The flounder fishing is still good in the creeks and rivers close to the ocean, but getting fish over 16 inches is a challenge. Fish are on sandy or hard bottoms and mud minnows are tough to beat. When you can find structure in those areas it should concentrate the fish. 

We are still left saying the trout fishing should pick up soon, and Tuck reports that he has caught a few trout as a by-catch when targeting reds but not great numbers. It seems the magic depth is about 4-5 feet, and when he gets baits in that range he seems to catch them.

Jack crevalle are still around and Tuck is also seeing a ton of tarpon rolling as well as busting bait. They can be found in any of the major cuts, sounds and rivers that provide access to and from the ocean. You can certainly put baits on the bottom and catch fish, but it’s often more productive to follow the big menhaden schools and try to sight cast. Besides poppers and big swimbaits, live menhaden are the bait of choice.

It continues to be an exceptional period for tripletail, and there are enough that you can target them instead of just hoping to see one. They can be found around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

Sheepshead are also biting pretty well in 6-12 feet of water around heavy structure. Most of the fish are smaller right now but there are also some better ones mixed in. 

August 31

Morning surface water temperatures are about 83 inshore around Beaufort and after a ton of rain the water is heavily stained. 

It’s been (almost) all about the redfish on his boat for the last two weeks in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the fishing has been very good. The fish are willing to eat around the tide cycle right now, and the biggest adjustment they have had to make with artificial lures and flies is using dark colors like black or purple for better visibility in the stained water.

On the low tides mud flats the fish have been pretty willing to eat slow-moving baits despite the heat, and on moving tides in both directions they are getting along the edges of the grass and oyster beds. At high tide they have been tailing very well, and then at the very beginning of the high dropping tide the best place to find the fish is over laid down white shells where you can easily pick out the silhouette of a redfish. 

On the bait side cut mullet is still very tough to beat. 

The flounder fishing is still good in the creeks and rivers close to the ocean, but getting fish over 16 inches is a challenge. Fish are on sandy or hard bottoms and mud minnows are tough to beat. When you can find structure in those areas it should concentrate the fish. 

We are still left saying the trout fishing should pick up soon, and Tuck reports that he has caught a few trout as a by-catch when targeting reds but not great numbers. It seems the magic depth is about 4-5 feet, and when he gets baits in that range he seems to catch them.

Jack crevalle are still around and Tuck is also seeing a ton of tarpon rolling as well as busting bait. They can be found in any of the major cuts, sounds and rivers that provide access to and from the ocean. You can certainly put baits on the bottom and catch fish, but it’s often more productive to follow the big menhaden schools and try to sight cast. Besides poppers and big swimbaits, live menhaden are the bait of choice.

It continues to be an exceptional period for tripletail, and there are enough that you can target them instead of just hoping to see one. They can be found around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

Sheepshead are also biting pretty well in 6-12 feet of water around heavy structure. Most of the fish are smaller right now but there are also some better ones mixed in. 

August 19

Morning surface water temperatures are about 83 inshore around Beaufort.  As will be the case for some time, there is a ton of bait around. 

Everybody expected the full moon tailing tides to be really good last week, and they were, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the real surprise has been that some of the best tailing activity for redfish has actually been the last two days. While the tides have not gotten as high there as still plenty of places where the water is getting high enough for fish to get up in the short grass, and with some cooler weather they have been feeding lights out!

Outside of high tide most of the tides have been pretty good, and predictably on low tide fish have been more schooled up. However, the best feeding tide seems to be the dropping tide when there is still some water up in the grass but everything is being flushed out. A low tide in the heat of the day is still not as good.

Despite all the shrimp around, on the bait side cut mullet is still very tough to beat. 

The flounder fishing has been unexpectedly good in the creeks and rivers close to the ocean, but getting fish over 16 inches is a challenge. Fish are on sandy or hard bottoms and mud minnows are tough to beat. 

Jack crevalle are still around and Tuck is also seeing a ton of tarpon rolling as well as busting bait. They can be found in any of the major cuts, sounds and rivers that provide access to and from the ocean. You can certainly put baits on the bottom and catch fish, but it’s often more productive to follow the big menhaden schools and try to sight cast. Besides poppers and big swimbaits, live menhaden are the bait of choice.

It continues to be an exceptional period for tripletail, and there are enough that you can target them instead of just hoping to see one. They can be found around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

It should be any day now as temperatures cool, but the trout fishing has still not really picked up.  The best time to fish for them is early in the morning with a topwater lure like a Spook or a Bomber plug around points. Outside of first light fishing deeper current rips with live shrimp under a cork is usually the best pattern.

While the tailing black drum seem to have disappeared recently, they are still seeing a ton of tailing sheepshead on flats along tree lines.  Since they are eating mussels the best way to catch them on conventional tackle is with a Gulp! peeler crab. 

Sheepshead are also biting pretty well in 6-12 feet of water around heavy structure. Most of the fish are smaller right now but there are also some better ones mixed in. 

August 4

Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s inshore around Beaufort, and the water is still dirty. There are also still an incredible number of shrimp around.   

The plentiful shrimp are a mixed blessing with the redfish, and from what Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) is seeing the fish are both happy to eat and pretty well fed. Which can mean they don’t want to eat shrimp. Sometimes they show a preference for shrimp, but it’s also the time of year where sometimes they want a cut mullet because it offers a different scent that they can hone in on. 

Beyond baits in the intense summer heat there are some temperature-driven patterns, and dead low tide is often the toughest if it’s hot. Mornings are also better in general.

However, the late afternoon tailing tides next week should be outstanding and at those times when they can get on the short grass flats and eat fiddler crabs the redfish don’t seem to care about temperatures. 

Jack crevalle are still around and Tuck is also seeing a ton of tarpon rolling as well as busting bait. They can be found in any of the major cuts, sounds and rivers that provide access to and from the ocean. You can certainly put baits on the bottom and catch fish, but it’s often more productive to follow the big menhaden schools and try to sight cast. Besides poppers and big swimbaits, live menhaden are the bait of choice.

It continues to be an exceptional period for tripletail, and there are enough that you can target them instead of just hoping to see one. They can be found around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

Even though the shrimp have arrived trout are still slow in the summer heat.  The best time to fish for them is early in the morning with a topwater lure like a Spook or a Bomber plug around points. Outside of first light fishing deeper current rips with live shrimp under a cork is usually the best pattern.

They are also still seeing a ton of tailing sheepshead, which are usually really hard to catch, and since they are eating mussels the best way to catch them on conventional tackle is with a Gulp! peeler crab. They are also seeing and catching some black drum up in the taller grass. The best way to locate them is to listen out for a popping sound on the surface, almost like bream eating mayflies off the surface, and then cast to them as long as the grass is not terribly thick. 

July 22

Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 83 inshore around Beaufort, and with all the wind the water is even muddier. Tons of shrimp are around.   

When you are often fishing in chocolate milk you need something the redfish can see, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that in flies and artificials really dark colors are working. They have discovered a new black and purple fly that is outstanding, probably mainly because of its visibility. They are also eating shrimp pretty well since they are so abundant. 

In addition to normal patterns around oyster points and shell bars on lower stages of the tide, even though we are away from the monster tides the fish are still tailing on the edges of the grass at high tide. This is probably because they are more comfortable in the slightly cooler water even as high tides have been in the heat of the day.  

Jack crevalle are still around and Tuck is also seeing a ton of tarpon rolling as well as busting bait. They can be found in any of the major cuts, sounds and rivers that provide access to and from the ocean. You can certainly put baits on the bottom and catch fish, but it’s often more productive to follow the big menhaden schools and try to sight cast. Besides poppers and big swimbaits, live menhaden are the bait of choice.

It continues to be an exceptional period for tripletail, and there are enough that you can target them instead of just hoping to see one. They can be found around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

Even though the shrimp have arrived trout are still slow in the summer heat.  The best time to fish for them is early in the morning with a topwater lure like a Spook or a Bomber plug around points. Outside of first light slow trolling in 4-6 feet of water with ¼ ounce grubs is probably the best pattern.

In addition to tailing sheepshead, which are usually really hard to catch, they are seeing and catching some black drumup in the taller grass. The best way to locate them is to listen out for a popping sound on the surface, almost like bream eating mayflies off the surface, and then cast to them as long as the grass is not terribly thick. 

July 14

Morning surface water temperatures are about 84-85 degrees inshore around Beaufort and the creeks have gotten very muddy in places.  The rivers are now flooded with shrimp.   

With the full moon and high tides all eyes are on focused on tailing redfish this week in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that both morning and evening tides have been very good. They are seeing lots of fish tailing and getting plenty of shots, using bulky fly patterns to make sure the fish can see the bait in the dirty water.

Redfish are also feeding in the usual areas on lower tides, but you want to avoid fishing the heat of the day – especially if it coincides with a low tide. The fish pretty much shut down at those times. 

With the rivers filling up with shrimp they are now the best bait on the live bait side, but there are also a ton of small crabs around and so Gulp! peeler crabs will also work.  

While Tuck has not seen a lot of jack crevalle they are definitely around, but Tuck is seeing a ton of tarpon rolling as well as busting bait. They can be found in any of the major cuts, sounds and rivers that provide access to and from the ocean. You can certainly put baits on the bottom and catch fish, but it’s often more productive to follow the big menhaden schools and try to sight cast. Besides poppers and big swimbaits, live menhaden are the bait of choice. 

A very large number of tripletail have showed up, and now it’s gotten to the point where there are enough that you can target them instead of just hoping to see one. They can be found around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

Even though the shrimp have arrived trout are still slow in the summer heat.  The best time to fish for them is early in the morning with a topwater lure like a Spook or a Bomber plug around points. Outside of first light slow trolling in 4-6 feet of water with ¼ ounce grubs is probably the best pattern.

There are a ton of tailing sheepshead right now, but don’t get too excited if you see them. They are feeding on mussels and extremely difficult to catch. 

July 1

Morning surface water temperatures are 83-85 degrees inshore around Beaufort.  Shrimp and finger mullet are prolific in the creeks. 

With warm water temperatures there are plenty of migratory species around right now, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that anglers need to be on the look-out for both tarpon and jack crevalle. They can be found in any of the major cuts, sounds and rivers that provide access to and from the ocean. You can certainly put baits on the bottom and catch fish, but with both species crushing menhaden you can also sight-cast for them around menhaden schools. Besides poppers and big swimbaits, live menhaden are the bait of choice. 

Ladyfish are also around, and as always in the summer months you should keep your eyes open for tripletail. They can be found around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides.  When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

The redfish patterns are pretty stable right now, and Tuck reports that on the recent big evening tides the tailing action was really good. Fish are still sitting a little deeper with the warm water, especially in the afternoons.  

The biggest change this week seems to be that fish are really keyed in on small blue crabs, and so pieces of legal-sized crabs are working very well. 

Other than that patterns are the same, and at low tide fish are around oyster beds, shell points, creek mouths, and grass lines with some sort of feature or variation. On moving water reds will get just out of the current where they can ambush prey.  

There are still black drum tailing in the grass on high tide and feeding on small grass shrimp, and if you hear a sound like “bream on speed” then it’s probably black drum sucking down bait.  They are actually easier to catch on the fly than on spinning tackle, and black crab patterns that have a good silhouette work well. On spinning tackle a minimally weighted Gulp! peeler crab is a good bet. 

The trout have slowed down with the summer heat, and the best time to fish for them is early in the morning with a topwater lure like a Spook or a Bomber plug around points. Outside of first light slow trolling in 4-6 feet of water with ¼ ounce grubs is probably the best pattern. 

June 24

Morning surface water temperatures are still about 84 inshore around Beaufort.  Shrimp and finger mullet are prolific in the creeks. 

Even though it’s hot and bait is extremely abundant the redfish are still eating pretty well in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that about the only adjustment he has had to make with the warmer water is that fish are sitting further off the edge and holding a little deeper. When there is an early low tide they will stay shallow, but once the sun is up the fish want to head out for cooler water. 

At low tide fish are around oyster beds, shell points, creek mouths, and grass lines with some sort of feature or variation. On moving water reds will get just out of the current where they can ambush prey.  Another good set of tailing tides is coming up starting this weekend and lasting until about mid-week, and the expectation is that it should be lights out. 

Now that they are so abundant shrimp has been the best bait, and in artificials darker colors have been working the best. 

There are still black drum tailing in the grass on high tide and feeding on small grass shrimp, and if you hear a sound like “bream on speed” then it’s probably black drum sucking down bait.  They are actually easier to catch on the fly than on spinning tackle, and black crab patterns that have a good silhouette work well. On spinning tackle a minimally weighted Gulp! peeler crab is a good bet. 

The trout have slowed down with the summer heat, and the best time to fish for them is early in the morning with a topwater lure like a Spook or a Bomber plug around points. Outside of first light slow trolling in 4-6 feet of water with ¼ ounce grubs is probably the best pattern. 

By now there are a fair number of tarpon busting menhaden in all the area inlets, rivers and beaches, and jacks are also around. 

It is definitely worth continuing to look for tripletails, and Tuck is seeing them around floating structure, buoys, and pilings on slack tides. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

June 17

Morning surface water temperatures are about 84 inshore around Beaufort.  Shrimp and finger mullet are prolific in the creeks. 

Despite the summer heat redfish are eating around the tide cycle in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that tailing activity was particularly good on the recent very high tides. Low tide has also been good, and fish are around oyster beds, shell points, creek mouths, and grass lines with some sort of feature or variation. On moving water reds will get just out of the current where they can ambush prey.

Shrimp, finger mullet and mud minnows will all work, and Tuck has not tried cut mullet.

There are also some black drum tailing in the grass and feeding on small grass shrimp. 

The trout have slowed down with the summer heat, but on moving tides in either direction they should be in 4-8 feet of water . Look around rips and points where there is good current. 

You can also fish for redfish or trout with topwater lures at first light around points, and this is probably the best pattern for trout right now. 

There are some tarpon around in the Broad River as well as all the inlets, but as the water continues to warm more and more should show up. There are also a few jacks but more should be arriving. Both species will gravitate to areas with menhaden schools. 

It is definitely worth continuing to look for tripletails, and it was just last week that Tuck saw the second biggest one he has ever seen just floating in the river. They are usually around debris in the river systems.  When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

Inshore cobia are almost certainly done for the year.

June 10

Morning surface water temperatures are about 82 inshore around Beaufort.  

The cobia fishing was just never very good this year, and even though there are still some fish around right now Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that “sparse” has been a good description all spring. It’s hard to pin down a reason why, but the water did not warm nearly as fast as usual and perhaps that explains why some of the things that usually come along with cobia never materialized. In particular the jelly balls have been almost completely absent this spring (instead of thousands like normal Tuck has seen literally 10 this season), they have only seen limited loggerhead sea turtles, relatively few crabs have been swimming around and there has not been as much bait as usual. 

Fortunately the action for redfish has been better the past two weeks and Tuck reports that more moderate tides seem to have helped the daytime bite. Instead of fish gorging overnight on fiddler crabs they are eating well on low tide, which has generally been the best time to fish for them. With that said, Tuck expects some outstanding tailing tides just around the corner with the full moon upcoming. 

The trout have also been feeding pretty well on moving tides in either direction in 3-5 feet of water. Look around rips and points where there is good current. 

There are not a ton of shrimp around and just yesterday Tuck first saw large numbers of small ones back in a creek, and perhaps because of this they are eating grubs better than shrimp right now. For both redfish and trout mud minnows have been working better on the live bait side than shrimp right now, although shrimp should come on as the creeks fill up. 

It is definitely worth continuing to look for tripletails, and this week Tuck saw the second biggest one he has ever seen just floating in the river. It would not eat. They are usually around debris in the river systems.  When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and hopefully take it. 

May 25

Morning surface water temperatures are about 78 inshore around Beaufort.  Between wind and a significant amount of rain a couple of days ago the water is muddier than normal, even though tides have normalized. Very few shrimp are around so far. 

It’s been a decent bite for redfish this week, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that even though the fish are still being pretty selective they are catching a decent number. Without very high tides there has only been a bit of tailing activity at the very edges of short grass flats this week, although in about a week tides will be very high again and the fish will feed more at high tide. 

For right now mud minnows are out-fishing all other baits, including cut mullet and live shrimp, and the fish seem to want the bait sitting still under a popping cork. They don’t seem to want to work hard right now. 

Naturally a few people have been catching trout on mud minnows, especially on the outgoing tide around shell bars when there is good moving water. There are also some people catching fish trolling jigs in about 4-5 feet in the creeks and rivers. 

They continue to see a fair number of sheepshead in the grass, and Tuck’s boat saw two today. The best thing to throw to them is a small shrimp, although on the fly they will take a small crab pattern worked very slowly. 

It’s hard to pin down the exact reasons, but overall it’s not a very good cobia bite right now. In the two-day tournament over the weekend 36 boats fished and, even though more were seen, only two were boated. Weather doesn’t seem to be helping, but there are also inexplicable factors which could be affecting it such as an almost complete lack of jelly balls. Tuck has only seen 7 or 8 this month, and he should be seeing 700 or 800 each day. It could also be that the best fishing is yet to come. 

A variety of live baits and artificial lures will work for sight-fishing, including live eels, menhaden, big poppers and swimbaits, and of course the ideal is to catch one on a fly. 

While Tuck has not seen a lot, there are some tripletail around debris in the river systems.  Keep your eyes open and when you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it; once the fish sees it he should follow the bait to the bottom and take it. 

May 19

Morning surface water temperatures are up to the mid-70s inshore around Beaufort.

While tides aren’t as far above predictions this week as last week, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that they have still been running over a foot above expectations. Combined with the effect of the full moon this has generated some very large tides, and it seems that the redfish have been feeding very hard at night. This has made it tougher to get them to bite during the day.  It has not been an uncommon sight to watch a redfish swim up to a live shrimp under a popping cork, survey the bait and then swim off.

Naturally the best action has been in the evenings on the edges and tailing flats, and the fish want something that imitates a crab like a Gulp! peeler crab. Outside of high tide the best bait has been cut mullet.

In addition to redfish there have been a fair number of sheepshead in the grass, which are mostly up there to crunch on mussels. The best thing to throw to them is a small shrimp, although on the fly they will take a small crab pattern worked very slowly. 

There have been a good number of cobia caught sight-fishing in the Broad this week, although with a two-day tournament this weekend they expect to get an even better feel for the numbers. Tuck has found the best action on slack water.

 

There have also seen some tripletail around debris, and with such high tides there is a ton of grass floating in systems like the Broad River. When you see a tripletail cast a Gulp! peeler crab with as little weight as possible to it, and once the fish sees it it should follow it to the bottom and take it. 

May 12

Morning surface water temperatures are about 69 degrees inshore around Beaufort and the water is dirty from the wind. 

While there has been wind and more wind in Beaufort this week, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that only tells half of the weather story. While conditions have been extremely breezy, around the tide cycle the tides have consistently been about two feet higher than predicted for the last week.  This is likely due to offshore weather patterns.  That has been a boon for the redfish, and well before tides were expected to get to the height where fish should be moving into the short grass to feed they have been able to cruise looking for crabs and then put their noses down and tails up to feed. The tailing action has been much more extensive and better than expected, despite the lack of a strong moon. The only thing holding it back from being truly wide open is the temperature, and as more and more crabs move about and feed it will only get better. 

Beyond tailing activity at high tide, on the lower tides Tuck is still seeing a lot of big schools of fish up on the flats and he is targeting them sight-fishing. On the rising tide the first oyster bar inside of feeder creeks has also been good, as fish seem to be holding there so that they can ambush prey. 

Fish are certainly eating a lot of crabs, but with more and more shrimp and baitfish around each day they are feeding on a wide variety of baits. 

The fishing for trout has also been pretty good trolling with paddletail grubs in 4-5 feet of water. The best action has been in the medium creeks but not the very smallest ones. There are also some fish out in the bigger rivers close to the ocean for the spawn. 

There is also a good topwater bite for trout at dawn and continuing into the day on cloudy days.  

While the conditions for exploring the Broad River have been severely limited by the weather, Tuck did see some cobiathe last time he was able to look. The big tides may flush in more fish than usual, and it’s also worth keeping your eyes open for tripletail. There are already schools of smaller bluefish and ladyfish. 

May 4

Morning surface water temperatures are about 72 degrees inshore around Beaufort and baitfish are flooding into the area.   

As of yesterday Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) had to report that he had not seen a cobia firsthand, but then today his boat had its first fish of the season eat a fly. They weren’t able to land the cobia but it’s exciting to see that the action is getting underway in the Broad River between Beaufort and Hilton Head. While Tuck will mainly be sight-fishing for cobia, for more information about fishing at anchor for them see the Hilton Head report.

While it’s not terrible the redfish action has been a bit tough, and Tuck reports that they are a little more grouped up on lower tides than he would expect by May. As a result of that there are fish in less places than usual – but denser when you find them.   

On the next set of good flood tides they expect the fish to break out and tail really well. 

Cut mullet as well as quarter sections of blue crab are working well anchored on the bottom on lower stages of the tide around oyster bars, at the mouths of creeks and in other ambush spots. 

There is getting to be a good trout bite first thing on topwater lures, and most of the fish have moved out of the creeks and into the main rivers. They will also take live shrimp fished under a cork around current rips. 

April 21

There have been some contradictory signals coming out of Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that even though there have been some cold overnight lows they saw a tripletail yesterday. They’ve also seen the occasional bonnethead shark, a sure sign of spring, but so far there have not been a lot of bluefish around. But there have started to be good numbers of flounder in Beaufort. 

The water is certainly warm enough for redfish to tail, and on the last big set of high tides they did. Right now the tides aren’t high enough, but on high tide Tuck is seeing lots of small groups of fish over white shells nosing in and out of the grass. This is usually a sign that tailing will be great on the next big tides.

Since they are starting to focus on crabs Gulp! peeler crabs and crab fly patterns are both a good bet. However, cut mullet as well as quarter sections of blue crab are also working well anchored on the bottom on lower stages of the tide around oyster bars, at the mouths of creeks and in other ambush spots. 

There has not been very much trout activity, but it seems like the fish are starting to move out of the creeks and into the main rivers. They can be seen busting glass minnows and small mullet and so topwater baits are starting to be a good option. 

There have been no signs of inshore cobia yet but it’s certainly worth starting to pay attention. 

April 8

Morning surface water temperatures are about 64 inshore around Beaufort and water clarity is starting to drop off. 

Difficult weather conditions have limited fishing this week, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the redfish are tailing more each week.  The best action is just before and then at dead high, and as soon as the water starts to drop the fish are gone. For creek fishing high tide has also coincided with the best bite, and about an hour after high tide the best fishing is at the start of the dropping tide when the water is flushing out of the smaller creeks. 

The fish are eating a lot of soft-shelled crabs right now, and of course the real thing will work if you can get it. Gulp! peeler crabs on a jighead are also a good option, and on the fly they are using large, dark crab patterns. Cut mullet are also working well. 

There has been a decent trout bite in 4-5 feet of water in the creeks, and they will also be found a little shallower on the back side of shell beds that have water moving over them where they can ambush prey. Paddletail grubs are tough to beat.

Soon trout should be moving out to the main rivers to spawn. 

April 1

Morning surface water temperatures are about 62 inshore around Beaufort, and the water clarity is still pretty high. 

Even though we’ve had some up-and-down weather this week, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that more mullet are showing up each week and he is also starting to see some small shrimp as well as grass shrimp. The fiddler crabs are also starting to move around more each day, which has led to the biggest change in the redfish bite since the last report. When there is not too much wind they are seeing some tailing fish on each high tide cycle, and on the next set of tailing tides the action should really take off unless there has been another major cold front. 

Outside of the start of tailing activity not much has changed and the bite is still sporadic. There are times when fish will refuse baits while at other times they feed pretty well. 

As fish continue to split off from their big winter schools the best time to catch them is still just after the turn of the tide when the water starts to come in. 

Tuck’s boat is catching most of their fish on a ¼ ounce jighead with a Zman paddletail grub, but suspended twitch baits are also good. Between the cloud cover and dirtier water darker colors are starting to produce.

Even when he’s only after redfish Tuck is still seeing a lot of trout. They are generally in 4-5 feet of water in the creeks, but they will also be found a little shallower on the back side of shell beds that have water moving over them where they can ambush prey. Paddletail grubs are tough to beat.

March 17

Inshore surface water temperatures were about 61 this morning around Beaufort, and the water clarity is down a little.

It’s still the March Madness transition period for redfish in the Lowcountry, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that when the weather cooperates they have had some better fishing this week.  Still, overall the bite is still sporadic, and there are times when fish will refuse baits while at other times they feed pretty well. 

Fish continue to split off from their big winter schools, and generally the best time to catch them has been just after the turn of the tide when the water starts to come in.  There are also some fish being caught sight-casting when they are suspended in the grass at the top of the tide. 

Tuck’s boat is catching most of their fish on a ¼ ounce jighead with a Zman paddletail grub, but suspended twitch baits are also good. Between the cloud cover and dirtier water darker colors are starting to produce.

Even when he’s only after redfish Tuck is still seeing a lot of trout. They are generally in 4-5 feet of water in the creeks, but they will also be found a little shallower on the back side of shell beds that have water moving over them where they can ambush prey. Paddletail grubs are tough to beat.

Tuck also notes that he is not seeing any shrimp yet, but a few more mullet are starting to show up. On warm days there are also some fiddler crabs coming out of hibernation, but it’s not consistent enough for the fish to have found them yet. Without any real warming this week is no better than last on that front. 

March 11

Morning surface water temperatures have been as high as 60 degrees this week around Beaufort, and the water clarity is down although that may just be the result of wind and cloud cover.

We are getting into the transition period known as March Madness in the Lowcountry, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that there are some days where the redfish are turned on and then other days where they just will not eat.  Overall the bite can best be described as sporadic, and there are more times when fish will refuse baits than there were a few weeks ago – especially on low water. 

Fish are just starting to split off from their big winter schools, and generally the best time to catch them has been just after the turn of the tide when the water starts to come in. There are also some fish being caught sight-casting to fish suspended in the grass at the top of the tide. 

Tuck’s boat is catching most of their fish on a ¼ ounce jighead with a Zman paddle tail grub, but suspended twitch baits are also good. Between the cloud cover and dirtier water darker colors are starting to produce.

While he is not spending much time targeting them, Tuck is also seeing a lot of trout. They are generally in 4-5 feet of water in the creeks, but they will also be found a little shallower on the back side of shell beds that have water moving over them where they can ambush prey. Paddletail grubs are tough to beat.

Tuck also notes that he is not seeing any shrimp yet, but a few more mullet are starting to show up. On warm days there are also some fiddler crabs coming out of hibernation, but it’s not consistent enough for the fish to have found them yet. 

March 2

New report to follow once Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) returns from fishing overseas. 

February 18

Morning surface water temperatures are about 51-52 degrees around Beaufort, and the water conditions are still extremely clear. 

Last week the conditions were similar to this week around Beaufort, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reported that the times when the big schools of wintertime redfish would turn on to eat were pretty consistent from day to day. That’s not true this week, and on different days there have been different windows when they will eat. This actually makes for a more exciting bite, because instead of knowing that the door is closed once you get past, say, low tide they can now turn on at any time. Still, there continue to be relatively small periods when the fish are actively eating and then longer periods where they will ignore an offering. In general the better fishing continues to be on the lower part of the tide cycle. 

On the fly fish mostly want small shrimp patterns in natural colors, and they are also showing a preference for scented artificial lures like Gulp! or Zman offerings over the natural bait that is available. Work baits very slowly as fish still generally do not want to chase. 

It’s still easy to spot a ton of trout on the flats, but catching them is another matter. Often you will see you them harassing but not eating mullet, which is a sure sign they will be tough to get to bite. They are also super spooky on the flats. 

The better to way to target trout is to troll very slowly in 4-6 feet of water with paddle or curly tail grubs on ¼ ounce jigheads. Concentrate on inside creek bends at that depth. Middle tides in either direction are the best time to fish. 

When you catch fish go back and cast in the area because the trout are not alone. Again, use very subtle lure movements. 

February 10

Morning surface water temperatures are about 47-49 degrees around Beaufort, and the water conditions are so clear it’s like fishing in an aquarium.  Visibility is ten or more feet in places. 

It’s some of the prettiest fishing conditions of the year, and in the clear water Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that you can easily spot big schools of wintertime redfish and cast to them. The trick is that there are only certain small windows when they will eat. These are predictable from day to day and across schools, so it’s worth getting out there and learning what the fish are doing.

On the fly fish mostly want small shrimp patterns in natural colors, and they are also showing a preference for scented artificial lures like Gulp! or Zman offerings over the natural bait that is available. When you are blind fishing on higher tide around structure like oyster bars that have some water over them work the bait with very small bumps as the fish are usually lethargic. 

It’s easy to spot a ton of trout on the flats, but catching them is another matter. Often you will see you them harassing but not eating mullet, which is a sure sign they will be tough to get to bite.  They are also super spooky on the flats. 

The better to way to target trout is to troll very slowly in 4-6 feet of water with paddle or curly tail grubs on ¼ ounce jigheads. Concentrate on inside creek bends at that depth. Middle tides in either direction are the best time to fish. 

When you catch fish go back and cast in the area because the trout are not alone.  Again, use very subtle lure movements. 

February 1

Morning surface water temperatures are about 50 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are mostly clear.

As on other parts of the South Carolina coast, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that you can find plenty of redfish right now. They are grouped up in huge winter schools in very shallow water on the flats.  However, they have gotten extremely lethargic and so the tricky part is getting them to eat. 

In the clear water Tuck is pretty much only sight-fishing right now. And while you can try to target them at other stages of the tide, lately he has found a very narrow window when they are willing to eat. For about an hour after dead low tide and into the first of the incoming the fishing has been very good, but after that the fish pretty much shut down.

On higher stages of the tide reds will suspend in the grass, and sometimes you can catch them then, but this week they have not been cooperative. 

Small, subtle baits have been working the best. 

While Tuck has not fished for them this week, he is still spotting tons of trout idling through the smaller creeks. Again, they seem to be in large, tight schools. They are a little deeper than the redfish in 4-6 feet of water. 

To locate fish, trolling with paddle or curly tail grubs on ¼ ounce jigheads is good way to find them. Concentrate on inside creek bends with 5-6 feet of water. Middle tides in either direction are the best time to fish. 

When you catch fish go back and cast in the area because, especially at this time of year, trout are not alone!

January 20

Morning surface water temperatures are about 49 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are mostly clear.

With dramatically cooler water temperatures in Beaufort the redfish have gotten further into winter patterns, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that means that the fish are in much tighter schools on the flats. It also means they aren’t really moving from an area, and when you scatter them from a spot they should quickly return. 

The fish are getting into very shallow water, especially if there has been some warm sun on a mud flat before the water gets on top of it. When the fish seem spooky then the best lure colors are whites, tans and possibly bright colors, while when they seem very lethargic that is the only time when Tuck is inclined to put on a dark bait like a black or a purple. 

It’s still worth looking around docks.

While Tuck is not targeting them as much this week, he is still spotting tons of trout idling through the smaller creeks. They are a little deeper than the redfish in 3-5 feet of water. 

If you don’t see them trolling with paddle or curly tail grubs on ¼ ounce jigheads is good way to locate the fish. Concentrate on inside creek bends with 5-6 feet of water. Middle tides in either direction are the best time to fish. 

When you catch fish go back and cast in the area because especially at this time of year trout are not alone!

January 6

Morning surface water temperatures are about 61 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are mostly clear.

Inconsistent weather patterns continue to confuse the redfish in Beaufort, and as a result Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that fish aren’t biting as well as they could be. Basically they are going in and out of feeding cycles, but the overall pattern remains consistent.

On the flats there are still large groups of fish, and when you locate them they will take artificial baits in light colors like white, tan, translucent or pink and chartreuse DOA Shrimp. Stay away from root beer, purple or blacks. On the fly white bonefish patterns have been good. 

On the high outgoing tide lots of fish are setting up around docks, particularly those with riprap under them. While there are still some shrimp being chased inshore, live mud minnows under a popping cork are working well. 

They are also seeing some black drum on the flats mixed in with the schools of redfish.  

The trout fishing is pretty good, and trolling with paddle or curly tail grubs on ¼ ounce jigheads is good way to locate the fish. Concentrate on inside creek bends with 5-6 feet of water. Middle tides in either direction are the best time to fish. 

When you catch fish go back and cast in the area because especially at this time of year trout are not alone!

December 22

Morning surface water temperatures are about 56-57 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are mostly clear.

Rising or falling temperatures usually don’t affect the redfish for very long in Beaufort, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that in the short term the fish don’t like quick changes. When you get a cold front it can slow the bite until the fish adapt, and a warm from isn’t always positive either. 

Overall the fish are still grouped up in tight schools, and when you find them there are lots. But there are also more areas with no fish and you have to hunt for them.

On low tide there are still some shrimp around which the fish are chasing, and the best time to fish has generally been the dropping tide and the later stages of the incoming. On the low incoming tide the fishing is slower and the fish are holding a little deeper. 

Dead high tide is also tough but you can find some redfish feeding in the grass and they will also hold over white shells which reflect heat and warm them up. 

Live shrimp, cut mullet and mud minnows fished under a popping cork are all working well on conventional tackle. 

The trout fishing is still decent in 4-8 feet of water on moving tides around shells and channel edges. The best time to target trout is on the first of the incoming tide, which fits nicely with the slow period for redfish. They will eat smaller live shrimp, mud minnows and grubs on a ¼ ounce jighead. 

December 16

Morning surface water temperatures are about 59 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are mostly clear.

It’s still a good bite for redfish in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that even though water temperatures are warm fish are doing about what they are supposed to be doing. The fish are grouping up in tight schools, and the upside is when you find them there are lots.  But there are also more areas with no fish and you have to hunt for them.

On low tide there are still some shrimp around which the fish are chasing, and the best time to fish has generally been the dropping tide and the later stages of the incoming. On the low incoming tide the fishing is slower and the fish are holding a little deeper. 

Dead high tide is also tough but you can find some redfish feeding in the grass and they will also hold over white shells which reflect heat and warm them up. 

Live shrimp, cut mullet and mud minnows fished under a popping cork are all working well on conventional tackle. 

The trout fishing is still good in 3-5 feet of water on moving tides around shells and channel edges. The best time to target trout is on the first of the incoming tide, which fits nicely with the slow period for redfish. They will eat smaller live shrimp, mud minnows and grubs on a ¼ ounce jighead. 

December 3

Morning surface water temperatures are about 56 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are gin clear.

While other action is good the best thing going has been the redfish bite in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the only time the fishing has been tougher recently is right after a cold snap. Stable weather or warming trends have produced excellent fishing, and so this weekend should be lights-out after a couple of really good days. 

The best fishing has come on the dropping tide with large shrimp under a popping cork, as fish are still chasing shrimp when they can find them. Mud minnows or cut mullet are also working. It’s already apparent that the fish are more condensed than just a few weeks ago, which means there are more areas with no fish but also better concentrations when you do find them. The bottom of the tide cycle has also been good, especially for sight fishing, including the beginning of the rising tide. However, the toughest time to catch fish has been on the later rising tide. If you are forced to fish the rising tide it’s a good idea to fish deeper because fish are staying deep in the warmer areas when water is just starting to hit cooler mud flats.

The trout fishing has also been good a little deeper in 4-6 feet of water off points when there is moving water. Trolling the edges at the same depth is a good pattern, and the outgoing tide is fishing the best. Trout will also eat live shrimp but they seem to want smaller ones, and mud minnows and grubs on a ¼ ounce jighead are also working. 

While Tuck is not targeting them specifically, there are lots of nice sheepshead around fallen trees in the creeks.  And at times he has seen big groups of black drum feeding on the low tide mud flats.

November 19

Morning surface water temperatures are still about 60 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are clear.

Without the benefit of very high tides it’s hard to say if the tailing action for redfish is done for the year, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) can report one major change this week. The fish are starting to get podded up in bigger groups, with the upside that if you catch one in an area you are likely to get a lot more.  At the same time, there are more dead areas with no fish and so if you aren’t getting bit you need to keep looking. 

The best fishing is still on the low tide flats where you can look for birds chasing shrimp where fish are kicking them up. Live shrimp is good, DOA shrimp are working well, and on the fly small, natural-colored shrimp patterns are working well.

You can also catch fish with cut mullet on the bottom. 

The dropping tide is probably fishing a little better, but the incoming is also good where water is flooding into pockets.

The trout fishing is still on fire around Beaufort, with lots of big trout still around. While artificial lures will work live shrimp (available at Atkins on Lady’s Island) are hard to beat, and the key is to fish them 3-4 feet down over shell bars where there is water moving over the shell. They are also around major points.  

The dropping tide is a little better because bait is more disoriented and easier to ambush, but moving tides in either direction will work. 

Another great way to catch trout right now is to troll in 4-5 feet of water with a Gulp! bait on a jighead. If you catch a fish there are almost certainly more around and so you should circle back through the area, or anchor and cast at it hard. 

November 12

Morning surface water temperatures are about 60 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are pretty clear.

It may be mid-November, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the for the last few days they have found outstanding redfish tailing activity on high tides around Beaufort.  In the same vein, right around daybreak anglers are having really good success throwing Top Dogs and other topwater plugs in areas with bait. 

Still, these patterns can’t last forever with cooler weather on the way and on lower tides Tuck is seeing signs of the future. Fish are schooled up tight, and with shrimp still around you can look for birds chasing shrimp on the flats where fish are kicking them up. Live shrimp is good, DOA shrimp are working well, and on the fly small, natural—colored shrimp patterns are working well.

You can also catch fish with cut mullet on the bottom. 

The dropping tide is probably fishing a little better, but the incoming is also good where water is flooding into pockets. 

Most of the year trout can be caught in Beaufort, but right now the fishing is really good. And the big trout are really showing up.  While artificial lures will work live shrimp (available at Atkins on Lady’s Island) are hard to beat, and the key is to fish them 3-4 feet down over shell bars where there is water moving over the shell. The dropping tide is a little better because bait is more disoriented and easier to ambush, but moving tides in either direction will work. 

Another great way to catch trout right now is to troll in 4-5 feet of water with a Gulp! bait on a jighead. If you catch a fish there are almost certainly more around and so you should circle back through the area, or anchor and cast at it hard. 

November 4

Morning surface water temperatures are about 67 degrees around Beaufort and water conditions are pretty clear. 

For the last couple of weeks the redfish have been pretty happy to eat in Beaufort, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) wonders if patterns are about to change with this cold front. They were already seeing fish starting to get into more wintertime patterns.  Tailing activity is still going on but it has been limited to high tides that fall later in the day when the water has time to warm and fiddler crabs are more likely to come out of their holes.

One of the best ways to locate reds right now is to look for terns and gulls that are hovering and trying to pick up shrimp that redfish are chasing on the flats.

But perhaps the easiest way to catch redfish is to fish cut mullet on the bottom outside of feeder creeks in about 4-5 feet of water on the bottom. You can also catch them with live bait under a popping cork, but this has been a little less productive. 

The trout fishing has been pretty good recently, and for right now there has been a really good bite at first light or even pre-dark throwing Pop-Rs or Spooks where fish are chasing finger mullet. This bite is over as soon as the sun comes up.

During the day you can also catch fish on moving water in either direction when the tide is only somewhat up in the grass by throwing grubs or even floating live shrimp or mud minnows around shell bars that have some water over them. 

Finally, our apologies for the long hiatus in this fishing report, which was the fault of our site, not the guides. We will do our best not to let it happen again.  

October 7

Morning surface water temperatures are about 79 degrees around Beaufort and there has been a ton of rain recently after a dry couple of weeks. 

It’s been a clear if not easy pattern for redfish in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that on high tide the tailing activity has been pretty good and fish are definitely eating crabs inside the grass. On spinning tackle Gulp! peeler crabs are a good option, and on the fly they seem to want darker crab patterns. 

On low tide the fishing has been more difficult, and perhaps because they are feeding so well on high tide the fish are just kind of laying around and not eating very much. However, when they do feed they are showing a strong preference for shrimp. 

The trout bite has been decent, and again the trout are very much on a shrimp pattern. They are biting the best any time that there is water moving across oyster beds or coming in or out of feeder creeks. The trout are also holding a bit deeper and you want to be sure there are a couple of feet of water. 

There are still some tripletail around and so anglers should keep their eyes open along grass edges.  

September 29

Morning surface water temperatures are about 81-82 degrees around Beaufort, and from mullet to menhaden to shrimp there is tons of bait in the area.

Back on the water in Beaufort, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that it’s a little bit of a mystery what is coming up on these big redfish tailing tides. Traditionally October is about the best tailing month of the year, but the tailing activity has been so good all year they aren’t sure how it could get any better. It will either stay the same or fall off.

Outside of high tide fishing, on dropping tides the action for redfish has also been very good with live shrimp or cut mullet fished under a popping cork around oyster bars and points where creeks are draining. Gulp! baits have also been working well.

The numbers of young-of-they-year fish seem to be dropping off a little but there are still some fish under the slot around.

The trout bite is also picking up, with live shrimp under a cork as well as paddletail grubs on a ¼ ounce jighead both working. The best fishing has been found on the incoming tide as the water gets into the grass around creek mouths.  Right now they are catching mostly smaller trout but some bigger migratory fish should show up soon, and based upon current numbers they expect a very good fall bite.

There are still some tripletail around and so anglers should keep their eyes open along grass edges.  

September 2

Morning surface water temperatures are still in the mid-80s degrees around Beaufort, and from mullet to menhaden to shrimp there is tons of bait in the area.

Our regular correspondent Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) is out of the country on a fishing trip, but Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) of Hilton Head made it up to Fripp Inlet today and reports that there are a bunch of tarpon in the inlet right now.  There are also some big redfish around the Fripp rocks which they managed to jig up on artificial lures.