands and salt marshes of the South Carolina Lowcountry offer some of the best fishing opportunities on the East Coast. Kayak fishing in Hilton Head and the surrounding areas is one of the best ways to experience this exceptional fishery.
Although fishing opportunities change with the seasons, there’s always something biting around Hilton Head Island. These six fish species are some of the most common catches in South Carolina’s inshore waters, and each offer the potential for an unforgettable day of fishing.
Red Drum
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Red drum, also known as redfish, are some of the most often targeted fish in South Carolina’s inshore waters, and some of the most prized by anglers. These fish are abundant, hard-fighting and reach impressive sizes in excess of 50 pounds, and fish weighing 5 to 10 pounds are common in inshore waters.
Fishing for redfish is also popular because these fish inhabit inshore waters year round, although the biggest adults—often referred to as bull reds—spend the winters offshore and return to shallower areas in the spring. That makes spring the most popular time to fish for red drum, followed closely by fall, which is their spawning season.
The most effective bait for redfish is live menhaden. Redfish primarily feed on or near the bottom, dining on a variety of fish, shrimp and crabs. Kayak anglers also catch redfish using a wide variety of minnow-imitating lures, and fly fishing with streamers is also a great option.
There’s often great fishing for redfish in and around grass beds at high tide. During an incoming or outgoing tide, good areas to target include feeder creeks, oyster beds and flats. It’s often possible to sight-fish for redfish in clear, calm coastal waters.
Spotted Seatrout
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Some of the most abundant inshore fish in coastal South Carolina, spotted seatrout are a favorite target species on guided kayak fishing trips. They commonly weigh about 2 pounds, and are identified by their irregular black spots and two canine-like teeth on the upper jaw.
Spotted seatrout are also known as speckled seatrout, though they are not at all related to freshwater trout. They inhabit coastal saltmarshes, grassy flats, tidal creeks and estuaries year-round, and feed largely on shrimp, small fish and crustaceans.
The top bait for spotted seatrout is live shrimp. Various artificial lures are also effective, including paddle-tail grubs, plugs and jigging spoons. Soft plastic shrimp imitations are also very effective, especially when suspended beneath a popping cork.
The period from fall into early winter is a favorite time to fish for seatrout, as cooling waters prompt them to feed aggressively in shallow water. Spotted seatrout spawn in June, and the biggest fish are caught during the spring season leading up to the spawn.
Flounder
Widespread throughout South Carolina’s coastal waters, flounder are abundant and easy to catch. They’re also some of the tastiest fish around, making them prized table fare. Several species of flounder inhabit South Carolina waters, of which Southern flounder are the most common.
Summer is the best time to catch flounder from a kayak in inshore waters, but they’re caught in all seasons. Top areas to find them include mud-bottomed tidal creeks, estuaries and flats. Flounder also feed in flooded saltmarshes during high tide.
Flounder have a habit of lying flat on the bottom, and are perfectly camouflaged to ambush small baitfish. They commonly inhabit similar areas with red drum and spotted seatrout, and it’s often possible to catch all three species on the same kayak fishing trip. The most effective tactic is drift-fishing with finger-sized mullet and mud minnows close to the bottom.
Sheepshead
Source:coastalreview.org by Robert Michelson
Though they aren’t the biggest game fish in South Carolina waters, sheepshead are a favorite of many local anglers. These stout fish are abundant and quick to bite, and they are also non-migratory, so they’re available year-round.
Sheepshead are especially popular in winter because they’re abundant around nearshore and offshore reefs during the colder months, when fishing for many other species is more challenging. But for kayak anglers, the best sheepshead fishing is during the warmer months, when they are more likely to be found in shallow inshore waters.
Typically measuring about 10 to 12 inches, sheepshead have blunt, almost human-like teeth that they use to graze on mollusks and crustaceans. The bait of choice is a live fiddler crab, though worms, clams and even oysters will also do the trick. Places with rocky bottoms are usually best, but sheepshead can also be found on flats at high tide.
Black Drum
Closely related to red drum, black drum haven’t always been as respected as game fish, instead considered bycatch by anglers targeting other species. But these hard-fighting fish have been gaining more and more respect as worthy game fish in their own right.
Black drum call South Carolina waters home year-round, but they are most likely to be found in kayak-friendly inshore waters from February through July. In colder weather, drum are typically found in the deepest holes in inshore creeks, but they’re usually in shallower water when it’s warm out.
Although typical black drum weigh 2 or 3 pounds and measure 14 to 18 inches, it’s possible for adults to reach sizes well over 50 pounds. Fishing for black drum from a kayak using light tackle is one of the best ways to target these fish, which are bottom-feeders and often bite natural baits like shrimp, crabs, clams and worms.
The best approach is to target solid structure like piers, bridges, bulkheads, docks, jetties and rock piles. The best time to fish is when there’s some tidal movement.
Tarpon
Some of the most prized game fish in coastal waters, tarpon are a migratory species that can only be found in South Carolina during the warmer months. Tarpon favor tropical temperatures, and they typically migrate northward from Florida around the end of May and stay until October.
No other fish fights quite like a tarpon. Capable of exceeding 100 pounds, tarpon are known for stripping line from reels, and for repeatedly going fully airborne when hooked. Even an average-sized fish will typically weigh 40 to 60 pounds, making these some of the most challenging fish to hook and land.
Availability of forage also attracts tarpon to coastal South Carolina, including menhaden, gizzard shad and mullet. The best tarpon fishing is usually from July through September, a period that coincides with the annual mullet run.
Drifting live bait like mullet and menhaden is a popular tactic for catching tarpon. Many fish are also caught by casting plugs and flies that imitate baitfish. Tacking tarpon can be very challenging, which is why most first-time tarpon anglers choose a guided fishing trip.