North Myrtle – August 7, 2014
Andrew Smith, of Chattanooga, TN, with a 31″ red drum that struck a Carolina-rigged finger mullet in Calabash Creek while he was fishing with Capt. Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have seen some up-and-down fishing due to the persistent rains over the past week, but some good days have been mixed in with the soggy, slower ones.
Bonaparte Creek has been hosting some of the best action for inshore anglers in recent days. Red drum have been feeding in the area along grass banks and shell beds at higher tides, transitioning to the deeper potholes and depressions when the water’s lower.
Decent numbers of speckled trout are feeding alongside the reds, and anglers are also connecting with some flounder (though many are undersized).
Live finger mullet have been the bait of choice for all three inshore predators and big numbers of mullet are working the shorelines of local bays and creeks, so securing some live baits shouldn’t be difficult at present. Anglers are fishing the mullet on light jigheads and Carolina rigs and beneath popping corks with success.
There’s also been some action at many of the area’s other well-known inshore hotspots like Tubbs Inlet and Dunn Sound lately. Fish seem to be scattered, though, so anglers would do well to stay on the move until they locate some action.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have been seeing some good action inshore around Little River when they’ve been able to fish through or between rainstorms.
Bill Wagner with a large red drum that he hooked on a live mud minnow in the ICW near the Ocean Isle bridge.
Little River Inlet has been producing mixed-bag action with some large red drum, black drum, ladyfish, bluefish, sharks, and more. Live shrimp and live and cut finger mullet and menhaden are producing most of the action in the inlet.
Schools of tarpon have been rolling and feeding around the inlet mouth and along the beachfront over the past week, and anglers are hooking a few while targeting sharks with large live, dead, and cut baits.
Back in the creeks, anglers are finding some upper and over-slot red drum along with some respectable numbers of keeper flounder. Live shrimp and finger mullet will also get the job done inshore.
Anglers are finding more reds along with some black drum, flounder, and speckled trout around Tubbs Inlet and ICW structure like Sunset Beach Bridge as well.
Tanner, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are connecting with some croaker, sea mullet, and a few pompano while baiting up with shrimp.
Some bluefish are around and biting bait rigs and jigging lures like Gotcha plugs and mackerel tree rigs.
