Added on Thursday, August 21, 2008  Gary Hurley

North Myrtle Beach August 21, 2008

Mark, of Shallow Minded Guide Fishing, reports that before the heavy rains last week, speckled trout fishing was on fire at the Little River jetty, and there were still some fish biting after the storms. Drifting live shrimp beneath a slip float near the rocks produced most of the speck bites (and anglers landed trout as large as 5 lbs. last week).

Red drum (from 20″ up to 20 lbs.) are also feeding in Little River Inlet. They’ll fall for the float-rigged shrimp, too, and anglers drifting live finger mullet on the bottom shouldn’t have much trouble hooking up with one of the big reds.

Some reds have also been feeding around docks at Ocean Isle, where fellow Shallow Minded Capt. Mark Staci has been finding them recently.

Spanish mackerel and ladyfish are feeding heavily at the shoals just outside the jetties, and anglers are seeing the spanish busting bait up and down the beaches as well. Around the shoals, topwater plugs have been producing explosive bites from both the spanish and ladies.

Anglers are hooking a few flounder in Little River, a few around the Sunset Beach Bridge, and decent numbers in Tubbs Inlet. Live finger mullet drifted along the bottom will draw bites from the flatfish.

 

Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite has been incredible in and just off Little River Inlet. Fishing weightless live baits on small hooks and light leaders has been tempting bites from the spanish (some up to 5 lbs.), and live chumming with finger mullet will put the schools in a feeding frenzy. Anglers can also hook the fish on metal jigging lures or plugs like the MirrOlure Catch 2000.

Split-shot rigs with live shrimp and finger mullet have been producing plenty of action with speckled trout and red drum (some to 30+”) around the Little River jetties. It seems the bite has been best at the north jetty on a falling tide and at the south jetty on incoming water.

Some big reds have also been feeding in Dunn Sound, Bonaparte Creek, and along the grass edges off the ICW. Finger mullet or live shrimp fished under popping corks have been producing the most action, especially around structure like oyster beds and docks.

Flounder are feeding inside the jetties at Little River, and drifting finger mullet on the bottom has been drawing strikes from the flatfish.

 

Drew, of Crowd Pleaser Sportfishing, reports that he’s finally had a chance to get to the Gulf Stream this week, and it produced excellent results. The wahoo bite has been solid out in the blue water (fish up to 40+ lbs. last week), with most of the fish falling for red/black and purple/black skirted ballyhoo trolled behind a planer. The fishing’s been best down south off the Georgetown Hole, with most of the action in 250′ and deeper.

Good numbers of sailfish have been showing up along with the wahoo in the same area. Dropping back small ballyhoo pitch baits to fish that come up on the teasers has been fooling the sailfish into striking.

There are plenty of amberjacks schooled up on the offshore wrecks, and anglers looking to battle them on light tackle can hook up while vertically jigging. Sea bass and beeliners are feeding on the bottom in the same areas, and they will fall for smaller jigs or squid and cut baits dropped to the bottom.

 

Ronnie, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking good number of black drum while baiting up with live shrimp.

Some whiting are falling for cut shrimp fished on the bottom.

Flounder are taking an interest in live mud minnows and finger mullet.

Anglers casting Gotcha plugs and mackerel trees are hooking up with spanish mackerel, and some larger spanish (3-5 lbs.) fell for live baits on king rigs over the week.

The water is 84 degrees.