Edgar Stephens, of Myrtle Beach, with a 33 lb., 8 oz. cobia that bit a live bait off Cherry Grove Pier.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that spadefish have made a strong appearance at the General Sherman wreck and other nearshore structure in the area. Anglers can use cannonball jellyfish to chum the spades to the surface, and then hook the feisty fish on small pieces of the jellies for hook baits.
Good numbers of cobia are in the same areas and will take an interest in white or chartreuse bucktail jigs with large soft plastic trailers. Hanging a block of chum over the side of the boat will generally bring in any of the fish that are hanging near the structure.
Spanish mackerel have made a good showing around the Little River sea buoy and the Jim Caudle reef. Anglers can hook them while trolling Clarkspoons, but it’s much more fun to hook fish feeding on the surface by casting metal lures like Deadly Dicks on light-tackle.
There have been solid numbers of red drum (most 28-30”) feeding around the tips of the Little River jetties, and anglers are hooking them on live menhaden, which have made a strong showing in the area.
Flounder fishing has also been solid along the rocks, and smaller menhaden are the best bets for hooking up with keeper flatfish.
Inshore, anglers are connecting with red and black drum in Bonaparte Creek and other backwaters in the area. Live mud minnows and shrimp or Gulp baits will fool the drum inshore.
Jerry Garrett, of Myrtle Beach, with a red drum that bit a menhaden near the Little River jetties while he was fishing with Mark Karnes.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that fishing has been solid all over the local inshore waters recently. Anglers are connecting with speckled trout, red drum, and flounder in Tubbs Inlet around oyster bars, docks, and marsh grass.
The reds and specks are also feeding in Bonaparte Creek and the Calabash River.
More reds are feeding in Dunn Sound as well.
The Little River jetties are playing host to solid action with reds, trout, bluefish, flounder, and more.
Casting Gulp shrimp and swimming mullet on light jigheads is producing many of the fish throughout the area. When they don’t want the artificials, live mud minnows on jigheads are often effective.
And in the shallows, suspending either a Gulp bait or mud minnow beneath a popping cork on a 1/32 oz. jighead has been a solid strategy.
Steve, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers landed several cobia and king mackerel while live-baiting from the pier last week.
Some bluefish and spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs and mackerel tree rigs that anglers are working from the pier.
Sea mullet and some black drum are taking an interest in shrimp pinned to bottom rigs.
And anglers are catching a few flounder on live baits under the pier (though most are throwbacks).