March 17
Morning inshore surface water temperatures around Little River are up to the low 60s and conditions remain very clear.
Fishing continues to improve at the top of the South Carolina Grand Strand, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that just this week they have caught a mixed bag of trout, black drum, and redfish as well as the first good flounder of the season!
Starting on the outside and working in, before the fishing started to pick up inshore they were heading out to the Caudle Reef when conditions allowed. They were getting good numbers of black drum as well as small black sea bass and bluefish on fresh cut shrimp fished on a heavy split shot rig right over the structure. They would also pick up the occasional sheepshead, but with fiddler crabs you will catch more.
Moving in towards the jetties, the action has been a little slow but Captain Smiley’s boats have been catching redfish drifting live shrimp – available at Perry’s in Murrells Inlet – along the rocks. The most bites have been coming about 20 feet out on a slip bobber, and the key is to adjust the depth until you find the fish. They have also picked up some sporadic fish on a paddletail swimbait.
The best trout catches have come in the Intracoastal Waterway, and off the ledges they are picking up some really nice fish. They are anchoring in 5-6 feet; on one side there is a flat and on the other side it drops off to 13 or so feet, and the key is to always cast into and fish the line of current. Live shrimp under a slip cork has been working very well but Vudu shrimp on the same rig or casting are also catching fish as are paddletail grubs. Be sure to add some Pro-Cure shrimp scent to soft plastics.
Finally, inside in the tidal marshes they have been able to creep up on a few reds and the occasional flounder in deeper holes. The best bite is coming around low tide, either rising or falling. Cut shrimp and mud minnows are working as is Gulp! on a jighead. They are occasionally seeing big schools of reds pushing water, and while they are seeing trout back there they are usually not biting.
There’s more improvement in the action at the Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625), and they are starting to catch some nice whiting. There are also an assortment of small bluefish, croaker, sting rays and pufferfish being caught. Off the pier surface temperatures are about 59 degrees.