North Myrtle/Little River – June 2024
Greg, of Dave’s Outpost, reports that anglers have been catching a bunch of flounder on Carolina-rigged live menhaden.
Red drum are scattered all throughout the inshore waters and are hitting the same live baits as the flounder.
Speckled trout are around, but with water temperatures warming up quickly, the bite hasn’t been stellar.
Nearshore anglers are seeing plenty of bluefish and spanish mackerel off the beach. With these schools becoming more plentiful almost by the day, pier and surf anglers will see better numbers being caught.
Chris, of Fine Catch Fishing Charters, reports that red drum and black drum are staged up around docks along the ICW from the swing bridge out to the inlet.
Flounder are mixed in the action for just about any baits or lures bounced off the bottom.
Some bigger red drum (to 35”) are being caught in deeper channels around the inlet with crabs or cut menhaden.
A few quality trout (17”+) are mixed in the inshore efforts. Most are staged up in creek mouths closer to the inlet, especially those areas that have some oysters.
Nearshore ledges in 70-85’ have been holding some good bottom fish and king mackerel.
Cobia are moving in, and they can pop up at any time out on the reefs.
Spanish mackerel are on the beachfronts and hitting trolled Clarkspoons.
Laura Smith with a black drum caught on cut shrimp in a skinny back creek near Little River. She was fishing with Capt. Buddy Love and Capt. Curtis Smith, both of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters.
Buddy, of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have been finding a bunch of flounder moving inshore.
Red drum fishing has been pretty good for anglers casting both Carolina-rigs or jig heads rigged with live mud minnows and shrimp. On lower parts of the tide, these fish have been up in the skinny water, with docks and other hard structure being productive on the other tides.
Black drum will bite best when fishing shrimp up around docks.
A few speckled trout (18” class) are staged up in deeper holes along the ICW.
Anglers out fishing the Little River jetties have been catching some red drum on Carolina-rigged live and cut baits.
Outside the inlet, the spanish mackerel action has been really good, especially on the southern end of the beach. Some schools are also out over the nearshore reefs, and in general, these have been the larger class of fish.
Bob, of Strange Magic Fishing Charters, reports that flounder are being caught in good numbers with Gulp or Z-Man soft plastics, as well as live mud minnows. Anglers need to know that the artificials entice a reaction bite and hook sets need to be right away, versus live bait where a 10-15 second pause allows the fish to spin the bait and swallow.
Red drum are hitting the same baits as flounder, with most of the reds patrolling creek banks with moving current.
Docks along the ICW will hold both red and black drum. Pieces of fresh shrimp, fiddler crabs, and cut crab sections will provide plenty of action. Target docks that have more structure or feeding birds nearby for the best success. If you have some live shrimp, rigging them under a popping cork is another great option.
The live shrimp offerings will also entice speckled trout that are mixed in the area. During high tides in the ICW, shorelines will hold the trout, and then they slip down off the shelf as the tide drops. You can also find trout in the deeper holes in the backs of creeks during lower tide cycles.
Bevan, of Chilly Water Fishing, reports that anglers getting out to do some bottom fishing are having a bunch of success catching all the vermilion snapper they want. Most of the snappers have been caught on cut squid over structure in the 75-100’ areas.
Black sea bass action has mostly faded out with the water temperatures warming up.
A few gags are in this similar range (80-140’). For grouper, cut cigar minnows or pinfish make the best bait choices.
Scamp grouper are also in the mix when fishing a little deeper (110-140’ areas).
Keep an eye out while bottom fishing, as cobia are starting to show up and will curiously pop up right next to the boat.
Kelton Brayboy, of Lumberton, SC, hauled in this scamp while bottom fishing offshore of Little River using a pinfish. He was fishing with Capt. Bevan Hunter of Chilly Water Fishing Charters.
Larry, of Voyager Fishing Charters, reports that this is one of the best grouper springs in a while, and the total numbers on the mixed bags of all bottom species are some of the best the area has seen going into summer.
On top of the gags and scamps, anglers are catching large vermilion snapper, grunts, and big triggerfish, and they have also recently added some cobia into the counts.
Anglers taking a trip offshore to do some trolling are finding mahi and blackfin tuna out at some of the well-known spots such as the Blackjack and the Steeples.
Nearshore trips are seeing a bunch of spanish mackerel out along the beaches and over the reefs.
Nearshore bottom fishing efforts are producing black sea bass and plenty of porgies.
Calvin, of Apache Pier, reports that bottom fishing has been producing whiting and plenty of croakers.
Bluefish have made up the majority of the casting action.
Tony, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that croakers and pompano make up a majority of the catches for bottom fishing anglers. Most of the action is coming from sand fleas and small pieces of shrimp.
A few flounder are also showing up as these flatfish move onto the beaches, and the bluefish action has been plentiful for anglers sight casting plugs.
