August 6

Morning surface water temperatures are still about 84 degrees around Beaufort, and from mullet to menhaden to shrimp there is tons of bait in the area.

As we get into another cycle of good tailing tides, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that they expect to continue to see excellent tailing activity for redfish on high tide. Already the bite is better at high tide even when fish are not feeding in the short grass, and they are still chasing shrimp almost to the exclusion of other baits.

On low tide the fishing is still a little tough, perhaps because of the heat, but with shrimp you stand a better chance of getting bit around ambush points where reds are tucked out of the current at the mouth of feeder creeks, around points, and near oyster bars. At dead low the fishing is extremely tough. 

The trout bite picked up a little this week, with live shrimp again being the ticket. Fish are being caught around seams that have some water movement where the trout can ambush bait.  

It’s far too soon for the new regulations to be responsible, but Tuck notes that recently the flounder fishing has been much improved. They are catching lots of flounder as a by-catch while fishing shrimp for other species. 

Note that effective July 1 flounder regulations changed, with a new limit of 5 fish per person (from 10) and 10 per boat(from 20). The minimum size moved to 16 inches (from 15). 

There are better numbers of jack crevalle and tarpon around this week, with both species in the rivers as well as out front on the beaches. 

July 29

Morning surface water temperatures are still about 83 degrees around Beaufort, but with a ton of rain and freshwater inflow the water is a muddy mess. From mullet to menhaden to shrimp there is tons of bait in the area.

Even though the tailing tides aren’t as high as last week, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that on the flood tide there are still a pretty good number of redfish up on the short grass flats – even when there isn’t a lot of water up there. Still, the tailing activity isn’t as strong as last week, when it was phenomenal, but the low tide bite has picked up to compensate. Fish are in their usual ambush points tucked out of the current around feeder creeks, points, and oyster bars, and they are also chasing shrimp on shallow flats.   

Fishing with cut mullet and mud minnows is very slow, and the fish almost exclusively seem to be feeding on shrimp right now. Shrimp imitations like Vudu shrimp are better than fish baits.  

Shrimp is also still the bait of choice for trout, and even though the water is dirty the fishing is still pretty good. On the outgoing tide they have caught some trout around seams that have some water movement where the trout can ambush bait.  

There are still a fair number of jack crevalle and ladyfish around, although the tripletail have been a little absent lately. They expect to see more when water temperatures start to cool. 

There also continue to be more tarpon off the beaches than inshore right now.

July 23

Morning surface water temperatures are about 83 degrees around Beaufort and the water is dirty. From mullet to menhaden to shrimp there is tons of bait in the area.

It’s still the case that an abundance of food means that that the redfish aren’t feeding especially well at lower stages of the tide, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that on the flood tide the fishing has been nothing short of phenomenal.  Whether because of a preference for crabs, because the water temperatures are more favorable, or for some other reason the tailing action has been outstanding in the short grass. Last night Tuck’s boat caught 14 redfish on the fly.

Fish can still be caught at lower stages of the tide around oysters and ambush points tucked out of the current, particularly if you can find relatively large groups of fish which makes them more aggressive. Singles or small packs are more selective. Shrimp is the bait of choice for redfish.

Shrimp is also the bait of choice for trout and pretty much everything else right now, and Tuck classifies the trout bite as decent. Even though the water is dirty, on the outgoing tide they have caught some trout around seams that have some water movement where the trout can ambush bait. They also caught some trout on mud minnows yesterday morning. 

There are a fair number of jack crevalle, ladyfish and tripletail around right now, and there are also a few tarponinshore. However, much better numbers of tarpon are off the beaches right now. 

July 9

Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s around Beaufort. There are tons of bait present from shrimp to mullet of all size to menhaden in the Broad River. 

The abundance of bait in the area means that the redfish are very well fed, and perhaps as a result Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that it can be really hard to get the reds to eat a fly or artificial lure, particularly at low tide. However, they are pretty happy to eat cut mullet or live shrimp in the usual places around oyster shells and ambush spots near current. 

While tailing tides have been hard to come by, when the water has gotten up in the short grass then the tailing action has also been really good. 

The trout fishing has been slow to non-existent, but there have been quite a few tripletail around. There are also a fair number of tarpon in the area, and it’s worth keeping an eye out for jacks. Interestingly, Tuck is seeing very few ladyfishrecently. 

Overall it seems like the cobia are close to gone, although in perfect conditions you can still see the occasional fish. It seems to have been a fair year for cobia, and perhaps the biggest surprise is that even though they arrived late they didn’t stay longer on the back end. This is likely the result of water temperatures rising slowly early but then getting hotter fast. 

June 23

Morning surface water temperatures are about 80 degrees around Beaufort.  

There are still some scattered cobia being caught in the Broad River, but as delayed as this season was Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) expected more fish to still be around. Some cobia are always present through the end of June, but it doesn’t seem that there are any more than usual. 

However, there are a ton of tarpon present in the Beaufort area, and Tuck notes that he has seen them in the Harbor River, the Broad and the Chechessee – all over! The most effective way to target them is usually putting baits on the bottom since they are typically in deep water, and the few people who cast flies at them are usually blind casting in areas where they have seen tarpon roll. 

The redfish bite has picked up a little bit, and on both the high and low tide the action has been good. On low and moving tides the fish have been around the usual spots near oyster beds and hanging in calmer water near ambush points, and at high tide they have been tailing well. The next few days should have some excellent flood tides. 

Overall the best action is coming on live shrimp, but the finger mullet are big enough to use as bait. 

While the trout have been pretty inactive in this heat, more and more tripletail are showing up. While it still may not be worth planning a trip around them inshore, you should definitely pay attention for them around floating debris, buoy markers, etc. Tuck has not seen any on grass edges yet, but they will get there. 

If you really want to target tripletail then heading to the nearshore reefs and getting elevated to spot them may be the best bet.

June 11

Morning surface water temperatures are about 80 degrees around Beaufort.  

The cobia are presumably still around, and Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) notes that some scattered reports from anchored-up bait fishermen indicate that they are still feeding. However, conditions have been so wretched for almost a week that it’s been impossible to get out and look for them with the clouds and rain. 

However, there has been better news with other inshore species and the redfish have been tailing really well in areas like the Harbor River. Captain Tuck Scott even saw some sheepshead up in the grass tailing!

Outside of high tide the reds are also feeding pretty well on shrimp and cut mullet, and they are in the usual spots near current where they can sit in a slower ambush spot and pick off bait. 

The trout fishing has also been very strong at times, with the best fishing coming an hour after high tide for a couple of hours on the dropping tide. Areas with clean water hold more trout. Mud minnows under a popping cork have been working the best, and grubs are also catching some fish. 

The flounder fishing has been a little down recently, and even though a few big fish have been caught in areas like Fripp Inlet overall the keeper ratio is unusually low.  Bigger mud minnows seem to be getting bigger bites.

May 27

Morning surface water temperatures are about 78 degrees around Beaufort and shrimp are filling up the creeks.

As predicted last week, Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that a lot more cobia have showed up this week. In one trip Captain Tuck Scott’s boat sighted 9 cobia, and pretty much any day that it is very calm you can expect to see a bunch. They saw half a dozen today. However, more fish seem almost certain to come between the full moon and the arriving menhaden, and in a sign that it’s not as good as it will get Tuck has not yet seen any north of the Broad River Bridge. 

Most days Tuck points out that whatever direction you see one fishing swimming the others are likely to be doing the same, but the day that they saw 9 they were all over the place. Most of his customers are casting big streamers like a Flash Tail Whistler and stripping it back very fast just under the surface near the fish, but on spinning tackle big Spooks or other topwater lures can also get bites. 

With it looking likely that a lot of the inshore catch will take place in June, when the season is no longer closed to harvest, Tuck encourages anyone who catches a cobia in the Broad River to release it.

It’s hard to explain why, but despite the full moon there just have not been good tailing tides for redfish in the last few days. At the same time fish are eating shrimp really well on lower tides, and in the Harbor River this week Tuck’s boat wore them out with live shrimp fished in calmer pockets around oyster beds where fish could ambush baits.

There also continues to be a decent topwater bite right around daybreak, and fishing Spooks along the edges of the grass is the best bet.

The trout fishing continues to be above average for the season, and in moving water seams or around shell points when there is decent current you can catch fish on live shrimp or jigs.  Unlike redfish trout will be right in the current.  Usually 3-4 feet of water is ideal. 

While they didn’t see as many this week there should be more and more tripletail showing up, and so it’s worth keeping your eyes open for them floating around. They will take a crab, shrimp or minnow.

May 21

Morning surface water temperatures inshore are in the low 70s. 

There’s been some significant improvement in the fishing around Beaufort, and Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports the redfish are starting to feed much better. They are breaking up into smaller schools and foraging, and on upcoming flood tides they are expecting some really good tailing activity. Fish are eating fiddler crabs and so Gulp! crabs or crab fly patterns will both work – or the real thing!

Outside of high tide reds are definitely gorging on the small shrimp that are everywhere, but counter-intuitively better action is actually coming using cut mullet or mud minnows. Either the fish prefer something different or a larger, bait-size shrimp just doesn’t look natural.

There also continues to be a decent topwater bite right around daybreak, and fishing Spooks along the edges of the grass is the best bet.

The trout fishing continues to be above average for the season, and in moving water seams or around shell points when there is decent current you can catch fish on live shrimp or jigs. Usually 3-4 feet of water is ideal. 

There are also some tripletail showing up, and so it’s worth keeping your eyes open for them floating around. They will take a crab, shrimp or minnow.

But of course the main event in May in Beaufort is the cobia. Things do seem to be running about two weeks behind, and so Captain Tuck Scott is concerned that a lot of the inshore catch will take place in June when the season is no longer closed to harvest. He encourages anyone who catches a cobia in the Broad River to release it.

While numbers aren’t yet great they have seen a bunch of fish and caught several sight-casting, including the beauty below.  A variety of live baits and artificial lures will work, and of course the ideal is to catch one on a fly.

May 7

Morning surface water temperatures inshore are in the low 70s. 

The fishing in Beaufort remains a little tough at the moment, as Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that there are so many baby shrimp around at the moment that all the redfish have to do to gorge is open their mouth like a whale eating crill! Nonetheless, in the past couple of days there have been some signs that fish are actually starting to behave like fish again and move around to eat instead of just opening their mouths. 

First thing there is a decent topwater bite right around daybreak, and fishing Spooks along the edges of the grass is the best bet. Outside of that a few fish are being picked up on live shrimp or cut bait on the bottom.

At times the trout have been more willing to eat than the redfish, and in areas where the reds are up shallow if you fish out in 3-4 feet of water when there is decent current you can catch fish on live shrimp or jigs. They have even caught a few trout on the fly when they worked the deeper water out from where they were casting at reds.  

About a week or ten days ago some early cobia showed up, but for a few days they have not really been sighted.  It’s not unusual for there to be a lull after the first sighting before better numbers of fish show up again. It’s all happening a little later than usual this year because of the water temperature, but Tuck would not be surprised if the middle of next week is pretty good. The reports from offshore and to the south have been promising and so it seems likely that things are just a little delayed. 

Some other migratory species are starting to show up, and a few tripletail have been spotted and good numbers of sharks are now around.  More cigar minnows and needlefish have showed up, and while the menhaden are not yet here that makes sense because the cobia usually arrive with them.  There have been some Spanish mackerel caught in the Broad River.

April 30

Inshore surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s to low 70s in Beaufort. 

Beaufort has had a true spring this year, and the fact that we didn’t go from late winter to summer temperatures overnight means that the migration of bait and sharks into the area has proceeded a little slower than usual. What is in the water is tons of baby shrimp, and

Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the redfish are gorging on those. As a result the bite is a little finicky, but if you can get live shrimp they will work very well. 

On high tide tailing action has been okay, but as temperatures warm it will get less sporadic. On low tide the fish have broken out of the really big schools, but, again, since they are gorging the bite is not stellar. When you do locate fish they are often a little bit deeper than usual in the saltier water (due to freshwater runoff). 

There has been a decent trout bite in the usual places if you have shrimp, with fish feeding in larger creek mouths where the water is being churned up over shell bars on moving tides in 3-4 feet of water. Jigs are working okay. 

Cobia are just starting to show up in the Broad River and soon the action should be very good.

April 1

Inshore surface water temperatures were around 65 degrees yesterday in Beaufort, but weather rolling in today is certain to drop them. Even with the high winds it is still fairly clear, but the water is more tannic than usual. 

The redfish remain in a transition mode in the Beaufort area, but Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that there have been several exciting patterns for catching them. As the schools start to break up cut mullet has generally been the best bait, but in cloudy conditions topwater lures have been working well.  When the sun comes out cut bait on the bottom is better. Captain Tuck Scott discovered this because redfish were hitting his popping cork until the clouds went away, when they started eating the mullet underneath!

As expected fish are also starting to tail, although this brief cold snap will most likely interrupt that pattern until temperatures return and fiddler crabs come back out. 

Generally, Tuck reminds anglers that when the water is tannic it means that the salinity is low and so redfish are likely to be closer to the bottom where the salt is more concentrated. 

There has been a decent trout bite in the usual places, with fish feeding in larger creek mouths where the water is being churned up over shell bars on moving tides. Mud minnows under a popping cork have been good as have paddle tail grubs or Gulp! on a ¼ ounce jighead. Smaller live shrimp would probably work but the big shrimp that are usually available in stores seem out of place right now. 

Some nice black drum are also around and will take fresh cut shrimp or cut mullet on the bottom.

February 23

Inshore surface water temperatures are around 51 degrees in Beaufort, and water clarity is surprisingly high right now. 

When the weather has allowed fishing, Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the action for redfish has been good.  Fish remain extremely schooled up and so if you catch one there are almost certainly more in the area, and overall they are still pretty hungry.  

Most of the fishing is sight fishing right now, and on low tide fish will be moving around on the flats in big schools. On moving tides fish will be in and around shell points and creek mouths – but avoiding the fastest moving water. At high tide they can be spotted in and around covered shell bars. 

If visibility is low but you have an idea where fish are you can also work the banks, and the best time for that is when the water is just in or just out of the grass. Then you can go down the bank with the trolling motor and blind cast jigs or a swim bait. 

Gulp! baits have generally been working really well, and in the clear conditions lighter natural colors are good. If the water is dirty you will want to fish darker baits. At high tide it can be effective to fish the baits under a popping cork. 

While the trout fishing has been slow recently, the good news is that there are no indications that the water has gotten cold enough for a fish kill.

February 5

Inshore surface water temperatures rose a bit then dropped back to around 48 degrees in Beaufort, and water clarity remains high most of the time.

Even though Beaufort redfish are certainly still eating, Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that it has been so windy and unpleasant that getting out there has been difficult. But when you can the fish are still extremely schooled up and overall pretty hungry. If you catch one fish there are almost certainly more in the area – more than at any other time of year.

On low tide fish will be moving around on the flats in big schools, and on moving tides fish will be in and around shell points and creek mouths – but avoiding the fastest moving water. You can also work the grass edges either on the incoming or outgoing. At high tide they will be in and around covered shell bars. A lot of the fishing is sight fishing, but you can also blind cast in likely areas. 

Gulp! baits have been working really well, and in the clear conditions lighter natural colors are good. If the water is dirty you will want to fish darker baits. At high tide it can be effective to fish the baits under a popping cork. 

The trout fishing should also be pretty good, but expect the fish to bite better in warmer parts of the day.  Trout are hanging in moving water in about 3-4 feet looking for whatever bait is around, and in addition to casting grubs on jigheads they will take mud minnows or live shrimp presented under a cork.  Perhaps the most productive way to target them, though, is by trolling the creeks in 3-5 feet of water with grubs on a ¼ ounce jighead.

January 21

Inshore surface water temperatures are down to about 48 degrees in Beaufort, and water clarity is very high.

It’s still good conditions for catching Beaufort redfish, and Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that fish are extremely schooled up and overall pretty hungry. If you catch one fish there are almost certainly more in the area – more than at any other time of year.

On low tide fish will be moving around on the flats in big schools, and on moving tides fish will be in and around shell points and creek mouths – but avoiding the fastest moving water. You can also work the grass edges either on the incoming or outgoing. At high tide they will be in and around covered shell bars. A lot of the fishing is sight fishing, but you can also blind cast in likely areas. 

Gulp! baits have been working really well, and in the clear conditions lighter natural colors are good. If the water is dirty you will want to fish darker baits. At high tide it can be effective to fish the baits under a popping cork.

 

The trout fishing has also been pretty good, although the action for trout is clearly stronger in the warmer parts of the day.  Trout are hanging in moving water in about 3-4 feet looking for whatever bait is around, and in addition to casting grubs on jigheads they will take mud minnows or live shrimp presented under a cork.  Perhaps the most productive way to target them, though, is by trolling the creeks in 3-5 feet of water with grubs on a ¼ ounce jighead.

January 8

Inshore surface water temperatures are down to about 50 degrees in Beaufort, and water clarity is very high.

2021 is off to a bang in the Beaufort redfish department, and Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the fishing has been really good. Fish are extremely schooled up, and so if you catch one fish there are almost certainly more in the area – more than at any other time of year.

On low tide fish will be moving around on the flats in big schools, and on moving tides fish will be in and around shell points and creek mouths – but avoiding the fastest moving water. You can also work the grass edges either on the incoming or outgoing. At high tide they will be in and around covered shell bars. A lot of the fishing is sight fishing, but you can also blind cast in likely areas. 

Gulp! baits have been working really well, and in the clear conditions lighter natural colors are good. If the water is dirty you will want to fish darker baits. At high tide it can be effective to fish the baits under a popping cork. 

There has also been a good trout bite, and part-time Beaufort resident John Long of East Columbia Sport Shop (803-776-8320) reports that they have found trout stacked up in deep holes surrounded by oyster mounds. They have been way back in the creeks, and he thinks the trout are also trying to avoid the dolphins. These areas may also warm faster than the main water on warm days.

Even though they have offered live bait to the fish they would not touch it, and instead of mud minnows the trout have showed a preference for paddle tail grubs. 

While the Fripp rocks continue not to produce as well as usual, they have found some sheepshead around wood in the creeks. They will take shrimp or fiddler crabs and Mainline Market also sells frozen sand fleas which can work at times.