North Myrtle Beach/Little River – April 2023
Patrick, of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that some tough cold fronts really didn’t allow for much to change for anglers headed just off the beach. Bottom fishing at the nearshore wrecks is still the top option, with anglers catching black sea bass, black drum, and scattered bluefish.
Inshore anglers are seeing good action at the jetties. Mixed bags of speckled trout, red drum, and black drum are all feeding on shrimp around the rocks.
Speckled trout have mostly remained in their wintering holdover creeks. These fish are starting to make a move, but the cooler temperatures stopped them from pushing out into the ICW. As patterns settle, look for the push to finally happen as these fish stage up around structure and ledges with current.
Red drum are also holding in their wintering schools. As more bait begins moving around, these fish will break off and start to spread out, making the bite a bit more widespread across the inshore waters.
Bob, of Strange Magic Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout are mostly being found back in the creeks, and they are just now slowly starting to move out. Natural baits under slip corks or suspending lures are both great for working areas with current. Being able to cast out and let baits naturally flow back has worked best in enticing strikes.
The black drum action is getting better, with most anglers finding fish around the deeper docks and hard structures in these same creeks.
Red drum remain schooled up back on flats in the creeks. They have yet to break up and spread throughout the sound. The newer presence of more bait is helping to get these fish a bit less spooky, and a good spell of warmer weather should quickly flip their pattern and send them out of the creeks in smaller groups.
Morgan Baber, of Hurricane, WV, hooked this black drum on a Carolina rig in the Little River area. She was fishing with Capt. Christopher Bowden of Coastal Marsh Adventures.
Chris, of Fine Catch Fishing Charters, reports that anglers heading off the beach have seen a nice push of smaller gray trout and bluefish at the three-mile reefs. Bottom-rigged baits are also attracting action from the sheepshead and black drum that are still out there. Most of the gray trout are striking at white and chartreuse colored grubs, while the bluefish are hitting anything shiny. Natural baits are best for targeting the black drum and sheepshead, though an abundance of black sea bass makes that difficult.
Anglers fishing around the jetties are catching larger trout, black drum, sheepshead, and red drum. Floating some fresh dead or live shrimp on slip corks should produce action. If you want to pick through a small sheepshead or two while targeting keepers, send down live fiddler crabs on 1 oz. Carolina or drop shot rigs to the rocks while giving one extra crank to get in the strike zone.
The backwater creeks are holding red drum and scattered black drum in some of the deeper pockets.
Just at the mouths of these creeks and around oyster beds, there has been a good push of speckled trout. Most of the trout are striking at live shrimp under a slip cork, with the drum species feeding on Carolina or jig head-rigged cut mullet, shrimp, and mud minnows.
Anglers in the ICW are finding speckled trout, red drum, black drum, and scattered striped bass. The trout are mostly holding in the channels near docks and shell bottoms. Both live shrimp and artificial D.O.A. or Vudu shrimp are getting strikes.
The red and black drum are mostly staged up tight to the dock pilings. Carolina-rigged live or dead shrimp works well on these fish.
The ICW is such a long stretch of water that paying close attention to your electronics really helps narrowing down areas that are holding these tight schools of fish.
Bevan, of Chilly Water Fishing, reports that anglers looking to get out on the water are still doing best while targeting the strong bottom fishing action. Black sea bass, in particular, have been around in good numbers all winter and nothing with that has changed. Structure out in 80’+ has been the best bet for the keeper fish.
Offshore trolling is starting to pick up as better numbers of wahoo are now mixed in with blackfin tuna. The weather allowing for more favorable conditions is all offshore anglers are looking forward to at this point.
Tim Martin, of Apolo, PA, caught this flounder using a jig head and Gulp bait in the Little River area. He was fishing with Capt. Bob Strange of Strange Magic Fishing Charters.
Larry, of Voyager Fishing Charters, reports that the nearshore areas (5-8 mile range) are producing plenty of action on the bottom. Black sea bass have been really stacked up alongside scattered porgies.
As more stable weather moving into April allows for further runs, anglers will be looking at the bottom fishing action further offshore to be really good. Vermilion snapper fishing should be red hot, and they’ll be alongside large amberjacks, triggerfish, grunts, porgies, and jumbo black sea bass.
Offshore trolling trips are finding blackfin tuna and wahoo making up most of the action. These species will continue to be the top targets until the first mahi start moving through as spring fishing picks up.
Norma, of Apache Pier, reports that anglers are starting to see some fishing action pick back up after those last cold fronts moved past. Bottom fishing efforts are producing a mixed bag of whiting, croakers, pufferfish, and black drum.
