SALTWATER FISHING TRENDS:

PIERS:

Cherry Grove Pier: Open Sunday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting very well on gold hooks and Gotcha plugs, with as many as 4 fish caught at a time using tandem hooks with soda straw rigs. On May 14 a 19-pound and 32-pound king mackerel were caught using anchor rods with live small bluefish. Also caught using the king rig (clothespin clip with 5 to 6 ounce spider anchor) were a 40 lb cobia, and two blues well over 8 pounds. A fair number of flounder have been caught using mud minnows with egghead sinker and trailing leader. A 7-pound, 10 ounce sheepshead was caught on barnacles, and fiddler crabs are also good bait A good number of whiting in the one to 1 1/4 pound range have been caught on shrimp and bloodworms

Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach): Bait Shop open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.. Fishing has been wonderful! Two cobia 61 pounds, 12 ounces and one 42-8 were caught recently using turn-around blues from anchor rods. One king was caught about center pier in the shallows on a sand flea. A 54-pound black drum was also caught on a sand flea using a flounder rig. Most flounder caught have been in the 17-18 inch category. Use egg slip sinker with mud minnows. For whiting shrimp No. 4 hooks on a 2-hook bottom rig, some caught up to 1 1/4 pounds. The largest Spanish mackerel caught recently weighed 5 pounds, several in the 3 to 5 pound range. Jig with multiple gold hooks. Several nice pompano have been caught and some small permits with cut shrimp.

Springmaid Pier: Open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, year-round. Tackle shop open 6 am to 10 pm. Starting June 1 shop hours will be 6 am to 11 pm. A few small spotted sea trout; whiting and bluefish were taken on shrimp and cut mullet. A few flounder have been caught using shrimp and mud minnows. Quite few keeper Spanish mackerel have been caught use jigged gold hooks. Good sized whiting have been causing using cut mullet. Also bluefish on cut mullet and finger mullet.

Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week. A number of whiting bigger than normal have been caught on shrimp and cut bait. A few Spanish mackerel were caught on jigged gold hooks.

Surfside Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Good numbers of whiting have been caught on cut shrimp. Afternoon and nights best for all fishing. One 5-pound, 15 ounce black drum was caught recently on shrimp The largest Spanish mackerel caught recently was 6-14. Pompanos weighing 2-10, and 2-3 pompano were caught recently by tourists with shrimp on a 2-hook bottom rig

The Pier at Garden City: Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, Friday and Saturday all night. Good catches of whiting and croaker reported on shrimp. Flounder starting to bite on mud minnows. Sharks and rays biting cut fish and shrimp.

Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier (Georgetown): Open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with free parking and fishing. Visitors also enjoy great bird watching. A Freshwater Fishing License is required due to brackish water. Coming soon, a second fishing pier on Winyah Bay. Activity is slow but improving.

Folly Beach Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. through October. Nice whiting, bluefish and croaker reported caught on cut shrimp.

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. Whiting, small black drum and a few flounder are biting shrimp and cut bait. Use mud minnows for the flounder.

INSHORE (State Waters):

Cherry Grove: Flounder hitting mud minnows in the inlet. Blues weighing 8 pounds plus have been caught in the surf on cut mullet

Murrells Inlet: Nice flounder were reported to be taking mud minnows and cut shrimp.

Charleston Area: Red drum activity has slowed. Sheepshead and black sea bass are very good at the jetties and other structures. Use fiddlers and live shrimp. Flounder can be found in shallow inlets using mud minnows. Summer Trout and flounder picking up live ship and plugs

Edisto Area: A few red drum are being caught on shrimp and cut bait. No sheepshead yet.

Beaufort Area: Red drum are biting live mud minnows or shrimp, as well as artificial grubs. Sheepshead will take fiddlers around rocks and structures. Flounder mud minnows, a few summer trout have been caught using live shrimp and artificials.

OFFSHORE (Federal Waters):

Cherry Grove: Boats from Calabash and Little River report Atlantic Bonita are just offshore from 2 to 10 miles out. Use No. 1 Clark spoons. Bottom fishing over reefs and live bottoms is still producing black sea bass as well as silver snapper. Use squid or cut bait.

Murrells Inlet: Tuna, wahoo and king mackerel were reported to be biting in the Gulf Stream. Snapper, grouper and a few amberjack are good. Catches of black sea bass are still good. Fish over live bottoms and structures. Use squid and cigar minnows. Some wahoo and blackfin tuna were caught past the 300 line in the Gulf Stream. Some king mackerel caught, offshore only.

Charleston Area: Georgetown Hole and the Southwest Banks are yielding nice wahoo, dolphin, blackfin and yellowfin tuna. Troll with ballyhoo. Black sea bass are still good over reefs and live bottoms. Snapper and grouper are good over reefs around 75 to 95 feet deep. Use cut bait or squid.

Edisto River/St. Helena Sound: Fishing for black sea bass, snapper and grouper using squid or cigar minnows continues to be good at offshore reefs such as the Edisto 40 (PA-31) or Edisto 60 (PA-30).

Beaufort Area: Reports of cobia the Broad River continue, use eels, squid, or Sabiki rigs with herring. Wahoo, dolphin and blackfin tuna have been caught near the Gulf Stream at the thermal break, trolling with ballyhoo and artificial lures. Sheepshead and whiting have been caught off wrecks. Try using fiddler crabs and shrimp.

Reporters: The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Marine Resource 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, Mark Dickson/Shallow Minded Charters & Capt. Randy Atwood/Sea Hunt-Cherry Grove, Capt. Dick's-Murrells Inlet, Haddrell's Point Tackle-Charleston, Edisto Marina-Edisto, Low Country Outfitters-Hilton Head.

- Written by Mike Creel -

For South Carolina marine recreational fishing regulations: http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/etc/rulesregs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf

Visit the Saltwater Fishing License Web site at http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/

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