Estuary
• Look For | Flounder, red drum, spotted seatrout, black drum, sheepshead.
• Comments | As spring turns into summer, the size of flounder in local estuaries is improving. “The flounder are good size, they’re getting thicker,” said Tom Craddock of Inlet Convenience and Fishing Supplies in Murrells Inlet. “We’ve still got a lot of throwbacks.” The minimum size limit for flounder in South Carolina waters is 14 inches. Area jetties are producing a variety of fish including flounder, spotted seatrout, red drum and sheepshead. Capt. Mike McDonald of Gul-R-Boy Guide Service in Georgetown has had decent catches this week, but not as good as he would expect in mid-June. “There’s no rhyme or reason, we ought to be burning it up but we’re not burning it up,” McDonald said. McDonald has produced 10-15 fish a day in the Winyah Bay vicinity, mainly red drum with a few trout and fewer flounder mixed in. He has caught the fish on live or fresh menhaden (pogeys) both floated and on bottom rigs. From Winyah Bay and south, be prepared to tangle with a tarpon.
Inshore
• Look For | Spanish mackerel, cobia, king mackerel, bluefish, weakfish, black sea bass, whiting, pompano, flounder, black drum, croaker.
• Comments | Spanish mackerel, spadefish and flounder are the hot item on near-shore artificial reefs such as Paradise Reef, Pawleys Reef and Jim Caudle Reef. Cobia encounters have tapered off but are still occasionally being caught. Also look for Spanish and possibly kings on schools of menhaden and near inlet entrances. Windy weather and murky conditions along the beach have prevented catches of king mackerel off Grand Strand piers, but this week there have been plenty of Spanish, blues, whiting and croaker caught. Also look for pompano, black drum, flounder and sheepshead off the piers. Ocean water temperature off 2nd Ave. Pier in Myrtle Beach was 77.70 degrees Thursday at 4:15 p.m.
Offshore
• Look For | Dolphin, blackfin tuna, wahoo, sailfish, grouper, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, porgy, amberjack.
• Comments | Good catches of dolphin are available but the bite is not nearly as hot as it was a few weeks ago. Dolphin are spreading inshore, and fish have been caught in water as shallow as 80 feet. Trolling boats are also catching blackfin tuna and a few wahoo, with sailfish encounters on the rise. Look for kings on bottom spots in depths of 60 to 90 feet. Bottom fishing trips are producing good catches of grouper, black sea bass, vermilion snapper, triggerfish and amberjack. Red snapper cannot be harvested in the South Atlantic region and must be released.
Freshwater
• Look For | Bream, catfish, bass, crappie
• Comments | The above normal rain of the last two years is paying dividends for local river anglers. With the rivers predominantly above normal for much of the last two years, fish, specifically bream, have been spending much time in the woods and out of reach of anglers. “The fish have really gotten good and fat,” said Jamie Dunn of Fisherman’s Headquarters in Conway. “Right now they’re really catching some nice fish.” Dunn notes all the river levels are in good shape and fishing is simply excellent for bream. “You could take your pick of a river and you could catch fish on it,” said Dunn. “Fishing’s the best it’s been in two years.” Bream are also full of roe and are near the spawning stage, so limit your catch for the future of the species until the spawn is over. Bream are hitting both crickets and worms in 1 to 3 feet of water on the banks. Catfish action is decent on live and cut bait.
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