Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
SALTWATER FISHING TRENDS:
#1
PIERS:

Cherry Grove Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. No significant king mackerel activity to report. Try floating live menhaden. Blues and whiting are biting well. Most are caught on live or cut shrimp. A five-pound Spanish mackerel was landed using a Gotcha plug. Gold spoons work as well. Several nice black drum in the four to eight pound range were reported using shrimp and bloodworms. Water temperature is 77 degrees.

Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach): Bait shop open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Blues are the "fish of the month." A prize will be given for the biggest blue caught in May. Water has been somewhat muddy due to windy conditions. Sheepshead have started rolling in. Two nice ones in the six-pound range were caught on fiddler crabs. Spanish mackerel and a few blues are hitting jigged Gotcha plugs. A few spots and whiting are still biting shrimp and cut bait. Water temperature is 76 degrees.

Springmaid Pier: Open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, year-round. Water has been somewhat muddy due to windy conditions, hampering activity. Blues are still biting Gotcha plugs or shrimp. Floating live bait also works. Spanish mackerel are biting as well. Jig with a gold hook or Gotcha plugs.

Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Small whiting and blues are still providing some activity although the water is somewhat murky. Whiting will take cut or live shrimp. Blues are biting shrimp and Gotcha plugs. A 13-pound tripletail was caught with a live pinfish. The first ever seen for some people.

Surfside Pier: Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Spanish mackerel are biting floating rigs. Jigging with gold hooks or Gotcha plugs is also effective. "Keeper" whiting and blues are biting shrimp or cut bait. Activity has slowed all around due to poor water visibility.

The Pier at Garden City: Open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. King mackerel fishing allowed only during tournaments. A two and a half pound Spanish mackerel was landed. Use jigs with gold hooks or Gotcha plugs. A nice pompano, also two and a half pounds was reported. Catches of blues and whiting have been decent at best. Use shrimp or Gotcha plugs for the blues. Nice sized flounder are biting live mud minnows. Spadefish have started to show up. Use cut bait. Water temperature is about 76 degrees.

Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier (Georgetown): Open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with free parking and fishing. A Freshwater Fishing License is required due to brackish water. Visitors also enjoy great bird watching. No report available.

Folly Beach Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Spanish mackerel and blues activity has slacked off tremendously due to murky water. A black drum weighing four pounds, nine ounces was caught in the shallows. Whiting are also still being caught in shallow areas. Use live or cut bait. Water temperature is 78 degrees.

Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier: Pier open 24 hours a day. The Nature Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday. Flounder are biting very well using live mud minnows or cut shrimp as bait. A few small blues and whiting are biting shrimp.
[signature]
Reply
#2
INSHORE (State Waters):

Cherry Grove: Flounder fishing has tapered off. They will bite live mud minnows. You can also catch a scattered blue trolling with Clark spoons on the top in open inlets. Red drum are few, but large spotted sea trout are in the Little River inlet fishing with a float and live shrimp. King mackerel can be found over live bottoms such as the Jungle or the 65-foot Hole. Use live bait.

Murrells Inlet: Good-sized sheepshead are biting fiddler crabs and live shrimp at the jetties. Flounder fishing is good using mud minnows in the inlets. King mackerel are moving closer inshore and have been reported near the 3-Mile or Paradise Reef (PA-15). Slow troll or drift with live bait. Near shore live or rocky bottoms are producing nice sea bass. Use cigar minnows or squid.

Charleston Area: Red drum are in the creeks and around the jetties. Dynamite Hole and the Grillage, behind Fort Moultrie are good spots for larger fish. Use live shrimp or mud minnows. Sheepshead will bite fiddler crabs at the jetties. Spotted sea trout and flounder activity is good in the Wando and Cooper Rivers. Use live mud minnows under a float. Spanish mackerel have been reported at the north end of the jetties. Try a Sure Shot casting jig. Blues are starting to show up and amberjacks and tarpon should be here soon as well.

Edisto River/St. Helena Sound: Red drum are being caught over oyster beds using live shrimp. Good catches of spotted sea trout and whiting have been reported in the creeks. Use shrimp or cut bait such as mullet. Cobia are still being caught using live eels nearshore in inlets and rivers.

Beaufort Area: The Broad River is still providing cobia. Use chum to coax them up and live eels to bring them in. Tarpon have begun to show up in the mouths of sounds and inlets. Use live bait. Whiting are biting cut shrimp over sandy bottoms, in the surf and all ocean inlets. Red drum and spotted sea trout can be taken there as well using a cork and live minnows or shrimp. Flounder have moved into ocean inlets and will bite live finger mullet.
[signature]
Reply
#3
OFFSHORE (Federal Waters):

Cherry Grove: Dolphin and wahoo have been reported in 100 to 400 feet of water. Areas of activity include the Winyah Scarf and Blackjack Hole. Tuna fishing seems to have fizzled out. Nearshore live bottoms are producing good catches of sea bass. Move into 90-foot waters for grouper.

Murrells Inlet: Yellowfin and blackfin tuna as well as dolphin, wahoo and king mackerel have been reported 30 miles out. Troll with ballyhoo or spoons. King mackerel are also being caught 20 miles out. Bottom fishing is excellent producing nice black sea bass, amberjack, triggerfish, snapper and grouper. Use cigar minnows or squid.

Charleston Area: Large dolphin (mahi-mahi) have been reported in 150 to 160 feet of water. Near the "ledge" is ideal. Blue marlin require a little more effort. Try going out to a depth of 300 feet. Troll with ballyhoo.

Edisto River/St. Helena Sound: Dolphin (mahi-mahi) and wahoo fishing with trolled ballyhoo is doing well. A few Spanish mackerel have begun to show up.

Beaufort Area: High seas have hindered most of the activity offshore.

REPORTERS: The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Marine Resources Division thanks the following participants for their cooperation in compiling this week's report: Cherry Grove Pier, Apache Pier, Springmaid Pier, Myrtle Beach State Park, Surfside Pier, The Pier at Garden City, Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Hunting Island State Park, Shallow Minded Inshore Charters in North Myrtle Beach, Osprey Fishing Charters in Charleston, Capt. Dicks Marina in Murrells Inlet, Haddrell's Point Tackle in Charleston, Edisto Marina at Edisto Island, and Island Outfitters in Beaufort.

-Written by Becky Fowler, SCDNR - MRD

For South Carolina marine recreational fishing regulations: [url "http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/etc/rulesregs/img/saltfishing.pdf"][#0000ff]http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/etc/rulesregs/img/saltfishing.pdf[/#0000ff][/url]
[signature]
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)