North Myrtle Beach August 28 2008
L.A. Riddick, Capt. Jimmy Vereen, and Raymond Zeng with 22, 33, and 24 lb. gag grouper caught 47 miles off Little River on spanish sardines. They were fishing on the "Westwind" of Calabash's Hurricane Fishing Fleet.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing, reports that red drum and flounder action has been good in the area’s shallow water hotspots recently, although the bite out at the Little River jetties slowed down during the rough weather last weekend. Most of the reds have been up to 24″, with good numbers of the flounder keepers. Live shrimp are fooling both fish in the shallows.
Anglers are hooking up with more flounder, some reds, and some gray trout around docks and other structure off the ICW, too, and peanut pogies on Carolina rigs are producing most of the action. Finger mullet will work, too, but the area’s mullet population is now a little large to make ideal baits.
Speckled trout are feeding in many of the traditional fall spots off the ICW like Coquina Harbor, and Marker 1. Live shrimp will appeal to the trouts’ appetites.
Some striped bass have been feeding between the two bridges at Little River. They will fall for live shrimp as well, but anglers need to remember the area is legally freshwater. You need to acquire a freshwater license to fish there.
Kim Dudley, of Fayetteville, NC, with a 16.5 lb. barracuda she hooked on an artificial ribbonfish at Frying Pan Tower with her husband Wayne.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout and red drum fishing has been good in the creeks and around structure off the ICW. Live shrimp and finger mullet should fool both fish.
The red and speck action has also been steady in Dunn Sound, where float-rigged live shrimp fished near structure like docks and oyster bars will produce some action.
The trout bite remains decent at the jetties, too. Live shrimp drifted near the rocks on a float rig or a split-shot rig should tempt the jetty trout to strike.
Before the water got dirty last weekend, the spanish mackerel bite was still on at Little River Inlet. Live finger mullet free-lined on weightless rigs were attracting plenty of bites from the spanish. Tossing out a handful of the finger mullet as live chum will get the fish feeding with abandon.
Drew, of Crowd Pleaser Sportfishing, reports that there’s been good bottom action with red and gag groupers lately in structure around 140′ deep, along with all the amberjacks anglers want to battle. There should also be good numbers of fish around the ledges, wrecks, and live bottoms inshore to the 100′ areas.
Vertical jigging with Shimano and Braid jigs is attracting plenty of interest from the jacks and groupers, but anglers can also hook up by dropping live, dead, and cut baits on bottom rigs.
Ronnie, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that the water got dirty last weekend, but there were still some fish around.
Bottom fishermen were landing some whiting, bluefish, and spot on cut shrimp.
Anglers fishing live baits near the bottom are hooking a few flounder.
The water temperature is 84 degrees.
