Low Country Logistics

The low country is expansive, and some of it still unexplored. While Charleston, South Carolina is an instant point of reference for this terminology, the “Low Country” is larger than you think. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina all house sections of spartina-laced mud and are subject to flood tides, 6ft+ king tides that overrun the land each summer exposing new forage to flats fish like redfish, black drum, and sheepshead.

Fish Behavior

Fish that live here are mobile but can be patterned. Heavily influenced by tidal movement, they know where the water is headed and are constantly in motion chasing bait beaten down by the currents. Sometimes it's as basic as “which way are the fish going?”. If you’re pushing a creek and fish are spooking out you might be doomed. If fish are crawling into the creeks, waddling their way to the back, you may be in for a spectacle. 

On a quick three-hour expedition we found bait trapped in culdesacs of death. Shrimp and finger mullet darted frantically, struggling to survive in the water, going airborne to escape. A few unlucky shrimp sprung their way onto the hard spartina-laced mud where they ultimately died. Like stripers blitzing bunkers in the northeast, redfish fired up and down the bank, spraying bait as they hovered just over the water line. With so much forage we found some fish unfeedable, completely gorged after dusting up schools of white shrimp, and happy to refuse a black tarantula brush spun around a piece of metal.

Access

In creeks that were too shallow (oyster bars in less than 4” of water) we had to leave the boat behind. While the 17 razorfish floats shallower than most, we couldn’t listen to another oyster score the hull, especially with the owner of razorfish himself sitting just below the casting platform. 

Out on foot, we went, turning corners slowly peaking for fish and finger mullet. With steep banks and slippery mud, a stumble was inevitable. Capt. Matt claims to have sustained a lifelong ankle sprain in one of his favorite low country mud pits, and in the process of hunting these fish, rods, reels, cameras, and bags are all fair game for a sticky clay smothering. 

Gear

In the Low Country sight is everything. Spotting a fish first is often the difference between a shot and a spook. Tiny tail flicks sometimes no larger than a moth on the water are hard to spot and gone in an instant. This is where the right pair of sunnies comes in. 

Frame Pick - Piedra 

Piedra is one of our favorite sight-fishing frames. First, it’s lightweight and made from a bio based resin. This means it's comfortable all day from sunrise to sunset. Second, its thick temple design blocks harsh side light. This means less squinting, and more spotting.

Lens Pick - Green Mirror Glass

The low country is bright and the flats are exposed. However, you still need a high contract lens to spot red backs against stained muddy water. Our green mirror lens is high contrast with a copper base layer, yet still very capable in full sun with only 14% light transmission. If you’re fishing floods this fall look for our green mirror glass lens, trusted by redfish guides up and down the East Coast.