Sept. 29, 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

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. Cast or troll Carolina rigged live mud minnows on the bottom over sandy bottoms and around hard structure.
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.

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.
Folly Beach Pier: Lots of small bluefish, some whiting, black drum and a few sheepshead have been caught.

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.