August 15

Morning surface water temperatures are about 84 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and visibility has dropped significantly.  

It’s been a tale of two weeks in Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that last week was pretty outstanding with tarpon, bull reds, and jacks. But this week the fishing has been very slow in the rivers and sounds since the rain started in earnest, and now the water is basically like a mud puddle. Northeast wind and wave have churned it up, the full moon tides didn’t seem to help, and all that combined with the freshwater inflow has made things surprisingly tough.

As a result Captain Kai has had to fish inshore and do something he doesn’t love to do this time of year, but luckily floating cut mullet under a cork in the grass for reds has been pretty effective. They have also caught some fish over shell flats with the same technique. 

After spending about a week fishing the lagoon, this week Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) was back inshore and reports that redfish are devouring shrimp right now. They are chasing blow-ups and finding fish super shallow that are pursuing shrimp. With too many little fish around to use live shrimp they are throwing Gulp! shrimp on a ¼ ounce jighead, as well as fishing live finger mullet with and without a ¼ ounce split shot and a 3/0 circle hook. The high, outgoing tide when water is cleaner has been the best. 

Additionally, first thing they are catching some ladyfish and trout walking the dog with topwater baits. 

August 1

Morning surface water temperatures are about 87 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and bait is everywhere.

The inshore bite has been just as hot as the weather this week in the Hilton Head area, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that right now everything seems to be feeding on shrimp. When they catch redfish almost without exception they have shrimp tentacles hanging out of their mouths, and the common denominator in where they are locating fish is over broken shell bottoms which are holding shrimp.  

The low, rising tide has been the best time to catch fish this week, and that seems to be largely a function of water temperature. With low falling in the morning the water is much cooler, and there is a noticeable slowdown in the afternoon when everything heats up.  The fishing is also much better in clean, green water.  

Despite the fish feeding so well on shrimp they are basically impossible to fish with because of all the bait stealers around, and finger mullet and small pinfish continue to be key. But finger mullet also attract skates, while pinfish get the right bites almost all the time.

Redfish continue to be Captain Trent’s mainstay, but they have been picking up some trout in the same areas. Right now there same to be less bonnetheads than usual and more sand tiger sharks cruising the flats and grass patches. 

Trent’s boat has also still been catching a few tripletail in the grass while looking for redfish. They won’t chase live bait, but if you throw a chunk of cut bait to them they will take it.

The Lowcountry Tarpon Open is going on today and tomorrow, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) will be out there trying to catch a silver king. But unfortunately this week the bite in the rivershas been a little tougher, and while they have seen plenty of tarpon rolling the bull reds and tarpon have not been biting very well. Basically they are catching lots of sharks, and even though they aren’t Captain Kai’s favorite target they provide so much excitement to families that it evens out. 

They have also seen good numbers of Spanish jumping in the Chechessee River.   

July 22

Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and bait is everywhere.

It’s been another good week of inshore fishing in the Hilton Head area, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the bite has been especially good in the mornings. They continue to catch very few trout but the redfish action has been strong.

Live bait has been tough to keep alive with the hot water, and finger mullet and menhaden have been sluggish and not swimming very well. There have also been too many little fish for shrimp to be productive, and so Captain Trent has mostly been fishing with small pinfish about the size of a silver dollar. They are hearty even in the hot live well and reds are crushing them. 

The best spots have been broken shell bottoms because they are holding a lot of shrimp right now, and just about every red you catch has shrimp tentacles hanging out of its mouth. The outgoing tide has been best, in part because it has been early but also because even cooler water warms up fast when it fills in over hot mud flats that have been baking in the sun.  

Trent’s boat has also been catching a few tripletail in the grass while looking for redfish. They won’t chase live bait, but if you throw a chunk of cut bait to them they will take it. He is avoiding mullet chunks on the lower tides because rays are prolific and find it faster than the reds, while they pretty much ignore the pinfish.

In the Broad River this week Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that a few tarpon have been caught, but he expects that bite to get much better around and after the new moon in the next few days. For now he has been having the most success inside the river fishing for big Spanish mackerel in the 4-pound range on the top of the tide. They are taking live menhaden on wire rigs, and they are also picking up ladyfish and medium-sized bluefish the same way.

Yesterday they fished nearshore at a sunken ship about two miles off the beach with live bait and caught a few Spanish but tons of 15-20 inch bluefish. They caught them on every cast and finally left them biting. They also caught a small cobia. 

Finally, they have also been catching bull reds on the offshore rips again. Cut bait has been out-fishing live bait. 

We apologize that these reports are running a few days behind – the author had some unexpected issues in his other job arise. 

July 10

Morning surface water temperatures are about 85 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and bait is everywhere.

After a couple of challenging weeks inshore, Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) is very pleased to report that the fishing has dramatically improved this week and basically gotten back to normal. This week most tides have been productive but the best action has come fishing over broken shell bottoms, and Captain Trent speculates those areas are holding shrimp. But that’s no good as bait because you will get eaten up by small fish, and most of his redfish action is coming on mullet chunks this week – whether fishing in the grass at high tide or on the mud flats at low tide. Even when the little guys try to nibble at the mullet it is durable until something better comes along – you just have to put up with some rays. He’s also using a little bit of live bait, mostly finger mullet, because menhaden are having a tough time staying alive. 

They are also catching a few fish very early when it is cooler throwing swimbaits. 

In the Broad River this week Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that that Spanish mackerel and ladyfish are still around tidal rips in 10-20 feet of water with live bait, but on the outgoing tide the bite really slows down. As the incoming lasts later into the morning the window should get bigger again.  They also picked up a smaller cobia on Spanish rigs this week, so they have not left.  

But the tarpon have been really good the past couple days, and each day they have brought several to the boat. They are able to catch them without setting up in really deep water by targeting bait schools as well as well as areas where they notice them rolling.  Live mullet have been working the best. 

And with the wind laying down a little better this week they have also been able to target the bull reds on the offshore rips again. Cut bait has been out-fishing live bait. 

July 3

Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound. 

Wind has limited fishing options this week, but Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) feels lucky to have found a fantastic bite in the Broad River for mostly jumbo-sized Spanish mackerel. The fish are around tidal rips and they are taking live bait (small menhaden) fished under a cork. Most of the action is in 10-20 feet of water, and the fish have been biting on the incoming tide but as low tides get later they should also feed on the outgoing. On light spinning tackle the fish are a ton of fun, and the by-catch of ladyfish are also an exciting fish – that love to put on an aerial show.

It’s been too windy to easily target tarpon in the rivers this week, although there have been a couple caught, and the most productive way to fish for them has been setting up in deep water. But Kai hasn’t had any interest in mostly fishing through a bunch of sharks and hoping for a tarpon.

The other thing Captain Kai has been doing this week, when conditions allow, is targeting bull reds on the offshore rips. Live and cut menhaden have been working. 

Inshore, Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the bite has been a little off for him this week. The water had been clearing up after the giant new moon tides last week, and the bite was getting better, but then the wind started up Monday afternoon and the fishing got a lot tougher. On lower tides in the morning they have been catching a few redfish and some small trout early, but then the wind picks up and the fishing slows. The best fishing has undoubtably been at high tide when the water is cleaner, even though it is hotter.

Captain Trent is mostly fishing finger mullet and mullet chunks in the grass.

June 27

Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound. 

With super high new moon tides it has been a much more difficult week for inshore fishing around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he is ready to get back on a cycle with more moderate tides. Basically the entire name of the game this week has been searching for relatively clear pockets of water, which are very hard to find outside of high tide. The water has been so dirty that they have not caught any trout this week, and most redfish have come at higher tides when clarity is better. They are basically just banging along the bank and stopping where it looks the cleanest and there is bait. They are having some really good moments when everything is right, but really having to work to find them.  

The best action for redfish has come with live bite on high tide, and they are also catching a few jack crevalle and ladyfish on live bait and artificials.  At low tide it’s pretty much all cut bait fishing, and the catch is mostly sharks. They can bring blacktip sharks up to about 15 pounds to the boat but much bigger usually breaks off on inshore tackle.

In a similar vein, Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that one other pattern for redfish that has sometimes been productive is (again) fishing at higher tides with cut mullet. When fish are up in the grass swimming around and eating bait then anchoring cut mullet in areas like creek mouths that fish use as an entrance to move onto the flats has been picking up some fish.  

Beyond that little bit of inshore action, Captain Kai has continued to look in the rivers and sounds for tarpon, jack crevalle, and bull reds but found the better action on the offshore rips. Leading up to the new moon fish were in the rivers following bait, but as soon as the new moon arrived and then passed they moved out again. Live menhaden on the bottom and under floats have been the best bait for all three species. 

June 19

Morning surface water temperatures are about 83 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound. 

The inshore fishing has been better this week around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that on both the rising and falling tide action has been good – as long as water is moving. He is still doing a lot of riding around chasing clean water, as the fishing is also generally better in clearer conditions. There is nothing special about the spots he is fishing – just the presence of current and (hopefully) clear water.

Live bait has been the most productive for a mix of species, although on low tide both live finger mullet and cut mullet have been working for redfish. Additionally they are picking up a few flounder, smaller blacktip sharks, and bonnethead sharks.

However, the most exciting catch this week was a 6 ½ pound trout caught yesterday. It was caught on a 6-inch live menhaden fished over oyster shells. His boat has actually caught a decent number of big trout this week, to go along a with a better than average grade of redfish. It seems that bigger baits are attracting bigger fish!

Meanwhile, Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that in the rivers and sounds the full moon brought in the tarpon and they are now in a number of different places. All the live bottom spots in the Port Royal Sound which are generally in about 35 feet are holding fish, although they can be a parking lot. The fish don’t bite until the current slows down and so you often have to get there long before the area is fishable to get a good place. Additionally, there are big menhaden schools in the Broad, Chechessee and Calibogue and these are a magnet for tarpon as well as jack crevalle. Further, small cobia now seem to be staying in the Broad all summer. 

In the inlets you can also catch abundant whiting on shrimp and sharks on cut bait, but one of the most exciting bites on Captain Kai’s boat has been at the offshore sand bars. On cut bait and even live bait under floats he is catching bull reds. 

June 11

Morning surface water temperatures are about 81 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and the water conditions have varied this week.   

It’s been a tougher week for inshore fishing this week around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) thinks the weather has a lot to do with the up-and-down bite. Very high tides have probably not helped either.

Redfish have not liked the heavy rain and wind, but in between storms if you can stay in clean water the bite has been pretty steady. No particular type of spot has produced more than others, as the key this week has been finding the clean water. Generally that has meant fishing higher tides. 

When the water is clean live bait has been working the best, while when it’s dirty cut bait has been more effective. Captain Trent has been alternating between menhaden and finger mullet depending on what is available.

While trout have been exceedingly rare, Trent notes that bonnethead sharks have provided a lot of excitement for young anglers between redfish. 

In a similar vein Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that he has been having some success on the dropping tide fishing oyster flats where the grass is being drained – with cut menhaden. 

But when the big game is around that is what Captain Kai is usually after, and in the rivers and sounds he is still anchoring for cobia in the Broad River. There are still fish around, as well as tons of sharks.  There are also jack crevalle in the Calibogue Sound and the Broad, but the new arrival is tarpon. For now they are concentrated in a small area of the Port Royal Sound where there are a ton of boats pursuing them, and at one point Kai saw a boat jump a tarpon that in turn hit another boat while leaping! Kai’s boat has had the best success sight-casting with live bait when they see tarpon blowing up on bait schools. 

May 29

Morning surface water temperatures are about 79 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and bait is still a bit spotty. With giant tides the water has overall been a bit muddier.   

The inshore fishing has improved this week around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that in particular the fishing at higher tides has really picked up. In fact, in a 180 from last week, he has now been having more success on higher tides than at low water.  

That’s because the keys to catching fish have been finding clean water and baitfish, and at low tide (while fish will still bite a little) it’s mostly been muddy. The best time to fish has been the high outgoing.  Nothing really stands out about the type of spots holding fish – he is just moving around a lot searching for, again, clean water and baitfish. 

Captain Trent’s boat is picking up a few trout and lots of redfish, and they are mostly fishing with live finger mullet and menhaden free-lined on a circle hook. They are still catching some good trout and reds early in the morning walking the dog with topwater baits, and with proficient anglers they are catching some fish all day on swimbaits. 

 

In the rivers and sounds the bite for cobia is about the same as last week, although Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that fish seem to be biting in a little smaller windows with the extreme tides. Cobia are still around and jack crevalle have showed up, and they are catching fish both anchoring and sight-casting. They are also picking up a few bull reds anchoring up for cobia as well as plenty of sharks. 

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 about 77 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and bait is still a bit spotty.   

It’s been a weird week of inshore fishing for Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634), who reports that frankly the bite has been a little slow for this time of year. The best action has clearly been coming on low moving tides in either direction, while on higher tides he has had a really hard time patterning the fish. While cut mullet will pick up a few redfish, live bait is working much better. It’s hard to say exactly what type of spot is holding the most fish, as they are mostly only picking up one or two reds at each stop, but creek mouths, shell mounds, and points are all variously holding fish. 

One bright spot is that they have caught some high-quality trout early in the morning walking the dog with topwater baits.  

They are still catching fish even though the bite isn’t where it should be, but there’s every reason to believe it will get back on track very soon. 

In the rivers and sounds things also looked a little odd with the cobia for a few days, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that at first everyone was pretty sure they had not come in as they were expected to on the last full moon. But apparently they just weren’t biting because of all the freshwater inflow, and now the cobia fishing is actually pretty strong. They are catching fish both anchoring and sight-casting, and on a recent trip they landed three on soft plastic swimbaits and the fly. They are also picking up a few bull reds anchoring up for cobia as well as plenty of sharks. 

Captain Kai has seen a few jack crevalle but has not caught any yet. They catch more sight-fishing but also will sometimes catch them on the bottom. 

There are also a good number of cobia offshore, and on his last trip out Kai’s boat caught 8! One was big enough to keep. They also brought a gag grouper home.

May 8

Morning surface water temperatures are about 75 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and bait has been a little spotty this week. 

When the cobia arrive in the rivers and sounds it’s hard to lead off with anything else, and this week Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that he has caught them fishing around the Broad River Bridge. While they have been anchoring live and cut bait and picking up cobia, bull reds, and lots of sharks, the biggest cobia so far this season have come sight-casting with DOA mullet! 

Overall, though, the numbers of migratory species in the Port Royal Sound are not great right now because the bait is all off the south end of Hilton Head. As a result jack crevalle and tarpon are not in the area, and furthermore they have to travel a good ways to get bait. 

While Captain Kai has done a little inshore fishing for redfish this week, that’s what Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) has been concentrating on. The bite has been good with the slower tides, and he has been fishing both sides of low tide when the water is just starting to go into the grass or almost out of it. High water has been slow.

He is mostly targeting redfish and picking up reds, a few flounder, and occasional trout free-lining live mullet or menhaden on a small circle hook with split shot and fluorocarbon leader. The best action has come around submerged shell mounds a little off the banks or areas with broken shells on the mud flats. They are also catching some fish on swimbaits and early the topwater bite has been decent. But again, they are catching very few trout on the top. 

April 24

Morning surface water temperatures are about 72 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound and bait is now prolific. 

It’s good news with the inshore fishing this week in Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that we are finally “over the hump”. The transition from winter to spring can be the toughest period of the year for catching fish inshore, but it’s now late spring leading into summer and the weather is much more consistent. This consistency makes it much easier to find and catch fish. 

It's once again easy to catch mullet and menhaden for bait, and Captain Trent reports that right now his favorite way to fish is free-lining live bait.  If there is a little wind then he will add a split shot for casting. The bite has been good around the tide cycle, targeting schools of fish on lower water around current breaks, shells, and other structure, and then picking up fish in or along the grass at higher water. 

While they have not picked up any big trout yet inshore, the time should be getting very close. 

Unfortunately that’s consistent with the trout report from Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475), who says that he has actually found this to be the slowest spring for them in years and has just decided not to target them this season. 

But fortunately in the rivers and sounds Captain Kai is finding a good bite for other species, and bluefish in particular have been feeding very well in the Port Royal Sound on small live menhaden fished around the current rips. A few early cobia are also showing up in the Broad River, but the best action on his boat has been coming nearshore. On offshore structure they are picking up bull reds as well as bonnethead, sharpnose and blacktip sharks on cut bait. Then five miles out in about 30 feet of water they are finding a really good sheepshead bite. 

 

April 9

Morning surface water temperatures are about 68 degrees at the mouth of Port Royal Sound but in the 70s in the creeks. Water clarity varies.

The inshore fishing has been up-and-down this week in Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that fish basically seem to be feeding in little windows and flurries.  But then the bite will get tough, and for hours you can be chasing your tail.  Captain Kai thinks that’s mostly to do with the bait supply, and once temperatures get more stable and more mullet arrive fish will feed more consistently. There just isn’t a lot to eat right now.

In the creeks they have found decent action for redfish on shell flats and mud flats at low tide. Most of the time they are fishing in 2-4 feet of water, and crabs have actually been the best bait right now. 

In the same vein, Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he is finding much better redfish action at low tide – and only picking up sporadic fish at high tide when the bait and reds are spread out in the grass. On low tide he is fishing fast with swim baits to search for fish, then slowing down and working them with a jig when he finds them. For anglers less adept at casting artificials you can also fish cut mullet chunks or free-line finger mullet. Again, the key to locating fish is to find the still somewhat-rare areas that have bait schools. 

Captain Trent has not picked up any trout, despite fishing some likely spots with good baits, and is not yet seeing any sharks on the mud flats. 

In the rivers and sounds over live bottom areas Captain Kai reports that they are finding bull red drum and mature black drum. They are in about 40 feet of water and eating blue crab very well.