Little River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Spring Fishing Report – Updated May 9

May 9
Inshore water temperatures in Little River had been in the mid to lower-70s, but over the weekend they dropped into the 70-degree range – and even slightly cooler. With warm weather they will rebound quickly.
Inshore fishing continues to be good in the Little River area, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) that most of the inshore species are feeding pretty well right now.
Even with the high winds redfish have been available, with 15-22 inches the average catch size. Fish have been biting best on falling tides, and they have been around docks and oyster beds. Live mud minnows and Gulp! baits fished on a ¼ ounce jighead have been working best.
Black drum have been found in the same areas and on the same tides as the red drum, but shrimp have been working best for them. More and more bait stealers like pinfish show up each week so keeping a shrimp in the water until a drum finds it is getting harder and harder.
Trout have been found in slightly deeper water in the 6-10 foot range around ledges and oyster bars, with the low to rising tide most productive. Mud minnows or Vudu Shrimp fished under a popping cork have worked well, as has just jigging one of the imitation shrimp without a cork.
In the Tubbs Inlet-area lots of short flounder in the 12-15 inch range have been caught, while in Cherry Grove plenty of keepers are being landed. Guides report catching fish up to about 6 pounds in the area.
Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that on the bottom whiting, croaker and perch are around, and there have also been bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Yesterday they had a nice run of Spanish with some fish undersized, the biggest up to 22 inches, and a good number of 14-16 inch fish. There have been no kings in the last week but four so far this year, with those coming in mid-April.

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

ittle River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Spring Fishing Report – Updated April 23

 

April 23 

Inshore water temperatures are ranging from about 68-70 in the Little River area.  Water clarity has been pretty good, but with the big rain this morning visibility has declined.

It’s been a good month for fishing in the Little River area, and Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that inshore fishing has been pretty consistent with a little bit of everything biting right now.

Trout have been hitting well on Vudu Shrimp and Gulp! Shrimp fished under popping corks, and topwater plugs and Mirrolures have also been working well.  Fish are mostly being caught along ledges and drop-offs in the ICW where the depth goes from about 5 feet down to 13, and the best bite for trout (like most species) has come on the incoming tide.  Most of the trout being caught have been keeper-sized.

This spring the redfish population seems to have rebounded from last year, and while Captain Smiley’s boat is not catching a lot of big fish they are catching plenty of 17-20 inch redfish.  The fish are biting around oyster beds and docks, with the best success coming with mud minnows or Gulp! Shrimp fished on a ¼ ounce jighead.  Again the rising tide has been best.

The black drum fishery is also strong, and black drum are biting well on cut shrimp fished around bulkheads, docks and deep holes with oyster bottoms.

There has been a very good run of bluefish so far this spring, and lots of 18-inch fish as well as some random, very large fish up to 10 pounds or more have been caught inshore.  They will eat topwater plugs, live bait and most anything that moves.  Inshore fish have been caught on the outgoing tide around deeper holes where water runs across shell beds, and they are also in the Little River Inlet around the jetties.

Flounder traditionally move into all the other inlets along the Grand Strand (Murrells Inlet, behind Pawley’s, Tubbs, etc.) before they migrate back into Little River Inlet, and this year appears to be no exception.  Already they are catching lots of short 12-inch fish as well as some occasional 15 inchers, but the better flounder on up to doormat size have certainly not shown up yet.

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

Little River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Spring Fishing Report – Updated March 28

March 28
Inshore water temperatures have risen to the low-60s in the Little River area, while the water generally remains gin clear.
While conditions have been pretty windy in the Little River area, Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that inshore fishing is off to a good start this spring.
There have been some big trout caught out at the Little River jetties, while on the inside some smaller ones have been landed. There have also been some keeper-sized fish caught around the Sunset Beach Bridge and Dunn Sound. In the Inlet the falling tide has been most productive, with the incoming best in Dunn Sound and the outgoing best in the Calabash River. Vudu Shrimp and Mirrolures have been working well.
Some smaller redfish have been caught dock hopping in the IntraCoastal Waterway, and they will bite on Gulp! baits fished on a jighead. However, there are plenty of black drum around as well, and so the best bet is to fish fresh shrimp which both species will eat. The main bait stealers right now are some small Virginia perch, and so fishing with shrimp is not too bad. By the time you can throw a cast net for shrimp in the creeks the pinfish and other bait stealers will have arrived en masse – and fishing shrimp gets tougher.
Small black drum and redfish can also be caught in the smaller creeks, particularly on the falling tide. However, boats can’t stay too long or else they will be stranded.

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

Inshore water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s in the Little River area, and the water is gin clear.
The big three winter inshore species are all biting well in the ICW, creeks and tributaries around Little River, with Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reporting good catches of black drum, redfish and speckled sea trout.
Redfish are eating both shrimp and Gulp! baits, and they are being caught on the low to rising tide around docks and oyster beds in shallow areas with about 5 feet of water or less. Most of the fish are in the 15-20 inch slot-size range, and they are doing a lot of “dock-hopping” from one good looking dock to another.
Black drum are being caught in the same areas and on the same tides as the redfish, but they are pretty much being caught on shrimp.
On the other end of the tide spectrum, on the end of the rising tide and when the water is just starting to fall trout are biting well on Mirrolures. Anglers can either cast or troll the lures, and fishing moving water around creek mouths and ledges is the best bet. 6-8 feet has been the most productive depth.

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

Little River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Winter Fishing Report – Updated January 17

January 17
Water temperatures are holding fairly steady in the Little River area, and inshore water temperatures still range from the upper 40s to lower 50s. The surf is about 54 degrees. Inshore conditions are very clear.
Perhaps due to the fact that water temperatures are essentially unchanged from a few weeks ago, fishing conditions in Little River are very similar to the end of December. Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that the bite for trout, red drum and black drum is still pretty good. Plenty of trout can be caught on Mirrolures or Vudu Shrimp fished under a popping cork along ledges in 6-8 feet of water, with moving, higher tides most productive.
Redfish have been biting well for a couple of hours before and after low tide, and they are eating Gulp! as well as fresh cut shrimp or cut mullet. Live shrimp are almost impossible to get. They are catching these fish around docks, holes and oyster beds. Black drum are also being caught on shrimp in the same areas on the same tides.
Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that the bite is pretty slow, and the main catch is little whiting and croaker.

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

Inshore water temperatures in the Little River area are 48-52 degrees, and in the shallows conditions are gin clear. Water temperatures in the surf are about 55 degrees, with conditions fairly clear in the mornings before the wind gets up most afternoons.
Temperatures have dropped significantly in the last month or so, but despite the falling mercury Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that black drum, redfish and trout have continued to feed pretty steadily.
On most trips they are catching double digit numbers of trout, and even though you could use live bait (particularly mud minnows or live shrimp, if you can get them) Vudu shrimp fished under a popping cork have been working very well. Trout are being caught around ledges in 6-8 feet of water, and the moving water in the middle couple of hours on both the rising and falling tide has been most productive.
Redfish have also been biting well at the same stage of the tide, and Gulp! baits as well as fresh, dead shrimp have both been working for reds as well as black drum. “Dead-sticking” the Gulp! has been working very well. They are catching these fish beside docks, in holes in small creeks, and around oyster beds. On lower stages of the tide redfish are also feeding around docks in the ICW.
While there are reports of a few flounder being caught, Patrick’s boat has not picked up any.
Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that mostly small fish are being caught off the pier, including small whiting, croaker, perch, a few trout, pufferfish, and a couple of surprising (for so late in the season) snapper bluefish.

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

Little River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Fishing Report – Updated November 2
Inshore: Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that even with water clarity low fishing has been strong. Good numbers of slot-sized redfish have been caught on Gulp! baits as well as shrimp, and trout are also eating live shrimp as well as DOA and Vudu shrimp. Black drum are being caught on shrimp fished around structure, and flounder are making up a healthy bycatch for anglers fishing a variety of live baits.
Nearshore: Bull red drum are in the process of moving on but there have been good numbers of king mackerel caught slow-trolling menhaden.
Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that bluefish, some whiting and some spots have been caught off the pier. A few small pompano have also been brought to the deck. With the full pier back online they have seen some kings breaking the water but have yet to land one. Some bull red drum have been caught in the evenings.

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

Little River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Fishing Report – Updated October 18
Inshore: Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that inshore fishing has been good for smaller redfish, trout, and black drum. Smaller redfish are eating live and cut menhaden as well as live shrimp, while black drum and trout are mainly eating shrimp. Trout can also be caught on topwater plugs. Off the beaches and in the Little River Inlet bull red drum in the 30-40 inch range continue to be caught on live and cut menhaden.
Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that even with the end of the pier closed off catches have still been strong. Strong numbers of redfish, trout and smaller flounder have been caught as a well as some big flounder and a bull red drum (this morning). Whiting and small pompano are also around.

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

Little River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Fishing Report – Updated September 28
Inshore: Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that bull red drum in the 30-40 inch range continue to be caught on live menhaden and finger mullet in the Inlet. Inshore there continues to be a pretty consistent bite for trout, smaller and slot-sized redfish, and flounder, with all three species eating finger mullet, shrimp and Gulp! baits. Black drum are feeding well on crabs and shrimp, and Spanish mackerel and bluefish are also being caught on mullet fished in the inlets and off the beaches.
Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that fishing has been excellent off the pier, and the first king mackerel caught since last May have been landed in the past week… In fact, 31 ½ (after a shark bite) of them have been landed off the pier since last Thursday! Fish caught off Cherry Grove Pier took 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in last weekend’s Grand Strand king mackerel tournament. Additionally, bull red drum, some nice bluefish and Spanish, whiting, croaker and small black drum have been caught.

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

Little River/ North Myrtle Beach (SC) Fishing Report – Updated September 20
Inshore: Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) reports that the biggest news is that bull red drum in the 30-40 inch range are being caught consistently on live menhaden and finger mullet in the Inlet. There continues to be a pretty consistent trout bite fishing shrimp under a popping cork in the ICW, and flounder fishing is still good with mullet fished on the bottom. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are also being caught on mullet fished in the inlets.
Cherry Grove Pier (843-249-1625) reports that bluefish have been caught in the morning. Sporadic croaker and whiting as well as small black drum have also been landed.
To read the full AHQ INSIDER report visit: http://www.anglersheadquarters.com/ahq-insider-little-river-north-myrtle-beach-sc-fall-fishing-report/

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