Fishing report (July 8, 2016)

Estuary

Look For: Flounder, black drum, red drum, spotted seatrout, bluefish, sheepshead.

Comments: Despite muddy water conditions thanks to recent high tides and a stiff southwest wind, Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service in Georgetown produced a decent day on Winyah Bay Thursday. McDonald caught finger mullet in his cast net for bait and his customers caught spotted seatrout, red drum, flounder and lady fish in the bay, which featured a balmy water temperature in the 82- to 83-degree range. Jessica Perry of Perry’s Bait and Tackle in Murrells Inlet reports a customer had very good success in the inlet on a trip earlier this week, catching 18 flounder, including 11 keepers over South Carolina’s minimum size limit of 14 inches. Look for spotted seatrout, flounder, black drum, red drum and sheepshead at area jetties including those at Winyah Bay, Murrells Inlet and Little River Inlet.

Inshore

Look For: Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bluefish, whiting, croaker, pompano, flounder, spadefish.

Comments: It’s a mixed bag on Grand Strand piers as the dog days of summer become entrenched along the beach. Ronnie Goodwin of Cherry Grove Pier reports some nice flounder caught over the last week along with undersized black drum below the 14- to 27-inch slot limit. Other species caught include whiting, croaker, pompano, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and the occasional spadefish. A tarpon was hooked off the Cherry Grove Pier recently and reeled to the pilings, where the fish was cut loose to fight another day. Numerous species are available at near-shore reefs but consistent windy conditions have kept boats inside, fishing the inlets, bays, sounds and the Intercoastal Waterway. “The fish are out there, it’s just a matter of when somebody turns the fans off,” said Capt. Jeff Maples of Reel Salty Charters in Murrells Inlet of the windy conditions. When conditions permit, look for black sea bass, flounder, spadefish, weakfish, Spanish, blues and possibly king mackerel and cobia at the reefs. The ocean water temperature at Springmaid Pier was a warm 85.1 degrees Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Offshore

Look For: Dolphin, blackfin tuna, wahoo, king mackerel, sailfish, grouper, black sea bass, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, red porgy, grunts, cobia, amberjack.

Comments: It’s been a tricky venture getting offshore thanks to the windy conditions. Trolling boats can look for blackfin tuna, dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel and sailfish over ledges and on bait pods. Find the bait and chances are good for a sailfish hookup on naked ballyhoo. Look for kings in depths of 60 feet and deeper. Bottom fishing is very good on ledges in deeper water, especially 90-plus feet. Look for vermilion snapper, black sea bass, triggerfish, porgy, grouper and amberjack. Red snapper are occasionally being caught on the reefs but must be released indefinitely in the South Atlantic Region.

Freshwater

Look For: Bream, catfish, crappie, bass.

Comments: “The rivers are low and they’re catching fish," said “Catfish” Stalvey of Stalvey’s Bait and Tackle in Conway. “The water’s right on the Little Pee Dee.” The Little Pee Dee, the preferred river especially for bream when conditions are good, dropped to 4.66 feet at 5 p.m. Thursday. There is a rise forecast in the Little Pee Dee, so get out there quick. Use crickets, worms and wax worms to catch bream along the banks in 2-4 feet of water. Action continues to be best early and late in the day, especially for bass. Catfish action is good on fresh cut eels in all area rivers.

This story was originally published July 11, 2016 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Fishing report (July 8, 2016)."