Myrtle Beach August 30, 2007
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers found solid fishing around Little River Inlet over the past week. Drifting the inlet during rising tides, anglers are hooking up with ladyfish, flounder, bluefish, and sharks. Casting a live or Gulp shrimp on a light jighead will tempt bites from all these fish.
The large fall red drum are beginning to make an appearance along the rock jetties at the inlet, and they will fall for the jig/shrimp combo as well.
Black and red drum are on the feed in Dunn Sound. Gulp and DOA shrimp should tempt bites from both drum species. The reds are fish leftover from last year’s stocking (with most around 15”), and they are schooling in predictable areas. Anglers who find the schools should take note of where, as the fish will likely be feeding there again.
In the creeks, anglers are finding speckled trout and puppy drum, with flounder in the deeper holes. Glow Gulp shrimp and DOA’s in the clear/red glitter color are top producers in the creeks.
Drew, of North Myrtle Beach Offshore Adventures, reports that offshore bottom fishing has been the hottest thing going recently. Virtually any ledge, wreck, or other structure in at least 70-80’ of water should be holding some bottomfish.
Anglers are landing plenty of beeliners, sea bass, and other bottom fish at structure in 70-80’ of water.
Grouper fishing is better in 100-120’ of water, and gags and scamps are making up the majority of the catch. Anglers should bring a wide variety of baits for the best odds with the often picky grouper. Live cigar minnows and blue runners jigged up from the structure, live or dead pogies, frozen cigar minnows, and squid can all be the hot baits on any given day.
When bottom fishing, boats should keep out a light line to tempt any pelagic species nearby. Kings, African pompano, barracuda, and other species all feed near the same ledges and structure that holds the bottom fish.
Larry, of Voyager Charters, reports that 35-50 miles offshore boats on combo trolling/bottom fishing trips are hooking up with king mackerel, cobia, and amberjacks on the troll, and some grouper, amberjacks, beeliners, grunts, and triggerfish while bottom fishing.
A bit further out, in around 110’ of water, party boat bottom fishermen are filling coolers with beeliners, grunts, triggerfish, red and scamp grouper, jolthead porgies, hog snappers, cobia, and amberjacks.
Out on the break, the water temperatures are sky-high, but boats are still landing some wahoo.
Brendan, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers fishing live mud minnows and shrimp on the bottom are landing flounder (in the 2-4 lb. range).
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with decent numbers of pompano and whiting on cut shrimp.
Black and red drum are also feeding near the pier, and they will fall for live or cut shrimp. Anglers landed red drum (up to 4 lbs.) and black drum (in the 4-6 lb. range) over the course of the week.
