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 | Unpredictable weather the last couple of weeks has kept fishermen off the water and slowed down fishing in the Little River area. |
| Striped Bass: Fair. The striper bite has slowed but anglers should continue to try the Intra Coastal Waterway using 4” artificial grubs in either green or white; try ones with a forked tail. Spottail Bass: Fair. Try fishing with live minnows or artificials in ICW areas. |
| Trout: Fair. The cold snap has changed the trout pattern but try grubs such as Gulp or DOA shrimp and Mirrolures. Look to fish deeper than earlier in the winter as trout are temperature-sensitive. |
| Bottom Fish: Good. Boats are doing well fishing for black sea bass, grouper and snapper when they can get out. Use cut squid. |
Grand Strand
| Fair. Spottail bass have slowed down from earlier this winter but some are still being caught. Try grubs, live mud minnows, and Mirrolures in creeks and around oyster beds. Try the creeks behind Pawley’s Island and further south. |
| Trout: Fair. The trout fishing is beginning to pick back up again. Use Mirrolures or Gulp shrimp and fish deep areas. |
| Flounder: Fair to Good. A surprising flounder bite for decent sized flounder has emerged and fishermen are catching fish up the creeks in very deep holes. These are fish that have not gone offshore for winter. Use live mud minnows worked across the bottom. |
| Bottom Fish: Good. Boats report nice catches of black sea bass, grouper, and snapper from the Parking Lot (25 miles offshore) on out when they can get offshore. |
Charleston
| Spottail Bass: Good. Spottails are scattered from deep holes in rivers through the creeks, ICW, inlets, and out to near shore reefs. A variety of methods are working but the bite is definitely on. |
| Trout: Fair. Trout fishing has been somewhat slow inshore as the water got down to 42 degrees recently. Some fish are being taken in the rivers but the best bite for big trout has been at nearshore reefs where some gators have been caught. Look for trout fishing to continue to improve as the water warms. |
| Flounder: Fair. Some doormat flounder are being caught at the nearshore reefs using traditional flounder baits. |
| Sheepshead: Fair. Some sheepshead can be caught at the jetties and even inshore but most have headed out to near-shore artificial reefs. Use live shrimp or fiddler crabs. |
| Bottom Fish: Good. Black sea bass, grouper, and snapper are all biting offshore. Black sea bass are biting well in 40-70 feet of water and grouper are biting well from 60-70 feet on out to 150 feet. |
| Bluewater Offshore: Good catches of Little Tunny from 15-20 pounds are being reported offshore as well as some bonito and cobia. |
Edisto
| Spottail Bass: Poor. Spottail bass seem to have vacated the creeks with the recent cold weather. |
| Trout: Poor. Trout fishing is very slow. |
| Bottom Fish: Good. 30 miles out black sea bass, snapper, and grouper are all biting well when boats can venture out. |
Hilton Head
| Fishing in the Hilton Head area has been very good this week. |
| Spottail Bass: Excellent. Use artificials in the creeks and flats areas such as Gulp shrimp or DOA shrimp, or mud minnows. Fish the bait under a popping cork. The artificials can be fished either under a popping cork or jigged on a free line. Look for schooling fish on the falling tide where water is coming out of creeks and spilling over oyster shells. Target these fish while the tide is still dropping because even if they are visible at dead low tide they are very unlikely to bite. |
| Trout: Excellent. The trout have really turned on. Use the same bait or lures as for the spottails but target drops on the falling tide. Gulp shrimp imitations have been particularly effective. |
| Sheepshead: Very good. January through March is the prime time for sheepshead fishing in the Hilton Head area. Use fiddler crabs around inshore structure or fish the nearshore reefs – both areas have been productive in the last week. |
| Bottom Fish: Good to very good. Snapper and grouper are being caught in large numbers around 40 miles out. |
| Bluewater offshore: Poor. The boats that have set offshore in search of bluefin tuna have so far come back empty-handed in this area. |
Beaufort
| Spottail Bass: Good. Warmer weather is causing the spottails to congregate in large schools but they are biting very selectively. In the Broad River area guides are seeing schools with up to 150 fish in the shallow flats. Best fishing is on the falling or low tide with spoons and flies. |
| Trout: Slow. Try deep holes in creeks using live bait (shrimp or mud minnows) or artificials such as Berkeley Gulp or Mirrolures. |
| Bottom Fishing: Good. Nice catches of black sea bass are being reported offshore. |
Coastal Fishing Piers:
Cherry Grove
Pier: Pier and tackle shop open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until
mid-March. Slow fishing.
Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach): Pier and bait Shop open 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. seven days a week until February. No fishing activity to report. -
Check
weather and water conditions>>>
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 p.m.
daily. Slow fishing. - View the
pier cam>>>
Myrtle Beach State Park Pier (Myrtle Beach South): Pier open
6 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week (24/7 if staying onsite). Tackle shop open
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Slow fishing.
Surfside Pier: Closed until February.
The Pier at Garden City:
Reopens March 1, 2008.
Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier (Georgetown):
Open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with free parking and fishing.
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. Slow fishing.
Folly Beach Pier:
Marina building, fishing pier and Locklear's Restaurant (which leases
space inside the marina) closed for repairs until March 2008. Call
Charleston County Parks and Recreation at (843) 795-4386 for more
information.
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. Tuesday through Saturday
(Center only closed Jan. – Feb. for repairs). No report.
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