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Captain Patrick Smiley (843-361-7445) reports that fishing in the Little River/ North Myrtle Beach area continues to improve, and on days when the wind will lay down they are having some nice catches.  It’s not as good as it’s going to get – but each week is better than the last!  And overall Patrick says that fishing is much better for this season than is typical for early April.

Spotted sea trout continue to bite in good numbers, although most of the fish are sub-legal with  only a few over 14 inches still being caught.  The best areas have been Tubbs Inlet and the Sunset Beach areas, and fish are being caught around holes in ledges along the Intracoastal Waterway.  Vudu shrimp, Gulp! baits, and on the fly Clouser minnows are all catching fish – Patrick says it definitely seems that the fish have a preference for small stuff right now.  Overall the rising tide has been the best, but there hasn’t really been any magic tide and it’s all about fishing the right spots on the right tide.

The spottail bass fishing has picked up a little bit, and they are biting mud minnows as well as Gulp! baits around the Little River jetties.  And the black drum fishing has definitely improved around docks, pilings, and other structure.  Lots of small fish are being caught on cut shrimp.

In the Cherry Grove estuary flounder are starting to show up, beginning to make their annual migration back inshore.  Sizes are improving each week and the fish this week are definitely bigger on average than those caught last week.  Mud minnows are the bait of choice right now.

Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that the fishing continues to improve, and the whiting are getting bigger and bigger.  Numbers of flounder have been good for a little while but the first keeper was caught this week – although it was a little skinny.  A few bluefish are being caught here and there, and skates and rays are showing up in bigger numbers.  Water temperatures are holding about 63 degrees and mullet have yet to arrive.