Grand Strand Fishing Report: King, Spanish and even cobia are being caught off area piers
Estuary
Look For: Red drum, spotted seatrout, flounder, black drum, sheepshead, bluefish.
Comments: Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service in Georgetown has found good action for bull reds, or channel bass, in Winyah Bay this week. On Monday, McDonald and crew caught three of the spawning reds on chunks of cut mullet and then turned their focus to spotted seatrout. McDonald’s pair of anglers landed 14 trout on soft plastic grubs, including six keepers over the 14-inch minimum size limit. McDonald noted a water temperature of 71 degrees. Capt. Patrick Kelly of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters has found an excellent red drum bite of fish just over the 15-23 inch slot this week in the creeks of the Little River area. “Redfishing has been really good with overslot fish (24-29 inches),” said Kelly. “We have been getting some slot fish too. Tuesday was as good as it can get. It was one of the best spottail trips I’ve had all year.” Kelly’s crew caught one on a topwater plug but mainly used finger mullet for bait. Kelly hasn’t targeted spotted seatrout due to a lack of sizable shrimp but did produce one 22-inch, four-pound trout. Kelly noted a water temperature of 73 degrees. Capt. Dan Connolly of O-Fish-Al Expeditions has focused mainly on flounder in Murrells Inlet. “The flounder bite is pretty good everywhere, the creeks and the jetties,” said Connolly. “A few trout are showing up, and I’ve caught smaller reds at the bottom of the slot.”
Inshore
Look For: Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, bluefish, red drum, black drum, weakfish, black sea bass, whiting, flounder, croaker, pompano, spadefish.
Comments: The fall run of mullet heading south along the beach is on, and there are plenty of species trailing the prolific baitfish. Pelagics such as Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia and even tarpon, and red drum and weakfish lower in the water column are feasting on the baitfish. Capt. Alex Hrycak of Marlin Quay Marina found some solid action for Spanish mackerel trolling mackerel trees on a planer rod and 1-ounce diamond jigs at the surface on Monday. Hrycak said most hits came on the diamond jigs. Connolly of O-Fish-Al Expeditions worked live finger mullet at Paradise Reef on Wednesday, located three miles east of Murrells Inlet, and had reasonable success but not as many bites as expected. “They’ve got millions of mullet to eat besides the ones we’re offering,” said Connolly. “There are Spanish everywhere you look busting on bait.” False albacore, in the bonito family, have also been found near the beach feasting on bait. Bull red drum, in the 30-40 inch range, are on their autumn spawning mission and are frequenting near-shore hard-bottom areas and jetties. Weakfish, also known as summer trout or grey trout, are in the same areas. Remember, weakfish have a 12-inch minimum size limit and a one-fish per person daily bag limit. The drop in water temperature and nice sea conditions have ramped up action on Grand Strand piers. The Cherry Grove Pier has produced 11 king mackerel since last Saturday including a 33.8-pounder landed by Zack Jackson on Tuesday. A 24-pound cobia also hit the deck this week. At Apache Pier, three kings were landed on Tuesday including a pair of 19-pounders. Catches of Spanish mackerel have been very good on the piers along with whiting, pompano, croaker and flounder. The occasional bull red has been caught and released from the piers. The much-anticipated run of spots hasn’t happened yet, with only a few scattered catches reported. The ocean water temperature is in the 75-76 degree range, and trending down.
Offshore
Look For: Wahoo, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, dolphin, king mackerel, barracuda, grouper, vermilion snapper, red porgy, black sea bass, white grunts, grey triggerfish and amberjack.
Comments: After a long stretch of windy weather, conditions finally allowed boats to get out to depths of 100-plus feet last weekend. Earl E Bird out of Georgetown produced about 15 blackfin tuna plus a bonus yellowfin tuna along with a wahoo. Ed Keelin of Georgetown Landing Marina reports Miss Wy landed a wahoo, a blackfin, a king mackerel and hooked up with a blue marlin, while Big Kahuna landed a few blackfin and a wahoo. Look for wahoo action to continue on the upswing for trolling boats. Autumn is an excellent time for bottom fishing, with fish, particularly grouper, trending in to shallower depths. Bottom spots are producing vermilion snapper, red porgy, black sea bass, white grunts, grey triggerfish and amberjack. Red snapper are common 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, crappie, catfish, bass.
Comments: The rivers, particularly the Little Pee Dee and Great Pee Dee, are back near Minor Flood Stage. Combined with hunting season kicking in, there hasn’t been much angler activity on the rivers. “Nobody’s been going,” said Ronald “Catfish” Stalvey of Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle in Conway. “I haven’t seen the first freshwater fish this week, but they should be catching a few.” Preferred areas are the Waccamaw and “maybe Ricefields,” Stalvey said. The water temperature has dropped to the lower 70s, which traditionally ramps up action for crappie. Bream have been hitting crickets in 2-4 feet of water on the tree line off the banks, but will be trending deeper with cooler water in the works. Top baits for catfish are live bream and cut eel, along with cut mullet, menhaden or shad. Top-water lures such as frogs and buzz baits, plus Texas-rigged worms fished deep are currently preferred lures for bass.