Artificial lures are very effective, but there are times when live bait is best. These include weather conditions, tides, species options, angler experience, and even the ability to catch fish.

Live bait is used on a Myrtle Beach fishing charter

You may not realize it, but live bait can require more skill than casting lures. It is easier to throw the lure farther and it is more comfortable for the angler to be in close contact with the lure. Casting with live bait is more difficult because the bait is  light.

Line management is another aspect anglers often struggle with when using live bait on a Myrtle Beach fishing charter. This means managing the line and catching a bite, as well as the slack. This is true whether you are free-lining your bait behind your boat or fishing it under a popping Cork. Bottom fishing is more difficult.

Captain Smiley Fishing Charters use top live baits

Shrimp is my favorite live bait on our fishing charters. There are many reasons why this is so. You can find shrimp at any bait shop. It is relatively easy to keep them alive. You can utilize shrimp in a number of different ways. Last but not least, almost every saltwater game fish species is eager to snag a live shrimp.

A live bait fish is the other type of live bait we utilize when fishing on Myrtle Beach. Although there are many types of bait fish, I only use a few. These are pin fish, grunts, and white bait that we primarily use for live bait fish for Myrtle Beach inshore fishing charters.

In the warmer months, white bait (also known as shiners) is abundant in Myrtle Beach waters. Larger baits can be fished along shorelines, in the structures in the passes and at other spots that are good for large snook. For the common species like snapper, trout and mackerel as well as bluefish, ladyfish and jacks, smaller baits are ideal for inshore fishing.

Pilchards (also known as scaled Sardines) and threadfin Herring (also known as greenbacks or threadies) are the main types of white bait we have in Myrtle Beach. These fish are usually caught with a cast net on shallow grass flats close to the passes, where they are abundant. They are more difficult to find during cooler months. You can catch pinfish and grunts with a cast net or with small hooks baited by shrimp or squid.

Fishing with live shrimp aboard a Myrtle Beach fishing boat

Live shrimp, as mentioned previously, are an excellent fishing bait. They can catch almost every species of fish that swim in Myrtle Beach waters. There are many different fishing techniques and rigs that we use to fish with live shrimp. It all depends on the species targeted as well as current conditions.

Free-line fishing a live shrimp is probably our favorite method of fishing. Deep grass flats and passes are two types of spots I fish most often. A sinker will add too much weight to the shrimp, while a flat will keep it from floating too high in the water column. A shrimp that is hooked through the head and swimming in the middle water column is the best presentation. 

Popping corks are the best choice for fishing in water less than 5 feet deep. Popping corks are noisy floats that suspend shrimp three to four feet above the ground. This puts them right in the strike zone. The float pops when it is shaken sharply. The sound mimics the feeding of fish and attracts other fish to it. They will then see the shrimp and grab it. This is a very effective method, especially for spotted sea trout.

Fishing live bait on a Myrtle Beach fishing charter requires that you fish deeper waters, and this is usually done around a structure. 

Live bait fish can also be productive

It is difficult to argue that chumming live bait fish in the summer months is not the most effective fishing method that is used in Myrtle Beach. A cast net is used by the guide or angler to catch hundreds of small bait fish. For flat species, baits between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches are ideal. Redfish and snook prefer larger baits. Some guides fish only this way, but I’m not one of them. This technique is used when the bait is plentiful and easy to catch.

Our fishing guides are experienced with the optimal bait to use based on the waters, time of year and the type of fish you ae after.  Call us today or book online for a fishing experience you will remember for a lifetime. 

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Captain Smiley Fishing Charters LLC.
4495 Baker St
Little River, SC 29566
(843) 361-7445

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