Grand Strand Fishing Report: Fruitful winter may see some hiccups with cold front looming
Estuary
Look For: Spotted seatrout, red drum, black drum, flounder, sheepshead.
Comments: Capt. Patrick Kelly of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters has had a very solid winter thus far in the Little River area. “There’s a bunch of fish around, I’d say it’s been an excellent winter this year,” said Kelly. “We’ve had some really good trips.” The water temperature remaining in the 50-degree range has helped keep spotted seatrout, red drum, black drum and a few flounder active. Kelly noted a water temperature ranging from 48-51 degrees on a Tuesday trip. Kelly has been targeting red drum with a few trout and flounder mixed in, using artificials such as Vudu shrimp and Z-Man grubs. “We’ve mainly been targeting reds in their winter time pattern when we find them on shallow flats or in 4-6 feet (deep) holes,” said Kelly. Capt. Dan Connolly of O-Fish-Al Expeditions has mainly been finding spotted seatrout on his latest excursions in Murrells Inlet. Connolly has used live shrimp on slip-float rigs and has found trout in the creeks of the inlet and at the jetties. Weather has been tough this week, but Connolly and partner landed about 30 trout last Saturday, and the grade of trout was excellent. “Most were 18-22 inches with a few in the 24-inch range on the incoming tide,” said Connolly, who noted a few red drum were also landed. Connolly observed a water temperature of 51-52 degrees.
Inshore
Look For: Black sea bass, sheepshead, black drum, whiting, croaker, flounder, tautog.
Comment: When February rolls around, the near-shore artificial reefs typically hold good numbers of sheepshead and black drum. When anglers have made it out in late January, the two species haven’t been found in good numbers but that is expected to change in the next few weeks. Sheepshead and black drum move from the estuaries to the reefs this time of year, triggered by the cooling water. “The water temperature is their calendar,” said Capt. Chris Ossman of Fine Catch Fishing Charters in Little River. Fiddler crabs are a top bait, along with live shrimp and clams, and chumming is a good idea. The reefs also tend to hold black sea bass, tautog and possibly flounder this month. Norma Madaras of Apache Pier reported a water temperature of 53 degrees Thursday at midday, plenty warm to keep croaker and whiting available at the pier. Madaras reports anglers have been catching decent numbers, but the fish have been small.
Offshore
Look For: Wahoo, blackfin tuna, grouper, red snapper, amberjack, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, red porgy, black sea bass.
Comments: Seas haven’t been conducive for offshore trips, and with a cold front in the offing, it’s not looking any better for the weekend. When conditions permit, trolling action can be very good for wahoo and blackfin tuna in the vicinity of the break and the Gulf Stream. Black sea bass, plus grouper and red snapper, can be found on bottom spots as shallow as 50 feet deep. For more variety, also including amberjack, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, porgy and grunts, hit spots in depths of 90-120 feet. Of course, red snapper and shallow-water species of grouper must be released. Red snapper are closed to harvest indefinitely and the annual shallow-water grouper spawning season closure continues through the month of April in the South Atlantic region. Species included in the grouper closure are gag grouper, black grouper, red grouper, scamp, red hind, rock hind, yellowmouth grouper, yellowfin grouper, graysby and coney.
Freshwater
Look For: Bream, crappie, catfish, shad, bass.
Comments: The river levels are slowly receding, which is good news for local anglers. The Waccamaw at Conway and the Little Pee Dee at Galivants Ferry were both just below Minor Flood Stage and falling on Thursday afternoon. Winter time is crappie time, and the popular panfish are hitting minnows and jigs around structure such as brush and fallen trees, and around creek mouths. Bream are mainly found in deep holes in the winter, hitting red worms or nightcrawlers. Fresh cut eel is a prime bait for catfish. Shad are also on their spawning run up the rivers. Best areas to catch them on hook and line are to the south, including the Santee Rivers and the Tail-Race Canal at Moncks Corner. Plastic grubs on 1/16- or 1/8-ounce jig heads are a popular artificials to use for shad.