March 20
Morning surface water temperatures are varying between about 58 and 60 degrees off the beach in Little River depending on wind and weather fronts.
The inshore fishing is getting better in the Little River area, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they are catching more trout and better ones each day. They are biting on both the rising and falling tide, and they are around creek mouths, oyster beds and along grass banks. Live shrimp have been the best bait.
At the same time the redfish have been biting best on the falling tide, particularly at the mouths of creeks where the water is emptying back into the main water. You can also still catch find big groups of fish on the low, rising water on the shallow flats.
But no matter where you are looking, the key to finding the reds right now is fishing around the early mullet that are starting to show up. But even though they are around mullet they will eat most anything, from live shrimp on a cork, to dead shrimp on the bottom, to mud minnows on a Carolina rig.
They had their first flounder of the season this week, a 15.5 inch non-keeper.
But the most exciting action is at the nearshore reefs, where Captain Buddy reports that delicious-eating Atlantic bonito are showing up in good numbers. They aren’t thick enough where you can cast for them yet, but trolling spoons on planer boards is working well. They are also still marking tons of weakfish, although for some reason they have been feeding sporadically. When they are eating they will take anything from cut shrimp to spoons to mud minnows to vertical jigs.
February 28
Morning surface water temperatures are up to around 54 degrees off the beach in Little River and 52 in the creeks. Without a lot of rain recently the water has really cleared.
Overall the black drum and to a lesser degree the red drum continue to be the most consistent catches at the top of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports the black drum are near any structure and particularly creek mouths. Cut shrimp is working much better than live shrimp. They are catching them around the tide cycle.
The redfish are a little less predictable, except that on days when they do bite they bite well – and on days when they aren’t eating it’s hard to catch them. Overall they are still in large schools which are easier to find on low water than a couple of weeks ago. Cut shrimp continue to work well when fish are feeding.
There are also some fish back in the creeks that are set up around structure.
In the cleaner water the trout fishing has picked up, although they are still concentrated in just a few places. The key to catching them is fishing live shrimp on the rising tide.
And while it’s surprisingly early, Captain Buddy also reports that a few flounder have started to be caught in Cherry Grove.
It’s hard to explain but the at nearshore reefs they have not been able to pick up sheepshead or black drum, while at the jetties there are some sheeps. Both species should be stacked up right now but if they are they aren’t feeding.
February 14
Morning surface water temperatures are around 52 degrees off the beach in Little River and 48 in the creeks. The water clarity is bad even out to the reefs.
It’s unclear whether high tides or rain is responsible for the poor visibility, but Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that in these conditions the black drum bite continues to be their anchor. The fish are near any structure especially around creek mouths, and the best time to target them – and everything – this week has been on the falling tide. In the dirty water cut shrimp is working much better than live shrimp.
They have also found a couple of schools of redfish around structure in about three feet of water, and they are eating cut shrimp before it even hits the bottom. Again the falling tide has been best and sight-fishing is pretty much out right now – you have to know where the schools are or get lucky and find one.
While most of the sheepshead are offshore on the nearshore reefs, they have found some random fish up to four pounds scattered in with the black drum inshore. They have actually been eating cut shrimp. Also, for some reason the reefs around Murrells Inlet have been better than the ones up their way.
Probably related to the murky water the trout fishing is still pretty abysmal, and while they will pick up the occasional trout the fishing is apparently better up around Holden Beach in the canals.
And while Captain Buddy hasn’t been out at night looking for flounder again, his gigging experience shows there must still be some inshore. Getting them to eat may be another matter.
February 6
Morning surface water temperatures are around 53 degrees in Little River and the water is still pretty dirty.
Back on the water all weekend, Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that black drum continue to carry the day and keep clients happy. Additionally, this weekend they caught a fair number of redfish in the same holes as the black drum that would also eat fresh, dead shrimp. The fish are near any structure especially around creek mouths, and the best time to target them has been the last of the rise and the first of the fall. For some reason they are feeding better on higher water.
Perhaps because of the murky water the trout fishing has been hit-or-miss and they are scattered, but the best time to target them has been on lower water early in the rise or late in the fall. They are in the creeks and Intracoastal Waterway around structure that has water moving past it.
There are also some trout and redfish way back in the skinniest water in big groups on low tide. They have not had the best tides to target them, but with better tides coming that pattern should improve.
Finally, to circle back to the flounder, Buddy was shocked to see over 30 flounder up to about 18 inches in just a few hours the other night! While most of the “keeper”-sized fish head offshore in the winter, it’s clear not all do!
February 2
On the water today after a little time away, a new inshore fishing report will be following from Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445).
However, we wanted to provide a brief update and let readers know that Captain Buddy was out in the creeks last night and discovered that there are some decent grade flounder around right now. The bigger ones should be offshore, but there are still keepers to be found. Again, more to follow.
January 25
Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 50s in Little River and the water is still pretty murky.
It’s been a fairly steady bite in January at the top of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the best thing going is still the black drum fishing. Even with weird rain patterns leading to unusual winter water conditions the black drum have continued to feed throughout, and they are catching them around holes, rocks, and other structure. Fresh dead shrimp have been working well and both the high falling tide and the low rising tide have been good. For some reason tide changes have been key.
The trout bite has varied from day to day, and some days they will pick up a half dozen while other days they will only catch a couple. It’s that time of year where fish don’t really need to eat every day, and sometimes they only feed in very short windows. The best places for trout have been creek mouths, and again the fish are feeding best around tide changes. Having live shrimp greatly increases your chances of hooking up.
There are also some trout with the redfish back in very skinny water, but both species in these areas have been pretty lethargic. They might not eat on cold days, or they might only feed for ten minutes.
January 4
Morning surface water temperatures are down to around 52 degrees in Little River and the water has cleared.
The fishing is improved around Little River, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the best, most consistent thing going has been the black drum. Even though the water is clear now they don’t really care when it periodically gets dirty (as keeps happening) since they are such strong smell feeders, and around creek mouths, rock piles, hard bottoms or any other structure they just keep biting. Both live and cut shrimp are working.
In contrast the trout fishing has been up and down, as – for example – they had a really good day on the 28th before another round of rain came and slowed the bite. Since October it’s been like this, where the trout school up and then scatter out when after a storm. Right now the bite is better again, and they are hopeful that a few more days the fish will remain in good schools and be willing to bite. Even when they don’t lose the fish after a storm sometimes they shut down. A few redfish have been mixed in with the trout, and if you really look for them there should be some schools around.
But most of all, after this predicted round of rain they expect to be back on the black drum again with cut shrimp on the bottom!
December 21
Morning surface water temperatures are down to the low 50s in the bigger water around Little River, and the creeks are even colder first thing. The water is very muddy after all the rain.
There’s a ton of freshwater that has come into the system around Little River, but Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that there are still some redfish that can be caught in the skinny water in the backs of creeks. On days when the water heats up in the shallows reds will try to warm up in these areas, and this is where feeding fish are most likely to be found. Trout will also try to warm in the same areas at times.
For now the trout fishing is pretty tough, but when the water clears they expect some good trout fishing in deeper, moving water in both the creeks and the Intracoastal Waterway. At this time of year live shrimp are often the difference between catching fish and not catching fish, and so even if you have to drive to get live bait it’s often worth it.
More to follow once conditions settle down and more anglers are back on the water.
December 14
Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 56 around Little River.
The trout fishing has never really turned on around Little River, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that it seems the fishing has been a little better further north. Certainly there are some fish that can be caught in the Intracoastal Waterway, but by-and-large these have been smaller. They are mainly targeting them with shrimp.
They are also picking up some redfish which are still pretty scattered, but the best thing going has probably been the black drum. They can be found around creek mouths, shell banks or most any structure that has moving water. Live or fresh dead shrimp will both work.
November 29
Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 57 around Little River.
There aren’t a ton of people fishing right now, but Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the fishing has been really good for a variety of species. Right now it is still pretty consistent each day, but even later in the month December can be really good – although some days will be slower. They had perhaps their best day of trout fishing all year late in December catching 30 plus solid keepers.
Speaking of trout, the bite has been picking up and from the low rising tide through the rising tide they are catching fish in moving water seams back in the creeks. While some of the fish will take artificial lures like Mirrolures and Vudu shrimp, it is primarily a live shrimp bite. Up until the last rain it was pretty easy to get big shrimp, but they are getting smaller and tougher to catch. However, Captain Buddy recommends buying bait once you can’t catch them since shrimp work so much better.
The redfish have also been pretty easy to catch if you know where the schools are holding, and they are getting into larger groups of fish mostly in skinny water. However, they are not very skittish yet and casting bait under a very shallow cork into the schools is working. Once again live shrimp are out-producing everything else.
Finally, it’s been a really good bite for black drum. The pattern is as simple as fishing cut shrimp on the bottom around structure, and you will even pick up the occasional sheepshead this way.
November 16
Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 59 around Little River.
While the cooler weather has certainly helped the trout bite, Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that when the rain came through and dirtied up the water they dropped from getting 20-30 nice fish to 9 or 10 per trip, with about half keeper-sized. Creek mouths with moving water are fishing the best, and unfortunately after the rain 95% of the action is coming on live shrimp – which is just way out-fishing artificials. As the water clears the bite should improve again.
They are still picking up lots of redfish and black drum around creek mouths, particularly on the falling tide. Fresh cut shrimp is working very well for both, as are mud minnows for reds. Rock and other structure is also holding both species.
Once again they are still getting the occasional “lost” flounder, but most of those seem to have migrated out to the nearshore reefs in 35-40 feet of water.
Speaking of nearshore, it’s been pretty windy for fishing out there but there are still plenty of menhaden on the beach and even some Spanish Mackerel around!
Finally, in the calm weather last Friday Fort Mill’s Reid McGinn slayed the king mackerel trolling over structure about 15 miles offshore with dead cigar minnows.
November 9
Morning surface water temperatures are back to about 64 around Little River.
The trout fishing is already decent but on the brink of “exploding”, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reported that yesterday one of his captains had caught 7 fish in the 35 minutes right before we talked. They are starting to take artificials, a sign they are getting more aggressive, but for now there are still only a few places that are holding fish and they are still scattered between the creeks and the rivers. These spots are marked by moving water. Soon they should be in all of the typical haunts. Creek mouths have been fishing the best so far, and they have also picked up black drum.
In fact, black drum are probably the best thing going and three days ago one of their captains had 14 keepers around structure. He was fishing the last of the falling tide with fresh dead shrimp.
With that bait you will also pick up some redfish, and even though the bigger ones are almost totally gone there are some 14-27 inch redfish around. Again, the best bite has been on low water but – frankly – the numbers are a little below what they would expect.
They are still picking up the occasional keeper flounder, but most of those seem to have migrated out to the nearshore reefs in 35-40 feet of water.
November 2
Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 60s around Little River.
They have only ventured out “fun” fishing since the cold snap, but Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that there are still some big red drum around in the inlet. There are lots of smaller reds and black drum biting inshore as well, but they have not targeted them much as they have been more focused on the trout. The bigger trout have started to show up, and they caught one 22-inch fish and some others in the upper teens. Moving water at the mouths of creeks, around sand bars, or near other current breaks are all holding fish. Most of the time they are fishing live shrimp about 5 feet under a cork, and the best depth range is usually somewhere between 6 and 8 feet.
There was very good flounder fishing before the full moon, but now it appears that the fish are starting to move offshore. They have picked up a few flounder on the nearshore reefs, and they are also still getting plenty of weakfish out there.
October 26
Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s inshore in Little River. Water clarity is improving with a lack of rain.
It seems a little late in the year, but Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that when they have been able to get off the beaches they have absolutely been wearing out the Spanish mackerel. They are mixed in with the bait schools in 20-30 feet of water, and it’s not uncommon to see acres of fish on the surface. Yesterday they caught 40 or 50 Spanish in short order casting spoons to them.
While the Spanish have kept them occupied at times, the fishing for weakfish has also been pretty incredible. They are on the nearshore reefs and off the beaches on any sort of structure, and you can catch them a variety of different ways. Jigging spoons, fishing live mullet or mud minnows, and cut shrimp are all working. It’s not unusual to catch 40 or 50 even though you can only keep one per person.
The big red drum fishing is still spotty at best in the inlet and around the jetties. They are scattered and mixed with the sharks, and the numbers just aren’t great.
Inshore the redfish bite is still good around the tide cycle, and live finger mullet, cut mullet, Vudu Shrimp and more are all working. Most of the fish they have been catching are in the slot or over, but there are also still tons of smaller redfish around. If you fish shrimp or smaller pieces of bait you will catch them.
More trout are also showing up, and they are picking up some fish in moving water throwing artificials. The bite will only improve as temperatures drop.
The flounder are also biting this week, and it seems that there are still decent numbers around. The best place to look for flounder has still been creek mouths on falling tides.
Finally, it’s been a really good week for black drum fishing with cut shrimp. The fish have been around creek mouths, and both the rising and falling tide have been good.
October 19
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 68 degrees inshore in Little River and clarity has improved.
With some beautiful weather this week they have been able to venture out a little more, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the fishing for weakfish has been pretty incredible. They are on the nearshore reefs and off the beaches on any sort of structure in 10-20 feet of water, and you can catch them a variety of different ways. Jigging spoons, fishing live mullet or mud minnows, and cut shrimp are all working. It’s not unusual to catch 40 or 50 even though you can only keep one per person.
At the 3-Mile Reef they are also catching bluefish and Spanish mackerel casting at them, which is partially making up for the fact that the big red drum fishing is still spotty at best in the inlet and around the jetties. They are scattered and mixed with the sharks, and the numbers just aren’t great.
Inshore the redfish bite is still good around the tide cycle, and live finger mullet, cut mullet, Vudu Shrimp and more are all working. Most of the fish they have been catching are in the slot or over, but there are also still tons of smaller redfish around. If you fish shrimp or smaller pieces of bait you will catch them.
More trout are also showing up, and even though tides have been a little tricky for trout – and they have not really been targeting them – they are picking up some fish in moving water throwing artificials. They also caught a nice one on a topwater lure yesterday.
The flounder are also biting this week, and it seems that there are still decent numbers around. The best place to look for flounder has still been creek mouths on falling tides.
Finally, it’s been a really good week for black drum fishing with cut shrimp. The fish have been around creek mouths, and both the rising and falling tide have been good.
October 13
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 70 degrees inshore in Little River and the ocean water is dirty.
Even if the species are a bit re-arranged this week it’s still wide open fishing at the top of South Carolina coast, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that it’s hard to find a tide right now when the redfish are not chomping. He’s catching them on the high fall, the low fall, and throughout the rising tide. They are even catching them on dead low sight-fishing in a foot of water or less when they see fish pushing water. Overall, live finger mullet, cut mullet, Vudu Shrimp and more are all working.
Most of the fish they have been catching are in the slot or over, but there are also still tons of smaller redfish around. If you fish shrimp or smaller pieces of bait you will catch them.
While not the numbers they will be soon, there are also a few nice trout around. They are catching them in moving water, generally with live mullet on flounder rigs since they aren’t targeting trout as much yet.
Speaking of flounder, they are catching less fish right now and the bite is bit tricky. Perhaps some of the finicky bite is because they are having to use big finger mullet that are harder for the fish to swallow. Support for that is that, while they are catching less fish, what they are catching has been bigger. The best place to look for flounder has still been creek mouths on falling tides.
They are also catching black drum on fresh cut shrimp around rock piles, oyster beds, and creek mouths. Again, the falling tide is better.
In the Little River inlet the bull red drum fishing is still hit-or-miss, and it seems like you either strike out or catch 6-10 good fish. It’s unclear why.
Finally, before yesterday’s rain there were still some Spanish mackerel off the beaches that could be caught trolling in 15-30 feet of water. They were also catching some casting at schooling fish. However, this bite can’t last much longer.
October 5
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to around 73 inshore in Little River.
It’s been a pretty phenomenal flounder bite this week at the top of South Carolina’s coast, and even though it’s even better across the border in North Carolina Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they are catching some big keepers in Palmetto State waters. The best action has come at the mouths of creeks on the falling tide when bait is being flushed out, and live mullet – the bigger the better – has been catching the big ones.
On lower water redfish are also mixed in, and they are still extremely prolific. They are catching both puppy drum and bigger fish, and they will take a variety of baits.
It’s interesting to watch the movement of bait at different stages up and down South Carolina’s coast, and even as shrimp are prolific inshore further south Captain Buddy can already see them getting more scarce along the northern border. They are catching less shrimp in each throw of the cast net. Nonetheless, or maybe because of that, shrimp are the bait of choice for trout – which are chomping better. On moving water in the creeks they are picking up more trout, particularly on rising tides when there is clean water.
Black drum have been a little random, but they catching them on shrimp in holes or areas where there is current.
Finally, when conditions allow they are still catching some bull red drum around the jetties. However, they are scattered, and one day they will catch several while the next day they will be harder to find. That is also how it has been for the last couple of years.
September 28
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the low 70s inshore in Little River.
Water temperatures dropped fast at the north end of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the fishing has really turned on at the same time. The big red drum run has started, and they are catching them in the inlet around the jetties in 15-30 feet of water with cut bait on the bottom. They are also picking up some nice bluefish on this pattern, and you should keep an eye open for Spanish mackerel chasing mullet.
Inside the creeks there is still an abundance of small slot-sized redfish everywhere, as well as a decent number of fish up to 23 inches. Finger mullet, shrimp, cut mullet, mud minnows and more will all work. The dropping tide down to low tide when the fish are concentrating has been most productive, particularly around creek mouths, oyster bars and indentations. They are also picking up black drum on cut shrimp in the same areas.
There are some nice flounder being caught in both North Carolina and South Carolina, and the best time to fish for them has been from the top of the dropping tide down at creeks mouths and oyster beds as water drains out. Finger mullet and mud minnows are both working.
Some random trout are being caught, so they are around, but the numbers aren’t great right now.
September 21
Morning surface water temperatures are around 81 degrees inshore in Little River and the water is dirty.
There are plenty of flounder to be caught in South Carolina, but with the North Carolina season only open a bit longer Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that it’s hard to stay out of that state if you want to catch keepers. They are catching them on both mullet and Gulp! baits, and the best tide has been the rising tide in skinny water.
They are also picking up a lot of black drum, particularly around holes and in creek mouths. The best time to fish for them is around low tide on the last of the fall and the first of the rise, and with shrimp so abundant they only seem to want live shrimp or very fresh dead ones.
While there are a few trout around they just aren’t prolific yet, but right now even the trout holes (and everywhere else) is filled with small redfish. Some of them are 15 inches or just over, and then another fourth or fifth of the reds they are catching are 23-30 inches. It does appear that fishing pressure is making a difference with so few fish in the slot except for young-of-the-year fish that have just gotten there. Finger mullet, shrimp, cut mullet, mud minnows and more will all work.
The mullet schools are running the beaches right now, and Spanish mackerel are right there eating them. Instead of the smaller Spanish that were so common earlier they are now catching big 4-pounders free-lining mullet around the schools. You can also catch them throwing spoons or topwater lures when they are thick and fired up, and bluefish are in with them. There are also a few bull drum in the surf and at the jetties but they haven’t quite arrived in numbers yet.
September 7
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to 79 degrees around Little River and the water is dirty. Bait is less abundant in the creeks after the storms but still available, while the mullet run is underway in the ocean.
The storm has blown out the creeks with a ton of freshwater, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that it’s made catching bait harder. Instead of throwing the net twice and getting all the shrimp you need for a day of fishing you now have to throw it a lot more to get a few dozen decent-sized baits. Tiny shrimp are still everywhere.
But despite that the fishing has actually improved in the creeks, and they are now catching a ton of redfish. Most of them are just under the slot at 13 ½ to 14 inches, but there are also plenty of better fish around as well. The best time to fish for them is on the last of the fall and the first of the rise, and at higher stages of the tide they go up in the grass and become difficult to locate. They are catching the most fish on cut shrimp fished around creek mouths, and they are also picking up plenty of black drum that way. You also have to contend with a lot of smaller bait stealers.
Trout can be caught on live shrimp under a popping cork, but the most consistent trout fishing has actually come on topwater lures fished early. For some reason redfish have not been eating the plugs on top.
They have also picked up a few flounder even without targeting them too frequently, but the best flounder action is in North Carolina. In South Carolina you generally have to pick through smaller ones, but they did have one big 23-inch fish on a live finger mullet in South Carolina this week.
A few tarpon have also been around.
Perhaps the biggest change with the fishing this week is with the Spanish mackerel, which had been so abundant off the beaches. With the mullet run kicking off they have been slow trolling Hopkins spoons, but they are now catching them free-lining live mullet and throwing topwater plugs at the mouths of the inlets. The falling tide has been the best time to target them.
August 24
Morning surface water temperatures have dropped a little to 83 degrees around Little River and bait is still abundant.
It’s hard to give sole credit to the slightly dropping water temperatures when fishing was already picking up last week, but Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the slight drop in water temps has certainly coincided with a dramatically improved bite. In particular they are seeing more black drum this week, including some 22-23 inch fish, which are basically on the same pattern as the redfish. That is they are biting best on the last of the falling tide and the first of the rise around creek mouths with oysters. With live shrimp you will catch both types of drum as well as mix of other species, while with finger mullet you are more likely to get redfish. You will also catch flounder on any live bait, which are generally biting best on the lower stages of the tide as well.
In South Carolina you have to pick through the flounder to get one over 16 inches, while in North Carolina (closed to harvest) there are tons of big ones around.
While the bite hasn’t gotten hot they are also picking up a few trout, generally on the last of the rising tide. They are scattered pretty much everywhere and eating live shrimp.
The Spanish mackerel are also still around, and twenty-five feet of water is still the magic depth. You can catch them trolling spoons on #1 or #2 planer boards and there are also still some times when you can cast at them.
August 18
Morning surface water temperatures are around 85 degrees around Little River and with a lot of rain clarity is down. Bait is still abundant.
Even though temperatures are still blazing hot, Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that there is a noticeable change with the fishing and fall patterns are starting to kick in. Fish are clearly starting to feed more, and in 90 minutes of fun-fishing yesterday they managed more than a dozen redfish, trout and black drum in short order. Everything came on live shrimp fished under a popping cork. On a charter they managed seven trout at one spot, and even though most of those were smaller if you hunt around there are some bigger trout starting to show up.
Overall the most productive areas to fish have been shallow creek mouths, particularly where there are some oyster bars. The last of the fall and beginning of the rise – for about two hours each side of low tide – has been the most productive time to fish.
While keeper flounder a still a little scarce, if you hunt around for them you can find some. But if you really want to catch (and release) the big girls you have to head over to North Carolina, where on one recent trip they caught four over 20 inches!
Nearshore conditions have been a little rough and the water has been dirty, but they have still managed a pretty good catch rate for Spanish mackerel when it was calm enough to get after them. When the water clears up Buddy suspects they will be killing them again.
Twenty-five feet of water is still the magic depth, and you can catch them trolling spoons on #1 or #2 planer boards. There are also still some times when you can cast at them.
August 3
Morning surface water temperatures are down to around 83 and the creeks are full of bait. Clarity has dropped off a bit with recent rains.
It’s hard to put a finger on why, but Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the action for flounder has been surprisingly good over the last few days. There are still more, bigger fish in North Carolina because of the harvest closure, but in South Carolina creeks they are finding a ton of them compared to a just a week or two ago. They are moving around a lot and feeding best on the falling tide, although they have caught a few on the rising tide. Larger mud minnows seem to be working the best.
It's still a pretty fair bite for scattered redfish and black drum in the creek mouths with live shrimp on a slip cork rig. The falling tide has been best, and you can also pick up redfish on live finger mullet.
Trout are scattered in the same areas, but they have been pretty small and honestly don’t merit a lot of focus right now.
It’s still a pretty incredible Spanish mackerel bite most days, and the last time they went after them they managed to get ten per hour. They also seem to be getting bigger. But they were most surprised by how good the bite was even after the water got dirtier after storms a couple of nights ago.
Twenty-five feet of water is the magic depth, and you can catch them trolling spoons on #1 or #2 planer boards. There are also still some times when you can cast at them.
July 27
Morning surface water temperatures are around 85-87 and the creeks are full of bait.
It’s not fall inshore fishing, but Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they are doing pretty well catching scattered redfish and black drum in the creek mouths with live shrimp on a slip cork rig. The falling tide has been best, and you can also pick up redfish on live finger mullet.
Trout are also around in the same areas, but they have been small.
The flounder are fairly prolific, but south of the border most of them are short fish right now. There are some keeper fish that can be caught at creek mouths, but it seems like most of the better fish have headed out to the jetties or nearshore.
It’s still a pretty incredible Spanish mackerel bite some days, and the last time they went after them they managed to troll up one about every ten minutes. Twenty-five feet of water is the magic depth, and you can catch them trolling spoons on #1 or #2 planer boards. There are also still some times when you can cast at them.
July 13
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s and the creeks are full of bait.
It’s July on the South Carolina coast, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that some days you have to work to catch the inshore species. But they are still biting, and each trip they are managing to pick up some combination of flounder, trout and redfish. Unfortunately most of the keeper flounder seem to be north of the border in North Carolina, but if you weed through smaller fish you can still find some in South Carolina waters.
While for flounder you will have the best success dragging baits along the bottom, to pick up a mixed inshore bag live shrimp or finger mullet under a slip cork have been the best bait. Target moving water and look around shell beds. Recently the falling tide has been the best. You can also pick up redfish as well as occasional black drum with cut shrimp on the bottom in holes and around oysters.
Even as the resident fish can slow down in the heat, the Spanish mackerel bite is still red-hot. Trolling spoons is a great way to catch them, but recently they caught 30 fish casting at the schools. Spanish are generally off the beaches in 20-30 feet of water, although sometimes they will come closer. Birds will usually show you the way if the fish are schooling.
Finally, the best fighting fish easily accessible right now are sharks, and there are some big ones inside as well as off the beaches. In 25-30 feet of water they have gotten into some hammerheads recently.
June 29
Morning surface water temperatures are about 81-83 degrees at dawn inshore around Little River, and it’s not uncommon to see the mid-80s in the afternoon and even high-80s at low tide. Clarity is improving again after all the rain but the upcoming full moon tides will probably wreck that.
It’s been an incredibly exciting week of fishing at the top of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the nearshore reefs in 30-60 feet have been providing a ton of action. The headline species has been cobia, and they are catching fish simply jigging with vertical jigs. You could also catch them on live bait. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel are also all over the reefs and will take the same baits, and there are tons of sub-keeper black sea bass around. Spadefish are also on the reefs, although they have not been targeting them.
The Spanish mackerel fishing off the beaches also continues to be excellent, with fish coming pretty quicky trolling in 21-30 feet of water with Clarks Spoons. There are also some king mackerel around but the better action is further south around Murrells Inlet and Georgetown.
Inshore fishing is settling into a pretty typical summer pattern, and in the heat fishing early and late is both more comfortable and more productive. They are still catching a decent number of redfish on baits like cut shrimp and finger mullet in the IntraCoastal Waterway, and also picking up the occasional black drum. Trout have gotten pretty sparse but they are getting a few in creek mouths with live shrimp. They are also catching some flounder on finger mullet and mud minnows around structure, and even had one 20-incher come on a piece of cut shrimp! More flounder than usual have been around docks.
June 22
Morning surface water temperatures are about 77 or 78 degrees around Little River.
The Spanish mackerel fishing has been as good they have ever seen it at the north end of the Grand Strand, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they are catching them as fast as they can reel them in. On Father’s Day they caught 45 fish in two hours! Most of them are keepers and there are also some fish in the 20-inch range. They are within a mile of the beaches around the menhaden schools, and you can either troll or cast spoons for them.
While there are a few king mackerel and cobia close in around the bait, most of the kings seem to be out in 35-40 feet of water. However, there are tons of sharks to be caught.
Inshore it’s typical summer fishing, and that means they are catching a few redfish, trout and flounder but overall things are settling into a slower summer pattern as the water warms. Flounder are probably the best of those, and there are tons of keepers in North Carolina but they are rarer south of the border. Dragging mud minnows or finger mullet on a Carolina rig is tough to beat for flounder, but you can also fish the bait on a jighead.
Trout have been pretty sporadic but fish can be caught on live shrimp fished in creek mouths, while the best redfish action is usually on low tide mud flats in depressions and around oyster beds.
June 17
Morning surface water temperatures are up 76 degrees around Little River by the end of this week.
Things have been a little crazy at the north end of the Grand Strand, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that – between kids’ camp and normal charters – they have run 29 trips this week!
As water temperatures have risen the trout have gotten a little less frequent but they are still catching some on live shrimp fished in creek mouths. At the same time the action for redfish has filled in the void as they are getting really hungry. They can be caught in the same areas as the trout as well as on low tide mud flats with depressions and around oysters. They have also picked up scattered flounder including some keepers on shrimp, but if you want to increase your chances of catching a flounder drag a mud minnow or finger mullet along the bottom where he is waiting to ambush it.
Just off the beaches in 21-24 feet Spanish mackerel fishing is really good pulling Clarks Spoons.
More detailed report to follow next week.
June 8
Morning surface water temperatures are still only about 70 degrees around Little River.
It’s been a really fun bite at kids’ camp this week, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that – perhaps because of the mild temperatures – the trout fishing has been above average for this time of year. They have caught lots of 16-20 inch trout, and last week on the full moon it was really good.
As long as the water is moving fish will bite along the creek banks and over shell beds, but live shrimp are critical. They are also picking up lots of black drum but they are just under-sized.
They have managed a few flounder this week, including the occasional very big fish, and mullet and mud minnows on the bottom have both been working. They even hooked a 24-incher on a live shrimp! The best fishing has been on falling water but they will also bite on the rising tide.
At the same time that trout fishing is above average, redfish are way below average. All the guides report only getting one or two per week.
Nearshore action has been limited with all the wind, but the last time someone got out to the 3-Mile it was reportedly slow.
May 26
Morning surface water temperatures are about 71-74 degrees around Little River and the water is still pretty dirty with all the wind.
With windy conditions it’s been all about the inshore fishing the last week or two at the top of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that the flounder fishing has been pretty good if a bit inconsistent. It seems that because of the fronts and wind some days they bite well and some days they do not, but yesterday even though they only caught 8 fish they had an impressive 5 keepers.
In general the falling tide has been best, and fish are feeding in 3-8 feet of water around creek mouths and oyster beds. Mud minnows are working but some finger mullet are also showing up and producing.
They are also catching a few redfish in the same areas on mud minnows, cut mullet and sections of blue crab. On cut mullet they caught a monster 41 ½ inch fish this week and on a crab they had a 37 ½ inch bull. With crab you can also catch black drum, but with most of them running a little on the smaller side cut shrimp are working better.
You will also pick up the occasional trout on mud minnows, and they are averaging 3 or 4 each day. If you had live shrimp you could slay them, but shrimp are hard to net right now.
While they have picked up a rogue Spanish mackerel or two in the creeks, if you could get off the beaches in 20-25 feet there are plenty. However, it’s been too rough this week.
May 11
Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s around Little River and the water is still pretty dirty with all the wind.
It’s been a good week for Spanish mackerel just off the beaches, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that some days he has caught 25 or more trolling Clarks Spoons. When you see balls of menhaden it’s also worth casting at them, and you also have a good chance at picking up some good bluefish running up to about 5 pounds.
When it’s calm the fish seem be stacked up out to about 25-30 feet of water, and interestingly the few times he has been able to get out there Buddy has found more fish off the beaches than at the nearshore reefs. But mostly though it’s been too rough to fish the jetties or nearshore, and so it’s hard to know exactly what’s out there right now.
Inshore they have been catching a good number of black drum in typical trout holes back in the creeks, and the best bite seems to be on cut shrimp in 5-8 feet of water. They are also picking up some good-sized trout, almost always in singles, floating shrimp in creek mouths. The keepers are very scattered out right now.
There are also a few scattered redfish around the banks which can be caught in skinny water on the last of the falling tide, but they have not been jumping in the boat. That leads guides to believe there aren’t a ton of them around right now, but another factor is that this week the tide cycle wasn’t good for them. More redfish seem to be coming just over the border in North Carolina.
Finally, they are catching a few flounder in the creeks right now including a 20-incher on one charters. They are in their normal summer spots in holes and the skinnier backwaters. Mud minnows are working very well and catches should only go up as more fish arrive.
May 5
Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s around Little River and the water quality is very bad after all the wind.
Some larger trout have been showing up at the top of the coast this week, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that they have caught fish up to 24 inches. The key is live shrimp, and the best place to fish is creek mouths in 3-8 feet. It doesn’t matter if the tide is rising or falling, but it has to be moving. Black drum have also been in the same areas eating the same bait, although they will also take fresh cut shrimp.
There are also flounder scattered everywhere right now, especially in the Intracoastal Waterway and at creek mouths. The tide hasn’t made too much of a difference, but they do seem to be catching a few more on the falling tide. Mud minnows are working great, but the crabs are so bad right now that artificial lures like Gulp! are sometimes less frustrating.
Unfortunately redfish have been a little rare recently, but they are picking up the occasional one drifting shrimp. Reds may also be feeding better on low water which they have targeted less often.
The jetties are also holding redfish and black drum, but it’s been too windy to get out there. The same is true for the nearshore reefs, and when they were last able to get out to the 3-Mile a week ago it was covered up in bluefish and Spanish.
April 21
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees around Little River.
The Spanish mackerel fishing is on fire this week, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that from the beaches out to about 5 miles offshore they are wearing them out. Fish are running up to 3-4 pounds, and the numbers are excellent. Spoons are working very well.
At the nearshore reefs there are also bonito, summer trout, bluefish and more around.
The flounder fishing has picked up with better weather this week, and there continue to be a good number of flounder in the creeks. As the snot grass disappears they will get easier to target on the bottom.
Trout are being caught at creeks mouths, along banks and at the jetties. Fish are biting on both the rising and falling tide, as long as there is moving water. The best depth range has been 5-8 feet of water.
While they are catching some fish on Vudu Shrimp, Gulp! and even on the fly, live shrimp is hard to beat.
There are black drum mixed in with the trout being caught on the same live shrimp, but you can probably pick up more black drum fishing on the bottom with fresh cut shrimp. The best concentrations are also a bit deeper in 10-15 feet of water.
Unfortunately most of them are small right now.
A few redfish are being landed as well, mostly on low tide in skinny water or holes. Some are also being caught around creek mouths on the dropping tide when everything is being flushed out of the creeks. The fish are generally now in medium-sized schools on low water.
Fresh cut shrimp is also working the best.
April 10
Morning surface water temperatures dropped drastically after this weekend’s rain and cold weather to about 60 degrees around Little River.
When you can get out to the nearshore reefs the fishing is phenomenal right now, and Captain Buddy Love with Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that 3-5 miles offshore there are tons of Spanish mackerel, bonito, summer trout, bluefish and more around. They aren’t seeing mackerel and bonito schooling on the top quite yet, but both species will take spoons. Trout seem to prefer Gulp! baits fished slowly on the bottom.
Cooler weather temporarily hurt the inshore bite over the weekend, and today on the water they had to work to catch trout and flounder. Still, there seem to be a surprisingly good number of flounder in the creeks because they are catching them just on float rigs without really targeting them. The snot grass is still prevalent and makes it hard to fish on the bottom.
Trout are being caught at creeks mouths, along banks and at the jetties. Fish are biting on both the rising and falling tide, as long as there is moving water. The best depth range has been 5-8 feet of water.
While they are catching some fish on Vudu Shrimp, Gulp! and even on the fly, live shrimp is hard to beat.
There are black drum mixed in with the trout being caught on the same live shrimp, but you can probably pick up more black drum fishing on the bottom with fresh cut shrimp. The best concentrations are also a bit deeper in 10-15 feet of water.
Unfortunately most of them are small right now.
A few redfish are being picked up as well, mostly on low tide in skinny water or holes. Some are also being caught around creek mouths on the dropping tide when everything is being flushed out of the creeks. The fish are generally now in medium-sized schools on low water.
Fresh cut shrimp is also working the best.