Grand Strand Fishing Report: Several boats finding success in wahoo tournament

Estuary

Look For: Spotted seatrout, black drum, red drum, sheepshead, flounder.

Comments: Thanks to a generally mild December, there is plenty of action to be found for spotted seatrout and other species in local inlets, bays and sounds. “The bite is really good still, the weather’s been good,” said Capt. Dan Connolly of O-Fish-Al Expeditions on Tuesday, with air temperatures in the lower to even mid 70s. “That’s keeping our water temperature in the 50s. As long as it’s in the 50s it’s going to be incredible fishing just like it has been all fall.” Of course, a cold front rolled through on Wednesday, but the water temperature remains easily warm enough for trout along with red drum and black drum to remain active and feeding. Trout will hit live shrimp, a variety of soft plastics including shrimp and minnow imitations plus top-water lures (mainly at dawn and dusk). Connolly notes live shrimp currently can be difficult to find for purchase, and says having live shrimp is the key to catching large, trophy-size trout well over 20 inches. “You may catch a few over 20 inches but you’re not going to go out and throw artificials and catch all 20-plus inch fish,” said Connolly. Black drum and red drum are schooled up and continue to be caught in the creeks and at area jetties but most flounder have moved offshore. “You’re going to catch some juvenile (flounder) under 17 inches in the creeks in the winter, but anything bigger is pretty much going to be offshore,” said Connolly. Area jetties are prime spots to find numerous species including trout, weakfish, red drum, black drum, sheepshead and tautog.

Inshore

Look For: Black sea bass, weakfish, flounder, whiting, croaker, black drum, sheepshead.

Comments: ‘Tis the season for some estuary species to transition to near-shore structure. Action isn’t necessarily on fire, yet, but numerous species including black sea bass, sheepshead, black drum, red drum, weakfish, flounder and tautog could be found holding on hard-bottom areas and the structure of artificial reefs within 10-12 miles of the beach. The number of keeper black sea bass above the 13-inch minimum size limit increases in late fall and winter on these spots. Although action has been slow overall with few anglers trying their luck, the Apache Pier reports catches of mainly whiting and croaker, but with a few weakfish and black drum mixed in. Not bad for mid-December. The ocean water temperature at both the Apache Pier and Cherry Grove Pier was 55 degrees Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Offshore

Look For: Wahoo, blackfin tuna, grouper, red snapper, amberjack, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, red porgy, black sea bass.

Comments: The Dirty Martini headed offshore to fish in Capt. Roger’s Wahoo Challenge, based out of Ocean Isle Fishing Center in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Jeff Martini and crew trolled between the Winyah Scarp and the MacMarlen Ledge and boated two wahoo, including a 42-pounder. They also landed two blackfin tuna, one a 22-pounder, an amberjack in the 80-plus pound range and numerous little tunny. “There was a lot of life out there,” said Martini. “When we caught that amberjack, I thought we had the winning wahoo.” Dirty Martini sits in third place with a 166.05-pound aggregate for four wahoo in the challenge, which concludes on Jan. 3. Game Hawg is in first place with a four-wahoo aggregate of 177.8 pounds with Main Event is second with 167.25 pounds. Bottom fishing is excellent for amberjack, grouper, vermilion snapper, black sea bass, triggerfish, porgy, white grunts and red snapper when boats can get out, particularly in depths of 90-120 feet. Red snapper have been found on shallower spots, but the species is closed to harvest in the South Atlantic Region and must be released.

Freshwater

Look For: Bream, crappie, bass, catfish.

Comments: It’s holiday season on local rivers, as most anglers are taking a break from freshwater fishing with Christmas only a few days away. “It’s the same old thing, not many people are going,” said Ronald “Catfish” Stalvey of Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle. There are fish to be caught, however. Best bet for bream is lead-lining worms on the bottom in 8-15 feet of water. Crappie are holding on structure in 4-12 feet of water, hitting minnows, jigs or beetle spins. Look for crappie on structure around creek mouths and along channels. Bass are hitting finesse worms, small crawfish baits and small crankbaits. Eels and live bream are top baits for catfish.