July 27

Inshore surface water temperatures are in the upper 80s in the shallow waters around Georgetown and bait is prolific in the creeks. There is still some really pretty water off the beaches.

It’s hot in the Georgetown area, and Captain Greg Holmes with Fish Skinny Charters (843-241-0594) reports that the fishing has gotten a little tough. It can be a bit of a grind, but they are still managing good fish each trip. 

Overall, we are still in the period where fishing early is probably more important than targeting any particular tide. A particular challenge recently has been the baby blacktip sharks, which are thick as flies and continue to make it hard to keep a bait in the water. At the same time bigger sharks are also an opportunity, and there are spinners, blacktips, Atlantic sharpnose, lemon sharks and more around which feed very consistently even in the hot water. One of the most exciting is bonnetheads, and on flats close to the deeper inlets you can often find them working an area. 

Probably the best bite going has been for big redfish, and they are picking up some slot-sized fish and near-bulls on the grass edges. For redfish you want to look in the main runs of creeks, particularly at depths over 3 feet on lower water. At times they will move up shallower to feed, and you can sometimes even see their backs out of the water, but they will want to be able to quickly get back to deeper water. 

The flounder have gotten a little slow, and they really seem to have headed to cooler, deeper water and the nearshore reefs. That’s not to say you can’t catch a few inshore on 4-6 inch mullet, but it’s a grind. Again, try to fish earlier when the water is cooler, and avoid – for example – a late low tide which will make the fish more lethargic. And while it’s fine to fish shallow edges, stay close to deep water. 

They managed to pick up one 18-inch trout that was passing through but they are not prolific. 

The tarpon are still around, and while I was interviewing Captain Greg yesterday one rolled on bait not 20 feet from his boat. But he points out that trying to catch them is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle with so much bait around. 

Finally, the catch of the week was a tripletail caught yesterday. It was caught along the edges of the grass, and incidentally you will catch them on baits once in a while even as far north as the top of our coast. But on the higher parts of the tide on cleaner water you can run crab pots and look for them lying on their side and cast to them. 

July 13

Inshore surface water temperatures are in the upper 80s in the shallow waters around Georgetown and bait is prolific in the creeks. There has been some really pretty water off the beaches. 

It’s hot in the Georgetown area, and Captain Greg Holmes with Fish Skinny Charters (843-241-0594) reports that we have entered the period where fishing early is probably more important than targeting any particular tide. A particular challenge recently has been the pup sharks, and while they are picking up some trout, redfish and flounder little sharks can make it hard to keep a bait in the water. They will even tear up 6-8 inch mullet! At the same time sharks are also an opportunity, and there are spinners, blacktips, Atlantic sharpnose, lemon sharks and more around which feed very consistently even in the hot water.  One of the most exciting is bonnetheads, and on flats close to the deeper inlets you can often find them working an area. 

While the full moon was good we are entering a drier spell for big trout, although you can still catch keepers on live shrimp under a float. For redfish you want to look in the main runs of creeks, particularly at depths over 3 feet on lower water. At times they will move up shallower to feed, and you can sometimes even see their backs out of the water, but they will want to be able to quickly get back to deeper water. 

Similar rules apply for flounder, and if you persist in soaking whole baits you will pick up a few. 4-6 inch mullet are ideal for hooking better flounder, even if menhaden have slightly better visibility because of their shape, but you can also catch them on white paddletail grubs on a jighead. But try to fish earlier when the water is cooler, and avoid – for example – a late low tide which will make the fish more lethargic. And while it’s fine to fish shallow edges, stay close to deep water.

 

But one species which has evolved not to mind the heat at all is the tarpon, which for Captain Greg are a fish of opportunity. He’s not going to soak baits for hours hoping they appear in a likely area, especially in low visibility water where they have thousands of baits to choose from, but when he finds them feeding he is ready to go.

Lately he has seen them feeding on high tide in Winyah Bay, and at times they will have an acre or more of mullet all wadded up. He has seen fish from 40-50 pounds to over 100, and they will often be on the edges of deeper areas but feeding in as little as 3 or 4 feet. In clean, green water your chances of having them take your bait are higher, and when it happens the excitement is hard to beat. Just watching them feed is thrill enough. 

June 29

Inshore surface water temperatures are in the low 80s around Georgetown and bait is now prolific in the creeks. 

As we start to get into the heat of summer early patterns become more important, and Captain Greg Holmes with Fish Skinny Charters (843-241-0594) reports that especially on low tide fish will be holding in deeper water. They don’t usually want to be in water so warm that shrimp and crabs practically cook, and in particular the trout are very light and heat sensitive. However, on overcast days they will bite all day on topwater lures. 

While they haven’t caught a ton of trout recently, around the full moon it’s almost a certainty that bigger females will move in to spawn. They will be around shell banks, points and sand bars that drop fast into the ocean, especially at the higher stages of the tide. They will want to have close access to deep water because it is cooler. Small menhaden or mullet on a split shot rig can work very well, especially fished with a light drag just off the bottom. 

As it gets hotter redfish are likely to be more in the main runs of creeks, particularly at depths over 3 feet on lower water. At times they will move up shallower to feed, and you can sometimes even see their backs out of the water, but they will want to be able to quickly get back to deeper water.  

There are also plenty of flounder in the creeks, but when it gets really hot you probably want to focus on deeper water or even the nearshore reefs. Inshore you can incidentally catch flounder with live bait under a cork, but to increase your chances of hooking up with flatfish pulling a Carolina rig or mud minnow/ mullet on a jighead along the bottom around creek mouths and oyster beds is the best bet. 

There are also a bunch of sharks in North Inlet right now, including bonnetheads in many of the same spots where they catch redfish.

June 22

Inshore surface water temperatures are in the high 70s in North Inlet and bait is prolific in the creeks. 

With the fishing so good it’s been an unfortunate week for the weather to be so uncooperative, and Captain Greg Holmes with Fish Skinny Charters (843-241-0594) reports that it’s been hard to find days to fish lately. Still patterns remain similar when you can get out there, especially since we have been on average tides. However, we are about to hit higher flood tides and negative low tides, which makes fishing for species like redfish trickier.  At high tide they may move up onto a flat to feed, cover a great expanse of grass, and end up in a completely different area than where they were on the last low tide. Additionally, more turbid water reduces visibility and can make it harder to fish artificials.   

In general redfish will still eat about anything, including live baits, cut mullet or menhaden, blue crabs and even cut bluefish. On higher tides the best fishing has been at the edges of the grass or even just inside it in the big inlets, while on lower tides they are spending a lot of time in the smaller creeks. Of course, you have to have the right size boat to get in those creeks andyou have to know when to get out on the dropping tide. That’s a good reminder that much of the Georgetown area, like Winyah Bay, Muddy Bay, and even North Inlet, looks really big and deep but is actually very shallow. 

While there aren’t a ton of trout around right now, particularly around the new and full moons the ones that are there seem to be large spawning females. Most have been 20 inches or better, and they even caught a 25 ½ inch fish on cut menhaden. While that was a rarity the bigger fish to do seem to eat more finfish than shrimp as they like to get more “bang for their buck”. 

You will also catch flounder incidentally with live bait under a cork or on the bottom, but to increase your chances of hooking up with flatfish then pulling a Carolina rig or mud minnow/ mullet on a jighead along the bottom around creek mouths and oyster beds is the best bet. 

There are also a bunch of sharks in North Inlet right now, including bonnetheads in many of the same spots where they catch redfish.

June 16

Inshore surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-70s around Georgetown and bait is prolific in the creeks. 

It’s a fantastic time to fish the Georgetown area, and Captain Greg Holmes with Fish Skinny Charters (843-241-0594) reports that with small shrimp, mullet, and a variety of sizes of menhaden showing up everything is on the feed. Moderate water temperatures are also helping. When temperatures hit the mid to upper-80s fish will feed in narrower windows, but right now they are chomping around the clock and tide cycle!

While redfish are around all year they seem to be particularly prolific right now, and they aren’t very discriminating about what they will eat at the moment. Live baits, cut mullet or menhaden, blue crabs and even cut bluefish are all working. On higher tides the best fishing has been at the edges of the grass or even just inside it in the big inlets, while on lower tides they are spending a lot of time in the smaller creeks. Of course, you have to have the right size boat to get in those creeks andyou have to know when to get out on the dropping tide. That’s a good reminder that much of the Georgetown area, like Winyah Bay, Muddy Bay, and even North Inlet, looks really big and deep but is actually very shallow. 

While there aren’t a ton of trout around right now, particularly around the new and full moons the ones that are there seem to be large spawning females. Most have been 20 inches or better, and they even caught a 25 ½ inch fish on cut menhaden. While that was a rarity the bigger fish to do seem to eat more finfish than shrimp as they like to get more “bang for their buck”. 

You will also catch flounder incidentally with live bait under a cork or on the bottom, but to increase your chances of hooking up with flatfish then pulling a Carolina rig or mud minnow/ mullet on a jighead along the bottom around creek mouths and oyster beds is the best bet. 

There are also a bunch of sharks in North Inlet right now, including bonnetheads in many of the same spots where they catch redfish.