I am a U.S.C.G approved captain that started guiding in the Charleston area in 1996. I grew up on the waters surrounding Charleston, and fishing with my father are some of my first memories. I graduated with a degree in Geology from the College of Charleston in 1993 when I decided to pursue my education further by enrolling in Graduate School at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. I thought that I wanted to go on to get my doctorate and teach at the college level. I started teaching in graduate school, but soon found it was not my cup of tea. The most important thing I learned in North Carolina was that I wanted to spend the rest of my life in Charleston. There is nothing wrong with Chapel Hill except that there is no ocean.

I never appreciated my hometown until I moved away. I got my Master's of Science Degree from UNC in 1996 and immediately moved home. I really was not even thinking about getting into the guide business, but just having fun. One day my mother said, "You're 26 years old and it's about time that you move out. Why don't you get a Captain's License and get people to pay you to take them fishing?" It was awful nice to wake up every morning, walk down to the boat, go fishing, and then come home to Mama's supper on the table, but she had a point. My father warned me to be careful and not ruin my hobby, but come to find out, I enjoy helping and watching others catch fish as much or more than catching them myself. So in 1996 I got my Captain's License, and I've loved it every since. I am currently living with my wife Pilar, daughter Greta, and our new arrivial Guerin just down the dirt road from my parent's house on the Wando River.

read more about Capt J.R on his website...

The redfish will tail on full and new moon high tides from April through October.

There are just a few of these per month.

I would consider the best months to be august-september because there are more tailing tides during this time, but you could have the best tailing trip of the year in any of the months.

I do target tarpon.

In fact, I have won the last two Charleston Harbor Tarpon Release Tournaments. Actually, no one caught a fish in the tournament last year, but we won 2002 and 2003 plus came in a close second in 1999.

We only target tarpon using bait. The water is not clear enough or the fish thick enough for fly shots in our area.

I did have a buddy chum for 4hrs one time and then cast into the slick for 45 minutes to hook and land a 150+ pound tarpon on the fly, but this the only one that i know of in the charleston area.

For fly, I like a 3" brown or rootbear colored clouser variation tied with estez and a little bit of gold and copper flash on a #4 hook with extra small eyes. [the KW crew attempted one of J.R's go-to redfish flies. see our tying instructions] An easier to tie all around redfish fly is the "gold flashy" which is just gold flashabou tied clouser style. As for light tackle artificial, I like the exude jerk baits rigged weedless on a flutter hook. The flutter hook is a bass style worm hook with the weight on the shank of the hook.

I like to tell people that they need to be able to cast 30-50ft accurately in two or possibly three false casts to catch redfish without getting lucky.

Now some days, the fish just act dumb and will eat the fly right next to the boat and other days, you may need to cast 80ft leading the school just right to get one to eat.

The key is to be able to get the fly to fish before the fish knows we are there. I get a lot of people who are use to trout fishing and false cast way too much missing many shots at redfish.

They are easiest to catch during the tailing tides of summer or in the fall when they are gorging on bait.