July 3

Morning surface water temperatures are around 85 degrees at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and there is a smorgasbord of bait in the creeks. 

In a continuation of last week’s success, Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that again this week the inshore fishing for redfish has been very good. Getting on the water early they have been fishing the last of the fall and beginning of the rise, and around docks and oyster flats they are catching fish with live shrimp under a popping cork. They are also picking up a few bonnethead sharks and occasional trout, but with high tide in the heat of the day they have not been on the best cycle for trout. 

Despite the heat few hearty souls have been fishing off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) in Fripp Inlet this week, but they have only had very limited success. It seems the pier fishing has been steadily dropping off for the past two weeks. 

June 26

Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and in addition to other bait finger mullet are abundant now. 

An easy explanation is the heat, but Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that Monday and Tuesday the inshore fishing was tough – but even before the heat broke today it had gotten better yesterday and then today was very good. The higher tides have probably not helped either, but today they had a banner day for redfish, trout, flounder and jacks. 

It seems that finger mullet on the bottom (basically fished on a split shot rig) have been working the best for everything, and in the creeks in deeper holes with structure they are able to catch redfish very shallow when the tide is lower. There are also lots of redfish on the river flats but they have been spooky and hard to target. 

But when the tide got higher today they fished around rocks near the ocean for an hour both sides of high tide and caught trout and flounder. In particular the trout bit much better today, likely because of the cooler temperatures. 

They are still picking up some sheepshead when fishing fiddler crabs, but in general they are smaller right now. 

There are also a very large number of sharks around.  

Despite the heat, in Fripp Inlet a surprising number of people are fishing off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier(843-838-7437) this week and having fair success. In addition to blue crabs whiting and flounder have been showing up, along with the occasional red drum and sheepshead. 

June 19

Morning surface water temperatures are around 82 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and there are now tons of mullet and shrimp around that are large enough for bait. Despite weaker tides the water has been really dirty this week.

After being inexplicably off last the week the inshore bait bite for redfish has picked up again this week, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that he is again catching fish on docks. Mud minnows are working well although they will certainly take other baits. 

The trout bite also continues to be good overall, although it does appear to go in waves depending on wind and water clarity. Floating live shrimp over oyster beds in the inlets a couple of hours both sides is still the best pattern, but clean water significantly improves the action. 

When the water is too dirty for trout fishing they have been picking up some bonnethead sharks on live shrimp, and they continue to catch plenty of flounder around structure in the inlets close to the ocean. They had their first keeper this week but the ratio is still very low.

On the low to rising tide they are catching lots of sheepshead around trees, but none of these have been 14 inches. 

But with the water generally muddy it’s made for pretty tough fly-fishing conditions for Captain Tuck Scott with Building Anglers (843-271-5406), and about the only positive regarding redfish is that the upcoming tailing high tides should be really good with the temperatures ensuring that fiddler crabs are now very active. This week conditions have been really tough, and between the dirty water and there being such an abundance of bait around it can be really tough to get a redfish to eat a fly. 

The other bright spot is that there is a lot around to pursue now, including tarpon, jack crevalle, and small cobia. 

Finally, in Fripp Inlet off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) the sheepshead fishing has been really good at the end of the pier on the latter part of the rising tide. Smaller sharks are also abundant and a few red drum and flounder have also been caught. 

June 11

Morning surface water temperatures are around 81 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and more bait continues to arrive. The water has mostly been dirty this week. 

Fishing inshore this week Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) has found a very good trout bite, with most of the fish over 14 inches and many over 20 inches. The key has been fishing over oyster beds in the inlets from a couple of hours before high tide until a couple of hours after high. Floating live shrimp under a popping cork they have also picked up some redfish and occasional bonnethead sharks. 

The flounder fishing has also been good this week, but the fish have mainly been under 16 inches. The best action has come around structure in the inlets close to the ocean. Mud minnows on a jighead have worked well for them. 

The redfish bite has been a little off, and at the docks Captain Pat has found the fish a little spooky. With lots of finger mullet, shrimp, and menhaden around he wonders if they aren’t interested in his bait, but he’s also seen a lot of dolphins. 

It also hasn’t been easy catching redfish for Captain Tuck Scott with Building Anglers (843-271-5406) this week, and with the muddy water on account of rain and very high tides he has also found the fish skittish. The best action for his boat has come on low tide at the edges of flats and oyster bars, but Captain Tuck is optimistic that the next set of tailing tides will be stronger. To this point there just aren’t an as many fiddler crabs out as usual due to the milder spring, but as temperatures heat up they will become more abundant. 

But an upside to the mild spring is that there are still lots of cobia around. However, conditions have mostly been difficult for sight-casting. 

Finally, in Fripp Inlet off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) fishing activity has really picked up and they are getting some whiting and a very large number of sharks off the end of the pier. 

May 29

Morning surface water temperatures are around 78 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and more bait continues to arrive. 

Back on the inshore waters of Beaufort after taking a group fishing in Cuba, Captain Tuck Scott with Building Anglers (843-271-5406) reports that redfish are doing about what he would expect for this time of year. The start to the tailing season was delayed by cool temperatures, but now on high water the fish are splitting off and rooting around in the short grass for fiddler crabs. Captain Tuck is a little surprised by how big the schools on low water still are, almost like during cooler times of the year, but overall they are starting to behave more like warm-water fish. 

The biggest change this week for Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) is with the flounder, and Captain Pat notes that they are catching fish as long as the conditions are right. Namely that means fishing structure and especially rocks near clean ocean water. Higher or lower tide have been both been fine as long as the water is clean and moving. Finger mullet and mud minnows on a jighead will catch fish. 

With all the bait-sized shrimp around the trout fishing continues to be strong, and they are fishing shrimp under a bobber on the high incoming and then high tide when there is cleaner water, targeting grass edges near the ocean. The trout are mixed with ladyfish, and they are also picking up small jacks. 

For Pat’s boat redfish are also still in reliable spots in the creeks around structure, especially docks, and creek mouths, but they have not been biting as well on low tide. The best action has been coming on the outgoing when there is moving water. Mud minnows are working well but cut mullet has also been good. 

The cobia are still around in good numbers, but the conditions have been pretty awful for sight-fishing in the Broad River with all the cloud cover. Fishing at anchor (mentioned in the Hilton Head report) has been effective. 

Our family is travelling for our annual beach vacation next week, but we will resume regular fishing reports the following week.   

May 21

Morning surface water temperatures are around 77 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and more bait continues to arrive. 

Speaking of bait, Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that 3-4 inch bait-sized shrimp have just showed up inshore and been accompanied by a bonanza with the trout fishing. They are fishing shrimp under a bobber on the high incoming and then high tide when there is cleaner water, targeting grass edges near the ocean. The trout are mixed with ladyfish, and they are also picking up small jacks. This year they are also seeing way more small flounder than in past years, and there are a fair number of bonnethead sharks around too. 

The redfish are still in reliable spots around structure, especially docks, and creek mouths, but they have not been biting as well on low tide.  The best action has been coming on the outgoing when there is moving water. Mud minnows are working well but cut mullet has also been good. 

More information to follow on cobia, which are thick around the Broad River Bridge. 

Finally, in Fripp Inlet there has been very little fishing activity off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) but there’s no doubt that will change this holiday weekend. 

May 7

Morning surface water temperatures are around 74 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and the amount of bait is picking up. 

The inshore fishing for redfish in the rivers has just been fair this week, and Captain Tuck Scott with Building Anglers (843-271-5406) reports that he expects bigger tides around the May 12 full moon to improve the bite. Even on cut mullet fish aren’t feeding particularly well. While they can still be schooled up on low tide, in general fish have broken out of their winter schools and Captain Tuck is seeing more and more singles and small pods of fish. The happiest fish seem to be back in the creeks where they are gorging on baby shrimp, but they can be difficult to catch when simply opening their mouths they can suck up all the small bait they want. 

The creek bite has been better for Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) around structure, and fishing around docks and creek mouths at low tide they have caught good numbers of redfish. He concurs that shrimp are too small to use for bait right now, but in the backs of creeks you can find some finger mullet and smaller menhaden have also arrived.  Redfish are biting best for him on cut bait.

While they have been targeting trout they haven’t caught very many – although results might be better if it were possible to buy live shrimp which are not currently available at area tackle stores. But while trout fishing they are picking up some flounder on the high outgoing tide fishing curly tail grubs on jigheads around rocks. 

Migratory species like ladyfish have arrived and bonnetheads and big lemon sharks are also around. 

But the most prized of the migratory species, the cobia, have only been around in fair numbers. Perhaps there are a tad more than this time last year, but they are hoping that more will arrive on the upcoming big full moon. While they have been able to sight-cast at a few cobia, more sunlight would make them easier to see and bring more fish to the top so that they could metabolize their food in the sun. It might also mean they ate more!

Finally, in Fripp Inlet whiting continue to be caught off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) but the real excitement has been some good catches of sheepshead near the end of the pier. 

April 24

Morning surface water temperatures are around 71 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet and there is lots of bait around. 

The inshore fishing in Beaufort is picking up in the rivers, and Captain Tuck Scott with Building Anglers (843-271-5406) reports that fish are getting into a more normal spring mode where they are splitting off from larger schools, but still forming pods on low tide, and eating more consistently. With tons of tiny shrimp around they are a main food source for redfish, but fish are also starting to tail in the short grass and feed on fiddler crabs. This evening and for the next several Captain Tuck will be fishing the tailing tides. Outside of high water fish in the rivers are feeding around oysters shells on moving tides, and cut mullet remains a good bait in part to show the fish something different than the gobs of baby shrimp they can open their mouths and suck in. 

The best creek redfish bite for Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) has been coming on low, moving tides in either direction. Captain Pat reports that he is still finding the best action around rocks, docks and trees. He has also picked up a few trout, but only in very narrow windows on the dropping tide around certain oyster bars. They will only eat live shrimp but have been such big fish (20-inch range) that it’s worth targeting them. Black drum have been in the same areas and will also eat dead shrimp. 

Around inshore rock Pat’s boat has been catching small sheepshead on fiddler crabs, and in the inlets they have starting seeing more bonnethead sharks as temperatures warm. In Fripp Inlet whiting continue to be caught off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) and lots of small red drum are starting to show up. 

Finally, in the Port Royal Sound Captain Tuck has not yet seen any cobia but enough boats are targeting them that clearly people think they are or should soon be around. Regardless, these next few days of big tides should flush in a lot of bait and help bring the cobia in. 

April 9

Morning surface water temperatures are around 67 at the mouth of Fripp Inlet but this morning temperatures in the creeks were about 70. With lots of rain and wind clarity is dropping as warmer temperatures mean there is now enough algae to hold sediment up in the water column. 

Signs of spring are abundant inshore fishing in Beaufort this week, and Captain Tuck Scott with Building Anglers (843-271-5406) reports that sharks have arrived and he is seeing some bonnetheads and blacktips, mud minnows are moving around more instead of hunkering down in pools, mullet are becoming more prolific, they are seeing some redfish tails in the grass, and there are even some guys riding around in the middle of the Broad River looking for cobia that have not yet arrived!

Against this backdrop redfish have been pretty happy to eat, and as they break out of winter schools more and more you can find a greater number of separate groups of fish on low water. They are eating pretty well around the tide cycle, whether looking for them at low tide on the flats, pursuing them along the edges of grass with cut mullet or mud minnows, or looking for them in small creeks on higher water where they are chasing small shrimp. Captain Tuck notes that with flies, and artificials in general, as the water gets dirtier he has already switched to browns and root beer colors but soon expects to make a transition to the darkest colors like purple and black. 

Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) also reports a very good bite for red drum as well as black drum around structure, including docks, trees and rocks. Both live and cut shrimp are working, and on live shrimp and fiddler crabs they are picking up some sheepshead. 

The only disappointment is that they have had no luck with the trout this week.

The whiting catches have been good off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) and someone also caught a 6-foot sand tiger shark recently.