# Beaufort Reds - Wading?



## southedisto (Jun 30, 2013)

A tailing flat is firm and only wet during the higher than average tides. Look for sparse grass and sand. The column below might help put the pieces together.

Beware of private property. If the road is dirt, it is probably private. 

I will throw you one bone - Lemon Island. And you should have a pair of flats booties or old sneakers to protect your feet.

Beware of pluff mud & good luck.


http://www.southcarolinasportsman.com/details.php?id=1719


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## edyoung924 (Sep 3, 2013)

Great, thanks for the advice. Tides while I'm there are looking to be 6.8-7+; I think that's the range I'm looking for. Since the ideal flats are only occasionally flooded, it is safe to assume they will usually be found closer to shore?


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## richwalker71 (Feb 11, 2010)

Not necessarily. Any spot with shorter Spartina is higher and floods less frequently. The fishiest grass spots are adjacent to good low tide habitat. Hint, hint.


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## edyoung924 (Sep 3, 2013)

I catch your drift, Tyger. 

Are any cobia still around? Last time I was down there, we struck out on reds but got into some cobia out on the river off the air base and they were a blast. Of course, that was on the opposite end of summer, though. 

Do folks chase sheepshead on the fly in the area?


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## southedisto (Jun 30, 2013)

Cobia are done - especially inshore.

The tide range that is best for walking in is anywhere from 7.2 on the low end to around 7.8 on the high end based on the Fort Pulaski/Savannah River tide station. Wind direction is an important consideration. 7.2 with a west wind will be too low on the high and a 7.8 with a east wind will be too much. A 7.5 is almost always good. BUT, it can be hard to predict just how the weather will effect the tide and how much. Also, some flats are good at 8' and others as low as 7' in some spots. It can be complicated but the only way to really find out is to go. Richard may be able to at least let you know when the good tides are, but most guides are unwilling to share too much information. I recommend scouting a few flats well before the flood to get a feel for where the reds will likely be.

A few flats do have sheepshead - and that is all I am going to say about that. 

good luck.


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## jeffscoggin (Jan 31, 2012)

How about if you are gonna throw bones around do it in a private message....


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## southedisto (Jun 30, 2013)

wasn't trying to out anyone's fishing grounds - sorry if one of your spots is near there. But it is a large area with many options so far from pinpointing any particular flat with that bone.

If you feel there is more traffic because of my post on the next set of tides send me a PM and I'll make it up to you.


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## jeffscoggin (Jan 31, 2012)

No sweat I do fish there and the surrounding area, and while its no huge secret, Id prefer to keep it as quiet as possible...thanks for the understanding, I know you were just trying to help the fella out, jeff


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## jldriver (Feb 11, 2013)

I'm glad yall didn't turn some innocent advice into a war...but I'm still at a loss...

I completely understand people being protective of their favorite spots...but "Lemon Island" is hardly a treasure map. That's a fairly big area and there weren't a lot of specific details given on when/how to fish it. 

What's wrong with helping each other out or welcoming new people to the sport with a small crumb of advice? Again, I wouldn't readily hand out hard-earned specific intel, but general "point me in the right direction" advice should be welcomed on a forum such as this...otherwise, what's the point?


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

Go up river of the bridge over Broad. There is some good hard bottom on the right side. The same side as the launch. So you won't have to cross the river. Most people put in and head South. Check the sat views. You will see white. That's the areas I,m talking about. Anythight light in color near a creek or just off the river is a good choice. there are some better spots I could tell ya. But your arms would be too tired to cast when you got there. ;D Watch for gators  :-/


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## jeffscoggin (Jan 31, 2012)

There is no problem with helping anyone out.... I myself have been the benefactor of information passed to me in a PRIVATE MESSAGE.... That's my opinion, I'm not gonna change it, and if it had been done that way to begin with we wouldn't be having this conversation


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## jeffscoggin (Jan 31, 2012)

In fact I had a close friend who fished that very area last Saturday and had 3 boats push in on him and guys get out and start wading within 50-75 yds of where he and his son were fishing... I'm not trying to be a jerk or butt hole.... Discussing these spots in a private message keeps people who have no vested interest in the micro skiff community from simply trolling the net for hard earned information... 

I digress, and apologies for the derailing of the thread...


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## edyoung924 (Sep 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the info, guys. Like I said, I have no desire to spot burn, but I'll take whatever I can get because I've been skunked on reds before and they are a long way from being local to me. In any event, I'm in town now and will have a look for myself tomorrow and I do appreciate all of your advice and comments. 

I come from DC and we have a pretty health fly fishing community up there and the info-sharing culture is much different. I didn't mean to solicit any amount of specific advice - just looking for info on what to look for and if my plan is even feasible or if I should just rent a boat (my own boat has WAY too much draft to get around here). 

FYI: to see what I mean about the difference in info-sharing about fishing in the DC area among the wider fly fishing community, have a look here: http://goo.gl/maps/7hys

And here: http://goo.gl/maps/8P1A

These are maps that have been created by the fly fishing community and are updated fairly (or the forum is supplementally notified) as access, law, and fishing action changes and are made readily available to the public here: http://tpfr.org/links.htm Frankly, even in a city that size, there is PLENTY of water for everyone. Maybe my experience is different from yours, Deepstep, but 75 yards doesn't seem like a big deal (of course, as you can tell, I'm not experienced in redfish, either). I've fished almost shoulder-to-should (within 8ft) in a line of anglers during steelheading, striper runs, shad runs; sometimes your fishing schedule lines up with everyone else's and that's that.


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## southedisto (Jun 30, 2013)

There is sharing and then there is _sharing_

I guess I look at it a little differently. It is probably because I routinely try and help others to find fish. I don't give away too many details as far as location goes except for this river or, in this case, that island. The important thing is to give people the details needed to find their own "secret spots" and a little nudge in the right direction doesn't hurt. That's all I was trying to do. Any non member forum cruisers who see the post will not understand much about what is being said, unless they already flyfish for reds and are familiar with the area in which case they are learning absolutely nothing they don't already know about.

Also, if you are fishing anywhere on the Broad you can expect company, often in the form of jerks who do not care about personal space. That cat was let out of the bag years ago. I know many guides who now only use the broad to travel to other locations where they are less likely to be bothered by "sight" fishermen.


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## southedisto (Jun 30, 2013)

Sorry for derailing - PM sent


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## Kane_Thorp (Jun 14, 2012)

Stay outta the broad!! You will get run over. But really, when you go over any of the bridges look down and you will almost always see a short grass flat. Those flats often hold fish and some people do wade them. Nobody will tell you about a flat because it seems like once you tell someone, the next time your out and want to find some tailers there are 3 boats sitting at the flat you've had to yourself for the past year.


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