Little River June 7, 2007
Mark, of Shallow Minded Guide Fishing, reports hot fishing at the Little River Jetties. Anglers have been catching 27-30” red drum, 2-10 lb. bluefish, and speckled trout all in the same day. Live baits such as peanut pogies and mud minnows are the keys to hooking with all three species, and the live baits can be fished on a float rig or three-way swivel bottom rig.
The last two hours of the falling tide and first two hours of the incoming provide the best fishing at the jetties.
Just outside the inlet, boats trolling Clark spoons on planers are hooking up with good numbers of spanish mackerel.
Spadefish are schooled up at the Sherman and the Jim Caudle Reef, but their favorite food, cannonball jellyfish (jelly balls), have been tough to come by. Anglers who can find jelly balls should have no problem hooking up with the spades.
Cobia are patrolling the reefs, and anglers are catching them (along with sharks) a few miles west of the Caudle Reef.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports excellent fishing in and around Little River Inlet. At the end of the rock jetties, anglers are catching trout, red drum, and big bluefish (up to 10 lbs.).
Drifting live mud minnows, peanut pogies, or shrimp (if anglers can get them) on a float rig has been the best way to hook up with the trout and blues, while anglers are catching more drum with mud minnows and pogies pinned to bottom rigs. Black sea bass are also hitting the bottom rigs.
In the sandy bays leading to the inlet jetties, drift fishing has been producing good catches of flounder. Fish Carolina-rigged mud minnows on the rising tide for the best results on the flatfish.
Plenty of spanish mackerel are feeding just off the inlet, and most are just above the SC legal minimum size of 13 inches.
At Fort Randall, anglers are hooking up with red drum by casting float-rigged mud minnows. The best fishing is along the bulkhead during the incoming tide.
Speckled trout are still feeding well around the Sunset Beach Bridge and other ICW structure. The trout are falling for New Penny and Molting color Gulp Shrimp fished on 1/8 oz. jigheads.
Shrimp are finally showing up in area creeks and most are perfect bait size. Anglers should be able to cast net these shrimp and no longer rely on trawled shrimp from NC waters for live baits.
Brendan, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are catching whiting, black drum, and spadefish on shrimp. The black drum have weighed in up to 4 lbs., and spadefish have weighed up to 8.5 lbs. in the past week.
Those casting plugs and diamond jigs are hooking up with bluefish and small spanish mackerel.
Teenager-sized kings are providing action for anglers fishing live bluefish from the end of the pier.
The water temperature is 78 degrees.
