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The newest Beaufort fishing report can be found at: http://www.anglersheadquarters.com/ahq-insider-beaufort-sc-summer-2019-fishing-report/
June 27
Inshore water temperatures are about 85 degrees around Beaufort, and the water is pretty tannic further inshore but has moderate clarity closer to the ocean. Shrimp, finger mullet and menhaden are abundant.
It’s still a good summer bite for redfish, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that tailing action is still strong on the right flood tides. When it is too high to see tails fish are still being caught up in the grass when redfish can be heard sucking shrimp off the surface in the tall stuff.
The dropping tide remains the best time to fish bait including cut mullet, live shrimp and mud minnows where the water is coming out of the grass, and fish will be found around ambush points like shell bar points. Popping corks are working well.
On low tide fish are still schooled up in smaller schools, and you can sight cast for them on the mud flats. Vudu shrimp are working very well as are any Gulp! baits in a darker color on a jighead. Occasional black drum are mixed in with the schools.
You can still also troll in 4-5 feet of water in the creeks, where some of the reds are trying to find a bit cooler water.
The best troutfishing has come on jigheads fished around points where there is some turbulence. Incoming tide is best, and if you can find some clearer water that is ideal but not essential.
Cobia fishing has gotten sporadic in the Beaufort area, but it’s still worth keeping your eyes open in the Broad River.
Jacks have just started to show up around bait schools (for more information see the Hilton Head report.)
Whenever you are running look for floating debris as there could be a tripletail floating near it.
June 21
Inshore water temperatures are 82-84 degrees around Beaufort, and the water is pretty dirty.
It’s been a good summer bite for redfish, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that they are tailing well. When it is too high to see tails they are still being caught up in the grass when redfish can be heard sucking shrimp off the surface in the tall stuff.
On the dropping tide is the best time to fish bait including cut mullet, live shrimp and mud minnows where the water is coming out of the grass, and fish will be found around ambush points like shell points. Popping corks are working well.
On low tide fish are schooled up in smaller schools, and you can sight cast for them on the mud flats. Vudu shrimp are working very well as are any Gulp! baits in a darker color on a jighead. Occasional black drum are mixed in with the schools.
You can also troll in 4-5 feet of water in the creeks, where some of the reds are trying to find a bit cooler water. This is also a good pattern for picking up trout, which are holding a few feet off the grass line. Any ¼ ounce jighead with a Gulp! bait will work for trout, and the best time to catch them is on high tide just after the water starts going out.
Even though the inshore cobia season should be winding down in the Beaufort area, there are still plenty of fish around in the Broad River. Tuck’s boat is still sight-fishing with success, and the anchored guys are still doing well on bait.
Some tarpon and jacks have just started to show up around bait schools, but for unclear reasons Tuck has not spotted any ladyfish yet.
Whenever you are running look for floating debris as there could be a tripletail floating near it.
May 23
Inshore water temperatures are approximately 77 degrees around Beaufort, and the water is generally clear unless there are extreme tides.
It continues to be a good year for cobia in the Beaufort area, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that when there is good weather they are seeing fish of all sizes. It seems clear that the catch-and-release period inshore during May is extremely helpful.
When there is slick water, particularly coinciding with slack tides, then it is idea sight-fishing condition. On the fly big saltwater version of pike flies like Anderson’s Reducer or large Deceivers are working, dressed up with some flash, and in artificial lures big Zara Spooks are doing well. Live eels, mullet or menhaden are also working. A lot of guys are also catching fish anchored on the rips.
For redfishtailing action has been somewhat feast-or-famine, and on certain flood tides they are seeing plenty. At other times there are more cruisers than fish tailing, in which case anglers needs to get a baitfish patterned fly or lure in up in the water column. Fish are a bit finicky and so it’s important to swim the bait away from or across them, and not at the fish. And at other times they aren’t seeing reds at all.
One reason the tailing has been sporadic may be that fish are feeding on very small shrimp in the 1 ½ inch range, and so on live bait using small shrimp closer to that size is more effective than bigger ones. There are also some fish being caught on cut mullet and mud minnows. The best time for fishing with bait has been at the beginning of the incoming when there is beginning to be some flow and shrimp are being churned around.
Troutcan be caught in 3-4 feet of water where the water is a little cooler. Work the edges with live bait or troll at low speed with ¼ ounce jigheads.
They have seen a few tripletail and so it is worth keeping an eye out for them on the surface. Some early jacksare also showing up.
April 29
Inshore water temperatures are approximately 71 degrees around Beaufort.
It’s hard not to talk about the cobia first when they arrive in the Beaufort area, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that they are showing up offshore, nearshore and inshore. When conditions are good they have been spotting some fish on the surface, but early in the season fish only come to the top later in the day and sometimes the wind has gotten up too much for sight-fishing by that time. Tuck’s boat has caught some fish on the fly, and of course anglers are also catching them on menhaden and live eels.
Overall the redfishbite has been good, and on low water Tuck says they will still group up to some extent but on high tide they are splitting off from their schools. More fish are in the grass tailing and eating fiddlers by this stage of the season, and they are also seeing individual fish chasing finger mullet, mud minnows, and some early shrimp. There is getting to be a lot of bait around and you can catch bait throwing a net now.
On low water sight casting with bait or Vudu Shrimp, DOA Shrimp or a shallow suspended twitch bait will work, while at middle stages of tide you want to fish near ambush points where reds can set up beside the current and wait for it to bring bait to them. Oyster bars at the mouths of feeder creeks are good structure to fish around. On higher stages of the tide when they are not tailing then you can put shrimp or cut mullet under a cork around points and other likely areas. Gulp! peeler crabs or flies in a crab pattern are good for tailing fish.
There are some trout being caught in 3-4 feet of water with grubs on ¼ ounce jigheads.
April 5
Inshore water temperatures are 62-63 degrees around Beaufort, and the water is still pretty clear.
The redfishbite is improving in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that they are starting to be able to fish around more of the tide cycle. At low tide still-clear water means they remain able to sight-casts for reds, and with schools starting to split up you are likely to find three schools of 30 fish instead of one school of 100. On the incoming tide you can blind cast for fish moving up and down the banks around grass and shell bars with jigs, DOA shrimp or Vudu shrimp, and on certain high tides there is already tailing activity. Fiddler crabs have come out of hibernation and they are moving around. On dropping tides you can look over white shells for silhouettes of fish before the water gets too low.
Trout are also starting to get a bit more active, and they can be found along the edges of creeks or rivers in 4 or 5 feet of water wherever there is some moving water. Fish are likely to be schooled up in areas where there is water moving across a point, and if you find one fish there are likely to be more because they are in pretty big groups.
March 14
Inshore water temperatures are about 63 degrees around Beaufort, and the visibility remains very good.
The March redfish bite is pretty typical in Beaufort, which Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) advises means that some days the bite will be wide open and hot – while other days fish will not want to eat. At this time of year they are volatile like the weather.
Overall fish are in a mixture of winter and summer patterns. On lower stages of the tide fish are still fairly schooled up, and they can be found laid up on the flats in big groups. Warmer water temperatures make the fish more energetic and in turn skittish, and so a very stealthy approach is key. Vudu shrimp have been working very well on the flats.
As the tide rises fish will start to split off into smaller groups, and they can be found around oyster beds and at the mouths of creeks. They are starting to see fiddler crabs and so it is not too early to look for tailing fish on high tide, and anglers should also look for suspended fish laying in the taller grass. These fish are very finicky but with a quick approach can be caught. In more open areas mud minnows or a standard jighead/ grub are working, while in the grass you want a Gulp! peeler grub rigged as weedlessly as possible.
On the trout front, as temperatures warm there have been some good reports of fish caught at the mouth of creeks in 3-8 feet of water. Fish are starting to move in and follow the bait, and as a result trolling at very low speeds with Gulp! or any other grub on a ¼ ounce jighead is a good way to locate fish. Once you find fish then you can anchor up and usually catch more in the same area.
February 8
Inshore water temperatures are around 55 degrees around Beaufort, and the visibility remains very good.
Overall it’s been a good week for redfish in Beaufort, but Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that when temperatures first started to rise the fish seemed to channel that extra energy into evading predators. As temperatures have stabilized they have gotten back into eating more reliably.
Since fish have remained very schooled up low tide sight casting has been the best pattern, and the rules for sight-fishing remain the same. Sometimes the fish will be stationary and you will just be looking for a dark patch, and at other times there will be some subtle swirls or a slight ripple on the water that gives away a school. At other times they will actually be visible because of a calmarea, as their subtle finning will break up an otherwise bumpy surface. And at other times a muddy cloud will give the fish away.
On higher tides finding the redfish remains more of a challenge, but the schools staying intact presents both a challenge and opportunities. Instead of just blind casting around shell bars, look for surface disturbances as well as fish floating high in the water column on sunny days. Schools are also likely to be hanging around medium-length grass and grass points.
DOA shrimp and Vudu Shrimp have been working as well as bait, but live shrimp, mud minnows and cut mullet will also catch fish. On the fly natural tans and browns have been good.
On the trout front there continues to be some good action slow trolling jigs and grubs in 4-6 feet of water.
January 24
Inshore water temperatures are down to about 50-51 degrees around Beaufort, while the visibility remains gin clear.
It was an up-and-down week for redfish in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that although they had some good days this past week tides were not ideal. The best tide at this time of year is a low to incoming tide after the sun has had a chance to warm the mud flats, and those did not hit right this past week. However, with some really well-timed tides coming up the fishing should be improved from what was already some decent catch rates.
With cooler temperatures earlier this week fish did get even more into a winter pattern. At lower temperatures schools get even tighter with more fish, and individuals or small groups of fish are less likely to split off and explore. A stealthy presentation is critical, necessitating longer casts and working the edges. There are expansive areas without fish and so you need to spend a lot of time moving until you locate them.
Sometimes the fish will be stationary and you will just be looking for a dark patch, and at other times there will be some subtle swirls or a slight ripple on the water that gives away a school. At other times they will actually be visible because of a calmarea, as their subtle finning will break up an otherwise bumpy surface. And at other times a muddy cloud will give the fish away.
On higher tides finding the redfish remains more of a challenge, but the schools staying intact presents both a challenge and opportunities. Instead of just blind casting around shell bars, look for surface disturbances as well as fish floating high in the water column on sunny days. Schools are also likely to be hanging around medium-length grass and grass points.
Live shrimp and mud minnows are still working better than cut mullet, and Gulp! on jigheads or under a cork has also been producing.
On the trout front there has been some good action near shell but a little out, as those slightly deeper areas have a more consistent temperature than the extreme shallows. Slow trolling jigs and grubs in 4-6 feet of water is the best pattern.
January 18
Inshore water temperatures are down to about 53 around Beaufort, while the visibility remains gin clear.
Overall the redfish bite remains good in Beaufort, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that with winter temperatures fish are behaving even more like winter fish. Schools have gotten even tighter with more fish, and individuals or small groups of fish are less likely to split off and explore. A more stealthy presentation is necessary than even a week ago, necessitating longer casts and working the edges. There are even more areas without fish and so you need to spend a lot of time moving until you locate them.
Sometimes the fish will be stationary and you will just be looking for a dark patch, and at other times there will be some subtle swirls or slight ripple on the water that gives away a school. At other times they will actually be visible because of a calmarea, as their subtle finning will break up an otherwise bumpy surface. And at other times a muddy cloud will give the fish away.
On higher tides finding the redfish remains more of a challenge, but the schools staying intact presents both a challenge and opportunities. Instead of just blind casting around shell bars, look for surface disturbances as well as fish floating high in the water column on sunny days. Schools are also likely to be hanging around medium-length grass and grass points.
Live shrimp and mud minnows are still working better than cut mullet, and Gulp! on jigheads or under a cork has also been producing.
On the trout front there has been some good action near shell but a little out, as those slightly deeper areas have a more consistent temperature than the extreme shallows. Slow trolling jigs and grubs in 4-6 feet of water is the best pattern.
January 11
Inshore water temperatures have dropped into the upper 50s around Beaufort, while the visibility remains very good.
Overall the redfish bite remains good in Beaufort, although Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that fish have been behaving a little differently with dropping temperatures. Add to the equation that dropping temperatures also mean that there are far less mullet around, and so fish are even more wary of dolphins and hence skittish. A more stealthy presentation is necessary than a week or two ago.
Because of the cooler conditions fish are in even tighter schools on low tide, and so there are even more areas without fish and you need to spend a lot of time moving. Sometimes the fish will be stationary and you will just be looking for a dark patch, and at other times there will be some subtle swirls or slight ripple on the water that gives away a school. At other times they will actually be visible because of a calm area, as their subtle finning will break up an otherwise bumpy surface. And at other times a muddy cloud will give the fish away.
On higher tides finding the redfish remains more of a challenge, but while some fish will break up and forage in the grass others will still be fairly schooled up. Instead of just blind casting around shell bars, look for surface disturbances as well as fish floating high in the water column on sunny days. A lot of fish have been hanging around medium-length grass and grass points right now.
Live shrimp and mud minnows have been working better than cut mullet right now, and Gulp! on jigheads or under a cork has also been producing.
There has not been a lot of trout activity around Beaufort but the best bet is to look in deeper holes right now.
January 2
Inshore water temperatures have risen all the way into the low 60s around Beaufort, and the visibility remains pretty good.
Heavy fog has made for some challenging fishing conditions at times, but when anglers can get on the water Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that there has usually been a pretty good redfishbite. At times they have seen redfish chasing bait and they have even seen the occasional back or fin out of the water.
Fish are in pretty tight schools on low tide, and the one upside to the fog has been that along with it has come some very calm days when it is easy to see fish in the slick conditions. Because the fish are in such big schools there are a lot of areas without fish, and so you need to spend a lot of time moving. Sometimes the fish will be stationary and you will just be looking for a dark patch, and at other times there will be some subtle swirls or slight ripple on the water that gives away a school. At other time they will actually be visible because of a calmarea, as their subtle finning will break up an otherwise bumpy surface. And at other times a muddy cloud will give the fish away.
On higher tides finding the redfish is more of a challenge, but while some fish will break up and forage in the grass others will still be fairly schooled up. Instead of just blind casting around shell bars, look for surface disturbances as well as fish floating high in the water column on sunny days. A lot of fish have been hanging around medium-length grass and grass points right now.
Live shrimp and mud minnows have been working better than cut mullet right now, and Gulp! on jigheads or under a cork has also been producing.
There has not been a lot of trout activity around Beaufort but the best bet is to look in deeper holes right now.
December 20
Inshore water temperatures are about 52 degrees around Beaufort, and the water is generally gin clear.
Redfish are in a true winter pattern right now in Beaufort, which is unsurprising considering that Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that he has seen surface temperatures as cold as 48 degrees already this season. Naturally then, the best bite has often come later in the day when the sun has time to warm up the water and get the fish more active. Time of day has been more important than tide quite often recently.
For two hours either side of low tide fish can be sight cast to, while at higher stages of the tide blind casting alongside the grass and near oyster points is a good bet – particularly late in the day. Fish are not going to expend energy to sit in moving water as cold as it has been.
In bait live shrimp and mud minnows are both working, and artificials such as Gulp! on a ¼ ounce jighead, Vudu Shrimp, and slowly worked swimbaits will also catch fish. On the fly mud minnow patterns and dark purple flies are working on cloudy days, while browns are better on clear days.
There has not been a lot of trout activity around Beaufort but the best bet is to look in deeper holes right now.
November 30
While you can find inshore water temperatures in the Beaufort area as low as 50 degrees, 53 is a more representative temperature. Clarity is good for sight-fishing.
Temperatures rapidly dropped along the South Carolina coast, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that not surprisingly that caused the redfishto get a little skittish. However, it’s still early in the season and so they have not gotten lethargic, which means there will be a good bite for a lot longer.
Even though temperatures are set to rebound into the 70s tailing is probably done for the season, but low tide sight fishing is getting good. On the low tide mud flats you can look for giant schools of fish, and on his most recent trip Tuck saw one school that had at least 300 fish. When there is moving water then live or cut bait fished along the grass edge is working well, and fish will also take a variety of artificials including Gulp!, DOA shrimp and Vudu Shrimp.
When temperature spike the schools will get smaller and fish will disperse more, and when it gets colder they will clump up more. You can catch fish under either set of conditions, but you may have to look longer when it’s cold. But you might catch more when you find them!
The trout bite remains pretty good, with anglers targeting fish in 3-5 feet of water casting artificials on a ¼ ounce jighead. Bouncing the bottom in areas with moving water is the best pattern, whether by casting or trolling (perhaps the best way to locate fish).
November 15
Inshore water temperatures in the Beaufort area are around 61, and the water has gotten dirty with the recent rain.
The Indian summer has finally given way to essentially cold South Carolina winter weather, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that fish don’t usually like really fast transitions. Accordingly, fishing is good but not as good as one might expect at this time of year, but as it settles out the bite should improve.
Even after the cold rain redfish are feeding pretty well on bait, with both cut mullet and live shrimp working well. The best tides have been when the water is going out, from about two hours after high until dead low. Fish have been in about the four-foot range around oyster beds and behind points where they can get out of the current and feed on disoriented baitfish.
Surprisingly there have still been some tailing fish, and with the warming trend predicted that could continue a bit longer.
The trout bite has been decent, although some anglers have been having trouble locating fish. The best places to look have been at the mouths of creeks with a little turbulence in the 7-8 foot range. Grub bodies on a ¼ ounce jighead have been hard to beat.
Tuck’s boat has picked up a few weakfish.
October 19
Inshore water temperatures in the Beaufort area are in the mid to upper-70s.
With water temperatures still warm at mid-week the fish had not really gotten into fall mode, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that redfishare still in more or less a summer pattern. When tides are high enough the tailing action has been very good, and on lower stages of the tide fish are chasing shrimp around oysters bars on the dropping tide. The best bait is shrimp although they are not super easy to net, and Gulp! peeler crabs on a ¼ ounce jighead have also been working.
Troutfishing has been pretty good with Gulp shrimp or most any paddletail grub on a ¼ ounce jighead, and fishing the dropping tide at the mouths of creeks has been the best pattern.
With temperatures still warm there have still been some tripletail floating around.
September 21
Inshore water temperatures in the Beaufort area are around 81, and water color is very mixed. It’s worth looking for clean water because some areas have it. Both mullet and shrimp are abundant inshore.
The redfish bite has gotten a little more consistent, and Captain Tuck Scott of Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that fish have been tailing pretty well in the grass. They are also chasing shrimp aggressively at lower stages of the tide.
Fish can be found around shell points, and on the dropping tide you should look for them at likely ambush spots in places where bait is getting pushed out of the grass. Redfish like to find calmer water where they can wait for prey. It’s all about shrimp right now, whether that means fishing with the real thing, Gulp! shrimp on a ¼ ounce jighead, or shrimp patterns on the fly.
There have also been some trout caught in the Beaufort area, and Tuck has had the best luck locating them in and around seams of slick water that are moving differently from the surrounding areas. It does not matter whether the tide is moving in or out but 4-5 feet of water is a good range to check. Live shrimp, Gulp! or dark-colored fly patterns are all working for trout. Anglers are reminded that the SCDNR is asking anglers to practice catch and release of all spotted seatrout through the end of September. To read the full news release click here.
Tripletail are still around and so it’s worth keep an eye out for them floating near the surface. Tarpon are also still in the area.