October 30

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are down to about 70 degrees around Hilton Head and the water has been very clear.  Bait can be a little tricky to find and it seems to be very scattered. 

It’s still a very strong inshore bite around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that on the live bait side finger mullet are still king because there are so many pinfish around that shrimp are hard to fish. While his boat is picking up some smaller trout Captain Trent is still mostly keeping lines tight with redfish. On the outgoing tide they are finding the best action in the smaller flows where fish are feeding on bait being swept out. On the incoming the bigger creek mouths have fished well when the tide reaches the shells. 

While finger mullet are very productive, with the water temperatures at a peak feeding level you can also catfish redfish on artificials. At lower tides throwing jigs has worked the best while on higher tides swimbaits have been better. 

On the other hand Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) has mostly been targeting trout, as even though there is still bait around it was getting harder to catch mullet and menhaden for bull reds in the areas he was fishing and so he decided to switch over to something that would eat artificial lures. The best pattern for catching trout has been fishing slow to medium-paced moving water in relatively clear areas, and he is targeting the fish with a DOA shrimp under a popping cork when he is fishing four feet of water or less. When he moves out to five feet or deeper then he goes with a curly-tail grub like a Saltwater Assassin on a ¼ ounce jighead. The best areas have been river banks and larger creeks at least 30 feet wide, although there should also be some trout back in the smaller creeks. 

The bait situation made catching bull reds less rewarding, but Captain Kai didn’t stop fishing for them because they weren’t biting. The action has still been incredible, and one of his captains actually released 36 drum to win a tournament Saturday! They are off the beaches and in the sounds in 10-40 feet of water around tide rips, rock piles, bridges, and other structure. Both live and cut bait on the bottom is working. 

October 17

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are down to about 75 degrees around Hilton Head. 

Offering one more piece of the inshore fishing picture is Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634), who reports that the redfish bite continues to be really good. Finger mullet are still king, but first thing the topwater bite is strong and you can also catch some fish on swimbaits and jigs. Both tides have been fishing well, but the outgoing tide has been just a little bit better when bait is being flushed out of the creek mouths. You can also catch fish on banks with dead oyster shells or beds. 

As noted the catch has been heavy on redfish, but they have picked up a very few trout on topwater lures and a couple of nice flounder on finger mullet. 

October 16

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are down to about 75 degrees around Hilton Head. 

Life has been good for Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) the past couple of weeks, and he reports that inshore there has been a really good trout bite. Of course the fish would take live shrimp but they have been biting just as well on DOA shrimp under a popping cork, and he is catching them in all the rivers and creeks where there is clean, moving water. The best spots have been in 5-10 feet of water a little out from the grass and over oysters. When he fishes closer to the grass they pick up redfish, which are holding a little shallower.

Overall most of the fish are in the mid-teens and they are pretty much all keepers. The gator-sized trout usually show up once it gets colder. 

While there will probably be a few tarpon around until temperatures hit the lower 70s, for big game the bull red drum bite has been the best thing going this week. In the sounds Captain Kai’s boat is catching them in 10-40 feet of water around tide rips, rock piles, bridges, and other structure. Both live and cut bait on the bottom is working. 

October 3

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are up to 81-82 degrees around Hilton Head. 

The inshore fishing is still very good in Hilton Head, but while Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) knows that he could still be catching redfish free-lining mullet over oyster shells, he’s had the opportunity to do some fun-fishing on his own and found a lights-out bite with artificial lures. In the fall Captain Trent likes to fish spots with a hard sand and broken shell bottom in 6-12 feet of water where shrimp congregate, and with 4-inch DOA shrimp he has been lighting up the reds on the last of the outgoing and first of the rise.

The lagoon bite is also outstanding right now for a variety of species, including black drum, redfish, and trout. 

 

While he’s not doing a ton of inshore fishing, Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is on a trout pattern. The numbers and the fish aren’t as impressive as they will be when temperatures drop, but the in all the feeder creeks you can catch trout on the outgoing tide with DOA (or live) shrimp under a popping cork. 

But Captain Kai has mainly been targeting bull reds in the sounds and ocean. They could be 10 miles offshore or 20 miles up the rivers, and about the only place he isn’t finding the really big ones is in the marshes. Yesterday they caught them in 13-26 feet, and 10-35 feet is a pretty general depth range. While cut and live bait are both working around a wide variety of structure from ledges to rock piles to bridges to shell bottoms, they have also jigged some up on big curly tail grabs. 

While they are seeing some tarpon around Kai isn’t targeting them as much as earlier in the year, but at least yesterday 5-8 pound jack crevalle were mixed in with the bull reds. On cloudy days you can sometimes find both jacks and reds together on the surface – like yesterday.

There are also Spanish mackerel around in the area, and luckily sharks have not been too thick. 

September 26

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are still about 80 degrees around Hilton Head and the water is very dirty. 

It’s still a strong inshore bite in Hilton Head, but Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the redfish bite is still best on the incoming tide – and with dirty water from the very high tides it just gets better and better as the tide rises and the water gets cleaner. Finger mullet are still the best bait, and free-lining the bait over shells has been the best pattern. When the water is more than four feet and they are fishing over a cleaner bottom then a split shot helps get the bait to the fish. 

In the lagoons they are catching some trout, flounder and black drum on shrimp, but in the rivers and creeks it’s still mainly a redfish bite. 

For inshore fishing Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is on a similar pattern, finding a good bite around the grass at high tide on finger mullet.

But Captain Kai is spending most of his time in the big rivers and sounds, and right now bull red drum are moving into the Port Royal and Calibogue Sounds in numbers where pretty much everyone is catching them. Most of the big wads of fish are in 15-40 feet of water on ledges, structure including rock piles and bridges, and live bottom. Cut bait is still out-fishing live bait, and there are plenty of menhaden around. While the mullet aren’t running the beaches yet they are prolific on the inside. 

Tarpon are still around in decent numbers but scattered, and Kai’s boat recently landed a good one in the Broad River. 

Just off the beaches Spanish mackerel and bonita are prolific. 

September 12

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are down to about 80 degrees around Hilton Head and the water is pretty turbid.  It takes some work but finding mullet has been worth it. 

While there is still a strong inshore bite in Hilton Head it has completely changed, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that he was very surprised when at the beginning of the week the best bite changed to the incoming tide, considering a hard northeast wind bucking the tide. While he is fishing a few shrimp finger mullet are still king, especially for the redfish. Free-lining the mullet has been really good without a split shot if you have the wind at your back – the fish are so shallow that it makes this possible. They are catching most of the reds as the water is pushing up over the shells drifting baits along the bank.  

They are catching a few smaller trout on shrimp, and if you can find some calm water early there can be an excellent topwater bite for both species. 

When he isn’t targeting other species Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) is also targeting redfish, and he has found pretty good action with cut bait up in the grass – again on the rising tide. 

But Captain Kai is spending most of his time in the big rivers and sounds, where frankly September is off to a disappointing start between rapidly cooling water, bad weather, and dirty water conditions. Most of the negativity is because the tarpon have really slowed down, and it’s unclear if they have left for the season or will make another appearance. 

But the bull red drum have been a brighter spot, and they are starting to make their way into all the rivers including the Broad and the Cooper (by Daufuskie, not Charleston). They are making an early spawning run but they will be caught in similar areas through November. 

Most of the big wads of fish are in 15-40 feet of water on ledges, structure including rock piles and bridges, and live bottom. Both cut bait and live bait on the bottom will catch fish, and when they get really thick if the water has cleared you can also catch them on big jigs. But for now in the murky conditions Kai is pretty much fishing cut bait. 

As a bunch of threadfin herring (greenies) have moved into the area the jack crevalle are congregating on the sand bar rips, along with blues, ladyfish, and Spanish mackerel.  This is going on in both the Calibogue and Port Royal Sound. In truth there is a lot going on, but the weakness in the tarpon fishing (and the weather) has been a downer. 

August 29

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are down to 82 around Hilton Head but will go back up.  Bait is prolific in the rivers. 

There continues to be a very good inshore bite in Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that they are still catching plenty of redfish, a few nice trout, and some flounder mixed in. The key is still finger mullet, and Captain Trent is fishing them on a 25-pound fluorocarbon leader with a ¼ ounce split shot and a 3/0 circle hook. The outgoing tide has been the best and creek mouths along the main rivers have been most productive. 

Gulp! shrimp in the “molting” color have also been good and they are also getting a few on swimbaits. And in the mornings the topwater bite on chrome walking baits has been so aggressive fish were literally been knocking the paint off baits yesterday.

Meanwhile Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475) has been concentrating on the big rivers and sounds recently – mainly after tarpon. The odd part is that during the recent cold front he was not seeing them but was catching them on the bottom, while after it got warmer the last couple of days he has been seeing tons of them but not catching them.  There are abundant menhaden and finger mullet in the Broad River, and jack crevalle and bull redfish are biting well on cut bait. On the rips they are catching lots of 5-pound jacks on cut bait and there are plenty of bluefish and ladyfish around.

Captain Kai hasn’t been off the beaches much as yesterday was the first calm day in a while and he needed to scout to film a fishing show today. We hope the tarpon are both visible and chomping!

August 15

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are down to 85 around Hilton Head and the rivers are heavily stained. 

Luckily it’s a completely different story inshore fishing in the more closed creek systems, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that in the areas he is fishing (not as directly influenced by freshwater inflow) the 15 inches of rain they had really did not affect the bite!  The exception is that, while he is catching fish on both tides, the better visibility of the high outgoing has been best when there is much cleaner water. 

Overall finger mullet are still king, out-fishing shrimp. The best areas have been creek flows on the dropping tide when bait is being washed out and there are plenty of redfish, smaller trout, and a few flounder mixed together. They are also catching a few nice trout on bigger finger mullet. 

Finally, they are even catching a few fish on Gulp! jigs, swimbaits and topwaters early.  

August 14

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are down to 85 around Hilton Head and the rivers are heavily stained. 

It’s a tail of two bites for Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475), and inshore with all the fresh water coming in the rivers are dark red and basically look like blackwater rivers. At high tide the color is not terrible but on the outgoing and lower stages of the tide it’s very stained, and the fish Captain Kai was on have basically left. Only sharks still seem to be around. 

But they had to go somewhere, and in the ocean it has been pretty fantastic fishing for tarpon, big red drum, jacks and even trout. They are catching the trout in the breaking waves by down-sizing to smaller hooks and using finger mullet, and the bull reds are in similar areas. They have also been catching jacks in the 10-pound range on the bottom with the same chunks of mullet and menhaden that reds are eating. 

The tarpon fishing has also been outstanding, and they have been bringing at least one or two fish alongside the boat every day. Closer to the full moon it should get even better as another wave of fish arrive, although they may not push into the sounds and rivers based on salinity levels and the bait situation. 

Finally, this week Kai had a 100-pound tarpon eaten by a hammerhead shark!

August 1

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are in the upper 80s around Hilton head, and bait remains abundant. Water clarity varies depending on tide.

It’s still very good inshore fishing around Hilton Head, and Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that first thing throwing topwater baits for both trout and redfish has been very good.  After that they are mostly free-lining finger mullet on small circle hooks to catch reds and some trout, although they have also picked up reds on Gulp! shrimp jigs. The best action is still coming fishing deeper water in the 8-foot range where there is a steep drop-off. Overall the trout have been big but the numbers are low, and they do continue to pick up a few big flounder.   

The best bite for all species has been on the high outgoing tide when the water is much cleaner. 

It’s also been a good week for Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475), chiefly fishing the Broad River as well as the surf. While he isn’t catching great numbers of any species, with a diverse bag of bull reds, tarpon, cobia and jacks there has always been plenty of excitement. For some reason this week the fish have not been hanging around the big menhaden schools and feeding on them as much, and for cobia and jacks they have been fishing the Broad River Bridge or inshore live bottom areas with live menhaden. The jacks are running in the 5-10 pound range, and while not huge they are fun. 

Just off the beaches at structure and current rips they are catching bull red drum on live and cut bait, while the tarpon are both in the Broad River and off the beaches. However, there usually needs to be some sort of feature like a current break, inlet, or creek. 

July 19

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are in the upper 80s around Hilton head, and bait remains abundant. Water clarity varies depending on tide.

It’s still very good inshore fishing, but Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that the he can already tell that the big full moon tides are going to change the bite. For a while now the tides have been very moderate, but the bigger tides yesterday dirtied the water and clearly had the fish moved around. 

Nonetheless, overall it’s a still a good bite for both trout and redfish with the best action coming fishing deeper water in the 8-foot range where there is a steep drop-off. They have also picked up a few keeper flounder this week. 

Free-lining finger mullet and small menhaden (when available) on small circle hooks with a split shot has been very effective.  In a reversal, yesterday the high outgoing tide was the best because the water was cleaner than on the low incoming. 

July 18

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are in the upper 80s around Hilton head, and bait remains abundant. Water clarity varies depending on tide.

It’s been a banner week of inshore and surf fishing for big game for Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475), who reports that in the Broad River they are having good success floating live baits and throwing big soft plastic swimbaits into the large schools of 5-6 inch menhaden. They are catching tarpon, jack crevalleand sharks with these techniques, and tide doesn’t really seem to matter as long as there is some moving water.

At the same time they are still catching (small) cobia around the Broad River Bridge and other, lesser known, structure on live menhaden, while just off the beaches at structure and current rips they are catching bull red drum on live and cut bait. 

More to follow. 

July 12

Inshore surface water temperature temperatures are in the upper 80s around Hilton head, and bait is again abundant. Water clarity varies depending on tide.

Apologies for the late Friday evening report… It’s been steamy weather, but Captain Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters (843-301-4634) reports that inshore fishing around Hilton Head has been just as hot. The best bait right now has been small finger mullet not much more than about 2 inches long, and both the trout and redfish have been devouring them. The best action has come fishing deeper water in the 8-foot range where there is a steep drop-off.

Free-lining the bait on small circle hooks with a split shot has been very effective. The incoming tide has fished better because the water is dramatically clearer, but they are also catching some fish on the outgoing when the water is dirty. Captain Trent’s boat did get one gator trout on a big bait fishing a main point near the ocean at high tide.  A lot of smaller flounder are also being picked up while targeting trout and reds. 

Trent has also been seeing a few jack crevalle around in the sound running from spot to spot, and those have been a target species for Captain Kai Williams with Awesome Adventure Charters (843-816-7475). He reports that big jacks are abundant in the Calibogue Sound. They are in big schools on the surface and will readily take big poppers.

Finally, the tarpon action has really come on this week and the bite is now wide open. Captain Kai says that fish will be anywhere there is bait, but the most productive areas have been current rips and other areas where there is highly oxygenated water. Mullet and menhaden will both work.