North Myrtle Beach – August 31, 2017
Ken, of Shallow Minded Guide Fishing, reports that the speckled trout bite has started to heat up. Most fish have been in the 14-18” range and have fallen for purple Trout Trick plastics rigged on 1/4 oz. jig heads. Targeting feeder creeks, deep water shell banks, and grass lines has been the key to landing limits of fish. Flounder have also been in the mix, and fish up to 4 lbs. have been landed.
Jack crevalle have moved in to the area in good numbers. Most fish have focused in on mullet schools, so throwing topwater plugs has provided some fast-paced action.
Patrick, of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that big redfish have started to arrive at the Little River jetty. Casting out live finger mullet on the bottom has produced fish pushing the 36” mark.
Flounder fishing has been steady in the creeks. Fishing live finger mullet on a Carolina rig around deeper holes and ledges has been the key to drawing strikes.
Speckled trout are hanging around grassy shorelines. Gulp plastics on 1/4 oz. jig heads, topwater plugs, and live shrimp under popping corks have all produced good numbers of fish.
Black drum have been holding on dock structure in the Dunn Sound area. Most fish have fallen for fresh or live shrimp on a Carolina rig.
Thanos Voreas caught this black drum near Sunset Beach using fresh shrimp. He was fishing with Capt. Bob Strange of Strange Magic Fishing Charters.
Bob, of Strange Magic Fishing Charters, reports that the redfish and black drum bite has picked up, with a few nice-sized fish being caught. Most of the drum have fallen for live and fresh shrimp. Typical of summer, structure is the name of the game, with deep holes on low tide and shore lines at high holding the most fish.
Flounder have been feeding well on any kind of minnow, but most of the flounder have been on the smaller side. Anglers have caught the majority of the fish around docks and creek mouths.
Those chasing speckled trout have found that the early and late hours most productive. Topwater plugs and live shrimp under popping corks have been the best methods, and targeting current breaks near the higher end of the tide has been the key to landing good numbers of fish.
David, of Low Country Fishing Charters, reports that the red drum bite has improved, especially with bait mullet moving in to the area in better numbers. Live finger mullet on a Carolina rig, as well as soft plastics, have worked well on the reds.
Black drum are feeding well in the backwaters near bridge and dock structure. Live and fresh shrimp has done the trick. Trout fishing has slowed down a bit, but anglers are finding a decent number of smaller fish willing to eat.
Out at the Little River jetty, the bull reds have started to show up. Anglers tossing live and cut baits have landed good numbers of over-slot reds.
Just off the beach, trolling Clarkspoons on planers has produced plenty of spanish for the cooler. Those targeting larger spanish and kings have found slow trolling cigar minnows and pogies to work best.
In 65-80′ of water, bigger kings in the 25-30 lb. range have been landed. A few cobia have been seen moving through the area, too.
Larry, of Voyager Fishing Charters, reports that in the 50 mile range, bottom fishing has been good in around 110′ of water. Red snapper, hog snapper, beeliners, scamps, grunts, amberjacks, and african pompano have all been landed. Cut squid and cigar minnows have worked best.
Trolling in the 30 mile range has produced limits of kings when pulling Drone spoons and cigar minnows. Bonita and amberjacks have also been feeding well in that same range.
Just off the beach in the 1-5 mile range, spanish fishing remains steady. Trolling Clarkspoons has been the key to landing good numbers of fish.
A few barracudas have been feeding around the nearshore wrecks and reefs.
Jason Steorts with a flounder that fell for a Vudu shrimp worked near a school of mullet. He was fishing with Capt. Ken Salos of Shallow Minded Inshore Charters.
Morgan, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that the spanish bite has slowed down a bit, but those plugging early in the morning have landed a few. Anglers fishing the bottom with sand fleas and fresh shrimp have caught whiting, croaker, pompano, spadefish, and a few speckled trout.
