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So many Lowcountry residents hail from other parts of the country, where the closest thing to saltwater is Epsom salts and water that you soak your feet in. Depending on what area you came from, I would be willing to wager that during your entire angling life, freshwater pond or stream fishing made up 99.9 percent of your fishing days. Am I right?

Now, after working your fingers to the bone, you have moved to the sunny South to live out your dream of snowless winters and quite possibly, to do as much fishing as your wife will allow. Am I right again? If you fit into this demographic profile then you probably are scratching your head wondering how do you fish, or rather catch fish, in saltwater.

Like that old cartoon character "Tom Terrific," you'll need to put on that hat shaped like a funnel and start thinking outside the box that all those ponds and streams put you in. Understanding saltwater fishing really isn't that different than figuring out where a big largemouth is lurking in an Ohio pond.

There you are, easing along the shoreline and see a large branch dangling in the water. Any good freshwater-fishing buff knows that chances are, he is right there under that branch. The same goes for trout-fishing in a mountain stream. You come to a big boulder and right behind it there is an eddy and pool. That is where the trout will be. Reading saltwater is no different except that the pond or stream is a whole lot larger.

I keep an eye on where people fish in our creeks and tributaries, and I can pick out a newcomer to the area almost every time. It is like driving on Hilton Head Island in the summer. You know which cars are out-of-state visitors because without fail, they are turning the wrong way or simply looking lost a good part of the time.

The secret to successfully fishing these parts is to look at your surroundings closely and look for anything different. If the scope is just too big, you always can get some blinders like they use on an old mule to keep you focused. Points that jut out, coves hollowed out of an otherwise straight bank can mean fish -- and lots of them. For the most part, if you spend the time looking, and I mean really looking, you will see what I am talking about.

OK, so I concede that there aren't any tides in Ohio or Michigan. Tides do cloud the equation a bit but they can turn fish on like a light switch. If I were to give one piece of advice about the big tides that we sport around here it would be this: Take your new boat and start learning our waters at dead low tide.

If you don't have a GPS, buy a good chart and start marking where things are like sandbars, oyster beds and the like. Look for oyster beds that butt up to rather steep banks where spartina grass grows. Usually, after the tide has covered these beds, you will find trout aplenty feeding over these hidden reefs. If you are seeking out redfish, look for gentle sloping banks that have live or dead oyster shells covering it. Redfish love this habitat, especially at low tide, when they root around looking for small crabs and shrimp that have taken refuge under the shells.

One mistake I see many of you make is coming into areas like this as if you were in a hurry to catch a train pulling away. Come in slowly and when the water gets 3 or 4 feet deep, cut off your engine and use a long paddle to ease through the shallows. Redfish, even those more than 30 inches, will get in water so shallow their backs stick out of the water. Look for their telltale "V" wake as they cruise this very shallow water. The first time you come across a big school of reds in shallow water, you instantly will learn to recognize what to look for the next time you go out.

Another tip that might help you when you find a shallow area with lots of activity is to quietly ease your anchor to the bottom and just wait. Redfish are fairly territorial and highly predictable. Say you find them on the first hour of the incoming tide in a certain spot. You can bet your bottom dollar that they will be in the same place, at the same tide, day after day.

Fishing at high tide has its advantages and disadvantages but once again, look for something -- anything -- different from the surrounding water. Fish right up tight to the bank because that is where the fish feed. Both trout and redfish love to get right into the grass at high tide looking for food. Take the time to learn the waters at low tide and look at our waters like you were looking for largemouth bass in a pond and your percentages are assured to go way up.

Oh, and if you do decide to get some mule blinders, send me a picture. I am always looking for some humor for my column.

Collins Doughtie is off this week, recovering from yet another back surgery. This column was originally published in The Bluffton Packet on July 28, 2005.