![]() Miles Altman of Bayrunner Fishing Charters has more than 42 years experience fishing the waters surrounding Hilton Head Island. Another great day of bandit fishing!īy Miles Altman, Bayrunner Fishing ChartersĬapt. After a hard-fought battle, I slid the net under his fish, which was obviously bigger than mine.įourteen sheepshead later, we headed home. Pride goeth before a fall, however, as Von’s rod bent double. Several bruising battles with black drum ensued, and I smiled thinking I had the winner in the clubhouse. A few minutes later, Von slid the net under my catch, and I proclaimed, “big fish.”ĭon soon caught a big fish, which would turn out to be a red drum. With rod doubled and drag protesting, the battle was on. It wouldn’t be too long, however, ‘til a nice five-pounder was on. Not a huge fish, but a sheepie nonetheless. You see, with these bandits, the slightest tap (unperceived at times, if you’re not watching closely) is all you get before you’re fishing on credit.Īfter thinning out the obligatory black sea bass (always an inch short of legal size), I finally drew first blood on the black-and-white striped target. Reeling the fish-finder rig up just until there was tension on the line, I focused intently on the rod tip. ![]() With eager anticipation, I waited for the telltale slack in the line that signaled the bait had reached the structure some 40 feet below. Structure found and anchor set, we pulled out the fiddlers and baited hooks. It was a picture-perfect day with flat seas, as Don’s fishing buddy Von manned the anchor. Studying the depth finder for the structure that had been so productive the weekend before, we marveled at the calmness of the ocean. Thankfully, after a half hour, we arrived at the reef and had it all to ourselves. The 38-degree morning, coupled with a 30 mph cruising speed, had my teeth chattering. Good memories floated through my freezing brain. It had been years since I’d been in the creeks we traversed on the way to the reef. I met Don at 6:30 the following chilly morning, and we put the boat in just as the sun broke over the horizon - the announcement of a fresh day full of promise. Visions of fried sheepshead with grits and eggs over easy danced through my head. When it comes to table fare, they don’t call them “river snapper” for nothing. Just getting a hook set is tricky, and the battle is always satisfying, especially with a fish over five pounds. These sneaky bandits offer great challenge. Sheepshead is definitely in my top-three favorite fish to catch. “Light north wind, and seas less than a foot,” my brother Don said. ![]() A day on the water is always full of surprises.
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