April 27

Morning surface water temperatures are back to down to the low 70s around Hilton Head. 

It’s still very much a transition period around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that the Nor’easter this week dropped water temperatures and delayed the best fishing. Still, things are about to pop because when water temperatures hit the mid-70s that’s usually when the fishing really takes off. 

For now it’s a little bit of an odd inshore bite, and even though they aren’t catching trout on their usual trout spots they are covered up in schools of redfish.  Groups of dozens of fish are against the grass at high tide, and they are catching them on both live and dead shrimp. They are also picking up a few flounder that are starting to slip back into the creeks, and inshore bluefish are everywhere. 

Nearshore the monster black drum bite is unfortunately done. They had hoped for it to go on longer, but this year it started early and ended early. There are still a good number of sheepshead out there, but especially the closer reefs are pretty picked over by now.  The further out you go the more fish over 14 inches you will find. While they haven’t found the big Spanish mackerel yet, smaller Spanish and blues are everywhere. 

No late April Hilton Head fishing report would be complete without mentioning cobia, and Kai reports that a few have been caught around the Broad River Bridge with baits on the bottom. Also see the Beaufort report for additional information as the season progresses. 

April 11

Morning surface water temperatures have rebounded to 70 degrees in the ocean around Hilton Head, with inshore temperatures just a little cooler, and the water is fairly clear. 

There’s little doubt that the most exciting thing going on in the water around Hilton Head is the monster black drum bite, and this week Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that it’s on fire. The huge ones are mixed in with smaller fish, and it’s not unusual to catch a 15-30 inch fish on a fiddler crab (mixed in with sheepshead) and then on the next bite to hook a 50-pound black drum. 

The big black drum are in the deep sounds and on nearshore structure, and the best way to target the biggest fish is with a blue crab. But to catch sheepshead, slot-sized black drum and then have the chance of grappling with a monster fiddler crabs on the nearshore reefs or structure in the sounds are all you need.

Inshore dropping temperatures mean that they are still catching redfish grouped in fair-sized schools in skinny water, and on the low tide flats they are getting them with a piece of cut mullet fished in a foot of water. At low the schools usually have about 25 fish. 

At higher stages of the tide some of the redfish are heading into the grass to feed, but others are feeding along the grass edges. You can target them with live shrimp under a float, and you will also pick up some trout this way. 

The incoming is the best tide for this pattern, and it’s clear that the fish are more spread out than on low water. You don’t get a bite every time you cast to particular spots, and instead you pick off one here and one there along the grass.  It’s also clear that there are more trout feeding than just a week or two ago. 

March 30

Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 68 degrees inshore around Hilton Head and the water is fairly clear. 

Fishing conditions have been better this week around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that on the low tide flats they are now finding schools of about 25 plus redfish. They will eat cut mullet fished on a Fat Belly jig, and cut sections of blue crab are also working very well.  

At higher stages of the tide some of the redfish are heading into the grass to feed, but others are feeding along the grass edges. You can target them with live shrimp under a float, and you will also pick up some trout this way. 

The incoming is the best tide for this pattern, and it’s clear that the fish are more spread out than on low water. You don’t get a bite every time you cast to particular spots, and instead you pick off one here and one there along the grass. 

When water temperatures get and stay consistently in the mid to high 60s then Kai will start to look for tailing fish feeding on fiddler crabs. 

Nearshore the reefs are still covered up in sheepshead and black drum, but the problem is finding days when you can get after them. Fiddler crabs on the Fat Belly jig are working great when you have the chance. 

March 22

Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 65 degrees inshore around Hilton Head and the water is fairly clear. 

Between the cold, the rain and then wind it’s been tough fishing conditions in Hilton Head, but Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that on the low tide flats there are still big groups of redfish. He is seeing schools with 75 or so fish, and they will take cut mullet.

On the higher water they are starting to split off into pods and moving into the grass, and they are much harder to catch.  However, you can still spot them and catch the occasional fish. 

The trout bite has been pretty good on live shrimp, but with the cold Kai hasn’t wanted to get wet throwing a net in deep holes and so hasn’t targeted them very much.  However, his buddies who are say that live shrimp floated through 10-12 foot holes on moving water tides are producing.

Nearshore the reefs are covered up in sheepshead and black drum. The fishing is very good when the weather allows you to get out after them, and all you need is fiddler crabs. Kai has been fishing them on jigs that feature a circle hook. 

March 9

Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 72 degrees inshore around Hilton Head and the high 60s just off the beach. Clarity is medium and better than it will be soon!

It’s beginning to look a lot like spring around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that at the nearshore reefs that has been a very good thing. Weakfish, bluefish, small black sea bass, small gag and scamp grouper, and more are all around, with more species arriving every day.  

Of course, inshore spring is a mixed blessing for the fishing, and catching redfish and trout has been a struggle. They are basically having to resort to soaking big pieces of cut mullet around mud flats at the lower half of the tide to get bites. While smaller trout won’t touch it, the bigger ones will. 

Inshore the sheepshead fishing around rocks and docks is still the best thing going, and decent numbers are still around. For the next two months there will be fish spawning offshore, but they don’t all go at the same time. Fiddler crabs are the bait of choice now that they are mostly out of hibernation. 

February 24

Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 62-63 degrees inshore around Hilton Head and between wind, tide, boat traffic and temperatures the water is not clear any longer.   

It’s been brutally tough fishing around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that it has been a real struggle to put fish in the boat the last few days. The super high tides and weather conditions don’t seem to have helped, and even when they see big schools of redfish they don’t want to eat. Once the tides normalize they expect the bite to improve. 

Inshore the sheepshead fishing around rocks and docks is the best thing going, but the fish continue to move offshore. In March and April the best spawning action nearshore off Hilton Head usually takes place, but in February there are still plenty of fish around in the creeks and rivers. Fiddler crabs, mussels and oysters will all work, but the latter two baits basically have to be fished vertically. It’s very hard to cast an oyster!   

The trout fishing continues to be slow. 

February 16

Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 60 degrees inshore around Hilton Head and the water is very tannic in places. 

The fishing is a little unpredictable around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that yesterday when he tried to fish some of the places he likes to target back in the marshes the bite was surprisingly tough. The water had a weird reddish brown color due to all the freshwater inflow, and that may have burt the action, but there have also been some good days recently. 

Generally the flats fishing for redfish has been strong, and at lower stages of the tide they have found the fish really biting on Zman StreakZ on weighted hooks. Stealth is still important in the clear conditions. You can also catch fish on live minnows fished in deeper spots like cut out creek bends. When there is a moderate current free-lining the minnows into the holes and letting them drift with the tide can be very effective. 

Inshore the sheepshead fishing is still pretty good on rocks and docks, but the fish do appear to be starting to move offshore. In March and April the best spawning action nearshore off Hilton Head usually takes place, but in February there are still plenty of fish around in the creeks and rivers. Fiddler crabs, mussels and oysters will all work, but the latter two baits basically have to be fished vertically. Good luck casting an oyster!  

The trout fishing continues to be slow.

February 2

Morning surface water temperatures are around 57 degrees inshore around Hilton Head.

It’s basically all about the redfish right now in Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that the most fun way to fish is chasing the schools on the flats at low tide. The fish have been almost surprisingly cooperative for sight-fishing, and they have been taking Zman TRD CrawZ. Mud minnows will also work.   

Fish are a little less skittish than a couple of weeks ago, but it’s still a good idea to make long casts and put baits well ahead of them. The bite basically lasts for about three hours each side of low tide. 

While Kai has not targeted them there are also still plenty of reds around structure like docks, rip rap, and downed trees. Again, the lower half of the tide cycle is the time to fish for them. 

While Kai doesn’t think the pre-Christmas freeze killed them, it’s been a ridiculously slow month for trout. While he has seen some sunning on the flats, he has only caught one (really big) trout since the hard freeze. 

January 19

Morning surface water temperatures have gotten back to about 55 inshore around Hilton Head, and probably as a result clarity is still very good but slightly down. 

It’s a strange time for trout fishing in Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that while there are plenty of trout to be seen they are not being caught. Kai is spotting huge schools of large trout sunning themselves on the warm flats, but they don’t even seem to be thinking about feeding. 

Luckily the redfish are making up for it and feeding very well. On a short sight-fishing trip yesterday they found the reds schooled up like the trout but willing to eat on the low tide oyster and mud flats. Artificials have been all that is required, and Zman Kicker CrabZ have been working when the fish don’t mind a big bait – while when they want something more subtle they are taking Ned CrawZ.   

Fish are skittish so you have to make long casts and put baits well ahead of them. Also, the bite basically lasts for about three hours each side of low tide. 

There are also still plenty of reds around structure like docks, rip rap, and downed trees, and again the lower half of the tide cycle is the time to fish for them. 

Nearshore, about five miles out they have found keeper black sea bass, small grouper, and bull reds. There are already some big sheepshead and black drum out there but more will arrive for the spawn. 

January 5

Morning surface water temperatures dropped all the way into the mid-40s around Hilton Head but have now rebounded into the 50s, but the water has stayed extremely clear. 

Recent weather conditions have had interesting effects on the inshore redfish, and Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports that as expected the flats fish grouped up extremely tight and got very easy to locate. At one point they got so shallow, perhaps to get away from dolphins, that they literally had their tails partially out of the water. But they also became very picky, and it wasn’t until temperatures began to warm again that they really started to feed.

At the same time the bite in the creeks never really fell off, and around deeper docks and sea walls the action stayed good even after the very cold weather. However, the fish would not eat artificials at all and they only wanted mud minnows. They also fed much better for an for an hour or so each side of low and high tide when the current was the weakest, and on the moving tides they seemed to just want to hide.

The trout have also been curious, and Kai has located large schools of giant trout just sunning in the shallows. However, they will not eat anything and in a week of guiding Kai has only caught two trout!