August 4 

Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 degrees inshore around Little River, and until yesterday there had been rough wind and therefore muddy water every day for some time.   

After too many days of too much wind, yesterday Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that the wind finally laid down and they had some outstanding fishing.  On the low to incoming tide they caught black drum, redfish, flounder, trout, croakers, sharks and more.  They were fishing up in the creeks with live shrimp and finger mullet around grass banks and 5-foot holes.     

While the trout and redfish have been a little spotty at times, the black drum have really turned on.  At the Tillman docks they are catching tons of slot-sized fish as well as giants up to 40 or 50 pounds on fresh cut or live shrimp.  There are also big reds in the area.   

When you can get out there there have also been some big drum at jetties, and they have been caught on the bottom with live menhaden.  Sharks are also mixed in.  

You can also float live shrimp off the rocks for trout.   

The flounder fishing continues to be outstanding, but the asterisk is that inshore it’s best on the North Carolina side where it’s strictly catch-and-release.   Small live menhaden, live finger mullet and mud minnows are all working. 
In South Carolina the Caudle Reef is still the best place to catch flounder, and there are also tons of Spanish mackereland some bluefish out there.   

Until yesterday the water has been extremely dirty off the beaches, but Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that just today it has cleared up and already they are catching Spanish mackerel and had a king in the rigs today.  They have also been catching spot, whiting and croaker fairly consistently.   

July 1
Morning surface water temperatures are around 82 degrees inshore around Little River. Bait is now pretty abundant in the creeks.
Trolling for Spanish mackerel continues to entertain families and clients at the north end of the Grand Strand, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that they are catching the fish pulling #1 planer boards with Clarks Spoons at about 6 knots. Tou can also cast small silver spoons when you find the fish. The key is to look for the menhaden balls and glass minnows and they will be nearby.
There are also sharks underneath which provide a lot of action, and they are also catching sharks soaking baits at the sand bars.
The flounder fishing is still really good, and this week they have also been catching a lot of flounder drifting (aided by the trolling motor) along the rocks at the jetties. Live mullet have been working very well. Tubbs Inlet is still producing a ton of fish over 16 inches, and the action is also pretty good in Cherry Grove where you can keep the big ones.
“Peanut pogies” (small menhaden) are also working.
The other big three inshore species have all slowed down a little this week. They are still catching some small trout on Gulp! around oyster beds and creek mouths, and during the heat of the day the best place to look is in deep holes. The bigger trout should still be out at the jetties where the best way to target them is drifting live shrimp around the rocks on moving tides. You will also pick up redfish this way, and you can also still catch reds in shallow potholes back in the creeks on the low to rising tide. Live mullet, pinfish and Gulp! can all work. There are also redfish around docks.
There are also some black drum inshore that can be caught on cut or live shrimp.
It makes sense that the flounder are biting at the jetties this week, because Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that ever since mullet showed up in the ocean they have been killing big 3- and 4-pound flounder off the pier! Spanish have been a bit hit-or-miss, and they haven’t had a king in 10 days, but there have been some tarpon caught off the pier including one yesterday. It’s been a phenomenal year for tarpon, capped off by the day they caught 10! Bluefish, whiting, spot and croaker are all around as well.
At the nearshore reefs there are some flounder which will take finger mullet or live menhaden, but the cobia have left the reefs and wrecks. Small black sea bass are abundant and there are a bunch of sharks.

June 24
Morning surface water temperatures are around 81-82 degrees inshore around Little River. Bait is now pretty abundant in the creeks.
The Spanish mackerel continue to provide a lot of excitement at the north end of the Grand Strand this week, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that false albacore have joined the party and are also a lot of fun. They are catching both species pulling #1 planer boards with Clarks Spoons at about 6 knots, and you can also cast small silver spoons when you find the fish. The key is to look for the menhaden balls and glass minnows and they will be nearby. There also sharpnose sharks underneath which provide a lot of action.
The flounder fishing is still really good, particularly in North Carolina, and in Tubbs Inlet they have been catching a ton of fish over 16 inches. The action is also pretty good in Cherry Grove where you can keep the big ones.
Drifting has been about the best way to catch fish, and when you get a bite opening the spool and giving the fish time to eat is the preferred technique. You can also cast and jig with a grub or minnow on a 3/8 ounce jighead.
The Cherry Grove area also has a fair number of black drum, and Dunn Sound is also full of them right now. You can catch drum on cut or live shrimp.
They are still catching some small trout on Gulp! around oyster beds and creek mouths, and during the heat of the day in deep holes. However the bigger trout are being caught at the jetties drifting live shrimp around the rocks on moving tides. You will also pick up redfish this way, and you can also still catch reds in shallow potholes back in the creeks on the low to rising tide. Live mullet, pinfish and Gulp! can all work. There are also redfish around docks.
It’s been another strong week of fishing off Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), and each day they are averaging a couple of king mackerel. They are also getting some Spanish on the king rigs as well as casting Gotcha plugs, and there have been a bunch of keeper flounder this week. They are also catching an assortment of whiting, croaker and spots.
At the nearshore reefs there are some flounder which will take finger mullet or live menhaden, and there are also some small cobia at the reefs and wrecks. Small black sea bass are also abundant and there are a bunch of sharks.

June 17
Morning surface water temperatures are around 82-83 degrees inshore around Little River. Bait is now pretty abundant in the creeks.
The most exciting fishing at the top of the coast this week has been trolling for Spanish mackerel, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that pulling #1 planer boards with Clarks Spoons at about 6 knots they are really catching them. The key is to look for the menhaden balls and glass minnows and the Spanish will be nearby. There also sharpnose sharks underneath which provide a lot of action.
The flounder fishing is still really good, particularly in North Carolina, and in Tubbs Inlet they have been catching a ton of fish over 16 inches. The action is also pretty good in Cherry Grove where you can keep them.
Drifting has been about the best way to catch fish, and when you get a bite opening the spool and giving the fish time to eat is the preferred technique. You can also cast and jig with a grub or minnow on a 3/8 ounce jighead.
The Cherry Grove area also has a fair number of black drum.
This week they have caught a few more trout on Gulp! around oyster beds and creek mouths, and during the heat of the day in deep holes. You can also still catch redfish in shallow potholes back in the creeks on the low to rising tide. Live mullet, pinfish and Gulp! can all work. There are also redfish around docks.
It’s been an another excellent week of fishing off Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), and yesterday they caught five king mackerel! The day before they had a 35-pound fish. They are also getting some Spanish on the king rigs as well as casting Gotcha plugs, and there have been some keeper flounder and trout today. They are also catching an assortment of whiting, croaker, spot and bluefish.
At the jetties the action has been pretty good for trout and redfish drifting live shrimp under a cork just off the rocks. Moving tides have been best.
At the nearshore reefs there are some flounder which will take finger mullet or live menhaden, and there are also some cobia at the reefs and wrecks. Small black sea bass are also abundant.

June 10 

Morning surface water temperatures are around 81 degrees inshore around Little River.  Bait is now pretty abundant in the creeks.   

Even as it gets hot there has been some pretty good inshore fishing, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that the flounder are probably the best thing going.   Drifting in the Little River Inlet has been about the best way to catch fish, and when you get a bite opening the spool and giving the fish time to eat is the prefered way to catch them.  You can also cast and jig with a grub or minnow on a 3/8 ounce jighead.   

Probably the best flounder fishing right now is in North Carolina’s Tubbs Inlet where you can’t keep them, but you have to be careful with the sand bars to avoid getting stuck.  The Cherry Grove area has also been pretty good and has a fair number of black drum as well.   

The few trout that are around are mostly very small, but you can still catch redfish in shallow potholes back in the creeks on the low to rising tide.  Live mullet, pinfish and Gulp! can all work.  They are also redfish around docks.   

There are also plenty of croaker and small black drum around inshore that will take shrimp or Fish Bites.   

At the other end of the size range there have also been a lot of giant bull sharks in the Intracoastal that will eat a range of cut baits.   

It’s been an incredible week of fishing off Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), and in addition to the usual suspects of whiting, croaker and a few spots they have had a nice run of bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and even a couple of king mackerel this week.  But the most exciting action came on Tuesday when they jumped 10 tarpon on the pier!  

Just off the beaches you can cast heavy silver jigs and catch abundant false albacore, and even though this oily fish isn’t good table fare they make for excellent shark bait!  You can also troll for Spanish mackerel with Clarks Spoons and #1 planers, and if you see a good wad of them you can cast.   

At the nearshore reefs there are some flounder which will take finger mullet or live menhaden, and there are also abundant blues and Spanish mackerel.  There are also some cobia at the reefs and wrecks.   

May 20
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s inshore around Little River.
With calmer conditions there have been better fishing conditions this week, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that they have had some exciting inshore opportunities this week. In the Intracoastal Waterway 40-plus inch red drum have showed up, and they are catching them on a Carolina rig with cut ladyfish or mullet. There are also plenty of Atlantic sharpnose sharks around which are giving good action
Redfish can also still be caught in shallow potholes back in the creeks on the low to rising tide. Live mullet, pinfish and Gulp! can all work.
Around shallow sandbars in less than three feet there have also been a mix of ladyfish, trout and bluefish caught on light tackle this week. The key has been having moving water with a good current, and casting silver spoons with a fast retrieve has been the best technique. Trout can also be caught at the jetty rocks on live shrimp which are becoming more widely available.
There are also still some black drum being caught on live or fresh cut shrimp on ledges, and they will also take fiddler crabs fished around structure. There are plenty of sheepshead that have returned inshore around the rocks but some days it’s hard to weed through the little ones. Still, there are keepers.
The flounder fishing is getting better as fish start to spread out more, and they are catching fish in deeper holes and sandy bottoms. The fish are starting to filter out into all the creeks and inlets, and they can also be caught around docks and oyster beds. In addition to live bait, Gulp! new penny, white or chartreuse shrimp are all working.
The storm two nights ago temporarily dirtied the water off the Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), but before (and likely after) that it has been a really good week off the pier. They have had two kings and plenty of people have been limiting on 12-18 inch Spanish mackerel to go along with lots of mid-sized bluefish. They have had a few flounder over 16 inches to go along with lots of short fish, while decent numbers of pompano, whiting and croaker are being caught.
Water temperatures are 75 degrees in the surf.
At the nearshore reefs there are plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish around which can be caught casting or trolling spoons. There are also tons of small black sea bass.

May 12
Morning surface water temperatures are around 69 degrees inshore around Little River.
The conditions have been tough for fishing this week, as Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that 25-30 mile per hour winds have been super challenging. They are still catching some fish but they are really, really having to work for them.
There are still some redfish in shallow potholes back in the creeks on the low to rising tide. Live mullet, pinfish and Gulp! can all work. For trout the key is still having live shrimp, available at Perry’s in Murrells Inlet or Dave’s Outpost in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. They are biting along the ledges in the IntraCoastal Waterway or around the rocks at the jetties. There are also redfish at the rocks.
There are also still some black drum being caught on live or fresh cut shrimp on the same ledges where the trout are located, and they will also take fiddler crabs fished around structure. There are plenty of sheepshead that have returned inshore around the rocks but some days it’s hard to weed through the little ones. Still, there are plenty of keepers.
There are some flounder being caught in the Little River area, but by far the best action continues to be in Cherry Grove. Cherry Grove has a smaller inlet which confines the
fish and gives them less room to roam, and so they are much denser. Drifting live mullet or mud minnows is working but Vudu Shrimp are also effective.
Unsurprisingly the action has also really slowed on the Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), and while they were catching really good numbers of Spanish mackerel before they are only getting a very few since the water conditions got bad. They are also getting the very occasional whiting and croaker, but overall the fishing is just poor.
If someone could get out there, at the nearshore reefs Spanish mackerel and blues should both be plentiful. They can be caught casting small spoons and Gotcha plugs.

May 4
Morning surface water temperatures are around 71 degrees inshore around Little River.
The fishing has been strong recently at the top end of South Carolina’s coast, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that inshore they catching lot of redfish in shallow potholes back in the creeks on the low to rising tide. Live mullet, pinfish and Gulp! are all working.
The trout fishing is also pretty good but the key is still having live shrimp, available at Perry’s in Murrells Inlet or Dave’s Outpost in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. They are biting along the ledges in the IntraCoastal Waterway or around the rocks at the jetties. They are also picking up some redfish at the rocks.
There are also some black drum being caught on live or fresh cut shrimp on the same ledges where the trout are located, and they will also take fiddler crabs fished around structure. There are plenty of sheepshead that have returned inshore around the rocks but some days it’s hard to weed through the little ones. Still, there are plenty of keepers.
There are some flounder being caught in the Little River area, but by far the best action continues to be in Cherry Grove. Cherry Grove has a smaller inlet which confines the
fish and gives them less room to roam, and so they are much denser. Drifting live mullet or mud minnows is working but Vudu Shrimp are also effective.
There’s been some exciting fishing at the Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), and last week they had the first king mackerel of the year while this week has been an excellent week for Spanish mackerel and bluefish. They are getting tons of 16-19 inch Spanish, while bluefish are a range of sizes up to 3 or 4 pounds. Today the water has gotten muddy and so they are only catching whiting and croaker, but when it clears the Spanish should turn back on. They are also getting some keeper flounder.
Speaking of Spanish and blues, at the nearshore reefs both species are plentiful. They are being caught casting small spoons and Gotcha plugs, and when the weather is calm enough to get offshore the action is hot.

April 21
Morning surface water temperatures have made it into the low to mid-60s inshore around Little River, and there has been a lot of wind again this week.
Despite some unfavorable fishing conditions, Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that there has actually been some very good fishing over the past two weeks.
The trout fishing has been good both inshore and at the jetties, and inshore they are catching fish arounds drop-offs in the Intracoastal Waterway. Live shrimp, Vudu Shrimp and Gulp! are all working but the key has been getting in some current.
At the jetties they are also catching redfish, and inshore the fishing has also been good for reds in 3-4 foot potholes back in shallow creeks. Fish can also be found around docks. The low to rising tide has been best.
There are also black drum being caught on cut shrimp around the rocks, and they will also eat live shrimp. You can also pick up some sheepshead on live shrimp, and both species will of course eat fiddler crabs. The low to rising tide has again been best.
Perhaps the most exciting development has been the return of the flounder, and in pretty much all the rivers they are starting to flood back in. Mud minnows or Gulp! baits will both work. If you want to find the best concentrations of flounder the Cherry Grove area is hard to beat.
Bluefish are also everywhere from the creeks to the jetties and beyond. Almost all of the fish are 18 inches and below.
Things continue to pick up at the Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), and the exciting development is that they are now catching a ton of keeper Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Croaker, whiting and a few sharks are also around. They are also getting some flounder but so far they have all been small. Reds and trout have not arrived.
At the nearshore reefs they are catching lots of weakfish on jigs by bumping the structure. You can also catch them on chartreuse and white Gulp! shrimp patterns or most any live bait.
Spanish mackerel fishing is also very good with casting spoons, and when the weather allows there is very productive fishing. You will also encounter a lot of blues fishing this way.