Grand Strand Fishing Report: Spanish and king mackerel are biting with baitfish plentiful
Estuary
Look For: Red drum, flounder, spotted seatrout, black drum, tarpon, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, sheepshead.
Comments: Finger mullet have been plentiful in local estuaries and thus are the bait of choice, particularly for red drum and flounder. “There are lots of finger mullet all around,” said Capt. Chris Ossman of Fine Catch Charters in Little River. “There are schools of reds, 18-30 inches in (Brunswick County, N.C.). I’ve found a little bit cleaner water and with a few flounder mixed in too.” Ossman has been using large finger mullet in the 4-7 inch range, and has also caught a few spotted seatrout with the mullet. Be sure to match your hook to the bait size. Ossman notes the red drum bite has been best on a rising tide. “Reds are (active) more on the rise, when that cooler water from the ocean is getting them to feed,” said Ossman. “The flounder are more on the falling tide, and the flounder bite is only going to get better in the next few weeks.” Ossman noted a water temperature of 87 degrees Wednesday at Little River Inlet on a falling tide. Conditions and action are similar in Murrells Inlet for Capt. Dan Connolly of O-Fish-Al Expeditions. “We’ve been putting it to the reds the last couple mornings,” Connolly said at midweek. “We hooked probably 30 reds (Wednesday) morning and 20 (Tuesday). Everything from 13 to 30 inches both at the jetties and the creeks on live and cut mullet.” On Wednesday, Connolly produced two 17-inch and a 22-inch flounder in the inlet while casting finger mullet on a Carolina rig. Connolly has also caught black drum on fresh dead shrimp. Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service had a super trip Tuesday on a spot south of Georgetown, producing 33 reds and 21 black drum all on cut shrimp, or in his words, “stinky shrimp.” McDonald also noted a water temperature of 89 degrees Wednesday in Jones Creek. “It’s hot,” said McDonald. Capt. Jordan Pate of Carolina Guide Service out of Georgetown Landing Marina released three tarpon out of four bites Wednesday in Winyah Bay.
Inshore
Look For: Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, tarpon, spadefish, whiting, pompano, flounder, black drum, spotted seatrout, weakfish.
Comments: Finger mullet are also producing good catches of Spanish mackerel on the near-shore reefs either by live-chumming or slow-trolling. Capt. Alex Hrycak of Marlin Quay Marina hit Paradise Reef, located three miles east of Murrells Inlet, Thursday morning and kept seven Spanish in the 2-5 pound range. Hrycak got numerous bites while slow-trolling finger mullet. “They will eat menhaden too,” said Hrycak, who noted trolling straw rigs and spoons are not producing fish. Bottom spots in 45-65 feet of water such as Belky Bear and The Jungle are producing some king mackerel and large Spanish. Capt. Perrin Wood put a 22-pound king and several large Spanish in the box on a Wednesday trip to Belky Bear. Blake Charles Nash of Pawleys Island landed a 25-pound king near the beach at the Palm Tree, located north of the Winyah Bay jetties. Also look for Spanish around inlet passes and along the beach. Spanish action has been good off Grand Strand piers, too, with live bait (mullet or menhaden) the best option. Jigging straw rigs will also produce some fish. The piers are also producing scattered catches of whiting, croaker, pompano, flounder, spadefish and bluefish. Croaker are the most common catch. The water temperature is still very warm, at 86 degrees Wednesday at Cherry Grove Pier, with a cool front on the way for the weekend.
Offshore
Look For: Wahoo, king mackerel, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, dolphin, sailfish, grouper, red snapper, amberjack, cobia, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, red porgy, black sea bass.
Comments: Trolling action has been hit or miss of late in the Dog Days of late summer, but there have been some quality fish caught. Margaritaville produced a 50-pound yellowfin tuna plus a few small wahoo on a mid-week trip, reports Ed Keelin of Georgetown Landing Marina. “It’s been hit or miss but there hasn’t been a lot of effort,” said Keelin. “I would think you could go out there and catch some fish.” Keelin also reports a few catches of blackfin tuna. Bottom fishing has been excellent, but best action is a little deeper, in 100-120 feet of water. Dr. Jason Rosenberg’s Painkiller had a super bottom fishing trip out of Murrells Inlet, catching three scamp, a few strawberry grouper plus vermilion snapper, porgy, white grunts and triggerfish. Capt. Shane Bashor of Side Kick Charters had a great combo trip, catching seven king mackerel in the 10-15 pound range along with a good bottom catch of vermilion snapper, black sea bass and a very nice grouper. Red snapper are commonly found on the reefs and ledges in 80-120 feet but must be released in the South Atlantic Region. Anglers targeting snapper-grouper species are required to have a descending device on board and readily available for use. Also, the use of non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks are required when fishing for snapper-grouper species with hook-and-line gear and natural baits.
Freshwater
Look For: Bream, bass, catfish, crappie.
Comments: River water levels are finally in good shape once again, but then there’s been the issue of sweltering heat this week. “If we can get rid of this heat, it’s going to get better each day,” said Ronald Stalvey of Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle in Conway. “Not a lot of people are going since it’s been so hot.” Bream continue to bite mainly crickets, plus worms, in 2-4 feet of water. Catfish action is strong on black salty minnows, bream and eels. Stalvey has a game plan for bass anglers, with the air and water temperatures at their hottest of the year. “Bass, with the heat, have been hitting topwater early in morning and late evening,” said Stalvey. “During the day, switch over to Texas-rigged worms where those bass are looking for cooler pockets of water on the bottom.” River Squires weighed in a 3-pound bass to win the Tuesday bass tournament out of Conway Marina.