# Palmetto Bluff resort



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

My family is taking us there in August. The web site mentions Tarpon, Cobia and RedFish. Since its August there might only be Bass and bream available. The inshore water temp will be in the 80's
Right now I'm not planning to bring my boat cause we will only be there 3 days. My plan is to rent a canoe or kayak or if there's Tarpon hire a guide
We will be taking our shotguns to shoot their sporting clays course
But i can't get that close to marsh and not have a fly rod
Oh it's near Bluffton SC


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## Plantation (Nov 24, 2015)

Yeah I think they have a saltwater impoundment or two in there. If there are floodtides during your stay and a canoe rental is available I'd try that too. If you are looking for a guide I know Kai Williams is a good one in that area.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Beautiful area. Definitely recommend renting a kayak and going around the ponds. I know they hold bass and very likely some tarpon - I threw a fly rod a little bit, but didn't get any action (it was mid afternoon, though). You can definitely have some luck with the redfish in the river, but the tides will determine how you fish. You may want to take a kayak if you're fishing low tide, or there might be a flat you can wade if it's a good flood.

I'd also rent a bicycle - there's a really cool path through the woods, and it ends up at a few ponds and a few nice little shops. My wife and I went last summer and really enjoyed it. I wish we could have stayed longer.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Thanks for your help. I've not been in a real kayak just a blow up beach one. But I'm good wit a canoe. To be honest either would be easy. The canoe would be easier to carry 2 fly rods and a dry bag. As it gets closer i can look at the tides. Dont know if incoming or out going is better
Ive fished up the coast at Oak Island, NC so i know you can wade when the grass is covered


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## Stormy Monday (Mar 27, 2019)

My inlaws lived in Bluffton for quite a while. I got a lot of bass in the ponds, saw gators but not tarpon. KEY LEARNING - DO NOT SPEED IN BLUFFTON! They have t-shirts about their speed traps for a reason. Spent a couple hundred bucks learning that, ugh. Thre are some kayak rentals on Hilton Head that access some nice looking water as I recall, can't remember any canoe rentals though. I did pretty well with a chartreuse bunny fly btw...


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## Newman (Jan 22, 2018)

Should be lots of tarpon around in August.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Newman said:


> Should be lots of tarpon around in August.


man i hope so!!!


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

He's based in Savannah, but Capt. Scott Wagner fly fishes for tarpon around HH.

savannahfly.com


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## Newman (Jan 22, 2018)

permitchaser said:


> man i hope so!!!


Barring a series of natural disasters they will be around in numbers.


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## Newman (Jan 22, 2018)

Newman said:


> Barring a series of natural disasters they will be around in numbers.


And if Scott Wagner is booked (he mostly is as it’s peak tarpon season), try Colt, he will put you on them.
Would book soon, August dates go fast.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I sent an email to Scott Wagner but y'all know how i feel about guides. I may just get in a canoe and see if i can find some. I guess their in the May river. But I've never been so I'll have to google earth or wait for y'all to give me some direction.


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## Newman (Jan 22, 2018)

permitchaser said:


> I sent an email to Scott Wagner but y'all know how i feel about guides. I may just get in a canoe and see if i can find some. I guess their in the May river. But I've never been so I'll have to google earth or wait for y'all to give me some direction.


Canoe is a very bad idea.
They are very large (even by tarpon standards), generally in lots of current, often with wads of bull sharks around.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Newman said:


> Canoe is a very bad idea.
> They are very large (even by tarpon standards), generally in lots of current, often with wads of bull sharks around.


Well then a kayak is probably not much better
I wonder what the world record on Bull Sharks on fly is


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## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

You can also drive over to hunting island state park. Some wade fishing and use a canoe in the lagoon. To add to the guide list, Mark Nutting, Owen Plair and Bay st outfitters.


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## Greg Allison (Mar 13, 2018)

You cant go wrong with any of those guides. Capt. Colt Harrison mentioned above is good captain (he does a good bit of nearshore and offshore stuff OTF, and loves tarpon fishing). The water down there that time of year is not clear in the estuaries, so sight fishing for tarpon in the back bays, and creeks is not an easy feat. A lot of it is done in the big open bays, and near shore. I would not get too aggressive on float plans in a canoe or kayak, lots of current. The flats fishing should be great around then though. Good luck.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I talked to Bay St Outfitters and they recommended Shannon O'Quinn. he guides out of there


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## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

Go on Bay Street ‘s Facebook page and see the Cobia his client caught yesterday or Sunday. On the fly.


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## Newman (Jan 22, 2018)

flysalt060 said:


> Go on Bay Street ‘s Facebook page and see the Cobia his client caught yesterday or Sunday. On the fly.


Looks like Tuck got one yesterday.

Maybe the cobia fishery will return with the moratorium, poor cobes just get abused by meat fishermen and liberal bag limits.
I applaud the S.C. Legislators for finally listening to the DNR and putting a moratorium on them for 1 month a year, in one part of the state.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Ive been emailing back an forth with Scott Wagner. I may just drive over in July if the fish are there and fish with him. It just depends


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I had a surprise last week my daughter said she booked a flats boat for me while we are there. Hope they know how to fly fish for Tarpon


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## ReelFisher (Mar 14, 2017)

If you're still looking I second Colt Harrison...he has tarpon fever about as bad as anyone and consistently catches more tarpon than most in Charleston. He is one of the few that can also fly fish for them here with our dirty/deeper water.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I don’t have a clue who I’ll be fishing with yet. I’ll let you know when I find out
Thanks for all your help


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2019)

If you’re after tarpon, I’d contact Fuzzy Davis at (912) 547-1464. He and Sage rep Raz Reid pretty much pioneered fly fishing for tarpon in that area.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Greg Lyles said:


> If you’re after tarpon, I’d contact Fuzzy Davis at (912) 547-1464. He and Sage rep Raz Reid pretty much pioneered fly fishing for tarpon in that area.


I know Raz and bought rods from him
Don’t know who guides at Palmetto Bluff Resorts just know I have a flats boat booked. Hope it’s someone who knows about Tarpon


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I talked to the Concierge at Palmetto bluff resort. Told her i just wanted to fly fish for Tarpon, that's it. Told her I'd like Fuzzy or Scott or Colt
She sent me a text saying Fuzzy wasnt available and Chris would be my guide who is an expert fly fisherman
Well the tide on the 2nd of August will be in coming
Does anyone know who Chris is and does he know what and where Tarpon are


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

permitchaser said:


> I talked to the Concierge at Palmetto bluff resort. Told her i just wanted to fly fish for Tarpon, that's it. Told her I'd like Fuzzy or Scott or Colt
> She sent me a text saying Fuzzy wasnt available and Chris would be my guide who is an expert fly fisherman
> Well the tide on the 2nd of August will be in coming
> Does anyone know who Chris is and does he know what and where Tarpon are


His name is Chris Ray


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## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

Call and ask Gary.Both of us know he knows.i don’t know him.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I talked to Scott Wagner and he said Chris was a nice guy but mostly targets reds. So I sent a text to John at Bay City and he said he would talk to CHRIS about Tarpon


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Im in Palmetto Bluff Resort with my family. Sent out with a guide at dark this morning. We saw one Tarpon way off and that was it. I blind cast till my arm fell off (13 wt.) Nothing. My guide was very nice and knowledgeable but an east wind sunk my chanse
I'm going to have to rethink this Tarpon on fly quest
By the way this place is really nice


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Well that was my 8th Tarpon guide without a Tarpon to cast to
My guide told me of an Everglades guide who likes his customers to bring the poon to boat in 15 minutes kinda drill Sargent but I forgot his name


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## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

Gary is back from annual family vacation at SGI. Give him a call this. Pretty sure he went Tarpon fishing at least once last week. Last few years Tarpon have been thick on Forgotten coast. You try for some tailers?


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

flysalt060 said:


> Gary is back from annual family vacation at SGI. Give him a call this. Pretty sure he went Tarpon fishing at least once last week. Last few years Tarpon have been thick on Forgotten coast. You try for some tailers?


You mean Gary M Fish Hawk


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## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

Yes


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