A Quick Trip to HHI For Redfish and Flounder- NDR

Larry Eckart

Well-known member
A Two Day Fall Fishing Trip to HHI

Guys and Dani,
Many of you are aware that I spent 9 years working on HHI before moving to the Raleigh area three years ago. Since moving, a buddy of mine that I used to fish with and hunt marsh hens has been bugging me to come down and fish in the fall.

Last week I took him up on it for a quick two day trip. The tide wasn't right to hunt marsh hens thus it was just a fishing trip. We didn't get into them heavy but we caught enough redfish and flounder to make it interesting. As always, time with a buddy on the water, either fishing or hunting, is time well spent.

One of the things not many people realize is that near HHI is the Waddell Mariculture Research Institute. (https://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/index.html). This is a high-class hatchery, that studies, among other species, redfish, striped bass, sturgeon, shrimp and blue crab. One of the purposes of the Institute is to study the various ways to farm the species listed above as well as provide salt water stocking broods. Located near HHI in Bluffton, a significant number of these fish raised in Bluffton are released in the local area.

In these two photos I have undersized reds. We used primarily 1/4 oz jigs with Gulp Swimming Mullet in either Pearl or Smoke color.
IMG_2769.jpeg

IMG_2771.jpeg

Friend Ted was in the place in the boat where a bit larger reds were caught. How does that happen when you are using the same lures? Don't say it!
IMG_4556.jpeg

IMG_4561.jpeg
Ted uses a 15' Gheenoe powered by a 9.9 four stroke Yammie. It's a nice rig for the creeks of the Low Country. Heavier, more stable than a canoe but not good to paddle or car top. You need a trailer to use a Gheenoe. I do wonder why Gheenoe's haven't become more popular with northern puddle duck hunters who use canoes or like craft. In Florida, they are everywhere.
IMG_4563.jpeg


As we came in the second day, the "game warden" greeted us at the dock. I had never seen a Brown Pelican be so social as to walk right up to us. He almost stepped on our toes. Ted wondered if he was old and going blind. I thought he just had the panhandling down to a science.

IMG_4562.jpeg

Now it's time for me to turn my attention to the woods and deer and also do some float hunting for ducks. Good luck to all in your respective hunts and haunts. Be safe and be well!

Larry[font=Calibri, sans-serif][/font]
 
Last edited:
Some good looking redfish there! Do you ever participate in tagging the redfish you release? I still have some old tags for doing that. I would like to get over to Jacksonville and do some flood tide fishing for reds again and try to use up my tags.

Good luck with your deer hunts. I will be going on my first general gun season deer hunt ever this year since I pulled a doe tag at the place where I hunt quail. I am not dedicated enough to sit for a buck that meets the required points. I am happy to shoot a doe though. And there are A LOT of them out there.
 
Trips looks like a lot of fun! That looks like the middle of summer compared to the marshes here.
 
Thanks for sharing the story. Is that someone's house in the second pic? Wow.

I am guessing on the reason those boats aren't popular up here is that they are kind of an inbetween boat. I've looked at them and this is the reason I didn't purchase one. They aren't light enough to manhandle solo, and they aren't big enough to carry two people, a dog, 3 dozen decoys and other assorted gear.

Just a guess.

Mark
 
Mark,
Yes that is a house in the back. That creek borders Hilton Head Plantation, one of the many gated communities on the island. These tidal creeks are bone dry at low tide but full of baitfish and game fish as the tide roars in.

Larry
 
I see a few of those Gheenoes in Maine, but they are heavier, less traditional, and (according to friends who have used them, I have not) not as seaworthy as similar boats like "Grand Laker" square-stern canoes, and Grumman Sportboats.

The Gheenoes look like they take a bigger motor and that may make them faster, but a 10-15 HP motor on a good square stern canoe moves it as fast as I'd want to go. I've sure seen them with bigger motors, but we always wonder why.

Here's a quick comparison of the 16' Gheenoe and three boats by Canadian canoe maker Scott that are very popular here.

Gheenoe: 16' long. 55' beam. 350 lb weight. 650 pound capacity. 40 hp rated. $5400.

Scott: 15' 8" Freighter. 15'8" long. 42" beam. 140 lb weight. 1145 lb capacity. 6 HP rated. $2200.

Most folks in Maine would upgrade to an 18' or even a 21' canoe for larger lakes and rivers.

The Scott 18' Freighter: 18'4" length. 50" beam. 195 lb. weight. 1550 lb capacity. 9.9 HP rated. $3700.

Another similar boat popular up here is a Scott Duck Boat. This is not a canoe, but a flat bottomed skiff. Very stable--I can stand my 280 pounds on the gunwale while fly casting. But not nearly so good at dealing with waves on the big water as the freighter canoes are.

Scott 16' Deep Duck: Length 16' 2". Beam 53". 210 pound weight. 1200 lb capacity. 15 HP $2900
 
Back
Top