Get hooked before sunrise

Summer in the Lowcountry is brutally hot. The combination of high temperature and high humidity makes fishing in the middle of the day uncomfortable. Sometimes, even dangerous.  So, in August, I will be doing most of my inshore fishing early in the morning. How early?  Before sunrise early.

 

In the dog days of summer, most inshore species actively feed just before sunrise. One of my favorite early morning feeders is jack crevalle. They are abundant in the harbor, large (between 20-30 pounds) and put up a tough fight. Jack crevalle eat on the surface, attacking schools of menhaden and mullet with abandon. This makes them susceptible to top water lures. Large poppers are particularly effective.

 

On Sunday, it was too rough to fish offshore. So, Elliott (my son), Brody (the amazing fish-finding and stock-trading dog) and I decided to target jacks in the harbor. We loaded the Yellowfin with a 30-pound class spinning tackle and tied on Yozuri 3D poppers. It was still dark when we pulled away from the dock.  

 

After a short run into the harbor, we stopped in an area where a shallow shelf drops off into deeper water. In the low light, we could see a school of menhaden swimming along the depth transition. Elliott cast a popper into the school and began a hard popping retrieve. There was a huge explosion as a big jack crevalle ate the lure. We were hooked up before sunrise.

 

The jack put up a good fight. It took Elliott several minutes to bring the fish to the boat. After a couple of quick pictures, Elliott took a few minutes to revive the fish before releasing it. Jack crevalle are not good table fare. So, we always release them. Perhaps, that is why there are so many of them?

 

With jack crevalle checked off the list, I asked Elliott and Brody what they wanted to do next. Both exclaimed, let’s go to Waffle House before the crowd gets there. That sounded good to me.  

 

Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.