November 20
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees in Murrells Inlet and the water is clear.
The inshore fishing is fairly outstanding right now in Murrells Inlet, and Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that on low tide the redfish bite has been really good. The fish are in 1-3 feet of water around oysters and other shallow structure in the creeks, and right now they are extremely keyed in on live shrimp. On a recent trip they caught 9 good reds on shrimp and only one small one on mud minnows fished right beside the shrimp.
Interestingly, on middle and higher tides the reds are harder to catch right now than they were earlier in the fall and late in the summer.
A few medium-sized and smaller flounder are still showing up, but that season should be pretty much done inshore and instead it will be all about the trout going forward. Flounder should be around at the nearshore reefs for a while.
Captain Tom saw a picture of a 9-pound(!) trout caught recently in the inlet, and as it gets colder the action will only get better. The key to finding the trout – and reds – is to find a bank with bait, and the trout will especially be around grass edges, shell banks, creek bends, or anything else that creates an eddy on moving tides. Trout can be found inshore from 1-7 feet, while at the jetties they will be caught from the rocks to 10-12 feet on shrimp under slip floats or artificial lures.
Tom had a nice trout eaten by a shark recently at the jetties.
November 14
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees in Murrells Inlet and there are still a few mullet and plenty of shrimp in the creeks.
The inshore fishing has been good in Murrells Inlet, and Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that with abnormally warm temperatures there are still a bunch of flounder around. The bite is not quite as hot as a week or so ago, when it was not unusual to catch 30-50 fish stacked up in one area, but even as the numbers have dropped a little they are still catching big fish. The best places to look have been shallow spots in the creeks which warm in the sun.
The trout bite is fair, but not as good as it will be soon. The fish are also shallow in the creeks, mostly holding in 4-6 feet of water over oysters and a little out from grass edges. They will take live shrimp under a float, but after more of the shrimp leave the action with artificial lures should get good. Black drum are also biting on shrimp, and it’s not uncommon to catch more black drum than trout right now.
The numbers of redfish are not great in the creeks right now, but at the jetties they are stacked up. Additionally, you can still catch big red drum on the beaches.
At the nearshore reefs there have been good numbers of flounder around, and as hard as it is to believe there have actually been some blackfin tuna caught in about 40 feet! And Captain Robert is 99.9% certain he missed a wahoo in the same zone! They were trolling there because the kings never really pushed up on the beach well this fall.
Offshore the wahoo and tuna bite is also good.
October 30
Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s in Murrells Inlet.
More to follow, but Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that inshore the redfish have really showed up in Murrells Inlet. His boat has been catching them floating live shrimp under a cork, and they have found some pretty tight schools of slot-sized fish. At other spots they have picked up singles.
The trout bite has not been as strong as it was a week or so ago when the cold front came through, but they have every expectation that once temperatures drop again it should get good.
October 17
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-60s in Murrells Inlet and bait is still a little unpredictable.
Completely consistent with the Fish Finder update, Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that on his last run out to the jetties they managed a big 25-30 pound red drum as well as one of the biggest bonnethead sharks he has seen – but overall the drum bite was off. They did manage about a dozen mostly smaller weakfish, which certainly provided good action while they were looking. The interesting thing is they marked a ton of drum but they just weren’t feeding very well. Menhaden were very thick that day, so maybe that had something to do with it. The drum should be here through around the second week of November and perhaps the bite will get more consistent.
Inshore, Captain Tom reports that there are still some nice flounder around and some big trout are starting to show up. A captain buddy managed a dozen nice ones inside the inlet, even though they usually don’t get thick until about Halloween. Both artificial lures and shrimp are working for trout.
October 16
Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees in Murrells Inlet and mullet have gotten scarce the last couple of days.
Starting with the inshore fishing, Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that as the mullet have become harder to find the flounder fishing seems to have picked back up in the past couple of days. They are biting best on the falling tide around structure and creek mouths with mud minnows or finger mullet, and they are also catching some redfish on the same pattern. At the same time the trout have not really showed up yet, except for a rare fish at the jetties.
But the best fishing has been off the beaches, and bull reds continue to make their way down in waves. There are also king mackerel within a mile of the beach and abundant Spanish mackerel. The Spanish were a little a tricky to catch until recently because there was so much bait around, but once the wind lays down it should be perfect conditions for them.
Additionally, weakfish are thick off the beaches anywhere that you can find hard bottom close to the beach. They will eat mullet and fresh dead shrimp.
Finally, it’s been tough conditions for getting to the nearshore reefs but big red drum, spadefish and nice flounder are all still there.
October 9
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s in Murrells Inlet and mullet are still running the beaches.
We have a quick inshore update from Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850), who reports that the flounder fishing has been pretty phenomenal. On one of his recent trips they hooked about 20 flounder with half of those keepers, including some big fish, but then the next day they eclipsed all of the previous day’s catch with this 7-pound doormat! It came on a 6-inch mullet fished in three feet of water. Overall finger mullet have been working very well around oysters, creek drains, and other shallow structure. The biggest fish have been coming on the bigger baits.
While the redfish action has not been fast and furious, they have managed to pick up several slot-sized fish – mostly as a by-catch while flounder fishing.
October 3
Morning surface water temperatures are stable at about 74-75 in Murrells Inlet and mullet are still running the beaches.
It’s been a weird early fall on the beaches of the Grand Strand, and Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that the mullet run is still going strong but it’s not the kind of thick river of mullet that’s over quickly – it seems to be a more prolonged run. At the same time the fishing has been very odd, and they will have a good day then a poor day then a good day and then a poor day and so on. The positive is the worst years are when the mullet run and bull red drum come and go very quickly, and at least this year shows no sign of that. Fish are in the 40-inch range and taking both mullet and menhaden baits.
There are also tons of weakfish on the rock formations just off the beaches.
Inshore the fishing has been pretty good, and they are still getting both flounder and reds very shallow. It hasn’t gotten cold enough for the fish to move into deeper areas of the inlet, and it also doesn’t seem like it has cooled off enough for the trout to really show up.
The few times that they have been nearshore to the reefs the fishing has been tough because they are so covered up with bluefish, but both kings mackerel and Spanish are around from the beaches to about 15 miles out. Both species have been a little hit-or-miss because there is so much bait around, but when they are catching both species they have been large.
Offshore trolling has been fair for wahoo, tuna and dolphin.
September 26
Morning surface water temperatures are about 75 in Murrells Inlet and water clarity has improved – before the storm. Bait is prolific.
The mullet are flowing down the beach and there are some menhaden around, but Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that the bull red drum have been unpredictable. They should be here en masse but for now are just coming through in waves. For a few days the 40-inch fish will be prolific, and then they will disappear down the beach. King mackerel and Spanish have been a little more reliable, and just off the beaches is the best place to target them.
Inshore the fish are a little picky, and Captain Robert reports they are just getting the occasional flounder in shallow water. At daylight you can also pick up some trout but they don’t seem to be around in great numbers.
However, Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that there is a good redfish bite for big fish in the 30-36 inch range in Murrells Inlet. And there are also some reds on the jetties.
The nearshore action is pretty good, and weakfish are starting to get plentiful. Captain Tom has also caught a fair number of flounder out there up to 19 inches, but was surprised not to find more. But the reefs are completely covered in sharks right now, and he caught over 30 on his last trip out. It’s a great time for a shark charter! There are also some bull reds on particular reefs – if you can weed through the sharks.
September 12
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s in Murrells Inlet and water clarity has improved.
The mullet run is in full force, and Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850) reports that while windy conditions have limited their ability to get off the beaches (where he expects kings and Spanish to be around), just yesterday he saw acres and acres of 4-5 pound mullet inshore in the creeks. They are winding their way down the coast and they were so thick that they turned the water muddy behind them. Tarpon and sharks were busting on them.
Overall the inshore fishing has been fair to good, and one day he had a fair trip for redfish and flounder but then followed it up with a very good trip yesterday. He found big redfish in the 29-33 inch range, at the upper end of how big they get on the inside, and caught a half-dozen flounder. While there could be fish deeper in the creeks he caught everything fishing mullet on the edges around oysters, other structure, and creek mouths. One worrying sign is that this year in general he has only caught big flounder, which is fun for right now but may indicate problems down the road.
It's still a bit early for trout in the Murrells Inlet area but they should show up in numbers in the next few weeks.
August 28
Morning surface water temperatures are around 83 degrees in Murrells Inlet and water clarity has improved.
It’s a pretty fantastic jetty and nearshore bite for Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850), who reports that today was yet another great day on the water. Mullet are everywhere and today there were 3-4 pound Spanish mackerel, 4-5 pound bluefish, bonita, cobia, king mackerel and more feeding in the calm conditions where you could see everything just off the beaches. Captain Tom’s boat was catching fish chumming live bait and then throwing out baits on a short leader, but you can also get bites throwing spoons and reeling fast! In particular there was no shortage of jumbo Spanish mackerel around the jetties today.
There are also some really nice flounder around.
That’s exactly the report from Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464), who adds that there have also been weakfish and some random spotted sea trout at the jetties. Sheepshead are also at the jetties and spadefish are further out on the deeper reefs. It’s a pretty incredible bite right now, presumably because there is so much bait around. Captain Robert says it’s as if all the fish decided to show up off the beaches at the same time!
On the inshore side, mullet are also running the creeks and Robert reports that the flounder fishing has been decent in the inlet. In general the fish are feeding better on the falling tide, and they will take both finger mullet and mud minnows. Redfish are also around but they are biting better on the rising tide.
August 14
Morning surface water temperatures are down to 79 in Murrells Inlet and water conditions are dirty.
It’s pretty typical late summer fishing in Murrells Inlet, and Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) reports that even though water conditions are dirty they are about back to where they were before the storm. Inshore they are picking up a few flounder and redfish right now, with the best action coming on the changeover at high tide and then the falling tide. Mullet are prolific but mud minnows are also working well. Trout have not been around in any numbers for some time but that will change in the coming weeks.
Off the beaches there are no menhaden around right now, and probably as a result kings and cobia are mostly absent while only a few random Spanish mackerel are around.
There are some flounder at the nearshore reefs right now, but not in great numbers.
Overall the fishing is fair right now as we transition between summer and fall, but in a few weeks it should get very good.
August 1
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s or higher in Murrells Inlet and mullet are abundant.
It’s an up-and-down inshore bite for Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850), who reports that he has had two of his slower trips in the last ten days – but also two of his best catches of the year. To make matters slightly frustrating it’s hard to figure out a whole lot of rhyme or reason to the patterns, and basically you just have to go fishing and put in the time.
For example, just a few days ago they caught a 6-pound trout in 2 feet of water on a menhaden, but instead of the fish coming when there was clean moving water coming in it was caught on low, stagnant water. Similarly, some of their best flounder have come when there is no current – and both the big trout and some better flounder have been biting in the middle of the day in the worst heat.
Overall the jetties have been fishing better for flounder than the inside, and yesterday they caught a giant 7-pounder at the jetties on mullet – as well as about a 3-pound fish. But there are other days where flounder don’t bite well. About 5-15 feet has been the target depth, and the big one yesterday came in about 7 feet. Inside the fish are shallower, they seem smaller and there are apparently less of them.
Mullet has been working the most consistently for everything, and lots of smaller redfish are starting to show up.
July 18
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s or higher in Murrells Inlet.
It’s still a good inshore bite for Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850), but last week he noted just how shallow a lot of the flounder have been while this week it’s a little different story. While they aren’t frequently in the middle of deeper holes in the creeks, he has been finding them on the sides of the holes or right beside them. Mullet, menhaden, and mud minnows are all working as bait.
They are also still catching good numbers of redfish, mostly in about four feet of water near oyster bars.
That’s very similar to the report from Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464), who adds that the incoming tide is usually fishing better when there is cooler water coming in. However, time of day also matters and as we get into afternoon rising tides the dropping tide may actually be better before it gets very hot.
Captain Robert also notes that, while the numbers aren’t great, when they do happen upon a trout it’s often a good one.
Off the beaches there is still a lot of bait and some sporadic king mackerel and cobia are being caught around the pods – as well as lots of sharks. Very soon they expect to be able to catch them on topwater lures.
While getting out nearshore has still been very difficult, at the reefs there have been some flounder and cobia caught. Meanwhile the Spanish mackerel are still off, and Captain Robert speculates that we may be in the transition period where you have to move from artificials to live bait to catch fish.
Offshore wahoo and tuna are still being caught in fair numbers.
July 11
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s or higher in Murrells Inlet.
It has also been a good inshore bite for Captain Tom Cushman of Cush’s Calmwater Charters (843-997-5850), and one of the most interesting things he has noted is just how shallow at a lot of the flounder are. He has had times on low tide where he is fishing a hole with 5-6 feet of water and sees mud boils in just six inches of water, only to cast up there and catch a couple of keeper flounder on successive casts. His other major inshore target has been redfish, and Captain Tom notes that they are around in better numbers that last year at this time. That bodes well for the rest of the summer. He has been reds around oyster bars, and for both species right now decent menhaden have been hard to find so he has been leaning on decent numbers of catchable finger mullet as well as mud minnows.
Tom has also spent some time at the jetties, and while the fishing has not been remarkable he did manage a 5 ½ pound trout on a live pinfish. He has also found some flounder and a couple of back-to-back 30-inch reds.
On the beaches it’s easy to get your line pulled by small to medium-sized sharks right now.
July 10
Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s or higher in Murrells Inlet.
It’s a time of year when water temperature makes a big difference, and Captain Robert Orr with Fish Finder Fishing Charters (843-347-4464) notes that, while they are still catching fish inshore, the bite is noticeably better on the incoming tide. On the outgoing and at low water it just seems so hot that the fish don’t really want to feed. While there are a few, jumbo trout being picked up every few days, in general the catch is redfish and flounder. Both species are eating mud minnows and the finger mullet have also gotten big enough for bait.
Off the beaches there is a lot of bait and some sporadic king mackerel and cobia are being caught around the pods – as well as lots of sharks.
While getting out nearshore has been tough, and there have only been five or six days in the last three weeks when the wind laid down enough to allow it, at the reefs there have been some flounder and cobia caught. Meanwhile the Spanish mackerel have been a little tough, and Captain Robert speculates that we may be in the transition period where you have to move from artificials to live bait to catch fish.
Offshore wahoo and tuna are still being caught.