North Myrtle Beach July 19, 2012
Randy Noll, of East Haddon, CT, with a 7 lb. flounder that bit a Gulp shrimp near the Calabash crossroads while he was fishing with Capt. Patrick Kelly of Capt. Smiley Fishing Charters.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding an excellent red drum bite around the Little River jetties (with good numbers of 28-36” fish). Live, hand-size menhaden are producing most of the action, and there have been plenty of schools working up and down the beach on both sides of the inlet.
Some flounder are also taking an interest in menhaden fished on the bottom at the jetties.
A few speckled trout are feeding around the jetties, too, where anglers are hooking them on float-rigged live shrimp.
Black drum are taking an interest in live shrimp fished on the bottom in the inlet.
Anglers aren’t seeing the truly big (20-40+ lbs.) reds at the jetties yet; however, sea bass fishermen are reporting them at structure offshore, so it shouldn’t be long until they make an appearance, likely around the next full moon.
Mike Casey with a red drum that bit a live shrimp at Sunset Beach bridge while he was fishing with Capt. Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Inshore Charters.
The drum bite around Sunset Beach Bridge is still going strong for anglers who don’t mind fishing in a crowd (with most fish 24-28”). The best action has been in the deeper (8-10’) water on the edges of the channel, and the fish are taking an interest in Carolina-rigged finger mullet, shrimp, and peanut menhaden.
Tubbs Inlet is still producing some flatfish action for local anglers, but the bite is much better when there’s clean water moving through the inlet. Live baits or Gulps will put the flounder in the boat.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that there’s been a good flounder bite at the Little River crossroads, with live baits and Gulps fooling most of the fish (many undersized, but keepers to 7 lbs. have been landed in the last week).
Some speckled trout are feeding around the crossroads, too, and live shrimp under popping corks are getting their attention.
Chloe Puckett (age 12), of Shanghai, China, with her first fish, a 13" flounder that bit a Gulp Swimming Mullet in Tubbs Inlet.
Anglers are hooking some red drum in Tubbs Inlet while casting Gulp baits around oyster bars and grass edges. A few flounder are also feeding in the inlet and falling for the Gulps and small live baits.
Casting live shrimp around oyster beds in Bonaparte Creek has also been producing some speckled trout and red drum action, with rising tides offering the best bite.
Anne, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that some keeper flounder are falling for small live baits fished under the pier.
Spanish mackerel and big numbers of ribbonfish are biting gold hook rigs that anglers are working from the pier.
Bottom fishermen are hooking some sea mullet, spot, and sharks, and other panfish are taking an interest in bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
