Captain Brian Costello with Fish-On Outfitters (843-249-2600) in Cherry Grove reports that the flood has had significant effects on fishing in the Little River area.  Prior to the deluge you could look out in the ICW and see schools of mullet so thick that you could walk across them, but the floodwaters have chased the mullet either down or out of the Intra-Coastal.  Despite this the striped bass fishing is still intact with striper running well in the ICW – anglers are reminded that fish have to be more than 26 inches to keep.  A variety of live bait as well as plugs will catch fish, and anglers should fish in places where bait is available.  Fish will be around the ledge adjacent to the main channel as well as around bridges and other obstacles that create eddies.

While many anglers will be fishing in the ICW this month, perhaps the most exciting fishery is out at the Little River jetties.  Brian says that there are schools of menhaden inside, outside and generally around the rocks and monster red drum are feeding underneath them.  These are the breeding population and the fish will literally fight to exhaustion, and so Brian strongly urges anglers to treat the fish with extreme care.  Take photos in the water and avoiding getting them out of the water and in the boat.  Brian notes that there are also some monster flounder underneath the menhaden schools around the jetties.

Back inshore it has been a pretty slow season for slot-sized redfish, but right now the spots are running like crazy.  At the Fish-On Outfitters store in Cherry Grove blood worms are selling like crazy.

Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that in addition to sporadic spot runs in the surf they have seen whiting, croaker and small flounder – as well as some bigger fish well over 14 inches.  A few Spanish and bluefish have also been around, and lots of oversized red drum in the 35-40 inch range have been caught.  The last kings were caught mid-October.