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AHQ INSIDER North Myrtle Beach (North Grand Strand, SC) 2023 Week 30 Fishing Report – Updated July 27

  • by Jay

July 27

Morning surface water temperatures are around 85-87 and the creeks are full of bait. 

It’s not fall inshore fishing, but Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they are doing pretty well catching scattered redfish and black drum in the creek mouths with live shrimp on a slip cork rig. The falling tide has been best, and you can also pick up redfish on live finger mullet.

Trout are also around in the same areas, but they have been small. 

The flounder are fairly prolific, but south of the border most of them are short fish right now. There are some keeper fish that can be caught at creek mouths, but it seems like most of the better fish have headed out to the jetties or nearshore.

It’s still a pretty incredible Spanish mackerel bite some days, and the last time they went after them they managed to troll up one about every ten minutes. Twenty-five feet of water is the magic depth, and you can catch them trolling spoons on #1 or #2 planer boards. There are also still some times when you can cast at them. 

Caught with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters while pulling spoons for Spanish!
Caught with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters while pulling spoons for Spanish!

July 13

Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s and the creeks are full of bait. 

It’s July on the South Carolina coast, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that some days you have to work to catch the inshore species. But they are still biting, and each trip they are managing to pick up some combination of flounder, trout and redfish. Unfortunately most of the keeper flounder seem to be north of the border in North Carolina, but if you weed through smaller fish you can still find some in South Carolina waters.

While for flounder you will have the best success dragging baits along the bottom, to pick up a mixed inshore bag live shrimp or finger mullet under a slip cork have been the best bait. Target moving water and look around shell beds. Recently the falling tide has been the best. You can also pick up redfish as well as occasional black drum with cut shrimp on the bottom in holes and around oysters.

Even as the resident fish can slow down in the heat, the Spanish mackerel bite is still red-hot. Trolling spoons is a great way to catch them, but recently they caught 30 fish casting at the schools. Spanish are generally off the beaches in 20-30 feet of water, although sometimes they will come closer. Birds will usually show you the way if the fish are schooling. 

With Captain Smiley Fishing Charters  
With Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

Finally, the best fighting fish easily accessible right now are sharks, and there are some big ones inside as well as off the beaches. In 25-30 feet of water they have gotten into some hammerheads recently.

June 29

Morning surface water temperatures are about 81-83 degrees at dawn inshore around Little River, and it’s not uncommon to see the mid-80s in the afternoon and even high-80s at low tide. Clarity is improving again after all the rain but the upcoming full moon tides will probably wreck that.   

It’s been an incredibly exciting week of fishing at the top of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the nearshore reefs in 30-60 feet have been providing a ton of action. The headline species has been cobia, and they are catching fish simply jigging with vertical jigs. You could also catch them on live bait. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel are also all over the reefs and will take the same baits, and there are tons of sub-keeper black sea bass around. Spadefish are also on the reefs, although they have not been targeting them. 

Caught today at Captain Smiley Fishing Charters' Kids' Camp!
Caught today at Captain Smiley Fishing Charters' Kids' Camp!

The Spanish mackerel fishing off the beaches also continues to be excellent, with fish coming pretty quicky trolling in 21-30 feet of water with Clarks Spoons. There are also some king mackerel around but the better action is further south around Murrells Inlet and Georgetown. 

Inshore fishing is settling into a pretty typical summer pattern, and in the heat fishing early and late is both more comfortable and more productive.  They are still catching a decent number of redfish on baits like cut shrimp and finger mullet in the IntraCoastal Waterway, and also picking up the occasional black drum. Trout have gotten pretty sparse but they are getting a few in creek mouths with live shrimp. They are also catching some flounder on finger mullet and mud minnows around structure, and even had one 20-incher come on a piece of cut shrimp! More flounder than usual have been around docks. 

June 22

Morning surface water temperatures are about 77 or 78 degrees around Little River. 

The Spanish mackerel fishing has been as good they have ever seen it at the north end of the Grand Strand, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they are catching them as fast as they can reel them in. On Father’s Day they caught 45 fish in two hours! Most of them are keepers and there are also some fish in the 20-inch range. They are within a mile of the beaches around the menhaden schools, and you can either troll or cast spoons for them. 

Kids' Camp with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters!
Kids' Camp with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters!

While there are a few king mackerel and cobia close in around the bait, most of the kings seem to be out in 35-40 feet of water. However, there are tons of sharks to be caught. 

Inshore it’s typical summer fishing, and that means they are catching a few redfish, trout and flounder but overall things are settling into a slower summer pattern as the water warms.  Flounder are probably the best of those, and there are tons of keepers in North Carolina but they are rarer south of the border. Dragging mud minnows or finger mullet on a Carolina rig is tough to beat for flounder, but you can also fish the bait on a jighead. 

Trout have been pretty sporadic but fish can be caught on live shrimp fished in creek mouths, while the best redfish action is usually on low tide mud flats in depressions and around oyster beds. 

June 17

Morning surface water temperatures are up 76 degrees around Little River by the end of this week. 

Things have been a little crazy at the north end of the Grand Strand, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that – between kids’ camp and normal charters – they have run 29 trips this week!

As water temperatures have risen the trout have gotten a little less frequent but they are still catching some on live shrimp fished in creek mouths. At the same time the action for redfish has filled in the void as they are getting really hungry. They can be caught in the same areas as the trout as well as on low tide mud flats with depressions and around oysters. They have also picked up scattered flounder including some keepers on shrimp, but if you want to increase your chances of catching a flounder drag a mud minnow or finger mullet along the bottom where he is waiting to ambush it.

Another happy camper with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters 
Another happy camper with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

Just off the beaches in 21-24 feet Spanish mackerel fishing is really good pulling Clarks Spoons. 

More detailed report to follow next week.

June 8

Morning surface water temperatures are still only about 70 degrees around Little River.

It’s been a really fun bite at kids’ camp this week, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that – perhaps because of the mild temperatures – the trout fishing has been above average for this time of year. They have caught lots of 16-20 inch trout, and last week on the full moon it was really good.

A couple of happy campers with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters
A couple of happy campers with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

As long as the water is moving fish will bite along the creek banks and over shell beds, but live shrimp are critical. They are also picking up lots of black drum but they are just under-sized. 

They have managed a few flounder this week, including the occasional very big fish, and mullet and mud minnows on the bottom have both been working. They even hooked a 24-incher on a live shrimp! The best fishing has been on falling water but they will also bite on the rising tide. 

At the same time that trout fishing is above average, redfish are way below average. All the guides report only getting one or two per week. 

Nearshore action has been limited with all the wind, but the last time someone got out to the 3-Mile it was reportedly slow. 

May 26

Morning surface water temperatures are about 71-74 degrees around Little River and the water is still pretty dirty with all the wind. 

With windy conditions it’s been all about the inshore fishing the last week or two at the top of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the flounder fishing has been pretty good if a bit inconsistent. It seems that because of the fronts and wind some days they bite well and some days they do not, but yesterday even though they only caught 8 fish they had an impressive 5 keepers.

In general the falling tide has been best, and fish are feeding in 3-8 feet of water around creek mouths and oyster beds. Mud minnows are working but some finger mullet are also showing up and producing.  

A nice one caught yesterday with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters
A nice one caught yesterday with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

They are also catching a few redfish in the same areas on mud minnows, cut mullet and sections of blue crab. On cut mullet they caught a monster 41 ½ inch fish this week and on a crab they had a 37 ½ inch bull. With crab you can also catch black drum, but with most of them running a little on the smaller side cut shrimp are working better. 

You will also pick up the occasional trout on mud minnows, and they are averaging 3 or 4 each day. If you had live shrimp you could slay them, but shrimp are hard to net right now. 

While they have picked up a rogue Spanish mackerel or two in the creeks, if you could get off the beaches in 20-25 feet there are plenty. However, it’s been too rough this week. 

May 11

Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s around Little River and the water is still pretty dirty with all the wind. 

It’s been a good week for Spanish mackerel just off the beaches, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that some days he has caught 25 or more trolling Clarks Spoons. When you see balls of menhaden it’s also worth casting at them, and you also have a good chance at picking up some good bluefish running up to about 5 pounds. 

When it’s calm the fish seem be stacked up out to about 25-30 feet of water, and interestingly the few times he has been able to get out there Buddy has found more fish off the beaches than at the nearshore reefs. But mostly though it’s been too rough to fish the jetties or nearshore, and so it’s hard to know exactly what’s out there right now.   

Caught with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters
Caught with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

Inshore they have been catching a good number of black drum in typical trout holes back in the creeks, and the best bite seems to be on cut shrimp in 5-8 feet of water. They are also picking up some good-sized trout, almost always in singles, floating shrimp in creek mouths. The keepers are very scattered out right now.

There are also a few scattered redfish around the banks which can be caught in skinny water on the last of the falling tide, but they have not been jumping in the boat. That leads guides to believe there aren’t a ton of them around right now, but another factor is that this week the tide cycle wasn’t good for them. More redfish seem to be coming just over the border in North Carolina. 

Finally, they are catching a few flounder in the creeks right now including a 20-incher on one charters. They are in their normal summer spots in holes and the skinnier backwaters. Mud minnows are working very well and catches should only go up as more fish arrive.

May 5

Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s around Little River and the water quality is very bad after all the wind.

Some larger trout have been showing up at the top of the coast this week, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they have caught fish up to 24 inches. The key is live shrimp, and the best place to fish is creek mouths in 3-8 feet. It doesn’t matter if the tide is rising or falling, but it has to be moving.  Black drum have also been in the same areas eating the same bait, although they will also take fresh cut shrimp. 

A gator caught this week with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters
A gator caught this week with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

There are also flounder scattered everywhere right now, especially in the Intracoastal Waterway and at creek mouths. The tide hasn’t made too much of a difference, but they do seem to be catching a few more on the falling tide. Mud minnows are working great, but the crabs are so bad right now that artificial lures like Gulp! are sometimes less frustrating.

Unfortunately redfish have been a little rare recently, but they are picking up the occasional one drifting shrimp. Reds may also be feeding better on low water which they have targeted less often. 

The jetties are also holding redfish and black drum, but it’s been too windy to get out there.  The same is true for the nearshore reefs, and when they were last able to get out to the 3-Mile a week ago it was covered up in bluefish and Spanish.   

April 21

Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees around Little River.

The Spanish mackerel fishing is on fire this week, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that from the beaches out to about 5 miles offshore they are wearing them out. Fish are running up to 3-4 pounds, and the numbers are excellent. Spoons are working very well. 

A heck of a day with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters
A heck of a day with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

At the nearshore reefs there are also bonito, summer trout, bluefish and more around. 

The flounder fishing has picked up with better weather this week, and there continue to be a good number of flounder in the creeks. As the snot grass disappears they will get easier to target on the bottom.  

Trout are being caught at creeks mouths, along banks and at the jetties. Fish are biting on both the rising and falling tide, as long as there is moving water. The best depth range has been 5-8 feet of water.

While they are catching some fish on Vudu Shrimp, Gulp! and even on the fly, live shrimp is hard to beat.  

There are black drum mixed in with the trout being caught on the same live shrimp, but you can probably pick up more black drum fishing on the bottom with fresh cut shrimp. The best concentrations are also a bit deeper in 10-15 feet of water. 

Unfortunately most of them are small right now.

A few redfish are being landed as well, mostly on low tide in skinny water or holes. Some are also being caught around creek mouths on the dropping tide when everything is being flushed out of the creeks. The fish are generally now in medium-sized schools on low water. 

Fresh cut shrimp is also working the best. 

April 10

Morning surface water temperatures dropped drastically after this weekend’s rain and cold weather to about 60 degrees around Little River.

When you can get out to the nearshore reefs the fishing is phenomenal right now, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that 3-5 miles offshore there are tons of Spanish mackerel, bonito, summer trout, bluefish and more around. They aren’t seeing mackerel and bonito schooling on the top quite yet, but both species will take spoons. Trout seem to prefer Gulp! baits fished slowly on the bottom.

A banner day with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters
A banner day with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters

Cooler weather temporarily hurt the inshore bite over the weekend, and today on the water they had to work to catch trout and flounder. Still, there seem to be a surprisingly good number of flounder in the creeks because they are catching them just on float rigs without really targeting them. The snot grass is still prevalent and makes it hard to fish on the bottom. 

Trout are being caught at creeks mouths, along banks and at the jetties. Fish are biting on both the rising and falling tide, as long as there is moving water. The best depth range has been 5-8 feet of water.

While they are catching some fish on Vudu Shrimp, Gulp! and even on the fly, live shrimp is hard to beat.  

There are black drum mixed in with the trout being caught on the same live shrimp, but you can probably pick up more black drum fishing on the bottom with fresh cut shrimp. The best concentrations are also a bit deeper in 10-15 feet of water. 

Unfortunately most of them are small right now.

A few redfish are being picked up as well, mostly on low tide in skinny water or holes. Some are also being caught around creek mouths on the dropping tide when everything is being flushed out of the creeks. The fish are generally now in medium-sized schools on low water. 

Fresh cut shrimp is also working the best. 

 

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