January 8
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to around 47-49 degrees in Murrells Inlet and the water is crystal clear.
There aren’t a lot of people getting after it but inshore fishing has been very good around Murrells Inlet, and Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that the coldest winter he can remember in 30 years is definitely keeping fishermen off the water. But the in particular the trout and sheepshead continue to bite very well, with both species feeding well at the jetties. The trout bite has also been good inside Murrells Inlet, particularly around deep structure. Floating live shrimp is hard to beat for trout at both locations, and you will also pick up sheepshead (and some black drum) that way at the jetties. However, fiddler crabs are hard to beat for sheeps.
The redfish will continue to feed as long as water temperatures don’t drop below 45 degrees, but they are already slowing way down. Note that everything will feed better on the warmer days which also happen to be most comfortable for fishing!
December 19
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the lower 50s in Murrells Inlet and the water is clear.
Fishing pressure is low but the inshore fishing has been fantastic around Murrells Inlet, and Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that on his last trip out they caught about 50 sheepshead. The trip before that they had 60 or 70 fish, including a mixed bag of trout, redfish, black drum, and sheepshead.
While there are plenty of fish inside the creeks, particularly if you target deeper structure, the jetties have been a magnet for fish recently. And while fish will bite a range of other baits as well as artificials, live shrimp are difficult to beat. If you are targeting sheepshead always have fiddler crabs handy.
December 3
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the lower 50s in Murrells Inlet and the water is clear.
After a brief post-Thanksgiving hiatus Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) hopes to be back on the water tomorrow and provide a fresh report at the same time that temperatures should start to warm again, but he reports that over the last week to ten days the inshore fishing has been really good. Trout, redfish and sheepshead are biting very well, but from what he has seen they have moved a little deeper. In particular reds seem to be avoiding the shallowest spots and holding in slightly deeper depressions and around structure.
Live shrimp is hard to beat for trout and reds right now, while sheepshead at the jetties will eat both shrimp and fiddler crabs (available at some area tackle shops).
November 20
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees in Murrells Inlet and the water is clear.
The inshore fishing is fairly outstanding right now in Murrells Inlet, and Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that on low tide the redfish bite has been really good. The fish are in 1-3 feet of water around oysters and other shallow structure in the creeks, and right now they are extremely keyed in on live shrimp. On a recent trip they caught 9 good reds on shrimp and only one small one on mud minnows fished right beside the shrimp.
Interestingly, on middle and higher tides the reds are harder to catch right now than they were earlier in the fall and late in the summer.
A few medium-sized and smaller flounder are still showing up, but that season should be pretty much done inshore and instead it will be all about the trout going forward. Flounder should be around at the nearshore reefs for a while.
Captain Tom saw a picture of a 9-pound(!) trout caught recently in the inlet, and as it gets colder the action will only get better. The key to finding the trout – and reds – is to find a bank with bait, and the trout will especially be around grass edges, shell banks, creek bends, or anything else that creates an eddy on moving tides. Trout can be found inshore from 1-7 feet, while at the jetties they will be caught from the rocks to 10-12 feet on shrimp under slip floats or artificial lures.
Tom had a nice trout eaten by a shark recently at the jetties.
November 14
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees in Murrells Inlet and there are still a few mullet and plenty of shrimp in the creeks.
The inshore fishing has been good in Murrells Inlet, and Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that with abnormally warm temperatures there are still a bunch of flounder around. The bite is not quite as hot as a week or so ago, when it was not unusual to catch 30-50 fish stacked up in one area, but even as the numbers have dropped a little they are still catching big fish. The best places to look have been shallow spots in the creeks which warm in the sun.
The trout bite is fair, but not as good as it will be soon. The fish are also shallow in the creeks, mostly holding in 4-6 feet of water over oysters and a little out from grass edges. They will take live shrimp under a float, but after more of the shrimp leave the action with artificial lures should get good. Black drum are also biting on shrimp, and it’s not uncommon to catch more black drum than trout right now.
The numbers of redfish are not great in the creeks right now, but at the jetties they are stacked up. Additionally, you can still catch big red drum on the beaches.
At the nearshore reefs there have been good numbers of flounder around, and as hard as it is to believe there have actually been some blackfin tuna caught in about 40 feet! And Captain Robert is 99.9% certain he missed a wahoo in the same zone! They were trolling there because the kings never really pushed up on the beach well this fall.
Offshore the wahoo and tuna bite is also good.
October 30
Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s in Murrells Inlet.
More to follow, but Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that inshore the redfish have really showed up in Murrells Inlet. His boat has been catching them floating live shrimp under a cork, and they have found some pretty tight schools of slot-sized fish. At other spots they have picked up singles.
The trout bite has not been as strong as it was a week or so ago when the cold front came through, but they have every expectation that once temperatures drop again it should get good.
October 17
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-60s in Murrells Inlet and bait is still a little unpredictable.
Completely consistent with the Fish Finder update, Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that on his last run out to the jetties they managed a big 25-30 pound red drum as well as one of the biggest bonnethead sharks he has seen – but overall the drum bite was off. They did manage about a dozen mostly smaller weakfish, which certainly provided good action while they were looking. The interesting thing is they marked a ton of drum but they just weren’t feeding very well. Menhaden were very thick that day, so maybe that had something to do with it. The drum should be here through around the second week of November and perhaps the bite will get more consistent.
Inshore, Captain Tom reports that there are still some nice flounder around and some big trout are starting to show up. A captain buddy managed a dozen nice ones inside the inlet, even though they usually don’t get thick until about Halloween. Both artificial lures and shrimp are working for trout.
October 16
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees in Murrells Inlet and mullet have gotten scarce the last couple of days.
Starting with the inshore fishing, Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that as the mullet have become harder to find the flounder fishing seems to have picked back up in the past couple of days. They are biting best on the falling tide around structure and creek mouths with mud minnows or finger mullet, and they are also catching some redfish on the same pattern. At the same time the trout have not really showed up yet, except for a rare fish at the jetties.
But the best fishing has been off the beaches, and bull reds continue to make their way down in waves. There are also king mackerel within a mile of the beach and abundant Spanish mackerel. The Spanish were a little a tricky to catch until recently because there was so much bait around, but once the wind lays down it should be perfect conditions for them.
Additionally, weakfish are thick off the beaches anywhere that you can find hard bottom close to the beach. They will eat mullet and fresh dead shrimp.
Finally, it’s been tough conditions for getting to the nearshore reefs but big red drum, spadefish and nice flounder are all still there.
October 9
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s in Murrells Inlet and mullet are still running the beaches.
We have a quick inshore update from Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850), who reports that the flounder fishing has been pretty phenomenal. On one of his recent trips they hooked about 20 flounder with half of those keepers, including some big fish, but then the next day they eclipsed all of the previous day’s catch with this 7-pound doormat! It came on a 6-inch mullet fished in three feet of water. Overall finger mullet have been working very well around oysters, creek drains, and other shallow structure. The biggest fish have been coming on the bigger baits.
While the redfish action has not been fast and furious, they have managed to pick up several slot-sized fish – mostly as a by-catch while flounder fishing.
October 3
Morning surface water temperatures are stable at about 74-75 in Murrells Inlet and mullet are still running the beaches.
It’s been a weird early fall on the beaches of the Grand Strand, and Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that the mullet run is still going strong but it’s not the kind of thick river of mullet that’s over quickly – it seems to be a more prolonged run. At the same time the fishing has been very odd, and they will have a good day then a poor day then a good day and then a poor day and so on. The positive is the worst years are when the mullet run and bull red drum come and go very quickly, and at least this year shows no sign of that. Fish are in the 40-inch range and taking both mullet and menhaden baits.
There are also tons of weakfish on the rock formations just off the beaches.
Inshore the fishing has been pretty good, and they are still getting both flounder and reds very shallow. It hasn’t gotten cold enough for the fish to move into deeper areas of the inlet, and it also doesn’t seem like it has cooled off enough for the trout to really show up.
The few times that they have been nearshore to the reefs the fishing has been tough because they are so covered up with bluefish, but both kings mackerel and Spanish are around from the beaches to about 15 miles out. Both species have been a little hit-or-miss because there is so much bait around, but when they are catching both species they have been large.
Offshore trolling has been fair for wahoo, tuna and dolphin.