Myrtle Beach September 27, 2007
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding an excellent speckled trout bite in the ICW between Sunset Beach and Little River. The Sunset Beach Bridge and the numerous creek drains in the area have produced some of the best fishing lately.
Live shrimp, chartreuse D.O.A.’s, and Gulp shrimp fished under popping corks are fooling most of the trout. The fish are not only numerous but large, with many going 3-5 lbs.
More speckled trout, red drum, and small ladyfish are schooled up and on the feed in the Calabash River. When anglers find the fish, it isn’t unusual to hook up on nearly every cast. Live shrimp and shrimp-imitating lures are the top producers, but anglers have also had good luck lately while casting topwater plugs. The trout bite seems to be best on the falling tides.
A few flounder are mixed in with the other inshore species in creek drains throughout the area, but overall the flounder bite has been a little slow lately.
Some drum are also holding around the Crossroads, and anglers are connecting with larger (27-34”) reds in Little River Inlet when the winds aren’t too strong. A jig/Gulp combination has been a particularly hot bait for the inlet reds recently.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Guide Fishing, reports that speckled trout fishing has been phenomenal over the past two weeks. The fish are feeding around bridges and docks around Coquina Harbor and Tidewater, past the usual freshwater/saltwater boundary.
Anglers are hooking up with red drum and flounder around Calabash, the Crossroads, and the Little River swing bridge. A float-rigged live shrimp is the best bait to locate the fish, but once anglers find active fish, they can switch to Gulp baits or other lures with success.
Flounder are stacked up and hungry at the nearshore wrecks. Anglers fishing live baits near the structure are putting together good catches of the flatfish.
Large schools of bluefish and spanish mackerel are feeding on the massive numbers of finger mullet in Little River Inlet. When they’re feeding on the surface, topwater plugs imitating the mullet are deadly on both species.
Larry, of Voyager Charters, reports that Gulf Stream bottom fishing has been quite productive when boats can make the long run. Large beeliners, triggerfish, jacks, grunts, African pompano, and red and scamp groupers are filling anglers’ stringers out in the blue water.
On the break, the water is still full of scattered weeds, but boats who can find a clear area should hook up with some wahoo.
Closer to shore, boats bottom fishing in the 35 mile range are hooking up with beeliners, sea bass, grunts, and groupers.
King mackerel have been feeding well in the 400/500 areas about 15 miles off Little River. Live and dead baits will fool the kings.
Nearshore, the spanish mackerel are biting well just outside the inlet.
Drew, of North Myrtle Beach Offshore Adventures, reports that the wahoo bite in the Gulf Stream has gotten hot. Fish are running from the teens up to giants in the 80 lb. class, and skirted ballyhoo baits should produce plenty of action. Last weekend boats reported excellent fishing at the Winyah Scarp and Mac Marlen Ledge, and the action should stay hot into the winter at spots between the Steeples and the Georgetown Hole.
Yellowfin tuna have shown back up, too, and should begin feeding much harder as the water cools down.
It has been too rough to do much bottom fishing lately, but anglers can expect the grouper to be biting when they can get out. Some gags should be feeding on structure in around 70’ of water very soon (if they aren’t there already), and there should also be good bottom action out in the 100’+ depths.
The cooling water and bait moving along the beaches are bringing the big kings in from offshore.
Brendan, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers fishing live baits on the bottom are hooking up with flounder (some up to 3 lbs.).
The spots have begun to show up, and they can’t resist bloodworms fished on bottom rigs.
Plug casters are hooking up with bluefish and some spanish mackerel.
The water temperature is 77 degrees.
