Grand Strand Fishing Report: There is biting offshore if the weather permits

Estuary

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

Comments: After last week’s windy and cold spell, the water temperature has trended up and has stabilized back in the 50-degree range. Thus, action for spotted seatrout and red drum has picked right back up. Capt. Dan Connolly of O-Fish-Al Expeditions has found a very solid bite of trout in Murrells Inlet, plus plenty of red drum within the 15-23 inch slot and over. “As long as that water temperature is over 47 they’ll be biting,” said Connolly, who has floated live shrimp to catch the trout, both in the creeks and at the jetties. “It took me an hour to get my limit of (10) trout (Thursday).” The trout were all in the 17-23 inch range. Connolly has found slot reds in the creeks hitting live shrimp or dead shrimp on the bottom. He has also caught reds in the 24-30 inch range at the jetties. Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service in Georgetown also found a good trout bite, catching 27 on a fun trip on Tuesday in the Winyah Bay vicinity, all on soft plastic grubs. On Saturday, McDonald found numerous reds schooled up, using cut shrimp and soft plastics successfully. “We’ve got so much freshwater coming down the rivers (into the bay), most of the fish are close to the ocean,” said McDonald.

Inshore

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

Comments: Aside from Wednesday, there have been relatively few days to allow boats to get out to the near-shore artificial reefs to find out what species are holding on them. Two species can assuredly be found on the reefs - black sea bass and sheepshead. Connolly is confident one other species is present on one or more of the reefs within five miles of the beach. “It’s been slow on black drum in the inlet,” said Connolly. “I’m assuming they moved off to the reef like the sheepshead. One of the reefs has got to be loaded with black drum.” Capt. Perrin Wood of Southern Saltwater tried to get out on Tuesday, but conditions were just too nasty. When he does get out there, Wood knows what his bait will be. “You may have to fight through some black sea bass if you’re using shrimp, but if you’re using fiddlers you can find some sheepshead and some drum,” said Wood. “There haven’t been many people out there, the weather has kept everybody dockside.” Weakfish, flounder and tautog are also possibilities on the near-shore reefs. Action is slow in the surf zone. Perry Duncan of the Cherry Grove Pier reported a few small whiting and croaker, plus dogfish have been caught this week. The ocean water temperature was 52 degrees Thursday at 1 p.m.

Offshore

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

Comments: Ronald Stalvey of Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle in Conway headed out of Georgetown Sunday for a bottom fishing excursion aboard a Key West 239. In depths of 50-60 feet and a water temperature of 57 degrees, Stalvey and three fishing buddies found a good grade of black sea bass. From there it was on out to 100-110 feet of water and a water temperature in the lower 60s, where large vermilion snapper, white grunts, scamp and strawberry grouper joined the fray. Of course, there are a number of reef species that must be released. The annual shallow-water grouper spawning season closure is in effect and continues through the month of April plus red snapper are closed to harvest in the South Atlantic Region and must be released. Trolling boats are finding a decent bite of wahoo and blackfin tuna.

Freshwater

Look For: Bream, crappie, bass, catfish.

Comments: There was still a rise in the rivers at midweek, and angler activity has been slow. The Waccamaw River and the Intracoastal Waterway remain in the best shape for fishing while the Pee Dee system is still high. The Waccamaw at Conway was at 8.5 feet Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. The Little Pee Dee at Galivants Ferry was just below Minor Flood Stage at 8.14 feet Wednesday at 3 p.m. Fish are in their winter mode and will be for several more weeks. Look for bream on the bottom in 8-15 feet of water hitting worms. Crappie are hitting minnows best, but also jigs and beetle spins, in 4-12 feet of water on structure. For bass, finesse worms, small crawfish baits and small crankbaits are top lures. Catfish are hitting eels and live bream, but fresh shad is a prime bait with the upriver spawning migration of shad getting into full swing.