North Myrtle/Little River – December 2024
Greg, of Dave’s Outpost, reports that inshore anglers are still doing well with sheepshead. Live fiddler crabs fished around docks and bridges is all it takes.
The speckled trout action has been solid. While some fish are being caught with live shrimp, many anglers have switched over to artificials such as Z-Man Trout Tricks and MirrOlure MR-52s.
When targeting trout, some red drum are in the mix, and they’re hitting the same bait and lure offerings.
A handful of striped bass are starting to be caught.
Anglers fishing from the surf and local piers are catching whiting and bluefish.
Moving into December, speckled trout will truly be the main target. Live shrimp will basically have disappeared by then and all the action will come from artificials.
Chris, of Fine Catch Fishing Charters, reports that the speckled trout action is phenomenal. Anglers are finding a class of 15-18” fish, with 20”+ ones mixed in. Most of the success is coming on live shrimp under slip corks or from artificials. Live baits make a great way to search and find where these schools of fish are. Once you find a couple bites, switch over to artificials and work on your technique. The best target areas have been oyster bars, scattered shell bottoms, and current breaks in the backs of creeks.
Red drum and black drum are also biting the live shrimp being drifted along oyster beds. Most of the junk fish are gone, so anytime you get a bite, it’s usually a target species.
Anglers fishing the jetties are finding them loaded with sheepshead. A lot of small fish are out there, but a good handful of 5-8 lb. fish are also around.
Flounder are still staged up around the creek mouths.
Runs out to the Three Mile Reef are producing gray trout.
Out further, anglers are finding king mackerel, as well as some throwback grouper, in the 80’ range.
Kamden Rock (age 7), of SC, caught this red drum near an oyster bed in the Little River ICW using a piece of cut mullet.
Buddy, of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that the speckled trout are feeding voraciously. Just about all of the action is coming from live shrimp rigged under slip corks, but those fishing artificials are having some success with Vudu shrimp, too. For the best chance of success, target shell banks and creeks with 5-10’ of water.
Many of these structured areas, both in the creeks and along the ICW, are also holding black drum and redfish.
Anglers out fishing the jetties are finding black drum and speckled trout.
Boats running out to the nearshore reefs can find bluefish and gray trout by jigging Big Nic Spanish Candies.
Moving through December and into January, the targets will continue to be trout, redfish, and black drum. During the coldest months, natural baits such as live mud minnows and cut shrimp work well when fished on both Carolina rigs or jig heads.
Bob, of Strange Magic Fishing Charters, reports that the speckled trout bite has really kicked on with the lower water temperatures. Anglers are doing best focusing their efforts along ICW shell banks and in deeper holes in the backwaters. The trout are aggressive and hitting just about all live and artificial bait offerings. That being said, a live shrimp under a popping cork works the best.
Once finding a school, the bite will usually last about 20 minutes or so and then basically shut down. It’s not that these fish have stopped feeding. It’s more likely that they have moved down a bit from where you are, so the next challenge is to figure out which way they’ve gone.
Flounder are still present, though the larger fish have mostly cleared out into the ocean. Inshore flounder can be found by targeting deeper holes in front of structure during a falling tide, and use live mud minnows or scented soft plastics.
Red drum are still in smaller schools, but with water temperatures cooling, they will soon get into their larger groups (100+ fish). These schools can be spooky, so a stealthy approach is key.
Black drum are hanging around deep shell bottom areas. Some fresh shrimp or a fiddler crab on a bottom rig is usually best.
Gaillard Mervin, of SC, landed this 30″ red drum in the Cherry Grove area using a mullet minnow on a Carolina rig.
Bevan, of Chilly Water Fishing, reports that anglers are seeing some black sea bass move into the 65’ range. These fish can be aggressive and will strike anything from cut squid to artificials.
Getting into deeper structure (120’), anglers will find some nice scamp grouper hitting cigar minnows or live pinfish.
The deeper bottoms are also holding triggerfish, which are best caught with cut squid.
Trolling efforts are producing wahoo and blackfin tuna in the 150-200’ range.
Larry, of Voyager Fishing Charters, reports that the half day bottom trips targeting structure in the 10-mile range are starting to fire off now that water temperatures are cooling down. Anglers have been seeing mixed bags that include big porgies, grunts, rudderfish, and a ton of black sea bass.
The further offshore bottom fishing trips continue to find plenty of larger vermilion snapper, triggerfish, amberjacks, porgies, and big grunts.
Trolling efforts out around the Steeples and Blackjack are producing some wahoo and blackfin tuna.
Debra, of Apache Pier, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of whiting, with some croakers and sheepshead mixed in.
Black drum are cooperating, too.
Larry, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that with the cooler weather, it has been and will continue to be bottom fishing that generates the most success. Anglers are catching a mixed bag of black drum, croakers, and whiting.
