North Myrtle Beach December 6, 2007
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that puppy drum and speckled trout fishing is excellent right now, and should continue well into the winter.
Anglers are hooking up with the puppies from the Little River jetties back to the shallow water of local flats and creeks. The best action in the coming weeks will be on the flats, where anglers are finding schools of up to 100+ fish feeding in shallow water around low tide. Most of the drum are between 15-18” with a few larger fish above 24” mixed in.
Shallow draft boats are necessary to get into the shallow spots where the schools are working, and anglers will need to pole or use trolling motors in order to avoid spooking them. Once the schools are located, Gulp shrimp fished on jigheads should entice them to bite.
Speckled trout are feeding at creek drains and other areas off the ICW from Coquina Harbor to the Sunset Beach Bridge. Live shrimp are the top trout producers, but D.O.A. shrimp, particularly in chartreuse, are also effective. The trout fishing should only get better as the month of December progresses.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Guide Fishing, reports that speckled trout fishing is phenomenal throughout the Little River area right now, and should remain good for quite a while if the inshore water temperatures (which are currently running 56-59 degrees) stay above 50.
The trout are feeding throughout the ICW around shell banks, drop-offs, docks, riprap, and other structure. Fishing live shrimp beneath floats is the most effective way to locate feeding specks, but once anglers find active fish, they can switch over to artificials such as ¼ and ½ oz. D.O.A. shrimp in natural colors, sand eel-pattern Trout Killers on ¼ oz. leadheads, or Mirrolures.
Red drum are beginning to form large schools which should remain in the area throughout the winter, feeding around flooded marsh grass and shallow flats.
Poling the boat or preferably wading is the way to approach these wary fish, as even the noise of a trolling motor can shut down the bite. Gulp 3” shrimp in New Penny and Molting colors on 1/8 or ¼ oz. jigheads or 2-3” Gulp crabs on weighted hooks should entice the drum to bite.
Larry, of Voyager Charters, reports that offshore king mackerel fishing has been excellent lately. Boats are finding limits of the kings around structure and bait aggregations, and the 10-20 lb. fish are falling for Sea Witches and Drone Spoons trolled behind planers on very long leaders.
Gag grouper fishing in late fall/early winter is some of the best of the year, and boats anchoring up on bottom structure 25-35 miles SE of Little River Inlet are landing some hefty gags right now. Boston mackerel and sardines are some of the hottest grouper baits.
Further offshore, Gulf Stream bottom fishing should remain solid throughout the winter. The area SW of Frying Pan Tower is a hotspot, producing catches of beeliners, black sea bass, triggerfish, porgies, grunts, and red, scamp, and gag groupers.
Finally, anglers are waiting to see if the giant bluefin tuna will make an appearance in the area this winter, as they did last year. If so, the 2-400+ lb. fish will likely be feeding at and around Frying Pan Shoals, and will fall for horse ballyhoo trolled behind planers on long, heavy fluorocarbon leaders.
Drew, of North Myrtle Beach Offshore Adventures, reports that the Gulf Stream wahoo and blackfin tuna bite is going strong and should continue well into the winter. The best fishing has been in around 250’ lately, with the bite especially good around the Winyah Scarp. Ballyhoo rigged beneath skirted lures are the hottest blue water baits, and the action in the area traditionally remains strong through March.
King mackerel are schooled 70-90’ of water around the Atlantic Ledge and Long Bay Terrace, and anglers trolling cigar minnows are enjoying fast action with them. The king bite should remain good in the vicinity of the Frying Pan Tower throughout the winter as well.
Gag grouper are forming their spawning aggregations at bottom structure in 60-80’, where they should be feeding until the begin moving offshore in January. Live baits, such as cigar minnows, are the top grouper producers, and anglers can jig them up around the Little River offshore reef or the structure they plan on fishing.
Theresa, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are landing bluefish, white perch, black and red drum, and some whiting from the pier. Bottom rigs baited with shrimp are getting attention from all these species.
The water temperature is 59 degrees.
