South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 8/11/2008
August 11, 2008
Little River
- Grand Strand - Charleston - Hilton Head - Tides - S.C. marine recreational fishing regulations (PDF file). Saltwater Fishing License site.
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Flounder: Very good. Even though the water is starting to get very warm flounder continue to be caught in Cherry Grove and 53rd area creeks using mud minnows. Flounder are also being taken at the Little River jetties.
- Spottail bass: Very good. Fish Clark Spoons or other heavy, fast dropping lures deep against the rocks at the jetties for big red drum. Fish can be caught on most any tide - the key is getting the spoons deep. Cut mullet or menhaden weighted down may also work.
- Sheepshead and black drum: Excellent. The sheepshead bite has gotten hot. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs are both very productive around the jetties and any inshore pilings.
- Spanish mackerel: Very good. Big Spanish mackerel are being caught near the jetties. Look for feeding birds and motor slowly towards the fish; throw Gotcha Plugs, Hopkins Spoons, or anything else with a treble hook to land fish.
- Offshore: Wahoo and king mackerel are both being caught when boats can get offshore. The dolphin bite has really slowed.
- Cherry Grove Pier: Whiting up to half a pound and black drum up to three pounds are both being caught on cut pieces of shrimp. A few small sheepshead are also being reported caught, and occasional 16 inch flounder are being landed.
- Spottail Bass: Good. Slot sized spottails are being taken at the south end of Murrells Inlet in the backwaters and creeks as well as by flounder fishermen drifting or trolling the main inlet. Mud minnows, live or cut mullet, and cut shrimp are all producing. Large drum continue to be caught at the jetties; fish the incoming tide right after the tide turns against the North Jetty walls.
- Trout: Sporadic. Occasional reports continue to come in of some very large trout being caught at the jetties, but these are few and far between. Use live shrimp, finger mullet, or mud minnows or fish Gulp.
- Flounder: Slow. With the very hot water flounder catching has slowed to almost non-existent. Some anglers continue to troll Murrells Inlet, but few fish are being landed.
- Sheepshead: Excellent. Large numbers of sheepshead are being caught at the Murrells Inlet jetty, but the bite is even hotter down at the Georgetown jetties. Fiddler crabs and live or cut shrimp on a Carolina rig fished vertically are producing. Perry’s Bait and Tackle reports that sheepshead sell as fast as they can catch them.
- Surf report: Snapper bluefish are prolific as well as good numbers of whiting. Pompano are also around in good numbers - August and September are traditionally the best months for sheepshead in the area. Large, 5 to 7 pound Spanish mackerel are abundant in the surf.
- Springmaid Pier: Some good sized flounder have been caught, as well as fair numbers of pinfish and spots. Ribbonfish have been prolific, and no kings have been caught recently. Second
- Avenue Pier: Flounder action is pretty hot; 15 or so are being caught each day, up to 3 or 4 pounds. A few black drum are being caught as well as some Spanish by jig fishermen. Pinfish, whiting, and croaker are also around.
- Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Occasional flounder are being caught, as well as whiting, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel.
- Apache Pier: Fishing has slowed, but some summer trout and flounder are being caught as well as occasional pompano. A 30.8 pound king mackerel was landed a couple of weeks ago.
- Surfside Pier: Fishing remains off, and only sharks, stingrays, and sea robins are being caught in good numbers.
- Garden City Pier: Whiting and pinfish are being caught in decent numbers, and lots of small bluefish in the 11 to 13 inch size are being landed. A few pompano are being landed and some Spanish are also being jigged up. No king mackerel have been caught recently.
- Offshore: Offshore fishing has slowed down, but some grouper are being reported caught at the wrecks and reefs. The hottest bite is big king mackerel - a 35 pounder was recently caught trolling a reef 15 miles out, and lots more approaching that size are also being taken.
- Spottail Bass: Very good. Haddrell’s Point reports that redfish are scattered across all of the lowcountry estuaries, and anglers continue to have best luck fishing under docks with deep holes and plenty of shade. These fish are being caught on live or cut bait, Gulp, or Rattle Traps. Fishing in the flats is also strong, and spottails are in schools of 5 to 30 fish and being caught on flukes fished on flutter hooks. Bull drum are also schooled up in the harbor, and fish up to 40 pounds or more can be caught on bottom rigs with cut bait. The same method also works at the jetties.
- Trout: Very good. Early and late in the day topwater action is hot for spotted sea trout. Use topwater lures like Zara Spooks and “walk the dog” around oyster shells and feeder creeks on moving tides. Strong action is also coming fishing shrimp, minnows, or artificial shrimp under a popping cork at high tide. Good action is also coming fishing around points with oyster beds on tides where bait is being pulled in or pushed out; trout will ambush prey from the back side of these points.
- Flounder: Good. Flounder fishing continues to improve over the last few weeks, and best results are coming fishing around the edges of rock piles and creek mouths. Fish live finger mullet or mud minnows on a Carolina rig.
- Sheepshead: Very good. Most any structure, from nearshore wrecks to the jetties to inshore piers and bridges, is holding hungry sheepshead right now. Fish fiddler crabs, clam pieces, or cut shrimp.
- Tarpon: Good. Decent numbers of tarpon are still hanging around the inlets and jetties, and shark fishermen report picking some up accidentally. Fish large live mullet or menhaden in 6 to 15 foot deep slews between the sandbars on the outside of most any Charleston area inlet.
- Spanish mackerel: Good. Nice catches of Spanish mackerel continue to be made in the Harbor. Fish Gotcha plugs or spoons.
- Folly Beach Pier: A mixed bag continues to be caught at the pier, including whiting, bluefish, trout, Spanish mackerel, red drum, and sheepshead. Anglers are not having hot action on any one species, but action is pretty consistent for something.
- Offshore: Grouper and snapper action is good using butterfly jigs and cigar minnows in 85 to 150 feet of water. King mackerel fishing is hot from the shipping channel out to 120 feet of water. Snakes are abundant in 60 to 90 feet; troll sea witches with small ballyhoo, drone spoons, and diving plugs to ensure plenty of action. Dolphin fishing has generally slowed, but Ryan Riggs landed a new state record dolphin weighing 77.5 pounds and measuring 65 inches aboard the “Daymaker” on July 24 while fishing the Governor’s Cup out of Bohicket Marina. He caught the fish just inshore of the 226 hole trolling a naked ballyhoo rig on a circle hook. A few wahoo continue to be caught in 130 to 180 feet. The hottest bite continues to be billfish and particularly sailfish. Sailfish are balling bait in 250 to 300 feet of water, and boats heading deep are getting 5 to 10 shots a day at them. Blue marlin are being sighted less frequently, but several boats have released them in the last few days.
- Spottail Bass: Very good. First thing in the morning redfish are hitting topwater; when the sun is higher fish deeper with Gulp Shrimp. Tailing action is strong around high tide and will continue all summer. On the incoming tide fish the edges of the grass with rattle floats and natural colored Gulp Shrimp to catch slot sized fish as well as larger ones. Also use brown Gulp Swimming Minnows or mud minnows.
- Trout: Good to very good. Early morning topwater action is very good, and some big trout are being caught on lures like Spooks. Good fishing is coming under docks or on the outgoing tide where feeder creeks are emptying into bigger water. Shrimp and mud minnows fished under Cajun Thunder rattling bobbers, or Gulp grubs, are producing.
- Flounder: Good. Flounder fishing has improved slightly, and anglers are catching flounder using traditional flounder rigs with a bobber to float the mud minnows off the bottom. Best fishing is around low tide in the same areas as the spottails and trout, or in the mouths of creeks and inlets.
- Tarpon: Read about tarpon fishing in the Beaufort report.
- Offshore: High fuel prices and windy conditions have slowed offshore fishing. Nearshore Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jack crevalle are being caught just outside the Port Royal Sound and at the Gaskins and Whitewater reefs. For more offshore information read the Beaufort report.
Related posts
South Carolina Weekly Saltwater Fishing Report - 7/28/2008
July 28, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Flounder: Excellent. Flounder continue to be caught in Cherry Grove and 53rd area creeks using mud minnows. Flounder are also being taken at the Little River jetties.
- Sheepshead: Very good. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs are both very productive around the jetties and any inshore pilings.
- Spanish mackerel: Very good. Look for feeding birds and motor slowly towards the fish; throw Gotcha Plugs, Hopkins Spoons, or anything else with a treble hook to land fish.
- Cherry Grove Pier: Action off the pier has slowed a bit, but flounder in the 14 to 17 inch range and Spanish mackerel up to a couple of pounds are both still being caught. Black drum and whiting are also being taken.
- Spottail Bass: Very good. Fishing for big red drum has taken off, and bull drum are being caught on the incoming tide right after the tide turns against the North Jetty walls. Mud minnows, live or cut mullet, and cut shrimp are all producing.
- Trout: Very good. Good catches are coming in deep holes in the creeks on high tide, and at lower tides fish seem to back out of the smaller creeks into the bigger water and the jetty area.
- Flounder: Good. Drift or troll live mud minnows in Murrells Inlet or the Tubbs Inlet area.
- Black Drum: Good. Cut shrimp, live shrimp, and crabs are all productive.
- Sheepshead: Excellent. At both the Murrells Inlet and Georgetown jetties the sheepshead continue to be ravenous. Fiddler crabs and live or cut shrimp on a Carolina rig fished vertically are producing.
- Springmaid Pier: Ribbonfish and croaker are both abundant. Occasional flounder, spottails, and whiting are also being caught.
- Second Avenue Pier: Both flounder and spottail bass are still being caught. Good numbers of spottails, between 15 and 20 a day, are being landed, and flounder up to 6.5 pounds have been taken.
- Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Pompano, a few Spanish mackerel, croaker, and small whiting are all being caught. The best catch, though, is blue crabs, which are being caught by the bucketful.
- Apache Pier: Fishing has slowed, but some summer trout and flounder are being caught as well as occasional pompano.
- Surfside Pier: Fishing is off, and only occasional spadefish, bluefish, and flounder are being caught.
- Garden City Pier: Fishing is slow at the pier, although whiting are being caught in decent numbers. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel are being caught occasionally but they are few and far between.
- Spottail Bass: Very good. Haddrell’s Point reports that redfish are scattered across all of the lowcountry estuaries, and anglers are having best luck fishing under docks with deep holes and plenty of shade. These fish are being caught on live or cut bait, Gulp, or Rattle Traps.
- Trout: Good to very good. The best action is coming fishing shrimp, minnows, or artificial shrimp under a popping cork at high tide.
- Flounder: Good. Fish live finger mullet or mud minnows on a Carolina rig.
- Sheepshead: Very good. Most any structure, from nearshore wrecks to the jetties to inshore piers and bridges, is holding hungry sheepshead right now. Fish fiddler crabs or cut shrimp.
- Folly Beach Pier: Trout fishing is good with a dozen or more fish up to 3 pounds or more being caught each day. Bluefish up to a pound or two are common, and whiting and a few flounder are also being caught.
- Spottail Bass: Very good. First thing in the morning redfish are hitting topwater; when the sun is higher fish deeper with Gulp Shrimp. Tailing action is strong around high tide and will continue to improve all summer.
- Trout: Good to very good. Best fishing is coming under docks or on the outgoing tide where feeder creeks are emptying into bigger water. Shrimp and mud minnows fished under Cajun Thunder rattling bobbers, or Gulp grubs, are producing.
- Flounder: Good. Best fishing is around low tide in the same areas as the spottails and trout, or in the mouths of creeks and inlets.
- Jack Crevalle: Very good. Huge jacks are being caught around Daufuskie Island.
Related posts
South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 6/16/2008
June 16, 2008
- Spottail Bass: Fair. Anglers are catching spottail bass along structure in the ICW, around creek mouth drains, and in the upper creeks using live mud minnows and Berkeley Gulp.
- Flounder: Excellent. Flounder continue to be caught in Cherry Grove and 53rd area creeks using mud minnows. Flounder are also being taken at the Little River jetties.
- Sheepshead: Very good. fleas and fiddler crabs are both very productive around the jetties and any inshore pilings.
- Spanish mackerel: Very good. Spanish are being caught just off the jetties in good numbers, with some nice sized fish mixed in.
- Cherry Grove Pier: Nice flounder are being caught off the pier, with occasional large spottails thrown in. The hot bite right now is black drum, and lots of nice 3 to 5 pound fish are being caught and plenty of bigger ones are breaking off.
- Spottail Bass: Good. Spottails are being caught on the flats and in the backwaters and creeks, and many drum are being caught by flounder fishermen drifting or trolling Murrells Inlet. Mud minnows, live or cut mullet, and cut shrimp are all producing.
- Trout: Good. Trout fishing is hot at the Sunset Bridge. Try Mirrolures, Gulp shrimp, or live shrimp.
- Flounder: Very good. Drift or troll live mud minnows in Murrells Inlet or the Tubbs Inlet area.
- Black Drum: Very good. Target deep holes in the creeks, such as the hole off the end of the Murrells Inlet (old Veterans) Pier. Cut shrimp, live shrimp, and crabs are all productive.
- Bluefish: Good. Some large bluefish are being caught in the creeks, and these fish seem to be here to stay for the summer as water temps are already very warm. Cut bait fished on the bottom or on “bluefish rigs” is producing.
- Sheepshead: Excellent. At both the Murrells Inlet and Georgetown jetties the sheepshead seem to be ravenous. Fiddler crabs and live or cut shrimp on a Carolina rig fished vertically are producing.
- Pompano: Very good. Fish with sand fleas in areas that have not been dredged for best results.
- Springmaid Pier: Early and late in the day Spanish are being caught. Some bluefish are still being caught, with a few good ones mixed in. No kings have been taken so far this year.
- Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: The bluefish bite has slowed down but Spanish are still being caught in good numbers by fishermen jigging.
- Apache Pier: The bluefish being caught are small now, but some nice Spanish up to 3.5 pounds are being caught.
- Surfside Pier: Occasional bluefish are still being caught, and fishermen continue to jig up some Spanish mackerel.
- Garden City Pier: While bluefish and Spanish mackerel have slowed some are still being caught. Whiting are being caught with some pompano mixed in.
- Offshore: Spadefish are prolific at the near shore reefs, such as the Sherman wreck, and large numbers are being caught using jelly ball teasers to draw the fish up and then fishing with pieces of cut jelly balls. The 3 mile reef has been very good. King and Spanish mackerel are stacked up at Belkie Bear and Paradise Reef.
- Spottail Bass: Very good. Lots of fish are being caught in the ICW, creeks, and Wando River.
- Trout: Good. live bait and artificials are productive at times, and best fishing is coming to the north of Charleston.
- Black Drum: Good. A surprising number of black drum are being caught in deep holes in the creeks. Live and cut shrimp and crabs are all working.
- Flounder: Good. Target flounder using live mud minnows fished slowly on the bottom in the inlets and creeks. Giggers are reporting good numbers of fish caught.
- Sheepshead: Very good. Most any structure, from nearshore wrecks to the jetties to inshore piers and bridges, is holding sheepshead right now. Fish fiddler crabs or cut shrimp.
- Spanish Mackerel: Very good. The Harbor is full of Spanish mackerel right now and most anything shiny and fast should draw strikes.
- Folly Beach Pier: Some Spanish mackerel up to 5 pounds are being caught, as well as occasional kings. Nice black drum are being landed, and a dozen or so trout have been caught in the last week.
- Offshore: Spadefish are swarming at nearshore reefs and wrecks, and Haddrell’s Point says they’ve never seen so many jelly balls - use pieces of these for bait. Dolphin have slowed down a little bit in the last week, and some boats report having trouble finding them.
- Spottail Bass: On the incoming tide fish the edges of the grass with rattle floats and natural colored Gulp Shrimp to catch slot sized fish as well as larger ones. Also use brown Gulp Swimming Minnows, or mud minnows.
- Trout: Good. Trout fishing continues to be surprisingly strong in the marshes and backwaters. Incoming to high tide is the best time to fish. Shrimp and mud minnows fished under Cajun Thunder rattling bobbers, or Gulp grubs, are producing.
- Flounder: Fair. Anglers are catching flounder using traditional flounder rigs with a bobber to float the mud minnows off the bottom.
- Cobia: Read about cobia fishing in the Beaufort report.
- Offshore: Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and jacks are all being caught in the Gaskins Bank reef area. Troll shiny spoons and plugs or sight cast at baitfish busting the surface.
- Spottail Bass: Good. Spottails are beginning to tail in large numbers in the grass and can be sight-fished for by lure or fly fishermen. Some topwater action is also being reported.
- Flounder: Good. Flounder are in the inlets and beginning to be caught throughout the creeks. Fish mud minnows along the bottom.
- Cobia: Very good. Cobia action is still strong in the Port Royal Sound and Broad River, but since the sharks have arrived much of the action has moved towards the mouth of the sound and they are fishing on the top of the water column. Fish are being caught on all types of baits, such as menhaden, eels, squid, and whiting.
- Paradise Pier: The biggest catch is blue crabs which are being caught by the 5 gallon bucketful around low tide.
- Offshore: Black Sea bass and snapper are still available at offshore reefs, although guides report catching lots of snapper before they get a legal 20 inch keeper. Out at the 20 mile mark kings and Spanish mackerel are being caught, as well as cobia.
Related posts
South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 6/9/2008
June 9, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and further information.
Little River
The winds died down this week, making for better fishing. The surf temperature is around 74 degrees.
Spottail Bass: Fair. Anglers are catching spottail bass along structure in the ICW, around creek mouth drains, and in the upper creeks using live mud minnows and Berkeley Gulp. The jetties are also productive right now.
Trout: Good. The trout bite is strong and 3 to 5 pound fish are being taken at the Little River jetties where some big trout are being caught on live shrimp. Berkeley Gulp baits and DOA shrimp have also been effective.
Flounder: Excellent. Most of the flounder have now returned inshore and can be caught in Cherry Grove and 53rd area creeks using mud minnows. Flounder are also being taken at the Little River jetties. Fish up to 8 pounds are being reported caught.
Surf Report: Whiting and pompano are prolific, and sand fleas have arrived. Bluefish are also being caught in good numbers.
Cherry Grove Pier: The Spanish mackerel and bluefish bite has slowed in the last week, and only occasional flounder are being caught. Some nice black drum are being caught in the evenings, up to 4 or 5 pounds, and good sized whiting are being caught.
Menhaden and finger mullet schools have begun to arrive; expect the bait to arrive in full force in the next couple of weeks. Surf temperatures are around 78 degrees.
Spottail Bass: Good. The large schools of spottail bass have broken up for the year, and fish are cruising alone or in small packs. Spottails are being caught in the backwaters and creeks, and many drum are being caught by flounder fishermen drifting or trolling Murrells Inlet. Some larger fish are also being caught around the Murrells Inlet jetties. Mud minnows, live or cut mullet, and cut shrimp are all producing.
Trout: Very good. Trout fishing is hot at the Sunset Bridge. Also, some trout are being caught on the outside of the jetty walls. Try Mirrolures, Gulp shrimp, or live shrimp.
Flounder: Very good. Flounder fishing is hot and nice numbers of fish are being reported with about half of these fish being keeper sized. Drift or troll live mud minnows in Murrells Inlet or the Tubbs Inlet area. Some very large fish, including a 9 and 11 pound doormat, have been caught in the surf at Garden City. In the recent Murrells Inlet Rotary Tournament overall catches were very strong and some large fish were taken.
Pompano: Very good. Pompano have showed up and are feeding aggressively in the surf. Fish with sand fleas in areas that have not been dredged for best results. The fish are mainly small but a 2.5 pounder was weighed in recently.
Piers: The Spanish mackerel and bluefish run seems to have slowed down.
Springmaid Pier: A few Spanish mackerel and bluefish are still being caught, with occasional pompano and some whiting also being taken. Sheepshead are still doing well.
Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: The bluefish bite has slowed down but Spanish are still being caught in good numbers by fishermen jigging. Some small pompano are also being caught.
Apache Pier: Blues and Spanish have slowed, but some nice sized flounder in the 3-5 pound range are being landed. Trout, including a pretty 4 pound 4 oz fish, are also being caught.
Surfside Pier: Blues in the 6 to 7 pound range are still being caught, and fishermen continue to jig up some Spanish mackerel. The bit for both species has slowed, though.
Garden City Pier: While bluefish and Spanish mackerel have slowed some are still being caught, although the Spanish are mainly in the 11-13 inch range and being caught jigging. Whiting are being caught with some pompano mixed in. Beyond the breakers in the middle of the pier flounder are being caught.
Offshore: Spadefish are prolific at the near shore reefs, such as the Sherman wreck, and large numbers are being caught using jelly ball teasers to draw the fish up and then fishing with pieces of cut jelly balls. The 3 miles reef has been very good. King and Spanish mackerel are stacked up at Belkie Bear and Paradise Reef. Dolphins, including some big bulls, tuna and some wahoo are being caught 40 miles offshore and at the Parking Lot. Grouper and Snapper are still biting out at the Ledge. In the recent Governor’s Cup Billfish Tournament out of Georgetown 21 blue marlin, 4 white marlin and 98 sailfish were released. The big dolphin was a 60 pound fish.
Cape Romain/McClellanville
Spottail Bass: Good. Fish are not difficult to locate on the flats, but at times it is difficult to draw strikes. Try a variety of lures to get them to bite, ranging from DOA or Gulp shrimp to topwater plugs to gold spoons to flies. Mud minnows or live mullet may also be effective. Tailing action is being reported.
Trout: No reports.
Charleston
Spottail Bass: Very good. More and more bait is showing up everyday and tailing action is starting to get hot on the flats. Lots of fish are also being caught in the ICW, creeks, and Wando River. Some monster spottails are being caught out around the Charleston jetties fishing cut bait.
Trout: Fair. Fish are in the Wando, Cooper, and the ICW around Wild Dunes, but from day to day they can turn off and then on again. Both live bait and artificials are productive at times, and best fishing is coming to the north of Charleston.
Flounder: Fair. Some flounder are around but catches are not very good yet, although they may be picking up. As more and more baitfish arrive, and flounder continue to return inshore, catches should improve straight through to October. Target flounder using live mud minnows fished slowly on the bottom. Some giggers report being successful in the last few days.
Sheepshead: Very good. Most any structure, from nearshore wrecks to the jetties to inshore piers and bridges, is holding sheepshead right now. Fish fiddler crabs or cut shrimp.
Spanish Mackerel: Very good. The Harbor is full of Spanish mackerel right now, and these can be caught trolling or sight casting Gotcha Plugs, Castmaster or Drone spoons - most anything shiny and fast should draw strikes.
Folly Beach Pier: Fishing at the pier has really improved, and some nice fish are being caught. 5, 6, and 7 pound Spanish have been caught, as well as kings up to 29 pounds 13oz. A 7 pound bluefish was recently caught, an 8 pound sheepshead and a 5-6 black drum. Some large pompano are being caught sporadically, and a few trout are being taken amongst lots of whiting and other bottom feeders.
Offshore: Spadefish are prolific at nearshore reefs and wrecks - use pieces of jelly balls. Dolphin are abundant and still being caught in large numbers, although this action has slowed a bit in the past two weeks, and wahoo fishing is very good although not quite as strong as last year. Barracuda are out in full force, and some yellowfin tuna are being caught at the Georgetown Hole.
Spottail Bass: Very good. Tailing action is strong around high tide and will continue to improve all summer. On the incoming tide fish the edges of the grass with rattle floats and natural colored Gulp Shrimp to catch slot sized fish as well as larger ones. Also use brown Gulp Swimming Minnows, or mud minnows. A few hours before and after low tide good action is being reported on the low tide flats.
Trout: Fair. Trout fishing has dropped off in the last week or two although some nice-sized fish are being caught. Use Gulp shrimp imitations or live shrimp and target drops on the falling tide, or fish around the grass when the water is high.
Cobia: Read about cobia fishing in the Beaufort report.
Offshore: Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and jacks are all being caught in the Gaskins Bank reef area. Troll shiny spoons and plugs or sight cast at baitfish busting the surface. The best offshore bite is dolphin and wahoo, which continue to move closer in as temperatures warm.
Beaufort
Spottail Bass: Good. Fish are spread out and feeding aggressively on the large mullet schools which have showed up. Spottails are beginning to tail in large numbers in the grass and can be sight-fished for by lure or fly fishermen. Some topwater action is also being reported.
Trout: Few reports. There are scattered reports of some trout up to 4 pounds being caught recently, but most of the local guides are concentrating on cobia or tailing redfish.
Flounder: Good. Flounder are in the inlets and beginning to be caught throughout the creeks. Fish mud minnows along the bottom.
Cobia: Very good. Cobia action is at its peak in the Port Royal Sound and Broad River, but since the sharks have arrived much of the action has move towards the mouth of the sound were many anglers are fishing on top. Lots of anglers continue to fish around the bridge in deep holes, too. Fish are being caught on all types of baits, such as menhaden, eels, squid, and whiting, when anchored up or drifting. Sight fishing with plugs has been off and on, and the fish have been willing to take flies at times, too. Puglisi fly patterns have worked the best. Best fishing is two hours each side of the tide change - when tides are running strongest fish are unlikely to bite. The inshore cobia bite will thin out about mid-June, but some fish will stay in the area right through to August. Lots of cobia are being seen at artificial reefs like the Betsy Ross, although enticing them to eat has been difficult.
Paradise Pier: Some decent whiting have been caught as well as black tip sharks and stingrays. The biggest catch is blue crabs which are being caught by the 5 gallon bucketful around low tide.
Offshore: Black Sea bass and snapper are still available at offshore reefs. Out at the 20 mile mark kings and Spanish mackerel are being caught, as well as some cobia which have already made their way offshore. 45 miles out king mackerel, dolphins, and little tunny are prolific trolling. Further out wahoo, dolphin, and billfish are being reported.
Related posts
South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 6/2/2008
June 2, 2008
For more recent updates and further information visit www.SCFishingReport.com
Little River
Strong winds have continued to make for tough fishing this week in the Little River area. Spottail Bass: Fair. Anglers are catching spottail bass along structure in the ICW, around creek mouth drains, and in the upper creeks using live mud minnows and Berkeley Gulp. The jetties are also productive right now.
Trout: Good. The trout bite is strong and 3 to 5 pound fish are being taken at the Little River jetties where some big trout are being caught on live shrimp. Berkeley Gulp baits and DOA shrimp have also been effective.
Flounder: Excellent. Most of the flounder have now returned inshore and can be caught in Cherry Grove and 53rd area creeks using mud minnows. Flounder are also being taken at the Little River jetties. Fish up to 8 pounds are being reported caught.
Surf Report: Whiting and pompano are prolific, and