September is definitely decision time for South Carolina outdoorsmen, especially those that live along the coast. In addition to hunting and freshwater fishing opportunities, the saltwater action can be spectacular.

While there are numerous choices for saltwater fishing, three of the tops for this month certainly include trout and redfish fishing and the beginning of the extremely popular shrimp-baiting season. These three combine to make September one of the best months of the year to go to the coast to gather nature's bounty.

One reason the fishing is so awesome is that it is very possible to be successful on all three opportunities within the same day.

Trout fishermen and redfish experts will usually target one of these fish species or the other. But sometimes the two will hold common ground, with both species feeding in the same place at the same time. When this happens, it's not unusual to catch them in very close proximity to one another.

This "two-for-one" opportunity occurred on a fishing trip I took with Tommy Tanner of Charleston a couple of years ago. Tommy had invited me to sample the saltwater fall fishing at its finest.

We found the trout by casting 1/4-ounce jigs with DOA shrimp. We worked a high but falling tide while fishing along the sweeping outside bend of a creek bank. The shell/mud bank tumbled into about 15 feet of water. The primary contact point was right in the bend of the creek, where a small ditch dumped into the larger creek. Another contact point was about 50 yards downstream where another small ditch entered the big creek. The unique current situation at the junctions apparently attracted baitfish, which in turn attracted the game fish.

The trout were taken in the deeper water as the jig dropped away from the edge of the shoreline. About halfway back to the boat, in 8 to 10 feet of water, was where we'd contact the trout. The redfish began to bite in much shallower water when the tide was about halfway to two-thirds out. Casting to the mouth of the small ditch in the bend of the big creek was almost a guaranteed way to get a redfish bite, at least until the tide got too low. But situations like this exist all along the coast and certainly enable fishermen the opportunity to double their chances of success.

Tanner said a couple of things are going on that make September and October prime months for trout and redfish.

"There is abundant forage during this time of the year and that's a key reason trout and redfish are in such an active feeding mode," Tanner said. "As a bonus, the trout bite is so good that artificial lures are absolutely lethal on these fish during this time. Live bait will continue to produce action as it has during the summer. But now's the time when casting jigs and grubs can produce awesome results."

Tanner said that one key to the productive fishing is the trout will literally feed all day long because of the abundant forage.

"My preferred time to fish is early morning when I can catch a dropping tide at dawn," he said. "But the trout bite can be good all day long if you're fishing properly."