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.

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