Dec. 8, 2011
Saltwater Fishing Trends:


Little River - Grand Strand - Charleston - Beaufort - 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.

Little River (unchanged from Dec. 1)

Cherry Grove Pier reports that fishing has slowed. Whiting, spots and a few flounder have been caught.

Grand Strand

Black drum and sheepshead: Fair to good. Perry’s reports that sheepshead have really slowed down, but black drum have been feeding very well on shrimp in the creeks. Small black drum are also being caught off the beach.
Surf and Pier report: Some snapper bluefish are still being caught off the beach, and whiting are being caught off the piers – especially at night. A few spots and croaker are still around.
Trout: Very good. Perry’s Bait and Tackle reports that trout are biting very well around the Murrells Inlet Jetties and especially in the backs of creeks. Around the jetties most anglers are fishing live bait under a float rig, and in the creeks anglers are working the edges of oyster bars for a couple of hours either side of low tide. On the rising or falling tide fish can also be caught against the grass. Live shrimp are the best bait, but Mirrolures in Texas Chicken and Christmas Tree colors have also been catching big fish. Paddle tail grubs have also been effective.
Spottail Bass: Good to very good. Perry’s reports that bull red drum are still being caught off Huntington Beach, Garden City and the Surfside Beach ledges on cut bait offerings. A few slot-sized fish are being caught in the surf, but most of the fish are 30-40 plus inches. Slot sized redfish are feeding well in the creeks where the best action has been on the incoming tide. Live mud minnows, live finger mullet, live shrimp and a variety of artificial lures will all work.
Flounder: Fair to good. Perry’s reports that the number of flounder caught is way down, but the few fish that have been caught have been very good sized. Cast or troll Carolina rigged live mud minnows on the bottom over sandy bottoms and around hard structure. Fishing is often best for a couple of hours either side of low tide.

Charleston

Offshore: Haddrell’s Point reports that bottom fishing closures have slowed the number of anglers heading out, but there have been some fantastic grouper reports from anglers fishing in 90-150 feet of water. Live pinfish are always a bait of choice, but cigar minnows and butterfly jigs are also good options. Nearshore weakfish are also holding pretty well on nearshore reefs, where they can be caught on a DOA shrimp fished vertically or a Zman Ultra shrimp.
Trout: Fair. Haddrell’s Point reports that the trout bite continues to be sporadic. The most successful pattern has been trolling soft plastics along the grass line near high tide. For casting DOA Shrimp, Zman MinnowZ, and suspending Mirrolures will all catch fish. It’s also hard to go wrong with live shrimp.
Spottail bass: Very good. Haddrell’s Point reports that redfish continue to feed very heavily. Live bait is sure-fire, but this is also the time of year when artificials can be just as effective. Gulp! Shrimp and Jerkshad, Zman PaddlerZ, DOA Shrimp, Chatterbaits and more will all catch fish. Fish are schooling on the flats at low tide, and there are also plenty of redfish feeding around shell points and creek mouths on moving tides.
Sheepshead: Good to very good. Haddrell’s Point reports that sheepshead fishing is still very strong from the jetties to most any bridge pilings to docks with plenty of barnacle growth. This is the time when live shrimp under a float can be just as good as fiddler crabs, which are still hard to beat.

Beaufort

Trout: Good. Bay Street Outfitters reports that the trout bite is strong and trout will eat pretty much anything right now – including live shrimp or mud minnows under a popping cork, Gulp!, and a variety of soft plastic baits. The bigger trout will be found around moving water, and the smaller fish will be caught on mud points in about 4 feet of water. A fair number of keeper sized fish are being caught.
Spottail Bass: Good to very good. Bay Street Outfitters in Beaufort reports that redfishing is strong and there is starting to be some excellent sight-fishing on low tide. Fish have generally finished tailing for the year as fiddler crabs have gotten scarce, but on low tide fish can be seen chasing bait on the flats. Redfish are congregating around oyster bars, oyster points and grass points. Sight fishing will only get better as the water gets clearer. Redfish are starting to move into winter schools, but they are not in huge groups yet. Captain Dan “Fishin’ Coach” Utley reports that the incoming tide is the best to fish since the water has started to cool. As winds have calmed a bit the water is starting to clear and so artificial baits like Gulp! Shrimp in the New Penny color are working great. Fish the grass edges on the rising water and also back in the grass as the water gets higher. On low tide fish are also starting their schooling pattern and can be caught with ¼ ounce jigheads and a Gulp Shrimp! or gold spoons. The best time of the year for sight fishing for redfish is right around the corner, especially when the winds lay down.