May 24
Inshore water temperatures on the north end of the Grand Strand range from the mid- to upper-70s inshore, while in the ocean water temperatures are around 74 degrees. In the breakers it’s muddy while a couple hundred yards off the beach the sea is pretty clear.
Inshore fishing continues to be very strong, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly(843-361-7445) reports that the bite for redfishand black drumin the 15-30 inch range has been excellent. Both species are feeding very well on quarter sections of hard or soft shell crabs, and reds are also taking menhaden and mud minnows with black drum also eating shrimp. Captain Smiley is fishing everything on ¼ ounce jigheads. Redfish are biting best around the edges of oyster beds and along grass edges, while black drum are feeding well around oyster banks and drops. You can catch both species on any tide in the right spot.
The flounder bite has slowed down a little in the past week or two, but fish will still eat mud minnows or Gulp! swimming minnows fished on a ¼ ounce jighead. The low to rising tide has been best fishing around holes in the Intracoastal Waterway.
While they are not plentiful, there are some small troutthat have been caught. Captain Smiley’s boat also caught this 7-pound gator on a mud minnow fished under a popping cork! Remember that SCDNR is asking anglers to practice catch and release of all spotted seatrout through the end of September. To read the full news releaseclick here.
Inshore there are some bluefishup to about 3 pounds around.
Cherry Grove Pier(843-249-1625) reports that before the storm earlier this week they had an excellent run on bluefish, with fish ranging from 1 pound up to a 14-pound monster (caught on a king rig and pictured below). There were also lots of nice-sized Spanish mackerelcaught earlier in the week. A big red drum was landed off the pier as well as a bunch of nice black drum. Bottom fish like pompano, some spotsand of course whitingand croakerare also around. There have been no more king mackerelsince the last report.

Jay A’Hern
Angler’s Headquarters (www.AnglersHeadquarters.com)
P.O. Box 50225
Columbia, SC 29250
jay@usfishingreport.com