Don't forget the fishing tackle when you head to the beach

You still might find the water temperature a little chilly if you decide to dip more than your toes in the water if you head to the beach on one of these warm spring days. But you might forget about the cool water if you brought along some fishing tackle and have a nice fish tugging on your line. One of the great things about Lowcountry living is the opportunity to find a secluded spot on shore, cast a bait into the water and hook a fish.

And you never know what species of fish has decided to snack on that piece of shrimp or chunk of mullet you have tossed into the water. Big bull redfish are the first to come to mind when you are surf fishing. But there are plenty of other smaller species that can be just as fun — smaller reds, bluefish, whiting and pompano.



Just make sure you have your saltwater fishing license and know the catch and size limits for those fish. There are plenty of places in the Charleston area where you can wet a line — the rocks near Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island and Breach Inlet between Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms are popular shore destinations. If you are willing to take a hike, try the north end of Folly Beach looking out toward Morris Island Lighthouse or Frampton Inlet near Edisto Beach.

Wherever you end up, be courteous and stay away from the areas where people are swimming. If you are targeting those big bull reds, you may want to invest in a 10- to 12-foot rod that can make a long cast out beyond the breakers, but there are plenty of fish swimming in the shallows that you can reach with a typical 6- to 8-foot rod and reel combo. For the bull reds, you should use some variation of the fish-finder rig with appropriate-sized circle hooks.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources suggests a variation on the fish-finder rig that uses a fixed weight.

Tie a three-way swivel on your main line, attach the weight to the bottom section of the swivel and tie a short leader, six inches or so, on the third part of the swivel. For smaller species, a double-hook bottom rig that's readily available in tackle shops works well. There are plenty of options for bait.

Pick up frozen shrimp or mullet at the tackle store or purchase fresh shrimp at the seafood market on your way to the beach. Or take along a bucket and cast net and see if you can catch some fresh mullet or menhaden. Other useful items for surf fishing include a canvas carpenter's nail apron where you can tote extra rigs as well as stuff some more bait if you are prone to wander, a PVC sand spike to hold your rods and perhaps a beach chair so you can rest as await a bite.

If you want to improve your chances of success, learn to read the water so you can make an educated guess as to where the fish will be. Go out to a beach at low tide and examine the terrain, then come back to the same area at high tide and see what is happening with the water. The gullies and ditches are where the breakers form, and that’s where the predatory fish are swimming.

You don't want to think you are fishing for second but participants in the 2025 South Carolina Wahoo Series are going to have to post some incredible catches if they have hopes of overtaking leader Keys Please before the event ends on April 12. Keys Please, captained by Brennan Arnsdorff of Nevils, Ga., heads a strong Georgia contingent that holds the top three spots through April 1.

Keys Please has used its allotted three fish days, and its two-fish aggregate weight is 180.8 pounds, with a 99.6-pound catch on March 23 and an 81.

2-pound wahoo caught March 26. Second is Coastal Pursuit, captained by Richie Proudfoot of Hortense, Ga., with a two-fish total of 150.

6 pounds, 91.4 on Feb. 26 and 59.

2 on March 19. High Roller, captained by Colton Infinger of Ludowici, Ga., is third at 130.

7 pounds, 97.4 on Feb. 26 and 33.

3 on March 13. Teams entered in the South Carolina Wahoo Series can pick three fish days between Feb. 17 and April 12, weigh one fish each of those days with their two heaviest catches counting toward the $32,000 first prize.

This year's tournament has 160 boats registered. The Charleston Inshore Anglers' 32nd annual Big Ed Sheepshead Tournament will be fished April 26. The captain's meeting is 5:30-7:30 p.

m. April 24 at American Legion Post 147, located at 968 Folly Road. The entry fee for the tournament is $40, which includes a tournament T-shirt.

The weigh-in will be conducted from 4-5 p.m. April 26 at American Legion Post 147.

Contacts are: Kevin Mischke 843-324-1006, Doyle Whittington 843-323-6403 or Gene Broderick at 843-224-6826..