Inshore:
The past week has seen some very pleasant temperatures and weather move into the lowcountry, and our inshore fishery reflected it. As expected, Reds are still schooled up tight on shallow flats during low water and with the warmer temps they have been feeding pretty well the past 4 or 5 days. Artificial baits are still the name of the game, and scented baits that allow a gentle presentation are your best bets (i.e. Gulp jerkshads, ZMAN jerkshads, suspending hard baits such as the Ba-Donk-A-Donk SS series, etc.) Sheepshead continue to be a mainstay of our winter fishery, with more solid reports coming in from heavy structure located near deep water. Our nearshore reefs are also beginning to come alive with black drum and sheepshead, though this fishery will typically peak around mid-february until mid-march. Fiddler crabs (yes, we have plenty on hand now!) are by far the bait of choice, though oysters and clams are another good choice. Trout are still pretty slow, though by the time we get close to March we should see some better reports of trout starting to trickle in.
Offshore:
Not a whole lot to speak of on the offshore front, though some boats to make it out this past weekend to load up on black sea bass,triggers, and porgies. Best reports I heard came in from 55-90ft of water on the usual squid, cigar minnows, and some of shimano's new vertical jigs.

Report By: Scott Hammond
Haddrell's Point Tackle & Supply
47 S. Windemere Charleston, SC 29407 (843) 573-3474
http://www.haddrellspoint.com