South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends - 6/23/2008
June 23, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com
. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- 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.
- Sheepshead: Very good. Sand 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.
- 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. Cut bait fished on the bottom or on “bluefish rigs” is producing.
- Sheepshead: Excellent. Fiddler crabs and live or cut shrimp on a Carolina rig fished vertically are producing. Pompano: Very good. with sand fleas in areas that have not been dredged for best results.
- Piers: The Spanish mackerel and bluefish run has slowed down, and the blues being caught now are small.
- 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.
- Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Spanish are still being caught in good numbers by fishermen jigging. Small bluefish and decent sized whiting are also being landed.
- Apache Pier: Speckled trout, red drum and black drum are all being taken, as well as some nice catches of flounder.
- Surfside Pier: Occasional bluefish are still being caught, and fishermen continue to jig up some Spanish mackerel.
- Garden City Pier: 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 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 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: Good. Both 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. Fish fiddler crabs or cut shrimp.
- Spanish Mackerel: Very good. The Harbor is full of Spanish mackerel right now. Use most anything shiny and fast.
- Folly Beach Pier: Nice black drum are being landed, and a dozen or so trout have been caught in the last week. An occasional flounder is being pulled up, and whiting are still prolific.
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. Wahoo fishing is still good, although not as strong as last year.
- Spottail Bass: 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.
- 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. Best fishing is around low tide in the same areas as the spottails and trout, or in the mouths of creeks and inlets.
- 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. Fish are spread out and feeding aggressively on the large mullet schools. Flounder: Good. Flounder are in the inlets and beginning to be caught throughout the creeks. Fish mud minnows along the bottom.
- Cobia: Very good. Fish are being caught on all types of baits, such as menhaden, eels, squid, and whiting. 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.
- Paradise Pier: Some decent whiting have been caught as well as black tip sharks and stingrays.
- 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 Weekly Tidetable - 6/16/2008
June 16, 2008
To find times of low and high water for other coastal areas add or subtract as indicated as tides are calculated from the Charleston Customhouse Wharf:
| Location | High | Low |
| Little River (town) | +12 min. | +32 min. |
| Murrells Inlet | -2 min | +24 min. |
| Georgetown (Sampit River) | +1 hr.,25 min. | +2 hrs.,9 min. |
| McClellanville (Jeremy Creek) | +27 min. | +25 min. |
| Edisto Beach (Edisto Island) | -26 min. | -35 min. |
| Beaufort (Beaufort River) | +1 hr.,7 min. | +52 min. |
Tides at Charleston (Customhouse Wharf)
Get specific tide information for various SC stations.
MONDAY, June 16
01:11AM 0.5 L
06:50AM 4.4 H
12:58PM 0.3 L
07:33PM 5.8 H
TUESDAY, June 17
01:54AM 0.5 L
07:35AM 4.4 H
01:39PM 0.3 L
08:15PM 5.8 H
WEDNESDAY, June 18
02:35AM 0.4 L
08:18AM 4.4 H
02:19PM 0.3 L
08:55PM 5.8 H
THURSDAY, June 19
03:15AM 0.4 L
08:59AM 4.4 H
02:57PM 0.3 L
09:34PM 5.7 H
FRIDAY, June 20
03:54AM 0.4 L
09:39AM 4.4 H
03:36PM 0.4 L
10:10PM 5.6 H
SATURDAY, June 21
04:32AM 0.4 L
10:18AM 4.4 H
04:15PM 0.4 L
10:45PM 5.6 H
SUNDAY, June 22
05:09AM 0.3 L
10:57AM 4.5 H
04:57PM 0.5 L
11:21PM 5.5 H
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
North Carolina Regional Saltwater Fishing Reports - 6/8/2008
June 8, 2008
Northern District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Offshore catches were more diverse, with moderate-good catches of dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel. amberjack, little tunny, Atlantic bonito, and both yellow and blackfin tuna. Billfish catches increased. Midrange anglers continued to catch striped bass and red drum about two miles offshore from Kitty Hawk southward to the Pea Island area, but with less regularity than previously. Anglers fishing the artificial reef AR-160 (Zane Gray) caught plenty of gray triggerfish and black seabass. Inshore catches consisted of bluefish and spotted seatrout with a host of others mixed in. Bluefish were caught throughout the day with short-term/high-volume catches being had by all anglers who are there at the right time. Spotted seatrout catches were very good in the early morning hours in the near shore surf zone when it was accessible.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted seatrout and red drum were the most abundant species caught in these waters. Catches of both, that were previously concentrated near the Melvin Daniels Bridge/Roanoke Sound area, were made throughout the area with increased regularity this week. Flounder catches improved modestly with well over 50% of them being legal keeping size. Sheepshead and tautog were caught near the bridge pilings at Oregon Inlet on a regular basis.
Piers/Shore: Catches of bluefish and spotted seatrout shared with the inshore boat anglers were most common, with a host of others thrown in. Cobia catches off of the local piers continued to be very good, especially at night.  Â
General Overview: Record high temps and smoke from ongoing wildfires caused anglers to limit their fishing efforts somewhat, but those who toughed it out had moderate-good success rates in all modes of fishing most of the time. Water temps in the surf throughout the Outer Banks continue to rise, with upper 60s-lower 70s at all locations.  Â
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Central District Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Dolphin and kings can be found at the 90 Foot Drop and Northwest Places. Good sized wahoo are around Buoy 14. Kings can also be found at AR 355 and the Xmas Rock along with amberjacks. There seems no shortage of dolphin - like the bluefish - they are found everywhere. Headboats are continuing to do well with snapper, grouper, sea bass, grunts and triggers. Spanish mackerel are around both Beaufort and Bogue Inlets and down the beaches in all directions. They are in 10 to 20 feet of water. There are reports that chopper blues are still here. Sailfish have been hooked and released this past week.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: All the Spanish and blues you could wish for are around the Inlets. Anglers are looking for cobia. Nice sea mullet are scattered in the Turning Basin and around the Cape Lookout Shoals. One or two red drum have been hooked from the Swansboro area and the Newport River. Anglers are also catching a good-sized trout here and there. One angler had three nice flounder caught somewhere east of Beaufort, along with about 15 undersized released flounder.
Piers/Shore: Spot, pigfish, sea mullet, croaker, have been hooked along with sharks. There are also many sharks in the Intracoastal Waterway off Swansboro. Bluefish and Spanish continue to be caught from the end of the piers. Â
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Southern District Pender, New Hanover, & Brunswick Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Offshore, it was another banner week for the dolphin. Along with the dolphin there were some decent wahoo catches. Large red grouper continue to bite well in the 45 to 55-mile range. Closer to shore, school size king mackerel are biting well on most ledges in the 10 to 30-mile range. These same areas are producing amberjacks, gags, and the occasional cobia. The Spanish mackerel have been thick along area beaches of late.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Trout fishing seem to slow some last week. Best catches are coming in the morning hours. Fish are being caught on live shrimp, top water, and D.O.A shrimp. Flounder fishing has been better so far this year than last, with fish over five pounds being seen at area ramps. Carolina Beach Inlet and the Cape Fear River have been producing the bigger flounder of late.
Piers/Shore: Fishing has been good. Topsail Island piers reported several tarpon catches last week. They also caught some kings and a few cobia as well. Spanish fishing has been outstanding at times. Spanish were reported on the New Hanover piers as well, and Brunswick County piers are doing good on the trout. Live shrimp has been the ticket.
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 sand fleas have arrived. Bluefish are also being caught in good numbers.
Cherry Grove Pier: The bluefish bite is still excellent, with lots of blues up to 9 pounds and averaging 5-6 pounds caught. Spanish mackerel, trout and lots of medium and small flounder are also being caught.
A few menhaden and finger mullet schools have begun to arrive; expect the bait to arrive in full force in the next couple of weeks.
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: Fair. There are few recent reports of trout catches but the Georgetown area has been most successful for trout. 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 other inlets and creeks.
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. Perry’s Bait and Tackle sells sand fleas.
Bluefish: Very good. Huge bluefish by South Carolina standards are being caught in the surf, including large numbers of fish between 8 and 15 pounds as well as lots of 12 to 14 inch fish.
Piers: This is one of the best years in memory for Spanish Mackerel off the piers, and the bluefish run continues to be one of the strongest in some time.
Springmaid Pier: Spanish mackerel are being caught in large numbers, although most are on the small side. Bluefish are also being caught, and croaker and whiting generally ranging from half to one pound are being caught, with occasional flounder and black and red drum mixed in.
Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Good sized whiting are being caught and the 2 lb. 10 oz. state record was tied off the pier recently. Lots of good sized Spanish Mackerel and bluefish are being caught, and pompano have also arrived.
Apache Pier: Blues and Spanish are still very good, and lots of flounder have been caught recently, including a 10 pound 14 ounce doormat. A 34 pound 8 ounce jack crevalle was also landed in the last few days, and lots of nice sheepshead up to 9 pounds have been caught.
Surfside Pier: Large Spanish mackerel up to 6 pounds 5 ounces and bluefish in the 6 to 10 pound range are being caught. Pompano and whiting have also been abundant.
Garden City Pier: Large numbers of 10-14 inch bluefish are being caught with some occasional monsters up to 10 pounds mixed in, and lots of keeper sized Spanish mackerel are being caught. Pompano, whiting, and flounder up to 18 inches are being taken, although most flounder are in the 14 to 15 inch range.
Offshore: Spadefish are prolific at the near shore reefs, 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.
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.
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, with tons of 5-12 pound redfish being caught on live and dead mullet, shrimp and crabs. The Harbor, inlets, and creeks are teeming with bait, and some monster spottails are being caught out around the Charleston jetties fishing cut bait.
Trout: Very good. Fish are in the Wando, Cooper, and the creeks around Wild Dunes. Early morning topwater action on Spooks has heated up, and during the day anglers should fish live shrimp under a float, or DOA and RipTide shrimp with a slow retrieve around oyster beds. Night fishermen have also done well fishing DOA shrimp under well-lit docks. Flounder: Very good. Flounder can be found throughout inlets, the ICW, and creeks. Target flounder using live mud minnows fished slowly on the bottom. Small flounder are also being caught in the surf.
Sheepshead: Very good. Sheepshead are schooled up at the nearshore reefs such as Capers Reef and are also being caught inshore. Reports of nice catches around inshore structure, as well as at the Charleston jetties, are common.
Folly Beach Pier: Some whiting, spots, pompano and a few trout are being caught, but pier fishing has yet to really pick up in the area.
Offshore: Out at nearshore reefs sea bass are still being caught in good numbers, and spadefish have started to show up as well as large bluefish. Dolphin are abundant and being caught in large numbers, and wahoo fishing is great. Barracuda are out in full force, and some tuna are being caught at the Georgetown Hole.
Hilton Head
Spottail Bass: Very good. Tailing action is strong around high tide. At other times fish the edges of grass on the incoming tide 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. On the beginning of the falling tide bigger spottails can be found schooling and feeding aggressively for brief periods. The topwater bite is also very good on shallow and medium depth flats when the weather is calm.
Trout: Very good. Trout fishing is very good and 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. Large fish in the 18 to 20 inch range are being taken when the water is up. Topwater fishing is also productive in the morning.
Cobia: Read about cobia fishing in the Beaufort report.
Offshore: Wind has been tough but wahoo have been caught offshore on days when boats can get out. Dolphin are also around in large numbers.
Beaufort
Spottail Bass: Good. Fish are spread out and feeding aggressively on the large mullet schools which are showing 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 in the last few days, 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. Most fish are still at or below the legal limit; this may improve somewhat as the season continues but biologists suspect the average size of the flounder stock is smaller than usual this year.
Cobia: Cobia have arrived in full force in the Port Royal Sound and Broad River, and the fishing has been better the past few days after the full moon. The Christmas Tree rip has been productive. Fish are being caught on all types of baits, such as threadfin, 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. Lots of cobia are being seen at artificial reefs like the Betsy Ross, although enticing them to eat has been difficult. The best cobia bite may still be yet to come inshore.
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: Spanish Mackerel are being caught off Bay Point 8 miles out, and little tunny and king mackerel are 20 miles out. Bottom fishing has dropped off somewhat but spadefish are at the reefs are biting well. Dolphin and wahoo are abundant in the Gulf Stream, and yellowfin tuna are being taken sporadically fishing deep. In the Fripp Island Memorial Day King Mackerel tournament the big king was 36 pounds, and the big dolphin was a 35 pound bull. Wahoo catches were off for the day.
Related posts
North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Reports - 6/1/2008
June 1, 2008
Northern District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Offshore anglers are still catching plenty of yellowfin and blackfin tuna, along with some nice dolphin in the 30 to 40 lb. range. Wahoo, little tunny, amberjack, Atlantic bonito, and assorted sharks were also caught in. Billfish catches have increased somewhat.  Mid-range anglers continue to have success with striped bass and red drum in the 1.5 to 2-mile range in a concentrated area from Kitty Hawk southward to Pea Island. A few bluefish and weakfish were also caught in this same area. Inshore anglers continue to have success with plenty of bluefish and nice spotted seatrout in the near-shore surf zone (when they are accessible).
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted