May 2
Morning surface water temperatures just off Hilton Head are about 72 degrees and temperatures are frequently pushing well into the 70s in the creeks.
There is still really good live bait fishing around Hilton Head for redfish, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he is now able to get finger mullet and small menhaden and the reds are blistering both. Recently the incoming tide has been better, especially around oyster points and deep banks, in part because that is when the cleanest water is coming through. When fish are on a live bait bite his boat always does better in clear water, while on a cut bait bite clarity does not matter as much.
On the trout front Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) has been having a lot of success fishing live shrimp under floats on higher tides. Once again they have had the most success fishing clean, moving water, and steep banks with current have held the most fish. They are also picking up redfish on this pattern.
Captain Kai notes that they are also starting to see tripletails along grass lines.
April 25
Morning surface water temperatures just off Hilton Head are about 69 degrees and frequently pushing well into the 70s in the creeks.
Live bait is now king around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that for him the key to catching fish has been getting his hands on the smaller menhaden. Free-lining them down the deeper edges has been especially good on the dropping tide for redfish, which are pretty spread out by now. As the water has quickly warmed the big schools have broken up and they are hanging in smaller pods, but the fish have also gotten much more aggressive.
While Captain Trent has not been targeting trout very much, some captains have been having success drifting live shrimp along deeper grass lines.
Finally, as temperatures have warmed the lagoon bite has got really good for big redfish and more.
April 11
Morning surface water temperatures just off Hilton Head are about 67 degrees and about 65 in the creeks.
Inshore patterns are changing fast in Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he is no longer fishing grass patches. The better redfish action is now coming around creek mouths and points on the dropping tide when bait is being flushed out. He is also catching some fish on the rising tide around “hard edges” – steeper areas where the water doesn’t have as many places to fill back into the grass and so fish have to follow reliable routes.
Finger mullet have been the best bait when he can get them, but if not cutting up larger mullet is also working.
At the same time Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) has been having the best success with live shrimp, picking up redfish and a few trout this way. With strong tides he is having the best success fishing slack tides at either high or low water.
But the most exciting action for Captain Kai’s boat has been nearshore, and in 30-50 feet of water they are having a field day with the sheepshead and black drum on fiddler crabs. Smaller fish are on the closer end of the range while bigger ones are further out. They are also catching tons of undersized black sea bass.
March 28
Morning surface water temperatures just off Hilton Head are about 63 degrees and about 65 in the creeks.
The trout fishing is finally coming on around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters(843-816-7475) reports that with live shrimp you can catch fish in the creeks. The shrimp are mostly in deep holes in about 20 feet of water, but local stores are also starting to carry them.
While it’s not huge numbers of trout yet the ones they are catching are good ones, generally big females. They are in the deep bends and trough where they can be caught with slip corks or popping corks with a long leader. 9 or 10 feet is the target depth range.
Live shrimp will also pick up black drum, but really all you need to catch black drum right now are little pieces of shrimp. Fishing around structure on the lower half of the tide small black drum are prolific.
The redfish are definitely moving out of winter patterns, and Captain Kai reports that flats fishing is getting pretty dismal. He is now catching reds on the lower half of the tide cycle around docks with mud minnows.
The redfish bite is also changing for Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634), and between longer days, warmer water temperatures and more mullet showing up he is noticing them feeding more. They have also switched over from feeding on glass minnows.
Fishing primarily with finger mullet, he is catching some fish on the incoming tide around points. However, the best action has been on the outgoing tide where creeks drain into the bigger water.
March 14
Morning surface water temperatures just off Hilton Head are about 61 degrees.
The inshore fishing is changing for Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634), and he can tell that many of the redfish (and other species) are starting to move from late winter to spring patterns. While he is still finding some high tide fish around isolated grass patches holding bait, the better fishing is now starting to come at the mouths of creeks on the dropping tide. During these conditions when warm water is emptying back into the rivers fish can really stack up.
Fish are also starting to pull up on points, a typically strong spring pattern.
In addition to a variety of natural baits, 3- or 4-inch swimbaits continue to be very strong for anglers who can cast and work artificials.
In the lagoons fish are also starting to spread out and eat better.
At the same time Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is still squeezing the last out of the late winter patterns, and he is finding pretty dependable fishing on lower tides around structure. There are also still some schools of redfish on the flats, and they will be breaking up through April. (Of course there are always schools around, but not the giant schools like during the winter.).
While the water has been a little dirtier this week with wind and very high tides, for the flats fish on the lower half of the tide cycle he is still sight-casting to them with Gulp! baits or free-lining mud minnows for finicky fish. For this technique he is using the biggest mud minnows he can for ease of casting, throwing them up-current of the schools, and letting them float to the fish.
Captain Kai will be back on the trout next week once he can get live shrimp.
February 29
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are still only about 56 degrees and water clarity is high.
It’s the latest that Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) can remember the water temperatures being this cold, and so unsurprisingly he is still fishing winter patterns. Mostly that means targeting a couple of schools of cooperative redfish on the flats, and on the lower half of the tide cycle he is sight-casting to them with Gulp! baits or free-lining mud minnows for finicky fish. For this technique he is using the biggest mud minnows he can for ease of casting, throwing them up-current of the schools, and letting them float to the fish. If that doesn’t work it’s unlikely anything will!
At the same time Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) is still finding the low tide fish to skittish to mess with, and he suspects inexperienced boaters running up to them has made them boat-shy. At times he notices them swim off when he gets within a hundred yards!
But the high tide bite continues to be excellent for Captain Trent around the same types of isolated grass patches holding bait where he has been having success. Now that big glass minnows are really starting to show up they have essentially stopped eating cut mullet, and so the success now is coming throwing 3- or 4-inch swimbaits.
Both captains suspect the trout will get a lot easier to locate when the water warms 5-10 degrees, and right now they are generally pretty deep in holes. However, Captain Kai has had some success targeting them with minnows on the bottom in those deep holes. Fish have run up to about 18 inches.
Finally, back in the lagoons Captain Trent is having some good days and some bad days for reds and black drum. The fish can’t go anywhere, but at this time of year they don’t have to eat every day. It’s also pretty weather-dependent, and if the fish aren’t moving around their metabolism slows way down.
February 16
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are up to about 56 degrees and water clarity is good.
While Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) both report that they suspect some of the better inshore fishing is on low tide, mainly running charters on higher water when it is warmer they have seen some significant improvement in the fishing this week. Yesterday on the high dropping tide Captain Kai’s boat was able to catch fish on every cast as the water started to come out of the grass, and fishing at the mouth of a creek between two docks with lots of structure the redfish were absolutely stacked up.
Before the water starts dropping Captain Trent is picking up fish in the grass with chunks of cut mullet. The key for Trent continues to be finding areas with bait, and the best locations have been given away by white birds that are up there eating glass minnows.
The trout bite has not really kicked off, with only a few smaller fish being caught recently, but Kai says it should be about to get good as temperatures rise and fish get more active. Fishing deeper creeks with clean, moving water (moderate speed, not fast or slow this time of year) is the ticket. Fish would certainly take live shrimp but heavier jigheads with artificials like Zman PaddlerZ in white, opening night, or brown will all be good.
While most of the better sheepshead are offshore or at least in deep water, Kai has been pleased to find impressive numbers of small- to medium-sized fish inshore. Fishing around flooded trees with fiddler crabs they have caught double digit numbers of fish each trip, and while lots of them are in the 10-14 inch range some have run up to 16 inches or better.
February 2
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are in the mid-50s and clarity is high.
It’s hard to explain what has been going on for the last week in Hilton Head, but Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the bite has gotten really, really slow. The weather has been warm and pleasant, and they are still seeing/ marking tons of fish, but they seem to have very little interest in eating. Captain Trent has picked up a few big redfish fishing in the lagoons but the bites are few and far between.
Hopefully better news will follow next week!
January 23
Morning surface water temperatures off the beaches around Hilton Head are about 51 degrees and the water is clear.
With clear water the low tide sight-fishing for redfish has been very good, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that fish are still eating well and have not gotten lethargic. At the same time Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he is still on an awesome high tide pattern for redfish, and the only difference is that now he is fishing isolated patches of grass that have glass minnows instead of mullet. The best way to locate the baitfish is look for white birds picking in the grass. Swimbaits are still working well.
Inshore the trout fishing has been a little tough and the fish seem to be in deep holes in 15-20 feet, but Captain Kai is optimistic that warmer weather this week will bring them up to more manageable depths.
At the nearshore reefs there are a lot of small fish around, but Kai notes that he is also starting to see some better sheepshead showing up. That bite should only get better for the next couple of months. More good black drum will also arrive.
January 4
Morning surface water temperatures off the beaches around Hilton Head are about 54 degrees, and the water is clearing after big moons and recent storms.
It’s been an extremely good week for inshore fishing for redfish around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he is finding that as the bait has thinned out artificial lures such as swimbaits are actually out-fishing chunks of mullet. But the pattern he is fishing does rely on mullet, and he is still having the best action around isolated patches of grass on higher tides as well as creek mouths on the outgoing tide where mullet are present. They have been in these areas for 6 or 7 weeks, and with so little bait around until it leaves there’s no reason it should change.
While Captain Trent is only finding tiny trout incidentally while fishing for reds, that makes sense because Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is finding them in much deeper areas. They are in holes and bends in the cleanest water in the rivers and bigger, navigable creeks, and he is catching them with artificials fished very slowly towards the bottom.
Captain Kai is also still finding small schools of big 23-34 inch that they can sight-fish for on low tide, while the only slot-sized fish he can locate have been around docks every now-and-then. At higher tides he is targeting grass edges or pockets in the grass.
December 21
Morning surface water temperatures in the rivers around Hilton Head are about 56, and with the crazy winds and storm surge the water is muddy.
As dirty as the water has gotten trout fishing has been pretty much off the table this week, but Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that on the incoming tide he has found a really good bite for redfish. With dirty conditions they have not been able to see them but the fish have been coming in 4-5 feet of water around the mouths of small creeks that feed into the main rivers. Gulp! shrimp in natural colors and mud minnows have both been working.
With mellow tides Kai expects the water to clear pretty quickly, and soon the trout should be biting again in creek bends and around docks with 8 plus feet of water. With a lower metabolism fish are moving slowly and have a smaller strike zone, so smaller baits worked slowly are key.
December 14
Morning surface water temperatures in the rivers around Hilton Head are down to the upper 50s. Clarity continues to improve.
The fishing and fishing trips are slowing down a little around Hilton Head, but Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he is on similar patterns for redfish. On higher tides he is still targeting isolated patches of grass that have mullet around them, and even though finger mullet are harder to find he is seeing more big mullet. Mullet chunks are the best bait.
On lower tides he is fishing the smaller creeks that are draining out but still have some water in them, particularly on the last two hours of the dropping tide. At low tide or low to rising tide you can bump your way along the outside edges. The artificial lure bite is improving and fishing a little deeper with grubs they are picking up more trout.
Similarly, Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that the redfish are in all their usual winter spots including around rocks, docks and oyster flats. He is almost exclusively fishing for them with mud minnows or Zman MinnowZ in brown and white colors.
November 29
Morning surface water temperatures in the rivers around Hilton Head are down to about 60 degrees. The water is not clear yet but it’s heading that way.
It’s been an incredible period for fishing in Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the past week the inshore fishing was as good as it gets. Even with giant tides and northeast winds the big redfish bit extremely well. Early in the week Captain Trent reports that the best action came on lower water, but recently the best fishing for him has transitioned to mid- and higher tides. The key has been finding isolated patches of grass that have mullet hanging around them, and every single one of those has been loaded with fish. Swimbaits, jigs and cut mullet are all working.
It has also been a good week for reds for Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475), who reports that he did find the big ones wadded up around oyster bars at low tide but also found tons of smaller fish in the slot in shallow water around the tide cycle. It’s still too soon to sight-fish, but casting scented soft plastics like Zman PaddlerZ, Gulp, and mud minnows on Fat Belly jigheads they found abundant action.
Captain Kai also had a decent week for the trout, fishing DOA shrimp under a cork in 4-5 feet of water. Clean, moving water is the key, and creek mouths have fished the best. While live shrimp will work the pinfish are still really bad and so he actually prefers artificials right now.
The trout were in the same areas for Captain Trent, and he notes that the trout are just starting to group up in the current flows. The bite will get better as it gets cooler.
Finally, after a cold front they will bite better later in the day when the sun warms the water. This is especially true on big moons that allow them to feed at night.
November 16
Morning surface water temperatures in the rivers around Hilton Head are down to about 63 degrees.
It’s been a good week for trout inshore around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters(843-816-7475) reports that it seems like the fish are making their way up the rivers towards their wintertime spots. They are catching them in 4-15 feet of water around structure including rock walls, hard cut banks, deep pockets and docks. The fish are biting on any tide as long as there is clean, moving water flowing at a moderate pace. Too fast or too slow kills the bite.
Most of the fish are coming on DOA shrimp under a popping cork, but in the deeper holes they are catching them on mud minnows fished on a fat belly jig.
It’s been a pretty simple pattern for redfish, and Captain Kai is catching them around low tide docks on the big water. They have caught a couple of fish on artificials, but as soon as they switch over to mud minnows they start killing them.
Wind has limited the inshore fishing for Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634), but he reports that in the inland lagoons the bite continues to be fantastic. They’ve discovered that the fish get in really big groups starting about this time of year, and if you can’t spot them with your eyes then side imaging technology will help locate them. The best spots always have access to deep water.
Finally, Captain Kai had a trip about 15 miles out where wreck fishing they found a ton of different species of grouper, black sea bass, and even one big cobia.
November 9
Morning surface water temperatures in the rivers around Hilton Head are around 67 degrees.
The inshore fishing around Hilton Head has been very good this week, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that redfish have switched around and showed a real preference for finger mullet over cut mullet chunks this week. In fact, finger mullet have been out-fishing chunks about 10-1!
The best action has come on the early part of the dropping tide, particularly where small creek mouths are draining out into the main creeks. As the tide has gotten lower and there has been much current it has really slowed down, but at first it’s been almost every cast. They have not picked up many flounder fishing this way, and so it looks like they could be mostly gone.
Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) has also been catching redfish inshore, and he has actually been getting them on DOA shrimp and Zman PaddlerZ. After months of messing with bait he’s trying to take a break, and the fish don’t seem to mind!
Captain Kai also continues to be on a good trout bite, and the key is to find clear, moving water. He is fishing about five feet deep in the bigger water and catching fish on DOA shrimp under popping corks. Draining creek mouths are still producing.
There are still some bull red drum around in the rivers and off the beaches, but most of them have spawned out and moved offshore to reefs and rock piles. There are also still some fish around the Savanah River jetties.
Finally, it’s a little known fishery but Captain Trent has access to some inshore lagoons where the bite has been absolutely fantastic. In addition to redfish, he has been catching giant flounder up to 5 ½ pounds. Believe it or not there are also land-locked tarpon in there, but while they are splashing around they have been unwilling to eat.
November 3
Morning surface water temperatures in the rivers around Hilton Head are still in the upper 60s and the water is muddy after extreme tides and wind.
Between extremely high tides and unpleasant fishing conditions, Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters(843-301-4634) and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) didn’t run a charter Wednesday or Thursday. However, they are looking for redfish to group up more and feed harder with the dropping temperatures. This transition period will have the reds hungry and easy to fool.
At the same time this should also usher in the best trout fishing of the year, and for the next month or so they should move shallower. It won’t be until cold weather in December that they will head deeper for winter.
October 27
Morning surface water temperatures inshore around Hilton Head are down to about 69 degrees.
It is October on the South Carolina coast, but it’s still exciting to hear about another excellent week of fishing around Hilton Head. Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that once again it’s been an outstanding week for both redfish and flounder. For both species the dropping tide has been fishing the best at creek mouths, and most days the bait of choice continues to be mullet. While you can catch fish on other baits there are still a lot of pinfish around and so fishing shrimp can be irritating. In general live finger mullet have worked the best for reds, but yesterday afternoon the water was dirty from the northeast wind and cut mullet out-fished the live ones.
Captain Trent also has unique access for his guide business to the Palmetto Dunes lagoon system, and the flounder fishing in there has been pretty outstanding recently.
While Trent hasn’t really moved onto the trout yet, Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is still all over them. He isn’t even messing with bait right now, and fishing at the mouths of creeks on the outgoing tide he is catching 13-18 inch fish under a popping cork with DOA shrimp. In clean water he is going with glow shrimp, and in dirty water chartreuse ones are working. He notes that DOA shrimp are out-fishing Vudu shrimp right now for him.
He's also picking up plenty of redfish on DOA shrimp and topwater baits in similar areas. However, the difference is that the redfish generally are in the calmer water behind a strip of white shells while the trout will be in the faster-moving current.
Finally, Kai reports that the bigger reds are still around, and he is catching them in about 30 feet of water on the bottom inside the Port Royal Sound. Cut mullet have been the bait of choice.
October 20
Morning surface water temperatures inshore around Hilton Head are down to about 70 degrees.
It’s been an excellent week of fishing around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that in addition to lots of big redfish they have gotten some nice flounder this week. The dropping tide has been fishing the best at creek mouths, and the bait of choice continues to be finger mullet. While you can catch fish on other baits there are still a lot of pinfish around and so fishing shrimp can be irritating.
Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) also isn’t messing with shrimp right now for inshore reds, but he adds that white Zman PaddlerZ are working well and in addition to small creeks he is catching fish around docks.
While Trent won’t spend a lot of time targeting trout until water temperatures drop a bit more, Kai is still catching them on the dropping tide where water is coming out of feeder creeks. Again, cleaner water helps. To weed through bait stealers he is turning to DOA shrimp and Zman EZ shrimp.
Finally, Kai reports that the bigger reds are still everywhere in 12-40 feet including holes, contours and around the Broad River Bridge. Mullet and menhaden are both working.
October 13
Morning surface water temperatures inshore around Hilton Head are down to about 75 degrees and the water was clean before yesterday’s weather.
Inshore fishing for redfish is still on fire around Hilton Head, but Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the pinfish (and probably other small bait stealers) have gotten so bad that he can’t even use shrimp right now. It’s completely a mullet bite, and this week finger mullet are now out-fishing cut mullet.
Early in the morning you can also catch them on topwater lures, and Gulp! has also been working. The peckerfish show less interest. Once again the out-going tide is fishing the best at creek mouths, but on higher tides isolated patches of grass are pretty good.
Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) also isn’t messing with shrimp right now for reds, but he adds that white Zman PaddlerZ are working well and in addition to small creeks he is catching fish around docks.
While Trent won’t spend a lot of time targeting trout until water temperatures drop below about 70, Kai is still catching them on the dropping tide where water is coming out of feeder creeks. Again, cleaner water helps. To weed through bait stealers he is turning to DOA shrimp and Zman EZ shrimp.
While Kai isn’t focusing on the tarpon that are still around too much, he reports that the bull reds are everywhere in 12-40 feet including holes, contours and around the Broad River Bridge. Mullet and menhaden are both working.
October 5
Morning surface water temperatures inshore around Hilton Head are still about 79 degrees and the water is dirty with the mega-tides. Bait is everywhere.
Big game specialist Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) hasn’t been able to get off the beaches to pursue tarpon or bull red drum this week with tough winds, but they have still been smoking the bulls in the rivers. They are in 10-40 feet of water in holes, contours and around the Broad River Bridge, and honestly they are pretty easy to catch with cut mullet if you know where to look. Kai reports they have actually been making an effort not to over-fish for them to avoid putting pressure on the breeding stock – even though they are safely releasing them all.
The northeast wind has also been keeping Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) inshore, but fortunately that’s exactly where he wants to be. The redfish bite has been very good over the last few days, and he is seeing the most little fish between 12 and 16 inches in a long time. That should be a good sign for the future. They are also picking up some 24- and 26-inch fish. Fish are stacked up at the mouths of creeks on the dropping tide, and if you have to fish the high rising tide isolated patches of grass have been the best.
The bait of choice has been hard to believe, and Trent points out that he puts in hours cast-netting for shrimp and finger mullet and working to keep it alive to have fresh live bait for trips. But chunks of frozen mullet out of the freezer have been out-fishing live bait! All he can reason is that there is so much bait around that the fish are lazy.
While Trent won’t spend a lot of time targeting trout until it cools, Kai has actually had some incredible trout trips since he’s been limited to inshore fishing. Overall the water is a one out of ten in clarity it’s so muddy, but when he has been able to find cleaner water draining out of a creek on the high to mid-outgoing tide it is lights out when there are finger mullet present. He has caught fish on live bait as well as Vudu and Savage Gear imitation shrimp.
Finally, Captain Trent notes that there are tons of bull sharks insides the creeks in holes, and 30-60 pounders have been keeping clients busy. Unfortunately they also seem to be running off the bigger drum they were looking for in those areas.
September 28
Morning surface water temperatures inshore around Hilton Head are down to about 80 degrees and the mullet run is underway.
The mullet run has gotten going around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that despite some unpleasant weather this week they have managed to catch bull red drum in the rivers. There are undoubtedly plenty of them still off the beaches, but the weather has been a little “bumpy”. There are also still tarpon around, and yesterday they hooked a good one. The big full moon tides over the next few days should bring in even more fish, and with prettier weather coming conditions should be ideal. There are also tons of sharksaround the mullet schools.
Inshore the action is pretty similar, although Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the biggest change he has noticed is that artificials like Gulp! jigs are becoming more productive.
The 14-16 inch puppy drum are so prolific you can pretty much catch as many as you want, and with shrimp you will get tons of bites. Same with Gulp! When you get tired of catching small fish then change over to larger finger mullet to target the bigger 18-27 inch reds. They are shallow, and fishing at the mouths of small creeks where bait is being flushed in or out is the best pattern.
While Captain Trent doesn’t spend much time targeting small trout, he reports that there are a few bigger ones in the 20-26 inch range around right now which they are finding around deeper edges. While the bite will improve you have to work very hard for them at the moment, but they will take big finger mullet and live pinfish. With shrimp you could target smaller trout (and lots of bait stealers!).
Unfortunately most of the flounder they are picking up at creek mouths while fishing for drum are small right now, but they are picking up some good black drum on shrimp while fishing for puppy drum.
September 21
Morning surface water temperatures inshore around Hilton Head are about 83 degrees.
The latest his boat has ever caught a tarpon in Hilton Head was October 17, and so from now until they leave Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that he will be targeting them. Unlike some parts of the coast a mullet run doesn’t appear to have gotten underway as far south as Hilton Head, and so the silver kings are still extremely spread out. They are in the rivers, marshes and around the bridges, and after Idalia they are even more spread out than usual – although they will congregate again. Another complicating factor for catching tarpon is the fronts we get this time of year which can change fishing from day to day, but despite all this they are still getting a fair number of shots at tarpon and catching enough to keep clients happy.
The other brand of big game in town is the bull red drum, and Kai’s boat is catching them offshore off the beaches on structure with cut menhaden. Underwater points and drops with lots of current washing bait around are holding the most fish.
While Kai also caught a nice 17-18 inch flounder (on half of a big cut menhaden!) while targeting bigger species this week, Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) has really been getting after the inshore species.
Right now he says that most fish are switching over to eating shrimp, and the 13-16 inch puppy drum are so prolific you can pretty much catch as many as you want. When you get tired of catching small fish then change over to larger finger mullet to target the bigger 18-27 inch reds. They are shallow, and on the more normal ¼ and ¾ moon tides the middle of the tide has been the best time to target them. Fishing at the mouths of small creeks where bait is being flushed in or out is the best pattern.
While Captain Trent doesn’t spend much time targeting small trout, he reports that there are a few bigger ones in the 20-26 inch range around right now which they are finding around deeper edges. While the bite will improve you have to work very hard for them at the moment, but they will take big finger mullet and live pinfish. With shrimp you could target smaller trout (and lots of bait stealers!).
Unfortunately most of the flounder they are picking up at creek mouths while fishing for drum are small right now, but they are picking up some good black drum on shrimp while fishing for puppy drum.
Off the beaches a bit Kai advises that you can catch Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle, and five miles offshore he got into bonita on a fly rod this week! There are also some Spanish inside the Broad River as well as jacks and ladyfish.
September 7
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are about 84-85 degrees.
It’s been a weird week for fishing around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that after the storm water temperatures dropped from 90 degrees down to about 83, and they have only just rebounded a degree or two. Unfortunately that has all coincided with a decline in the tarpon fishing, and for the last few days basically no one has caught any. Last year when the storm came through it essentially signaled the end of the tarpon season, but that was much later in the month and so they are optimistic the fish will show back up again. It seems likely they have just headed out and not south.
Without the tarpon they have been concentrating on bull red drum, which have been found on offshore ledges, rock piles, closer-in structure and the Broad River Bridge. There have also been five pound jack crevalle at the bridges that can be caught on lures when the water is clear, but they are getting them more often on chunks of menhaden. There are also still a bunch of small cobia (up to about 30 inches at the bridge).
Overall the north wind has been slowing down the fishing, but they are pretty confident that the new moon will start to pull in bait beginning in a few days.
Inshore there is still no news on trout, but they are crushing the smaller redfish on mud minnows – although realistically they will eat a lot of different baits and it’s more about avoiding bait stealers. The best action has been in smaller creeks around oyster beds and fallen trees on lower stages of the tide.
August 24
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are 90 degrees.
With water temperatures this hot Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that he has to keep less bait in the live well, but overall fishing has been pretty outstanding for the species he is targeting. That’s mostly tarpon and bull reds, although there have been some jacks around to the south of Hilton Head – although in the last few days they have petered out for some reason.
There hasn’t been a big concentration of tarpon anywhere and they are super spread out, from the Broad River to the south end of Hilton Head to the ocean off the north end. This is largely a function of the amount of bait that is around this summer, and with bait everywhere tarpon are everywhere!
In the inlets and ocean they are putting live baits on the top and bottom, while in the rivers they are also using cut bait. River fish are more likely to be staying in one area and so cut bait seems to work better than for the more nomadic ocean fish. They are also getting some hook-ups casting artificials like big Zman MagSwimZ in black and purple.
The bull reds have been around structure off the beaches, and they can be found from as little as 6 or less feet out to 36 feet. Cut mullet is the best bait although menhaden will also work, and with menhaden they are often cutting the tail off the bait to hook it through the harder head or even putting two on to increase the chances they stay on the hook.
While Kai hasn’t spent as much time targeting them there is also a good inshore redfish bite. While you can certainly catch them on higher stages of the tide, on low tide they have been feeding really well on the mud flats that have oyster shells. Cut mullet and cut menhaden have both been working.
Kai still hasn’t seen or heard about trout.
August 18
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are about 89 degrees.
Inshore fishing has been pretty good around Hilton Head this last week, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that in particular there is a hot redfish bite. While you can certainly catch them on higher stages of the tide, on low tide they have been feeding really well on the mud flats that have oyster shells. Cut mullet and cut menhaden have both been working.
Unfortunately that’s in contrast to the bull reds, which unlike the past couple of years have only showed up occasionally so far this August. Hopefully some cooler weather at some point will draw them in.
But luckily there is plenty of other big game around, between giant jack crevalle in the Calibogue Sound and tarpon that can be found most everywhere. They are catching the jacks on topwater lures, and at high tide they are coming up in the sound while at low water they seem to pull out to the shipping channel.
The tarpon are basically all about the baitfish, and you will find pods of them wherever there are schools of bait. Menhaden and mullet schools could be found in the Port Royal Sound, Calibogue Sound, or further up the rivers in the Savannah, Broad or Chechessee. That’s a pretty typical late summer pattern. Live menhaden on the bottom have still been working the best, but it’s also worth putting baits higher in the water column in areas where they are feeding on bait.
Kai hasn’t seen or heard about trout caught in a little while.
August 4
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are about 87 degrees in the ocean, 91 in the main rivers, and even higher in the creeks at low tide. Bait is everywhere.
The full moon is almost always a boon for the late summer tarpon fishing, and this week has been no exception. Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that the bigger tides bring in more baitfish and the fish seem to move around more, and with the ripping current they feed better and seem easier to find. This usually starts a few days before the peak moon phase and lasts until a few days after. Tarpon have been everywhere from the rivers to the ocean, and they have been eating the best on live menhaden on the bottom. Fish around bait schools, especially when you see fish targeting them.
The jack crevalle have also showed up again in the surf and they are running the beaches. Instead of the giants it has been the 5-10 pound fish, but they also make for really exciting fishing. Often they are catching jacks while throwing out live menhaden around sandbars for tarpon, but when you see them boiling you can also cast lures at them.
Once again this late summer the bull red drum seem to be kicking off an early spawn around the August full moon, and they are being found in the inlets as well as at the offshore sandbars. Overall it seems that they are starting to make their way shallower. Cut menhaden are working very well for them, and you will also pick up plenty of sharks this way.
While there’s no trout report this week, inshore they are smoking the smaller redfish with cut menhaden in the grass. The best pattern is to cast them out on free lines or under corks in sparser areas of grass on higher tides and wait. Perhaps because of the heat the bite has been better on the flood than at low tide.
July 27
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are about 87 degrees and the creeks are full of bait.
With tarpon and bull red drum in the area you know Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is making a run at them, but none of the fishing has been particularly easy this week. Kai thinks that might have a lot to do with weak, off-moon phase tides resulting in less water flow than usual, and so he is very optimistic about what the early August full moon may bring.
Tarpon can be found way up the Broad River out to the ocean, and with tons of menhaden around they have a lot of places they want to be. Anchoring live menhaden or (second-choice) mullet in likely places, usually around bait schools, is the best way to target them. You will also pick up plenty of sharks this way.
For now the bull red drum are on sand ledges and channel edges, mostly in about 20 feet of water off the beaches and inlets. They have not moved up on onto the bars or into the rivers where they will come in August to start their early spawn.
There are still plenty of slot-sized reds to be caught, and Kai is targeting them with cut bait around docks and oyster/ mud flats.
While Kai hasn’t fished for trout this week, he has watched another captain catch several small ones on live shrimp around relatively shallow oyster bars.
July 13
Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are about 87 degrees and the creeks are full of bait. Finger mullet should very soon be bait-sized.
If you stick to the migratory species it’s a really, really exciting time to fish in Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that the tarpon fishing has made for some real fun in the past two weeks. The best place to find them has been at the mouth of the Port Royal Sound, and anchoring live menhaden or (second-choice) mullet has been the best way to catch them. You will also pick up plenty of sharks this way.
While the cobia are about done, with only a few small ones still being caught around the Broad River Bridge, jack crevalle are in the area and marauding. They are providing some outstanding topwater action at the Broad River Bridge, Calibogue Sound, in the Chechessee River and in the Savannah River Channel. When they find feeding fish they are casting big poppers, Zman MagSwimZ and live menhaden on free-lines.
Unfortunately the bull red drum have slowed down a little this week, but they are still finding some on the sand bars to the south of Hilton Head in about 15-20 feet of water.
At the same time, while you can certainly still catch redfish in the boiling inshore water they aren’t feeding particularly well. The best bet is fishing around oyster bars with cut bait, or looking for fish up in the grass tailing on the higher tides.
Kai has not heard any trout reports or caught any himself this week.