Little River July 5, 2007
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports speckled trout are feeding around the Sunset Beach Bridge, Tubbs Inlet, Mullet Creek, and shell beds at Fort Randall. The trout will hit a variety of artificial baits, but a live shrimp fished under a float is the top speck producer.
Red drum are holding at various spots in the ICW, particularly around the Sunset Beach Bridge. Carolina-rigged finger mullet will tempt drum strikes.
Flounder are still feeding in Tubbs Inlet, and they seem to be increasing in size. The best flounder baits are Carolina-rigged mud minnows and finger mullet.
The Little River jetties are holding drum, trout, and flounder, and anglers can target them by fishing live shrimp or finger mullet on float and bottom rigs.
Larry, of Voyager Charters, reports hot king and dolphin fishing on bottom structure 30-45 miles offshore. Sea Witches trolled on top of strip baits are proving deadly on both species. The bite has been best near structure that is holding bait.
Several days over the last week there has been too much scattered weed in the water to troll, but boats drifting with a chum bag set out are still hooking up with the dolphin and kings.
Several charters caught king limits recently by trolling Drone Spoons behind #2 and #3 planers around the 65’ Hole.
Gulf Stream bottom fishing has been producing great catches of grunts, beeliners, red snapper, porgies, amberjacks and grouper. While bottom fishing, anglers are also hooking up with kings, cobia, and dolphin on the light line.
Drew, of North Myrtle Beach Offshore Adventures, reports that king mackerel are feeding from the beach out to the 40 mile spots. Dolphin are mixed in 10 miles and further offshore.
Live pogies have produced the hottest king and dolphin action over the week, but dead cigar minnows will fool both fish as well. Try fishing at the Atlantic Ledge, the Jungle, or BP-25 to hook up with the dolphins and kings.
Sailfish are all over the same spots the kings are feeding on, and sails have been released as close to shore as the Myrtle Beach Rocks. Look for these billfish around color changes and bait concentrations, and troll ballyhoo or live baits to get them to eat.
There are still plenty of wahoo and big dolphin feeding in the Gulf Stream, but the bite has been so good inshore that few boats are running all the way out there.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with big amberjacks and red, gag, and scamp groupers at the Twin City Wrecks.
Brendan, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are landing a few whiting, spot, and black drum by baiting up with cut shrimp.
Anglers fishing live shrimp on Carolina rigs have been hooking up with speckled trout and flounder. Anglers weighed trout up to 6 lbs. and flounder up to 4 over the past week. The flounder are hitting mud minnows and finger mullet as well as shrimp.
King mackerel fishing has been hot for anglers fishing live baits from the end of the pier. Kings up to 22 lbs. were weighed last week, and both bluefish and pogy baits have attracted king bites.
The water temperature is 77 degrees.
