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Offshore fishingSaltwater Fishing Trends


Little River - Grand Strand - Charleston - Edisto - Hilton Head - Beaufort
- Piers

S.C. marine recreational fishing regulations (PDF file). Visit the Saltwater Fishing License site.

DNR does not endorse or otherwise sanction the following Web page. Saltwater reporting courtesy SCFishingReport.com.

Little River

bulletStriped Bass: Good. Target striper in the ICW using grubs and artificial shrimp.
bulletSpottail Bass: Fair. Try fishing with live minnows or artificials in ICW areas.
bulletTrout: Very good. The trout bite is really improving and lots of 3 to 5 pound fish are being taken. Fish in the ICW with grubs and artificial shrimp. Berkeley Gulp baits have been particularly effective.
bulletBottom Fish: Good. Boats are doing well fishing for black sea bass, grouper and snapper when they can get out. Use cut squid.

Grand Strand

bulletSpottail Bass: 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.
bulletTrout: Fair. The trout fishing is beginning to pick back up again. Use Mirrolures or Gulp shrimp and fish deep areas.
bulletFlounder: 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.
bulletBottom 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

bulletSpottail Bass: Good. Spottails are scattered from deep holes in rivers through the creeks, ICW, inlets, and out to near shore reefs. Inshore fishermen also report a hot bite for redfish schooled up on the flats. A variety of methods are working but the bite is definitely on.
bulletTrout: Very good. Nice catches of trout are being reported north of Charleston in the creeks around Dewees, Capers, and Bull Island as water temperatures rise. Fish were hitting DOA shrimp on popping corks near low tide and ˝ ounce bucktails with DOA shrimp trailers. After a good weekend fishing was slower on windy Monday but some fish were again caught in the holes on chartreuse bucktails with DOA shrimp trailers.
bulletFlounder: Fair. Some doormat flounder are being caught at the nearshore reefs using traditional flounder baits. Sheepshead: Good. Sheepshead are schooled up at the nearshore reefs. 
bulletBottom Fish: Very 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.  Fishermen using cigar minnows are also picking up some nice cobia.
bulletBluewater Offshore: Good catches of Little Tunny from 15-20 pounds are being reported offshore as well as some bonito.

Edisto

bulletSpottail Bass: Poor. Spottail bass seem to have vacated the creeks with the recent cold weather.
bulletTrout: Poor. Trout fishing is very slow.
bulletBottom Fish: Good. 30 miles out black sea bass, snapper, and grouper are all biting well when boats can venture out.

Hilton Head

bulletSpottail Bass: Excellent. Spottails are biting very well on the flats around low tide, especially when the wind dies down. Fish are schooled up and very aggressive. Use artificials such as the ever-reliable brown Gulp Swimming Minnow 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.
bulletTrout: 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.
bulletSheepshead: Very good. January through March is the prime time for sheepshead fishing in the Hilton Head area. One guide reported catching 35 sheepshead at a near-shore wreck with most fish in the 2-pound range but a couple of 9-pounders thrown in.
bulletBottom Fish: Good to very good. Snapper and grouper are being caught in large numbers around 40 miles out. Black Sea Bass and some nice flounder are also being caught out at the Betsy Ross. The flounder are up to 7 or 8 pounds.
bulletBluewater offshore: Poor. The boats that have set offshore in search of bluefin tuna have so far come back empty-handed in this area.

Beaufort

bulletSpottail 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.
bulletTrout: Slow. Try deep holes in creeks using live bait (shrimp or mud minnows) or artificials such as Berkeley Gulp or Mirrolures.
bulletBottom 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 at least mid-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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