May 24
Inshore water temperatures on the north end of the Grand Strand range from the mid- to upper-70s inshore, while in the ocean water temperatures are around 74 degrees. In the breakers it’s muddy while a couple hundred yards off the beach the sea is pretty clear.
Inshore fishing continues to be very strong, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly(843-361-7445) reports that the bite for redfishand black drumin the 15-30 inch range has been excellent. Both species are feeding very well on quarter sections of hard or soft shell crabs, and reds are also taking menhaden and mud minnows with black drum also eating shrimp. Captain Smiley is fishing everything on ¼ ounce jigheads. Redfish are biting best around the edges of oyster beds and along grass edges, while black drum are feeding well around oyster banks and drops. You can catch both species on any tide in the right spot.
The flounder bite has slowed down a little in the past week or two, but fish will still eat mud minnows or Gulp! swimming minnows fished on a ¼ ounce jighead. The low to rising tide has been best fishing around holes in the Intracoastal Waterway.
While they are not plentiful, there are some small troutthat have been caught. Captain Smiley’s boat also caught this 7-pound gator on a mud minnow fished under a popping cork! Remember that SCDNR is asking anglers to practice catch and release of all spotted seatrout through the end of September. To read the full news releaseclick here.
Inshore there are some bluefishup to about 3 pounds around.
Cherry Grove Pier(843-249-1625) reports that before the storm earlier this week they had an excellent run on bluefish, with fish ranging from 1 pound up to a 14-pound monster (caught on a king rig and pictured below). There were also lots of nice-sized Spanish mackerelcaught earlier in the week. A big red drum was landed off the pier as well as a bunch of nice black drum. Bottom fish like pompano, some spotsand of course whitingand croakerare also around. There have been no more king mackerelsince the last report.

Jay A’Hern
Angler’s Headquarters (www.AnglersHeadquarters.com)
P.O. Box 50225
Columbia, SC 29250
jay@usfishingreport.com

May 10
Inshore water temperatures on the north end of the Grand Strand range from about 69-72 degrees, and there is still excellent visibility on the incoming tide.
May is here on the upper end of the Grand Strand, and as is customary Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly(843-361-7445) reports that fishing is taking off. Flounderhave arrived, and although there are a lot of smaller fish plenty of big females are around, too. Captain Smiley reports that a key to catching the better fish has been using really big baits, and he is fishing the biggest mud minnows he can catch or 6-inch Gulp swimming minnows, both on ¼ ounce jigheads. Flounder can be found in deeper holes on lower stages of the tide, particularly in 4-10 feet of water. A sandy bottom helps and Tubbs Inlet and Hogg Inlet have been productive.
Black drumfishing has been really good, and they are killing both soft shell or hard shell crabs. Fishing around oyster bars or docks in 4-10 feet of water on the low to rising tide has been the best pattern.
Action for redfish has also been very strong, and nice 15-18 inch fish have been everywhere. They are catching them around oyster beds on the edges of grass, very shallow, and around drop-offs. Reds are taking live mud minnows or Gulp! baits fished on a ¼ ounce jighead, and overall the rising tide has been most productive.
Mixed in with the redfish have been nice 15-23 inch bluefish in the 2-4 pound range, and these are eating the same baits as the reds. Sometimes a bait will get snapped in half by a blue and then a redfish will end up eating it. When there are a lot of blues in an area you can try throwing casting jigs in there, and they are also biting topwater plugs very well.
Cherry Grove Pier(843-249-1625) reports that the last three days they have had a run of king mackerel, with seven fish landed and several more getting off. Just today they have also had some very large ten-pound bluefish, and some nice Spanish mackerelup to 16-18 inches.
Remember that SCDNR is asking anglers to practice catch and release of all spotted seatroutthrough the end of September. To read the full news release click here.

Jay A’Hern
Angler’s Headquarters (www.AnglersHeadquarters.com)
P.O. Box 50225
Columbia, SC 29250
jay@usfishingreport.com