100 Fish Challenge completed in record time!
Every year, my son (Elliott) and brother (David) join me for the 100 Fish Challenge. To beat the challenge, we must catch and release 100 fish during a single tide cycle (of 6 hours). We have a pretty good record for beating the challenge but it often takes every bit of the allotted 6 hour window. Given the great spring-like weather this weekend, we decided to fish the challenge on Saturday. Earlier in the week, I located a large school of Redfish that moved into slight channel during low tide. At dead low tide, it could be literally like fishing in a barrel. So we started the challenge at this location (at dead low tide). For the next 90 minutes, we consistently caught Redfish two and three at a time. They were not particularly large, but even the small ones counted toward our 100 fish goal. It was quite possibly the best Redfish bite the three of us had ever experienced together. Every lure we cast into the channel was hungrily eaten. We caught fish on Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Ralph Shad), MinnowZ (Houdini) and Trout Trick (Shrimp Po Boy).
Shortly after the tide began to rise, the school dispersed. With our fish release count at 39, we had a shot to beat the 100 Fish Challenge in record time. The incoming tide brought clear and slightly warmer water into the creek, perfect conditions for targeting Trout in deep channels. Using the depth finder, it only took us a few minutes to find a large school of Trout. As luck would have it, the Trout were hungry as well. Once again, we began catching doubles and triples of Trout. By far, the most productive lure was the StreakZ 3.75 on a Trout Eye jig. It took just over an hour to catch 61 Trout and beat the 100 Fish Challenge in record time.
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.