Shoosh…boom! Shoosh…boom!
Creamsicle-colored clays whirl over the water, followed by a loud explosion from a Remington shotgun. The skeet shooters take aim from the cockpits of BlackJack center-consoles beached on a quiet, muddy bank on Sullivan’s Island. Spirits are high. Onlookers crack beers and pick from a massive tray of Chick-Fil-A nuggets. Behind us, Spanish oaks create a canopy where dappled light peppers the ground.
At first glance, this scene looks like a family reunion. And in a way, it is. The crowd is made up of charter guides and loved ones connected to RedFin Charters. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, and running 3,500 charters a year, RedFin is the biggest and busiest fishing charter business on the East Coast. An operation this size, with a five-star rating based on 979 Google reviews, requires a lot of talented guides and dedicated support staff—which is exactly what RedFin has. It’s a brotherhood of Southern sportsmen who are docents for one of the top redfish and trout fisheries in America.
“We’ve become this giant family,” says Joel LeVine, founder and owner of RedFin Charters. “Everybody is so different, but we all love fishing, and that’s what brings us together.”
Florida, Louisiana and Texas have a say in the debate about the country’s best redfish and trout fishing, but Charleston has several differentiating factors, both related to fishing and beyond. First, there are the tides. Charleston has dramatic 6-foot tidal swings that create a dynamic environment where fish are constantly on the move. As a result, the captains regularly change up tactics and tackle, giving the charter the feel of a hunt. The Power-Poles don’t tend to stay down for long. Marshes, oyster flats, grass lines and jetties make up the variety of habitats that enhance fishing opportunities beyond just reds. Speckled trout, black drum, flounder, tripletail, ladyfish and sharks round out the featured species.
And then, of course, is Charleston itself. The capital of the contemporary South, Charleston is a big small town where the buildings aren’t allowed to be any higher than the tallest church steeple, which is St. Matthew’s Lutheran on King Street. Its seascape is the foundation of a thriving culinary culture, with oysters and shrimp in the bays and tidal creeks, and redfish, flounder and tripletail in the marshes and Spartina grasses. Charleston has the best food of any fishing town I’ve been to. At Millers All Day on King Street, I had a hot-honey chicken sandwich with bacon, scrambled eggs and cheese that I still talk about like the girlfriend that got away.
At the crossroads of this big small-town vibe and outdoor bounty is RedFin Charters, which is based out of Bristol Marina downtown. The docks are quite active in the morning and afternoon as the half-day charters come and go. The bait barrel is always filled with live shrimp, unless one of the greedy otters gets into it. At any given moment, a panoramic view of the RedFin operation includes handing out awards to clients, cleaning fish at the fillet station, restocking the livewells, spraying down the tackle, troubleshooting a finicky engine, and bro hugs and handshakes between guides and anglers. A good day on the water makes fast friends.
“[The guides] work together to help each other get better,” says Justin Carter, one of RedFin’s longtime guides. “It’s nice to have a group of guys who aren’t just my coworkers. They’re my friends.”
While the fishing gods have their say, RedFin limits skunking by dialing in its program and strategies. Each BlackJack is equipped with more than 14 rods, ensuring versatility and readiness for any situation. For creek reds, guides use medium-light rods paired with 2500-size spinning reels, perfect for finesse fishing in shallow creeks. Dock fishing is managed with medium rods with 4000s, designed to handle the heavy structures and stronger fights associated with fishing around docks and oyster beds. When targeting larger species, like bull reds and sharks, extra-heavy rods with matching reels provide the necessary strength and durability.
Bait selection and presentation are critical to success in Charleston’s varied waters. RedFin guides utilize a combination of live and artificial baits chosen to match the current conditions. Live bait such as shrimp, mud minnows and mullet are rigged with slip corks, allowing for easy depth adjustments and a natural drift that appeals to redfish in the changing tides. For artificial bait, soft plastics are favored over louder lures like chatter baits to maintain a subtle and natural presentation crucial to avoid spooking the more cautious redfish. In murky waters like the Ashley River, darker or brighter baits are most effective, whereas in the clear waters of the Wando River, natural tones such as Z-Man Pearl Blue Glimmer are ideal.
Tidal precision is paramount. Guides pattern fish movements based on Charleston’s tidal cycles, storyboarding each trip to hit productive spots at optimal times. This ensures continuous action because the large tidal swings mean redfish are only in one spot for a short period. A stealth approach involves turning off engines early and utilizing the Power-Pole Move trolling motor for silent positioning. Once in place, the poles are lowered to anchor the boat quietly, allowing for clean casts without disturbing the fish. Bird activity along grass lines—such as egrets, cranes and ospreys diving or hovering—is a key indicator of active redfish feeding, helping guides locate prime fishing spots.
RedFin’s use of soft, natural baits rather than louder, more intrusive lures differentiates its approach from other regions like Louisiana, where baits that produce significant disturbance are more common. By keeping bait presentations quiet and lifelike, the guides cater to more cautious redfish, enhancing the chances of successful catches. This careful coordination between bait type, water clarity and presentation style ensures the best possible fishing outcomes tailored to the environment.
The secondary species can sometimes make for a five-star charter. In May, monster black drum move into the harbor during their spawning season. Black drum are targeted for catch-and-release like bull reds, and they provide thrilling fights and trophy-size catches. Flounder require specialized rigs paired with gold Kahle hooks, which have proved to outperform other hook colors in catching flatties. Trout are targeted year-round using live bait under slip corks, adding further variety and excitement to the fishing experience. Adaptive tactics are employed throughout a typical charter. Guides move with the tides and switch targets between redfish and secondary species to keep anglers engaged and ensure a productive outing.
Read Next: Fly Fishing for Redfish in Charleston
Spontaneity and improvisation are employed beyond just the fishing game plan. On one morning, Capt. Austin Daniel took us out for some predawn trout fishing. A few specks cooperated by sunrise. Once the day lit up and the fishing quieted down, Daniel headed to a low-key shoreline for some shark toothing, one of RedFin’s tour offerings. Before long, everyone was holding a tiny, black fossilized shark tooth in their palm.
LeVine understands that 3,500 charters a year can have an impact on the fishery, not to mention Charleston’s long history of fishing, including bygone eras when fisheries management and bag limits were a bit loose. That is why LeVine founded Project ReSpeck. The initiative was able to raise tens of thousands of dollars to donate to the Waddell Mariculture Center for a new specialized spawning tank that can produce 700,000 speckled trout a year.
LeVine says: “Whether we are targeting trophy redfish, battling a big black drum, or landing flounder and trout, every trip is customized for excitement and productivity, ensuring a memorable and successful day on the water.”
Travel Planner
When to Go: While RedFin operates year-round, May kicks off its prime season.
Where to Stay: RedFin is based out of Bristol Marina in downtown Charleston. There are several hotel options nearby, and on lay days, it’s a short drive to King Street and the town’s historical district.
Regulations: In season, it’s two redfish per person per day in state waters, not to exceed six per boat per day. Total length is 15 to 23 inches. Trout is 10 per person per day, with a size limit of 14 inches. For possible changes to regulations, visit dnr.sc.gov.
