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Salt Life: What Autumn Means for the May River
One of the great things about the Lowcountry is that when autumn arrives it’s here to stay for quite some time! Temperatures and humidity typically start to drop off shortly after Labor Day with peak fall colors on display right around Thanksgiving week. This time of year is truly magical…especially when spent on the water!
Here at the Ussery Group we’re lucky enough to have an in-house fishing expert. Prior to entering the real estate world, Thomas Maybank worked as an international fly fishing guide in Montana, Alaska, Argentina, and Outer Mongolia, and went on to launch his own charter fishing business right here in the Lowcountry. We picked his brain (or should we say his tackle box) about what autumn means for those looking to reel in a catch on the May River!
Thomas’ daughter, Margaret, with her catch!
Fishing on the May River in Autumn
“As the temperature begins to dip just a bit and the humidity lowers as well, the local shrimp are better and larger and become the main food source for redfish, speckled trout, and flounder. At low tide the redfish are in schools—50 to 200 fish at a time—and as the water temperatures are still relatively warm, they are actively feeding. As the tide rises, both the redfish and speckled trout will line the grassy edges and points to ambush the shrimp. The expected result can be a pan-sized catch anywhere from two to 10 pounds!
For those looking for larger fish, I suggest heading to the mouths of various rivers and sounds for “bull reds”. These are the mature redfish which feed on larger baitfish. It’s not unreasonable to expect fish to be in the 10 to 40 -pound range in these deeper waters.
Transitioning your catch from the rivers to the kitchen in the late fall is pretty magical as well! Bringing some of the largest shrimp in the area to the table can be achieved by cast netting into the holes in the rivers where they congregate.
And don’t forget that the cooler weather and cleaner waters of autumn means it’s time to harvest oysters and host an oyster roast—a favorite pastime of Lowcountry locals.”
All in all, heading out to our wonderful waters in the fall means good times and good eats!
Are you looking for more information about buying or selling a home or homesite in the Lowcountry? The Ussery Group would consider it an honor to assist you. Get connected with our team by calling 843-757-7712 or emailing info@usserygroup.com.
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