August 28

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are about 84-85 degrees and the water conditions are getting more normal again. Shrimp are everywhere. 

The inshore fishing is back to pretty typical for late August, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that except for seeing way more gators than normal in creeks and rivers where they aren’t usually (because of freshwater inflow) everything is about right. The shrimp which became so hard to find post-Debby are definitely back and numerous species including redfish are keying on them. On middle and lower tides you can find fish working the edges chasing shrimp about everywhere, and fishing shrimp under a popping cork is hard to beat. For some reason fish are more spread out than normal which is good for blind fishing, and you are also less likely to spook the fish since they aren’t grouped up. Tailing activity is also above-average on the higher tides. 

Fishing out of Station Creek Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) also reports that the shrimp have returned, and right now they are having a blast fishing shrimp on very light tackle for small trout and redfish. While there are still better redfish mixed in, and a higher percentage of good ones on the flats, this month they have had so much fun catching small ones that it’s been hard to turn down the constant action. The best action has been around trees and oysters while docks have slowed a little for Captain Patrick. 

Fishing shrimp under a popping cork has also picked up some keeper flounder. 

Additionally, Captain Tuck reports that there have been plenty of schools of small jack crevalle around while Pat reports that tarpon are here but anglers targeting them report getting less shots than normal. 

August 14

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort were 84 this morning and the water is very tannic and/or muddy. Bait has moved around with the storm. 

The inshore fishing in Beaufort was really good for a few days after Debby, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that today the fishing seemed more normal.  One consistent theme since the storm is that fish are more likely to bite in areas where the water is cleaner, and in places like the Harbor River where it is very muddy the fishing has slowed. The Broad River is very tannic but fish don’t seem as concerned about that since visibility is still okay.

Before the storm there were tons of shrimp and mullet everywhere, and the fish really seemed to have gotten on a shrimp bite. Mullet are still around but the shrimp seem to have moved, and as if they are longing for them the redfish seem to mostly want to feed on shrimp. 

Captain Tuck notes that we have a few days of evening tailing tides coming up and then the best tailing should again be in the morning. 

Fishing out of Station Creek Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) has noticed less effects from the storm, but there has been a really good bite for bigger reds on flats and around docks. The low to rising tide has been fishing the best. They are also seeing tons of small reds and trout, both of which are biting small grubs in addition to natural baits. 

A few days ago Captain Pat saw large schools of menhaden and tarpon feeding on them in Trenchard’s Inlet, but they are obviously moving around a lot and when he went back the next day bait and tarpon were gone. 

However, they did catch some resident bull drum on the bottom in about 20 feet on cut menhaden.

Finally, in Fripp Inlet there are prolific small redfish as well as some better fish, but in the dirty water trout have been pretty absent. Around oyster beds and structure flounder have also been biting well on the last of the outgoing and then rising tide when cleaner water is coming in. 

August 1

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are back to the mid-80s and finger mullet are abundant. 

The summer inshore fishing in Beaufort came back to Earth a little this week, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that even though the bite was still good everything slowed down a little. Still, they are picking up occasional big trout and decent numbers on live shrimp fished under a cork on moving tides. They are catching fish in front of oyster beds and along grass off bigger bodies of water. 

In the creeks the redfish are still around docks, holes, and downed trees on lower stages of the tide, but this week they have seen less big fish and more young of the year reds. Mullet are still the bait of choice. 

This is a transition week for Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250), and for the first part of the week they were targeting fish on low water where they found some really big schools of reds. Consistent with the report from Captain Pat the fish have been a little finicky, and Captain Tuck suspects they are wearing out the small shrimp and generally well-fed.  

However, with a series of big evening high tides coming up around this new moon Tuck will be switching over to tailing fish for the next few days.  But at low tide the reds will almost certainly continue to form big groups, even though it will now be in the heat of the day.  

This week they did pick up a nice flounder out of a low tide school of reds on a curly tail swimming minnow, and while he is not targeting them Tuck notes that there are tons of tarpon in the areas he is fishing. 

Fishing off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) has slowed down, and right now the main catch appears to be lots of whiting and a few skates. 

July 26

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are in the mid- to upper 80s and both bait-sized shrimp and finger mullet are abundant. In some areas the water is really dirty but in closed systems that don’t have rivers flowing in it is still pretty clean.

The summer inshore fishing in Beaufort is still exceeding expectations, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that the fishing for trout, redfish and more has been really good the last ten days. The trout are coming on live shrimp fished under a cork, and recently the best action has been on the low to rising to tide. But overall tide hasn’t made a huge difference as long as there is some current – at slack tides the bite really slows. They are catching fish in front of oyster beds and along grass off bigger bodies of water. While trout fishing with shrimp they are also picking up jack crevalle up to about 6 pounds, ladyfish and bonnethead sharks. 

The redfish action continues to be very good around docks, holes, and downed trees on lower stages of the tide, but especially for the bigger fish up to 30 inches Captain Pat has noticed that chunks of cut mullet are working better than live bait now. For slot-sized fish finger mullet are still doing very well. 

The one void has been flounder, and Pat is picking up very few.

The summer redfish pattern is pretty typical for Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250), and he reports that in general he finds the most consistent bite is early before water temperatures really start to rise. However, he notes that an exception can be on big tides when fish will gorge on the tailing flats even in the heat of the day.  

While he is not seeking them out, Captain Tuck notes that there are tons of tarpon in the areas he is fishing. 

New report to follow from the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), but the last word was that flounder, redfish, trout, whiting, spot and croaker were all being landed in Fripp Inlet. 

July 11

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are in the mid- to upper 80s.

It continues to be a pretty outstanding inshore bite in Beaufort, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that the redfish action just keeps on coming. They are catching lots of 15-20 inch fish and some up 28 inches, with docks and downed trees on low to rising tide still the most productive. About any bait will work but they are mainly fishing mud minnows and live finger mullet.

The trout bite has also been good, with the best action coming in 5-6 feet of water on live shrimp under a cork. They have been catching them on the incoming tide drifting the baits in front of oyster beds, grass beds and creek mouths. The better fishing is in bigger water, but whether the water is clean or dirty does not seem to make any difference. 

While it’s not a pattern for catching a ton of keepers, for really fast sheepshead action Captain Pat is finding fish around docks in 4-8 feet of water. They are catching them on fiddler crabs fished on a 3/8 ounce jighead, and the same rig with live shrimp has been producing lots of black drum around structure. 

Finally, there are tons of migratory species around including jacks, ladyfish and bonnethead sharks. 

The fishing continues to pick up on the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), and to the list of keeper flounder, redfish, whiting and croaker we can now add spotted sea trout and spot. 

June 26

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are in the low to mid-80s.

Despite the heat there has been some really exciting inshore fishing in Beaufort this week, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that in the early morning there has been an excellent topwater bite for redfish on the flats. Finger mullet are running the banks, and throwing a Mirrolure Top Pup on the low rising tide they have caught a lot of 25-30 inch fish and had even more blow up.  They are also still catching plenty of redfish around docks with live mud minnows and finger mullet, and on low tide they are also around downed trees.  

While it’s between big tailing tides right now, Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) expects that on the next big moon phase the tailing action should be very good again. But for now he is finding the best fishing either early or on the incoming tide when there is some cooler water coming in. Cut mullet are still like candy to the redfish. 

Captain Tuck is also hearing good reports on trout closer to the ocean in 4-5 feet of water, which is exactly where Captain Pat’s boat is finding them. They have been catching them on the incoming tide drifting baits in front of oyster beds, grass beds and creek mouths. The bite has been very good, and most days they will take artificials as well as live bait – although yesterday they only wanted live shrimp. 

Captain Pat has only been picking up a few small flounder as a by-catch, and small bonnethead sharks, jacks and ladyfish are also around.  

On the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437) the fishing has really improved, and in addition to keeper flounder they are also now getting keeper redfish. Croaker, sharks and whiting are also around.

Finally, while the cobia are mostly gone there are some tarpon rolling and in creeks and rivers closer to the ocean you should keep your eyes open for tripletail. 

June 12

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are about 81 degrees and there are mullet and tons of shrimp too small for bait around. 

As the super high tailing tides fade into the rear view it has still been a good week for inshore fishing around Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that they are catching their redfish on the rising tide in smaller creeks. The fish are holding over oyster bars just after they get flooded, and cut mullet has been hard to beat.

At the same time it has been very difficult to get bites on low tide, and Captain Tuck suspects that redfish are just opening their mouths and gorging on the tiny shrimp that have gotten so abundant. 

At the same time Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that they are still finding a good redfish bite around docks and shell beds. The best docks have been on the big water and most of the good docks seem to have at least small schools of fish around them. They are running from 12-27 inches. 

But the big excitement for Captain Pat this week has come with the trout, and they are finding large groups of fish in the bigger creeks and rivers in moving water. The best places have been where lines of current go across oyster beds at the mouths of creeks, and they are catching the fish with live shrimp under popping corks. The incoming tide when the water is cleaner has fished the best. 

Pat’s boat is also picking up some bonnethead sharks. 

While they have not had the weather to look for them recently, Tuck knows that there are still cobia in the Broad River. 

There continue to be decent numbers of flounder and small redfish caught off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier(843-838-7437), as well as the usual suspects of croaker, whiting, pinfish and bluefish. 

June 6

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are about 80 degrees. 

It has been a good week for inshore fishing around Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that, even though the cobia fishing seems to be slowing down, when there is good weather you can still see some fish moving around in the Broad River. Overall it has been a very good season, and they had more fish caught in this year’s tournament than all the previous ones combined!

But as the cobia slide away the redfish are picking up the slack, and for sight-fishermen the tailing action has been pretty outstanding on high tide. Wind has made fly-casting challenging at times, and sometimes trying to avoid the wind means avoiding the fish, so by fishing the best flats regardless of wind Captain Tuck is at least ensuring his clients have a ton of shots. There are also bunch of sheepshead on the flats tailing right now, but unfortunately they are more useful for target practice than getting bites. They seem to be solely interested in eating mussels. 

Tuck hasn’t done as much low tide fishing for redfish, but when he has they have been willing to eat. And Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) can confirm that’s the case, including as recently as today when they found a hot bite around docks. The best docks have been on the big water and most of the good docks seem to have at least small schools of fish around them. 

There are also a large number of trout around right now, and while Captain Pat has been catching them in both rivers and smaller creeks the best bite today was on the bigger water. Fishing around oyster shells where there is good moving water seems to be the key. While other baits will certainly work, bouncing jigheads with mud minnows (or jerk shad) on the bottom has been his go-to. The fish are running from 15-20 inches, with almost all of them keepers. 

While most of the flounder they are catching in the creeks and rivers have been short, there have been some good reports of keepers from inlets closer to the ocean. 

Ladyfish and jacks are also around, and there are plenty of smaller sheepshead that will eat fiddler crabs around downed trees. The bigger ones may be closer to deeper water. 

There continue to be decent numbers of flounder caught off the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), but in addition to croaker, whiting and bluefish small redfish began to show up this week. 

May 23

Morning surface water temperatures in the ocean around Beaufort are about 75-76 degrees while morning inshore temperatures are around 77 or 78. 

Inshore this continues to be a much better year for cobia, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that fish can be found around creek channel markers, bridges, spartina grass lines and jelly balls in the Port Royal Sound. There have been some good conditions for sight-fishing and the cobia are willing to eat. While there are more small fish than big ones around, they are providing lots of excitement for fly-fishermen – and optimism for the future. 

  

Additionally, Captain Pat’s boat is still finding good topwater action in the rivers for trout, bluefish and ladyfish. 

His boat is also still finding a good structure bite for redfish and sometimes trout around docks and downed trees on the last of the falling tide and the first of the rising. Mud minnows are working for both species while cut bait is mainly yielding redfish, and if you want to improve your chances of catching trout live shrimp are the best bet. They haven’t gotten any black drum recently, perhaps because there are too many picker fish around that get to dead shrimp before the drum do. 

The fishing hasn’t changed too much on the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), but they are finally getting some flounder pushing keeper-size. Croaker, whiting and bluefish are also being caught as more life comes into Fripp Inlet. 

May 15

Morning surface water temperatures in the ocean around Beaufort are about 75 degrees while morning inshore temperatures are around 77 or 78. A lot of recent rain has dirtied up the water. There are a few menhaden and glass minnows around, with finger mullet way back in the creeks, while small shrimp are several weeks away from being ready for bait. 

There are clearly more cobia around this year than in recent years, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports the fly fishing tournament last weekend saw fifteen plus fish caught and released. Fish can be found around creek channel markers, bridges, spartina grass lines and jelly balls in the Port Royal Sound.  There have been some good conditions for sight-fishing and the cobia are willing to eat. 

At the same time the redfish action has been up-and-down in the rivers, and Captain Tuck reports that each day you have to be willing to try something different. A couple of days ago he found an excellent topwater bite but that was the only way the fish would feed, and overall tailing activity has been decent but not great. 

Fairly consistently Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) is finding a good topwater bite in the rivers for trout, bluefish and ladyfish, and there are also a fair number of bonnethead sharks around and generally just a lot of life as bait arrives. 

His boat is also still finding a good structure bite for redfish and sometimes trout around docks and downed trees. Mud minnows and Gulp! curly tail jigs will work for both species, but especially if you want to improve your chances of catching trout live shrimp are the best bet. With live or cut shrimp you can also pick up black drum in the same areas. 

The fishing has picked up on Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), and while they aren’t getting keeper flounder there are lots of fish pushing towards the 16-inch minimum. Croaker, whiting and bluefish are also being caught as more life comes into Fripp Inlet. 

May 2

Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are about 72 degrees and clarity is a bit down with all the wind. 

In May cobia are king in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that so far this season there have been some cobia sightings but not a lot of catching. Dirty water and cloudy days earlier this week didn’t help, but there should be a much better class of fish arriving after the upcoming new moon flood tides. 

Luckily the redfish continue to bite pretty well, and while tailing activity is not great they are catching some fish on the fly at high tide. But the better redfish action has been in the creeks with popping corks and mud minnows or shrimp.   

Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) agrees, and on the lower tides they are still finding feeding redfish and some trout around structure including docks and downed trees. Mud minnows and Gulp! curly tail jigs will work for both species, but especially if you want to improve your chances of catching trout live shrimp are the best bet. With live or cut shrimp you can also pick up black drum in the same areas. 

Anywhere you can find deeper water inshore or at the mouths of inlets the whiting fishing is still really good. 

For now the only flounder Captain Pat’s boat has caught have been small. 

The fishing has still been slow on Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), but more anglers are out there and they did have a large shark caught recently!

April 25

Morning surface water temperatures off Beaufort are about 68 degrees, while inshore temperatures vary with weather and time of day. 

Spring is certainly arriving to the Beaufort area, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that he is seeing more menhaden and migratory species showing up each day. Spinner sharks and bonnetheads are already here, and bluefish have moved in. Captain Pat is also seeing Spanish mackerel in Trenchard’s Inlet, and cobia should be arriving any day now.     

On lower tides they are still finding feeding redfish and some trout around structure including docks and downed trees. Mud minnows and Gulp! curly tail jigs will work for both species, but especially if you want to improve your chances of catching trout live shrimp are the best bet. With live or cut shrimp you can also pick up black drum in the same areas. 

Anywhere you can find deeper water the whiting fishing is really good, while the big black drum seem to have moved on. 

For now the only flounder Pat’s boat has caught have been small. 

The fishing has still been slow on Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), but more anglers are out there and catches should soon be improving. 

April 11

Morning surface water temperatures off Beaufort are about 65 degrees, while inshore temperatures vary wildly with weather and time of day. 

It’s been a tough couple of days fishing the rivers around Beaufort for redfish, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that the high tide fishing for reds eating fiddler crabs has been very poor. Oddly it was better over the weekend when temperatures were cooler, and it may be that a massive blood worm hatch has been responsible for the disintegrated bite.

Overall the fishing has been pretty good, though, and as fish get into spring patterns crabs are playing a large role in their diet. Baitfish and shrimp are secondary. High tide is certainly becoming a major feeding period when fish spread out and eat, while on low tide they can still be found in some pretty large groups. 

At the same time the bite in the smaller creeks seems to be a bit more consistent, and Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that on lower tides they are finding feeding redfish and some trout around structure including docks and downed trees. Mud minnows and Gulp! curly tail jigs and shrimp are working, and with cut shrimp you can also pick up black drum in the same areas. 

Meanwhile, monster black drum are being caught in the sounds, and in about 20 feet of water whiting are also becoming abundant. 

The fishing has been slow on Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), but more anglers are out there and catches should soon be improving.