Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s inshore in Little River. Water clarity is improving with a lack of rain.
It seems a little late in the year, but Captain Buddy Love of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters (843-361-7445) reports that when they have been able to get off the beaches they have absolutely been wearing out the Spanish mackerel. They are mixed in with the bait schools in 20-30 feet of water, and it’s not uncommon to see acres of fish on the surface. Yesterday they caught 40 or 50 Spanish in short order casting spoons to them.
While the Spanish have kept them occupied at times, the fishing for weakfish has also been pretty incredible. They are on the nearshore reefs and off the beaches on any sort of structure, and you can catch them a variety of different ways. Jigging spoons, fishing live mullet or mud minnows, and cut shrimp are all working. It’s not unusual to catch 40 or 50 even though you can only keep one per person.
The big red drum fishing is still spotty at best in the inlet and around the jetties. They are scattered and mixed with the sharks, and the numbers just aren’t great.
Inshore the redfish bite is still good around the tide cycle, and live finger mullet, cut mullet, Vudu Shrimp and more are all working. Most of the fish they have been catching are in the slot or over, but there are also still tons of smaller redfish around. If you fish shrimp or smaller pieces of bait you will catch them.
More trout are also showing up, and they are picking up some fish in moving water throwing artificials. The bite will only improve as temperatures drop.
The flounder are also biting this week, and it seems that there are still decent numbers around. The best place to look for flounder has still been creek mouths on falling tides.
Finally, it’s been a really good week for black drum fishing with cut shrimp. The fish have been around creek mouths, and both the rising and falling tide have been good.
