Local fishing report

Estuary

Look for | Red drum, spotted seatrout, flounder, sheepshead, black drum.

Comments | Red drum, a.k.a. spottails or reds, remain the top catch in local estuaries. Capt. Mark Dickson of Shallow-Minded Inshore Charters in North Myrtle Beach headed for shallow flats and pools on Tuesday, and his crew of Lauch Martin and Shaw Williams of Myrtle Beach landed 32 reds on mud minnows fished on 1/4-ounce jig heads. The fish ranged in size from 17 to 30 inches. Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service in Georgetown had good success in the Winyah Bay vicinity with red drum on a Tuesday trip and landed a flounder to boot. McDonald and crew used artificials to land the reds including fish weighing 6 1/2, 7 and 8 pounds that were released. The flounder was a keeper, measuring 14 1/4 inches. "It's time for them to start showing up," McDonald said of the flounder. McDonald noted a water temperature of 58 degrees in the bay. Ocean Isle Fishing Center reports good catches of spotted seatrout in Brunswick County, N.C. Eric Perry of Perry's Bait and Tackle reports a few small flounder and a few trout have been landed in Murrells Inlet but action is slow. Trout, sheepshead, red drum, black drum and flounder are all possibilities at area jetties.

Inshore

Look for | Whiting, croaker, black sea bass, flounder.

Comments | An encouraging report has come in from the Apache Pier with anglers landing a few whiting and croakers this week despite a water temperature reading of just under 52 degrees on Thursday afternoon. As the water temperatures continue to rise in the next few weeks, look for catches of whiting and croakers to increase and bluefish and flounder to arrive for the spring. Inshore bottom spots are holding black sea bass, sheepshead and possibly flounder. The overwhelming majority of black sea bass on bottom spots within 10 miles of the beach are under the 12-inch minimum size limit.

Offshore

Look for | Black sea bass, wahoo, blackfin tuna, cobia, amberjack, triggerfish

Comments | Rough seas have kept boats away from the offshore waters this week but the forecast looks more favorable for Saturday. Black sea bass are the best bet with depths of 80 to 120 feet producing the most keepers including fish to 15 inches. The minimum size limit for the species is 12 inches with a 15-per person daily bag limit. Grouper, vermilion snapper and red snapper are off-limits for recreational anglers and must be released. With warmer days ahead, trolling action will soon heat up, but for now wahoo and blackfin tuna are the main possibilities.

Freshwater

Look for | Bream, catfish, bass, crappie, shad.

Comments | The first day of spring is Saturday and the fish know it, no matter the water temperature. Bream, morgans and shellcracker are in a state of transition with some moving shallower to depths of 3-4 feet even though water temperatures are in the mid 50s in local rivers. At Yauhannah, Samworth and Bucksport, the fish are still relatively deep, hitting worms in 6-7 feet of water. On the Waccamaw, bream have been landed in 3-4 feet on worms with some fish taking crickets. "The water level has gone down and they're coming up with the warmer weather," said Jay Booth of Fishermen's Headquarters in Conway. "For some reason the Waccamaw warms up quicker. Everything's just transitional but fishing has been really good this week." Catfish action has been very good on the Great Pee Dee and the ICW below Socastee with a 51-pound flathead reported. Cut shad and eels are working for catfish. Booth noted crappie action has been fair at best on minnows. Fishermen's Headquarters is staging its weekly bass tournament on Saturdays this spring, beginning on March 27. Entry fee is $30 per boat. For more information, call Booth at 397-3474.

State fishing

Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie | Catfish: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that throughout the Santee system fish should be moving shallower with the warmer weather, from the top of Lake Marion down to the Cooper River tailrace and into brackish water. Largemouth bass: Fair to good. Captain Inky Davis advises that the upper end of Lake Marion is clearing; look for warm, wind-protected areas and navigate carefully around submerged stumps and trees. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastic worms are all good choices right now. Crappie: Captain Steve English reports that the first wave of crappie has moved up into shallow water, in some places moving into as little as 3 feet. The shallowest fish will be in warm, backwater ponds. Fish will spawn at 55 degrees and some places have already gotten there. For these shallow fish it can be as simple as fishing with a jig or minnow under a bobber.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources