North Myrtle Beach August 18, 2011
John and Lydia Stevens, of Travelers Rest, SC, with a red drum they hooked in the backwaters near Little River on a live shrimp while fishing with Capt. Patrick Kelly of Capt. Smiley's Fishing Charters.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports a solid flounder bite at nearshore structure like the Copper Barges and Jim Caudle Reef (with a solid keeper ratio of around 75%). Live finger mullet on Carolina rigs are producing most of the bites, and fishing the edges of the structure is the most effective tactic.
The mixed bag fishing around the Little River jetties is still good. Anglers are catching some red drum, bonnethead sharks, pompano (some 3-4 lbs.), and a variety of other species while drifting through the inlet with live shrimp.
Anglers are also finding a good red drum bite around the Sunset Beach Bridge. Live shrimp or finger mullet will tempt the inshore reds to bite.
Good numbers of small speckled trout and redfish are feeding in the Calabash River. Casting live shrimp under a popping cork is the best method of finding the fish, and anglers can switch over to Gulp or D.O.A. shrimp with success after locating a school.
Drifting the channels around Coquina Harbor is producing some flounder action, and both live finger mullet and menhaden are fooling the fish.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still finding a few keeper flounder in Tubbs Inlet. Good numbers of red and black drum are also on the feed in the inlet and the marsh and docks nearby. All will take an interest in live shrimp on light jigheads.
Ladyfish are on the feed in the Calabash Rive r and anglers have also been hooking some flounder in the same area. Live shrimp are fooling both.
Anglers fishing live shrimp under floats and on light jigheads are also finding plenty of action with red drum in Bonaparte Creek.
Mike, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers have seen some excellent spanish mackerel fishing (with fish to 3 lbs.) while working Gotcha plugs and gold hook rigs from the pier.
Some black and red drum are taking an interest in live shrimp fished on the bottom.
Sea mullet and pompano are biting cut shrimp on two-hook rigs.
Anglers also landed several spadefish (to 8+ lbs.) last week while chumming with cannonball jellyfish and using the smaller jellies as hook baits.
The water is 82 degrees.
