Fishing Report (Updated 5.14.2008)

Spottail Bass: Good.  Fish the inlets using live or cut mullet, dead shrimp, or live fiddler or mud crabs (available at Perry’s Bait and Tackle).  Natural bait seems to be producing better than lures and fish don’t yet seem too interested in chasing artificials.  Spottails are also beginning to show up in the surf.

Trout: Fair.  There are few recent reports of trout catches but the Georgetown area has been most successful for trout.  Try Mirrolures, Gulp shrimp, or live shrimp and fish the drops.

Flounder:  Very good.  Flounder fishing is hot and nice numbers of fish are being reported with about half of these fish being keeper sized.  Drift or troll live mud minnows in Murrells Inlet or other inlets and creeks.

Sheepshead: Excellent.  Nice sheepshead are being taken, particularly in the Georgetown area, as well as at the Murrells Inlet jetties.  Use fiddler crabs. 

Black Drum: Good.  The 2 to 5 pound drum are still hanging around and fishermen report nice catches using live mud minnows, pieces of dead shrimp, and broken crab pieces.  Fish the inlets or head to the jetties.  Black drum are also being caught in the hole off the end of the former Veteran’s Pier in the Murrells Inlet area.

Pompano: Very good.  Pompano have showed up and are feeding aggressively in the surf.  Fish areas that have not been dredged with sand fleas for best results.  The fish are mainly small but a 2.5 pounder was weighed in recently. 

Bluefish: Huge bluefish by South Carolina standards are being caught in the surf, including large numbers of fish between 8 and 15 pounds as well as lots of 12 to 14 inch fish.

Piers: This is one of the best years in memory for Spanish Mackerel off the piers, and the bluefish run is also one of the strongest in some time.  The fishing has declined a bit as the water muddied but expect it to pick back up soon.

Springmaid Pier: Croaker, bluefish and whiting generally ranging from half to one pound are being caught, with occasional flounder and black and red drum mixed in.  Spanish mackerel are also being caught.  Fishing was much better before the water got muddy recently. 

Myrtle Beach State Park Pier: Good sized whiting are being caught and the 2 lb. 10 oz. state record was tied off the pier recently.  Lots of good sized Spanish Mackerel and bluefish are being caught, and a 2 lb 8 oz. pompano was caught off the pier a few days ago.

Apache Pier: Large bluefish up to 10 pounds have been caught as well as nice kings up to 31 pounds and Spanish up to 7 lb 8 oz, although average Spanish are much smaller.  Whiting, pompano, and flounder are also being caught.  Some nice sized spottails within the 15 to 23 inch slot limit are also being taken on fresh shrimp. 

Surfside Pier: Large Spanish Mackerel up to 6 pounds 5 ounces and bluefish in the 6 to 8 pound range were being caught before the combined effect of a front and muddier water put the fish off.  Pompano and whiting have also been abundant and should be feeding again soon.

Garden City Pier: Spanish mackerel, nice sized bluefish up to 9 pounds, and flounder are all being caught off the pier.  A 6 pound black drum was also taken recently.   

Offshore:  King and Spanish mackerel are being caught by boats just off the beaches on out to Belkie Bear, and out at the Parking Lot kings, dolphins, and some wahoo are being caught.  Grouper and Snapper are still biting out at the Ledge.  More.

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