June 27

Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are around 83 in the ocean and 86-87 inshore. Water clarity has dropped and bait has been surprisingly hard to find. 

The inshore bite changed dramatically in the last two weeks around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the hard wind changed the color of the clear points he was fishing for trout to chocolate milk – and the trout bite died. The water is finally starting to clear again, and he is certain that the bite will turn back on, but for the last week they have been focused almost solely on redfish. 

Luckily the inshore reds have been cooperative, and Captain Trent reports that as long as you stay out of the still backs the fishing has actually been surprisingly pleasant with the ocean breezes. The go-to patterns have been free-lining live menhaden and mullet (which are around but take a lot of work to catch) along points and grass edges on the incoming tide, although the best action has come on the dropping tide fishing the same way at the mouths of creeks. You can also catch fish on cut bait, but anchoring with cut menhaden or mullet you will catch mostly bonnethead sharks and far less reds. 

The creeks are full of tiny two-inch shrimp, which the redfish are no-doubt gorging on, but they are so small that it’s impossible to not catch pinfish with them. As they grow to a size where they can avoid the pinfish a little better Trent may switch over to using them before they eventually leave the creeks and it gets back to a mullet bite. 

Meanwhile Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) has been concentrating his efforts mostly in the Port Royal Sound, where there is an abundance of life including cobia, jacks, sharks, bull reds, bluefish and more. The one drag is that the bait situation has not been good, and without giant schools of bait it’s both harder to get bait and there is less surface activity. 

As a result they are mostly fishing with live and cut menhaden on the bottom. The most productive areas have been current rips and other areas where there is highly oxygenated water. They have even seen a few tarpon, but the numbers aren’t around yet to fully target them. 

Finally, they are picking up a few trout under a popping cork in the cleaner areas.   

June 13

Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are in the low 80s and water clarity is still very good. Bait is abundant.

It’s been a really good week of inshore fishing around Hilton Head, and Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) reports that an influx of menhaden has clearly made the fishing better. The cobia are still around, and while most of the fish are short they are catching them both bottom fishing and float fishing with live menhaden around structure, shoals or sand bars. In general menhaden are far preferable to the threadfin herring they had been relying on.

Cut menhaden are still catching redfish over white shell flats, but their boat has also been finding a bunch of big trout in the area. Fishing menhaden on deeper cuts adjacent to flats in the current seams has been the trick to catch the trout, and they are also picking up a bunch of bonnethead and sharpnose sharks this way.

But the biggest excitement this week has been the arrival of tripletail, and Captain Kai’s boat managed to land one giant 15-pounder!  It’s basically a matter of randomly finding them on the surface, but once you spot them they will eat a bunch of different baits (live shrimp are a good choice) as long as you bother them enough!

June 6

Morning surface water temperatures around Hilton Head are about 81 degrees and the water is unusually clear. Tons of bait including finger mullet and menhaden can be caught, and there seem to be more big white shrimp off the beaches than usual this year.

The inshore bite is outstanding around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that in particular the early morning topwater bite is wide open for both trout and redfish. The big trout up to 6 ½ pounds and more have showed up.

They are catching both species on big 6-8 inch live mullet (or swimbaits), and cut mullet really isn’t fishable right now because there are so many sharks around – especially bonnetheads.  Beyond the early topwater bite, the best pattern for redfish and trout has been free-lining the big baits in good moving water, whether that is around main river white shell points or in funnel areas between shells and islands where bait is being flushed through. With big tides the incoming tide has been better because the water is cleaner. That’s a must for trout.  

 

Meanwhile Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) has been concentrating his efforts in the Broad River mostly, and they are still catching cobia both bottom fishing and float fishing with live threadfin herring or menhaden around structure, shoals or sand bars. The same bait cut up is catching redfish over white shell flats.

There are also a bunch of bluefish and some Spanish mackerel in the Broad River. Casting jigs and spoons will work for both. 

Captain Kai has also seen some early tarpon but not enough to target them yet. 

May 23

Morning surface water temperatures just off Hilton Head are about 76 degrees while the creeks are a couple of degrees warmer. As a result bait is much easier to find now.  

The inshore bite is very good around Hilton head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that each morning there is a really good bite on both topwater lures and live bait. Whether the tide is coming in or out the fish are feeding. Because the redfish are splitting up into smaller schools there are more opportunities to target them, and the bigger trout are also showing up.  Both species are shallow in about 3 feet of water or less, and they are mostly around big shell mounds that are isolated away from the bank. Closer to ocean the water has been too dirty for the main river shell points to be very productive, as most of the cleaner water has been back in the sound. 

 

Live bait and artificials will certainly work, but Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is having the best results for reds fishing cut threadfin herring (available in the Broad River) on the lower half of the tide cycle. He is fishing them over hard white shell flats in the bigger waterways.

While most of the fish aren’t giants, the cobia seem to be abundant this year in the Broad River. Captain Kai’s boat caught three yesterday anchoring with cut threadfin herring on rips in the Broad River/ Port Royal Sound. You can throw the net for the baitfish but if you want them live (sometimes preferrable) it beats them up too much, and so Captain Kai is using Sabiki rigs to catch them. 

Finally, in the rips in the Broad River Spanish mackerel can be caught casting spoons.  They aren’t huge or in huge numbers, and the better concentrations of bigger fish are off the beaches. 

May 15

Morning surface water temperatures just off Hilton Head are about 75 degrees while the creeks are a bit warmer.  Big tides last week pulled the menhaden out of the rivers but other bait is around. 

It’s a pretty simple inshore pattern for Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634), who reports that when he can find finger mullet he is catching fish. Regardless of tide every morning he is finding an excellent topwater bite around bait, mostly for redfish but also with some trout mixed in. The best areas are generally broken shell bottoms – the kind of areas you would gig for flounder – not over live shell mounds. The fish have transitioned away from the deeper edges where he was catching them. 

During the day he is also catching both species on live bait under a popping cork around normal ambush spots like creek mouths and points. 

For Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) the best way to catch bigger redfish has been pulling up on the flats and fishing in 2-3 feet of water with cut mullet or menhaden. These fish seem to be roaming in small groups of 2-3 fish, and they are generally in the 30-inch range or bigger.

The smaller reds in the slot are spread out around docks, sea walls, and structure, and they are eating about anything he puts in front of them. 

But the most popular thing going may be the cobia, and in the Broad River the season is going really well.  Fish can be caught in 5-35 feet around every rip, live bottom area, or the bridge. Kai is mostly anchoring and fishing live baits, but his boat did catch one nice cobia on an artificial lure that was in a school of fish swimming with a group of manta rays. 

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.