Oct. 6, 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 Sept. 29)

Cherry Grove Pier reports that good numbers of bluefish and some Spanish mackerel are being caught. Small flounder and spot are also being picked up.

Grand Strand

Spottail Bass: Very good. Perry's Bait and Tackle reports that fall is here! Bull red drum are being caught off the beaches at Huntington Beach State Park and around the jetties, where impressive numbers of fish are being landed and released on cut bait offerings. Redfish in the creeks are feeding very well, with lots of slot sized and bigger fish being caught. 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.
Sheepshead and black drum: Very good. Perry's reports that at the Georgetown jetties large numbers of 6-7 pound fish have been caught, and at the Murrells Inlet jetties both sheepshead and black drum are feeding well. Fish fiddler crabs vertically on a Carolina rig close to the hard structure.
Flounder: Good to very good. Perry's reports that flounder fishing in the area is hot. A nine plus pound fish was caught at the jetties in the last week, and flounder are also being caught on the ledges off the beaches and in the inlets. 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.
Spot: Good to very good. Perry's reports that spot are running off the beaches and in Murrell's Inlet, and the fishing has been particularly good on the rising tide. Better than usual sized spot are around, and bloodworms fished on the bottom are tough to beat – especially on a two-hook rig.
Surf and Pier report: In addition to red drum and spot, bluefish, whiting, and a general mixed bag can be caught in the surf. Georgetown Landing Marina reports that meat fishing is good, with wahoo, dolphin and tuna all coming back to the docks.

Charleston

Spottail bass: Good. Haddrell's Point reports that redfish are grouping up in better numbers recently, and there have been some excellent reports in the Wando and Stono rivers. Live shrimp, mullet, Gulp! and ZMAN jerkshad have all been working. Large breeder reds are staging around the old Grillage area and at the jetties.
Sheepshead: Fair. Haddrell's Point reports that sheepshead fishing continues to be decent, and the best reports have come from anglers fishing around bridges or rock piles with heavy barnacle growth using fiddler crabs or live shrimp.
Flounder: Fair. Haddrell's Point reports that flounder catches have been a little inconsistent, with fish caught on live mullet, minnows and Gulp! fished near inlets and the edges of rock piles. Most encouragingly, Haddrell's Point reports that they are seeing good numbers of trout, and more and more reports of 20-40 inch fish. DOA shrimp under a popping cork or ZMAN's new 4" PaddlerZ have been the soft baits of choice, and of course live shrimp will catch fish.
Folly Beach Pier: Lots of small bluefish, some whiting, black drum and a few sheepshead have been caught. Offshore: Haddrell's Point reports that grouper are being caught in 100-150 feet of water on live pinfish, cigar minnows, and butterfly jigs. In 80-130 feet of water triggerfish and vermilion snapper have been reported, and the few boats that have been out to the Gulf Stream report solid numbers of sailfish in 250-450 feet of water and some wahoo in 140-200 feet.

Beaufort

Spottail Bass: Good to very good. Bay Street Outfitters in Beaufort reports that tailing activity has been very good at high tide, and the best bait is a Gulp! peeler crab on a circle hook. Fish can also be caught with mud minnows fished under a popping cork along the grass. At low tide fish are chasing shrimp under a float. Captain Dan "Fishin' Coach" Utley in Hilton Head reports that a fall bite is just around the corner as the water clears and temperatures drop, but for now bull reds are beginning to show up. They can be caught with live and dead baits fished on the bottom near the deep edges of Skull Creek and Calibogue Sound. In the creeks the mid to low outgoing tide has been strongest for redfish. Cut mullet fished in the deep bends of creeks with structure are holding a few slot sized redfish as well as lots of smaller fish.
Tarpon: Bay Street Outfitters reports that fish are being caught in the Broad River on live menhaden. Tarpon should stay until the first cold snap when highs dip below 70 for several days. Trout: Bay Street Outfitters reminds anglers to remember to release all trout for the health of the down fishery. More trout should be caught when the water cools.
Hunting Island Pier: Some whiting and small bluefish are being caught, but sharks, rays and toadfish are more prolific right now.