As the light wing moved up from the southeast, the green float bobbed up and down as the water ripples from that wind and incoming tide. Then, it’s gone. With a constant and easy motion, I set the circle hook in the corner of the drum’s mouth. Size doesn’t matter. These fish have an awesome pull. A fun pull, too. “Stay out of the structure!!”.

When you hook one, they do what they can to get away. They always head to some type of structure. But this one didn’t have a chance. It was my day today. In the boat and then back in the water, he goes to swim and fight another day.

I know that popping corks have really been popular lately, and with good reason. I am fishing the salt marsh creeks North of Charleston, SC, and we have a large tide. Close to 6+ feet. That means a lot of water moves in and out in a 6 hour and 26 minute period. The popping cork rig has a set leader length, and when you fish the tides, you have to either lengthen your leader during the flood tide to keep the bait in the strike zone or shorten your leader during the ebb tide. So, over the years, I’ve been moving back to the old sliding cork rig: the SC rig.

With the sliding cork, all you have to do is to move the bobber-stop knot up or down, depending on the current state. It’s that simple. No more tying on additional leader material with a blood knot or cutting leader and retying back to the popping cork swivel.

I also use a 1/0 octopus-style circle hook with the SC rig. I like the circle for the ease of use, and it keeps the dreaded gut hook from occurring most of the time. Sometimes you get a little sidetracked watching nature around you, and when you look back for your cork. It’s gone. AAAHHHH! Just reel tight and move the rod in a constant and fluid motion away from the cork, and you’ll usually set the hook, and it’s right in the corner of the mouth.

My bait of choice in the early spring is a mummichog. What’s a mummichog, you may be asking? Well, it’s a mud minnow. It is a natural and abundant little baitfish of the salt marsh. They are very hardy and resilient bait. I also use small finger mullet and small or peanut size menhaden. Of course, one of the best baits is a live shrimp. But, everything eats a shrimp. Including the fisherman. When the water temperatures warm to the high 60’s, the trash fish move in and kill and eat your shrimp.

Hooking your bait to keep them alive is key. Hook the mud minnow through both lips, the finger mullet through just the top lip, and the menhaden sideways through the nostrils. The shrimp can be hooked through the tail or through the horn just in front of the dark areas in the head.

To complete the SC rig, I create a small leader section about 12” long, 20lb leader, with a 1/0 circle hook snelled to the leader. Then I use a Palomar Knot to secure a size 12 barrel swivel to the other end of the leader. The bobber stop knot, small bead, and cork are threaded onto the mainline, and then a 3/8 ounce egg sinker is added. Then I place a small bead on the mainline below the weight to protect the knot and finally secure my mainline, which is a braided line, to the leader swivel with a Uni Knot. Set the bobber stop knot such that my bait is just off the bottom, hook the bait and then work the structure using the current to deliver the rig. Again, use the current to your benefit. Pull the rig away from your fishing target and let the current naturally present your bait to the structure and the red drum lurking and waiting for a meal.

Red Drum in the Saltmarsh

Dolphin Run

Trip From Goose Creek, SC to Hope Town, Abacos, Bahamas