Beaufort SC kayak fishing

[Dabbler_E]

Hi All,

I'm about to head on a family vacation to the Beaufort, S.C. area (Harbor island, specifically). There are tons of tidal marshes, and I'm bringing my kayak. This is the first time I've done saltwater 'yak fishing, and I'm hoping for some general pointers (not honey holes) -- time & tide that work best, trolling vs. casting, etc. My focus will be on redfish, and I've read up on various lures & baits (gold spoons, mirrolures, etc.)-- I'll probably start with trying to sling live shrimp at tailing fish to up my odds, and then shift to lures once I've got a few under my belt.

Are there other fish & techniques I should be thinking about? Also, I may try to go in on a charter for tarpon, so any experiences you all have had would be helpful there, too.

Low country virgin, about to get schooled,

 

[Dabbler_E]

Re: Beaufort SC kayak fishing

For those lurking hoping for some info -- I did fairly well with the redfish in one trip and was humbled the next. I stuck with Gulp shad (new penny or pearl) on weighted 4/0 worm hooks, with 15# spiderwire and a large cross-lock snap swivel. The first trip was on an incoming tide and the second was an outgoing tide, both about midway. My impression is that the fish were more aggressive on the incoming tide. I focused on shallow oyster beds, casting near the shore, giving a few quick "panic" pulls across the surface, then allowing the bait to drop to the bottom and bump it the rest of the way back. Generally, this worked well in drawing strikes. First trip, I caught 3 slot-limit keepers and 1 oversize (26"), with 2 others that got off the hook or broke the line. Second trip, I had about as many strikes (although over a longer 3 hr time frame), but kept getting line breaks if I set the hook hard (I think that maybe the oyster shells were taking their toll) or else the fish getting off if I didn't set quite so hard.

All in all, I had a great time and those fish sure pulled my little kayak around. Having a dolphin swim right by me was pretty fun, too.