Fishing report (July 1, 2016)

Estuary

Look For: Flounder, black drum, red drum, spotted seatrout, bluefish, sheepshead.

Comments: Flounder action has been good in local estuaries this week, with decent catches of spotted seatrout. Capt. Patrick Kelly of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters in Little River has been drifting finger mullet and mud minnows in tidal creeks in the Little River vicinity to catch flounder. Trout have been hitting live shrimp under popping corks for Kelly, who noted action has been best on an incoming tide the last few days. Kelly noted his fellow captain, Capt. Chris Ossman, caught five keeper flounder and eight throwbacks on Wednesday. Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service in Georgetown has found flounder receptive in the Georgetown area, including a 5-pounder caught Thursday morning on a plastic grub. McDonald noted water conditions in Winyah Bay, which have been generally poor due to freshwater runoff since last October, are finally looking better. “The water looks pretty good,” said McDonald, who noted a water temperature of 82 degrees. “It’s starting to get a more normal look to it.” Both Kelly and McDonald noted slow action for red drum. Jessica Perry of Perry’s Bait and Tackle in Murrells Inlet says flounder action is decent in the inlet but the fish are “more sparse than they were.” Perry also notes better catches on an incoming tide the last few days. Perry notes sporadic catches of black drum and red drum inside the inlet and says to look for sheepshead at the Murrells Inlet jetties, along with black drum, red drum, trout and spadefish.

Inshore

Look For: Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, bluefish, whiting, croaker, pompano, flounder, weakfish, spadefish.

Comments: After a long windy stretch, conditions finally calmed down for anglers this week on the inshore scene. Charlie Demore took advantage of the improved conditions to land a true smoker king mackerel off the Springmaid Pier. Demore’s king weighed 32.7 pounds, measured 53.5 inches and was the biggest caught off the pier since 2013. Grand Strand piers are also producing whiting, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano, flounder, croaker and black drum, with sheepshead and spadefish also a possibility. Capt. Jeff Maples of Reel Salty Charters in Murrells Inlet has had very good success this week catching flounder at Paradise Reef (Three-Mile Reef), using finger mullet and mud minnows. Maples also noted the presence of Spanish and kings in the vicinity of the reef. Black sea bass, spadefish and weakfish are also available on near-shore reefs, with roaming cobia also a possibility. All cobia must be released for the remainder of 2016. Anglers should remember black sea bass have a 13-inch minimum size limit. Also look for Spanish near inlet passes such as Little River and Murrells Inlet and along the beach. The ocean water temperature was 83.1 degrees at 5 p.m. Thursday at Springmaid Pier.

Offshore

Look For: Dolphin, blackfin tuna, wahoo, grouper, black sea bass, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, red porgy, grunts, cobia, amberjack.

Comments: A few boats have made it offshore for some trolling action since the ocean finally laid down earlier this week, and blackfin tuna have made the best showing. Dolphin, wahoo and king mackerel are also available, along with sailfish, but fish are scattered as July and the “dog days” of summer are here. Look for kings in 60-90 feet of water. Bottom fishing is excellent, but best in deeper water (depths of 70 feet and beyond). Look for vermilion snapper, black sea bass, triggerfish, porgy, grouper and amberjack. Red snapper are occasionally being caught on the reefs but must be released indefinitely in the South Atlantic Region.

Freshwater

Look For: Bream, catfish, crappie, bass.

Comments: “I’ve seen some pretty bream come off the Big Pee Dee and the Waccamaw, some of the finest I’ve seen all year,” said Ronald “Catfish” Stalvey of Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle in Conway. Stalvey notes action is at least decent on the Little Pee Dee River. “I’ve seen some pretty fish come off the Little Pee Dee,” said Stalvey. “The water’s still a little high and in the swamps but they’re catching some fish.” The Little Pee Dee was at 6.34 feet at 3 p.m. Thursday at Galivants Ferry and is forecast to be down to 6 feet on Tuesday. Anglers are floating crickets, worms and wax worms to catch bream. Action is best early and late in the day, particularly so for bass. “They’ve been catching (bass) on bottom worms and floating worms, top-water frogs and Bang-O-Lures,” said Stalvey. “Early and late is best.” Catfish action is good on fresh cut eels in all area rivers.

Gregg Holshouser

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Fishing report (July 1, 2016)."