March Fishing Report from Capt. Gates

March on Folly feels like a shift.

The light lingers a little longer. The air softens. The island begins to stir.

Out on the water, that shift is even more noticeable. Spring may arrive gently on land, but beneath the surface, the story is more complex.

Here is the March fishing report from Capt. Gates.

Captain Gates Fishing Report

March is the kickoff to our short spring, and summer sneaks in fast here. It is a month of mild days and cool nights. Some will say it can be one of the trickiest months to fish in the Lowcountry, but also one of the most exciting.

Do not let the warmer days fool you. Water temperatures lag behind air temperatures, and much of the fishery is still in winter mode. But a great awakening is happening, and by the end of the month, our spring fishery is truly here.

For much of March, we treat the inshore fishery like a winter fishery. Redfish remain schooled up through the month. When we find them on the flats, channel edges, and around structure, we are careful not to harass them with noisy presentations.

Lowcountry anglers are a privileged bunch, and one of our privileged problems is fishing a school of two hundred plus cold-blooded redfish only to have a pod of warm-blooded bottlenose dolphins swim through the shallows, violently attacking our quarry and shutting the bite down in a thrash of mud and fins. It is an incredible spectacle and part of what makes fishing here so unique.

After months of cold water and pressure from predators like osprey and dolphins, redfish are often in what I call end-of-winter mode. They are leery and in no mood for noise. This time of year, they are often at their spookiest and should be treated like prey, not predators.

Cut baits soaked on the bottom and smaller live baits will often produce the most bites. Let the fish encounter the bait rather than pulling it aggressively in front of them. The fewer casts made over a school, the better. The lighter the weight, the smaller the splash, the more bites you will get.

It is not quite time yet to encounter redfish that aggressively attack noisy baits and fast-moving presentations. A slow and careful approach will coax plenty of bites.

Also inshore, sheepshead are hovering around structure. As the month progresses, larger sheepshead will become more abundant in the rivers, creeks, and protected waterways. Fiddler crabs and bivalves presented vertically over the structure will produce bites. Head-on shrimp fished around these same areas will also produce black drum and redfish.

When targeting trout, slow presentations of soft plastics and mud minnows have been working well in deeper pockets along creek bends. This pattern should continue through the month.

Just off the beach, our artificial reefs are about to come alive. By mid March, we are usually enjoying an array of migratory visitors. Spanish mackerel, false albacore, bonito, and bluefish begin to move into our nearshore waters, offering exciting light tackle opportunities when fish are feeding on the surface.

Bull red drum, black drum, black sea bass, weakfish, and flounder are also around the structure. The nearshore sheepshead bite is peaking before the adult fish head back inshore.

I look forward to having some of y’all aboard to make more great memories this spring. For those wanting to spend time on the water during this beautiful time of year, it is best to book trips in advance. March dates often fill quickly as people begin making Spring Break travel plans.

A Season of Transition

March fishing on Folly Beach requires patience and perspective.

It is a month of change. A month where winter patterns linger, but signs of spring push through. For those willing to move quietly, watch closely, and adjust with the tide, it can be one of the most rewarding times to be on the water.

If spending a spring morning or afternoon out on the water sounds like your kind of pace, you can learn more about fishing with Capt. Gates at https://www.follybeachfishingtrips.com/.

The season is shifting. The tide is moving. And out beyond the shoreline, something new is beginning.