NEWS RELEASE
June 26, 2006
DNR News (803) 734-3950

Saltwater Fishing Trends:

Cherry Grove Pier: Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Whiting are still biting, along with a few blues and pompano on live or cut bait. Spanish mackerel are hitting gold hook jigs.

Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach North): Pier and bait Shop open 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. seven days a week. Spanish mackerel being caught while fishing for kings using live pinfish and blues. Flounder are doing well with live minnows.

Springmaid Pier (Myrtle Beach): Pier is open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, year-round. Tackle shop open 6 a.m. to 11 pm. Bluefish caught with cut bait and Gotcha plugs.

Myrtle Beach State Park Pier (Myrtle Beach South): Open 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., 7 days a week. Small pompano are biting cut shrimp. Some black drum and small blues caught also.

Surfside Pier: Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Flounder biting live minnows. Croaker caught on live or cut bait.

The Pier at Garden City: Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Flounder are biting live minnows. Pompano doing well with live bait. Jig with gold hooks for Spanish mackerel. No king mackerel yet. Whiting and croaker caught with cut mullet or bloodworms.

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. A second fishing pier is open on Winyah Bay called Hobcaw Point Observation and Fishing Pier. No report available.

Folly Beach Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Black drum are hitting Sabiki rigs and live shrimp. Trout and whiting caught with cut shrimp. Sheepshead caught with fiddler crabs.

Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier: Pier is open 24 hours a day. The Nature Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues. though Sat. Croaker and whiting biting live and cut 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 and Dr. Donald Millus.

For South Carolina marine recreational fishing regulations:

http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/regs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf

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