The fishing
Organized by how the water works, not by what's in the rod locker.
Most charter sites list tackle. That's backwards. What you fish with is decided by what the water is doing that week, and the water changes constantly. Here is how the Charleston fishery actually breaks down.
The window is short. That's the point.
Fly fishing the flood tides
On the highest tides of the month, salt water pushes up over the spartina and floods the high marsh. Redfish follow it in to eat fiddler crabs. They tip nose-down to feed, and their tails come out of the water.
You are standing on the bow, casting to a tail you can see, in eight inches of water, in a place that will be dry grass again in ninety minutes.
This is the best sight fishing in the Southeast and it is not available on demand. It requires a spring tide, the right wind, and enough light. Those windows cluster around the new and full moons from roughly late spring through fall. When they line up, this is the trip to be on.
Beaches and inlets
Through the warm months, bull redfish and tarpon work the surf line and the mouths of the inlets, following bait along the beach. These are big fish in open water and you often see them before you cast.
Tarpon in particular are a commitment. Long days, a lot of looking, and a low hookup rate against very high stakes. If you want the single hardest and most memorable fish available in this fishery, this is it. Come with realistic expectations and a full day.
Conventional tackle
When the water cools or the fish move deep, sight fishing stops being an option. That's not a lesser day — it's a different fishery, and it rewards different gear.
Spinning and baitcasting tackle worked around structure, creek mouths, holes, and oyster bars. Winter especially can produce excellent numbers of redfish schooled up in clear, cold water. Anyone can fish this well, including people who have never held a fly rod.
If you are new to fishing or bringing kids, start here.
Not sure which one?
Tell me when you're coming and I'll tell you what the water will be doing. That's usually the better order to plan in.