Grand Strand Fishing Report: King mackerel have reached Myrtle Beach area piers
Estuary
Look For: Flounder, red drum, spotted seatrout, black drum, sheepshead, bluefish, Spanish mackerel.
Comments: After a splendid Sunday on Memorial Day weekend, the weather took a turn for the worse starting on Monday, then Tropical Storm Bertha sprung a surprise on the South Carolina coast on Wednesday. Since the wind turned from southeast to northeast on Monday, action has slowed in Murrells Inlet. Capt. Dan Connolly of O-Fish-Al Expeditions out of Marlin Quay Marina had a great catch of black drum at the jetties Sunday afternoon, but then was restricted to inside the inlet on Tuesday, when he caught some undersized flounder and black drum. “Seems like all of a sudden when that wind started blowing out of the north, it turned the bite (off),” said Connolly. “If the weather cooperates and we have nice days, the bite is really good.” Capt. Patrick Kelly of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters in Little River was able to fish mainly at the Little River jetties and produced a combination of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, redfish, spotted seatrout and ladyfish Tuesday. Kelly had a weapon - live shrimp – that is hard to come by these days, and also used live mud minnows and Berkeley Gulp baits. “We found a good little spot on the rocks,” said Kelly. The last excellent trip for Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service came, predictably, last weekend when the weather was good. McDonald and crew fished the Winyah Bay vicinity with top-water lures to catch eight trout including two over four pounds and three more that topped three pounds. McDonald’s group also caught flounder and red drum.
Inshore
Look For: King mackerel, Spanish mackerel, cobia, spadefish, bluefish, whiting, pompano, flounder, black drum, weakfish.
Comments: King mackerel had invaded area waters from along the beach, to the near-shore artificial reefs to the typical spots 10-15 miles offshore in 50-60 feet of water before Bertha made the scene on Wednesday. When conditions return to normal in early June, expect the kings to be in the same areas. Chris Gore has proven to be the king angler of kings off the Cherry Grove Pier. First, Gore landed a 35-pounder on May 15, the first king caught off a Grand Strand pier this spring. Then, on Memorial Day, Gore put a 40-pound, 3-ounce smoker on the deck of the pier. The first king hit a bluefish, then on Monday the 40-pounder nailed a menhaden (pogy). With a perfect ocean in the offing on Sunday morning, Connolly ventured out to Paradise (3-Mile) Reef out of Murrells Inlet in his Key West bay boat with mackerel in mind. Connolly slow-trolled live menhaden and caught two nice kings, one in the 12-15 pound range and one 18-pounder. Connolly also boated two Spanish in the 3-4 pound range, also on menhaden. Connolly uses light 7-strand wire for mackerel. “With the amount of pressure the (mackerel) see closer to shore, (the lighter wire) gets more bites,” said Connolly. Capt. Jeff Maples of Reel Salty Charters worked Belky Bear, about 12 miles off Murrells Inlet, also on Sunday and caught a limit of kings on a morning trip while slow-trolling dead cigar minnows. The size was excellent with the kings weighing in at 12-18 pounds. Maples and crew also boated a cobia that measured less than an inch short of the minimum size limit of 36 inches for the species. Look for Spanish mackerel in numerous areas, including around jetties and ocean passes, on bait along the beach and around near-shore artificial reefs and live-bottom areas.The ocean water temperature is in the 76-78 degree range.
Offshore
Look For: Dolphin, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, king mackerel, bonito, grouper, red snapper, amberjack, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, red porgy, black sea bass.
Comments: Good weather days allowing boats to get offshore and target tuna, dolphin and wahoo have been rare, but last Sunday was certainly one of those days. Capt. Shawn Thomas of Underdog Sport Fishing Charters in Murrells Inlet was among numerous boats that headed to the break and beyond. Thomas worked mainly the Winyah Scarp area and found tuna receptive on ballyhoo in 150-180 feet of water. The crew boated six tuna, a combination of yellowfin and blackfin, including three yellowfin in the 25-30 pound range. Three nice dolphin also found their way into the trolling spread and into the box. Thomas also did a few deep drops in 600 feet of water to produce a few snowy grouper and tilefish. Nice weather days are also producing excellent bottom, or reef, fishing catches, mainly in depths of 90 to 120 feet. Party boats are in operation, and the New Inlet Princess out of Crazy Sister Marina brought in a superb catch of mainly vermilion snapper, black sea bass, grey triggerfish, amberjack and grouper on Sunday. Grouper fishing is very good, with scamp the species most commonly caught. Red snapper are also common on the bottom spots, but must be released in the South Atlantic Region.
Freshwater
Look For: Bream, bass, catfish, crappie.
Comments: Bertha brought a deluge of rain to the coast and the Carolina Piedmont, so there is a definite rise in the rivers. At midweek river fishing action was at a standstill. “Not many people can do anything with all this weather,” said Logan Estep of Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle. Estep notes bream action has still been good in many areas including the Bucksport vicinity. “In the creeks and mouths of creeks, that’s where your better fish are going to be,” said Estep. Most anglers are using crickets for bream, but worms and nightcrawlers will work too. Catfish are hitting fresh cut eel and finger mullet, Estep noted. Top-water lures and plastic worms are working for bass. “The bass are starting to pick up on the top-water stuff, and the worms like Senkos and trick worms are working,” said Estep. Angler Jerry Roberson won the Tuesday Big Bass tournament out of Conway Marina with a 3.12-pound bass to take home $1,600. Roberson topped 79 other anglers.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 3:12 PM.
