North Myrtle Beach April 14, 2011
Brandon Sauls, of Ocean Isle Beach, with a red drum he hooked while fishing some flooded grass flats near Little River with Capt. Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the shallow water red drum bite has been excellent over the past week. The fish are feeding on flooded grass flats at the higher tides, and this week’s full moon and higher tides should make the fishing even better.
A shallow draft flats skiff is essential to access these areas and sneak up on the fish. Once anglers sight some fish, casting Gulp baits, live mud minnows, chunks of crab, and a variety of other baits and lures will fool the reds.
At lower tides, the drum are feeding in creek drains and around structure in the backwaters, and they’ll take an interest in the same baits and lures.
The flounder bite in Cherry Grove is still improving, and as spring wears on, more keepers will join the multitudes of short flatfish in the marsh system.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are still feeding in the shallows and along the ICW throughout the area. Live mud minnows, soft and hard crabs, and Gulp baits will all attract attention from the reds.
Good numbers of black drum are mixed in with the reds around structure like oyster rocks in Dunn Sound and docks and bridges in the ICW near Sunset Beach. Chunks of hard and soft crabs are unbeatable baits for the black drum.
The water temperatures have risen to 70+ degrees in the creeks, so wide open spring fishing should be just around the corner.
Capt. Patrick Kelly, of Capt. Smiley's Fishing Charters, with a red drum that fell for a tan Clouser Minnow he was fly-casting in the backwaters near Little River.
The flounder bite is improving in Cherry Grove, and flatfish are beginning to chew in Tubbs Inlet as well (though most are still on the small side). The flounder will only become more numerous, aggressive, and larger as the weeks go by, and anglers should be able to tempt them to bite Gulp baits or live mud minnows.
Speckled trout fishing is decidedly slow for this time of year, likely due to the back-to-back cold winters of the past two years.
Steve, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are catching some whiting and black drum (some to 4 lbs.) on bottom rigs baited with fresh shrimp.
Some keeper flounder are also beginning to come over the rails, and live mud minnows are more likely to strike their fancy.
The water is 62 degrees.
