Still slow at St Jeromes

[Big Mike]

Launched at daylight at St Jerome’s today, probably should have slept in. I had a perfect incoming tide, light winds, and cloud cover. These beautiful ingredients gave me a broken souffle. Not one bite or bump in the first 90 minutes and I hit every spot I know. Stopped and worked the daily Wordle to kill some time. Finally a small school of trout passed through and I got 2 and lost 1 on pearl chartreuse bass assassin. They were in 3’ of water over a rock bed. As quick as they came they left. After that I switched to flounder fishing but one abandoned crab pot and a CNR convinced me to call it a day.

our fishing has certainly been lackluster this year. The only real positive today was no floating grass.

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[J. Rentch]

Same up here

[Jman]

Thanks for the report! Is there more of the underwater grass down your way this year? I crabbed 6/25 near there and there was a ton of grass in the spots I usually lay my line. I ended up going deeper and doing well laying the line near the grass. There were baitfish busting everywhere just off the grass beds.

[Big Mike]

The floating horned pondweed was horrible this year and has finally disappeared for the most part. Our normal grass beds seem about the same as past years (maybe slightly bigger), although we’ve caught most of our trout off the beds for some reason. A much bigger problem this year for us is the huge increase in trot lines setting up on grass bed edges. Our informal guess is double what we’ve seen in years past.

[summersoff]

Thanks for the hood report.

[Fishtank]

Mike, slow down here in Charleston as well. There is nothing wrong with the quantity of fish in the area. I see them chasing bait all over the creeks. The redfish slam into the side of my kayak or pound the bottom of it as a reminder. The creeks are so full of shrimp, bunker, pinfish, you name it. Close your eyes, throw a cast net in any direction and it will be loaded with baitfish. That said, I believe the bite may be slow due to so much bait in the water. I have tried every way I know to entice them. Had 4 reds to show for it yesterday when normally it would be dozens. Setting up at this outflow normally would be crazy productive. Those are mounds of oysters in front of me.
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[Jman]

The floating horned pondweed was horrible this year and has finally disappeared for the most part. Our normal grass beds seem about the same as past years (maybe slightly bigger), although we’ve caught most of our trout off the beds for some reason. A much bigger problem this year for us is the huge increase in trot lines setting up on grass bed edges. Our informal guess is double what we’ve seen in years past.

Interesting - thanks for the information, I remember a couple of years ago there was no grass in these areas. Crabbing was worthwhile.

[Big Mike]

Mike, slow down here in Charleston as well. There is nothing wrong with the quantity of fish in the area. I see them chasing bait all over the creeks. The redfish slam into the side of my kayak or pound the bottom of it as a reminder. The creeks are so full of shrimp, bunker, pinfish, you name it. Close your eyes, throw a cast net in any direction and it will be loaded with baitfish. That said, I believe the bite may be slow due to so much bait in the water. I have tried every way I know to entice them. Had 4 reds to show for it yesterday when normally it would be dozens. Setting up at this outflow normally would be crazy productive. Those are mounds of oysters in front of me.
Morgan.jpg

First world problems I’d say. Agree though, if Mother Nature putting on a spread it’s hard to entice fish to eat plastic or a hunk of dead meat.