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Sept 25 , 2006

Saltwater Fishing Trends:

Cherry Grove Pier: Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. 30-pound king mackerel reported caught. Spanish mackerel caught with gotcha plugs and shrimp. Whiting reportedly caught with shrimp as well.

Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach North): Pier and bait Shop open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Good catches of flounder (caught with mud minnows) and whiting (caught with shrimp). Blues caught with cut bait.

Springmaid Pier (Myrtle Beach): Pier is open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, year-round. Tackle shop open 6 a.m. to 11 pm. Spanish mackerel caught with gold hook jigs. Good fishing with some blues caught on shrimp. Spanish mackerel caught on gold hooks. Some trout caught with minnows. Spots caught with artificial bloodworms.

Myrtle Beach State Park Pier (Myrtle Beach South): Open 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., 7 days a week. Good fishing. Spots caught with artificial bloodworms. 7-pound Spanish mackerel caught with a king rig. Pompano caught with artificial lures.

Surfside Pier: Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Blues caught with shrimp and bottom fishing. Whiting and spots also reported caught.

The Pier at Garden City: Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Good fishing. Whiting, pompano and black drum all caught on shrimp. Blues and trout caught with cut mullet. Flounder caught with mud minnows.

Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier (Georgetown): Open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with free parking and fishing. Visitors also enjoy great bird watching. A Freshwater Fishing License is required due to brackish water. A second fishing pier is open on Winyah Bay called Hobcaw Point Observation and Fishing Pier. Birding and crabbing opportunities available.

Folly Beach Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Blues caught on a variety from gotcha to shrimp. Spanish mackerel caught with gold hooks. Pompano also reported caught.

Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier: Pier is open 24 hours a day. The Nature Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Slow fishing, but a stingray caught with shrimp. Some blues, but too small.

Fishing tip from Capt. J. Clayton Simmons III: Big reds and trout are pushing up shrimp and mullet into creeks everywhere, with the occasional flounder. Look and listen for jumping shrimp. It's a dead give away of a red’s location. Look for a wake (like a small submarine) cruising the grass a few hours before mean high tide. This is where you pull out the popping cork rig. During the outgoing tide, get deeper and take the popper off. I’ve caught at least a dozen big flounder, bass, and trout in holes an hour or two before low tide. Holes are usually behind a fallen tree or dock (look for old docks, barnacle growth is a sure sign). Holes are dynamic, thus ever changing since alluvial soil gets taken out by currents and are formed behind structures. The fish will take a break, then shoot out to ambush their prey in the feeding path (the moving visible water). Use live shrimp with a 1 inch offset hook with a spinning rod on 10 to 16 pound test and let it drift. IMPORTANT: try to get a natural drift! Remember, for the most part the big guys will always face up current.

Reporters: The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Marine Resource Division thanks the following participants for their cooperation in compiling this week's report: Cherry Grove Pier, Apache Pier, Springmaid Pier, Myrtle Beach State Park, Surfside Pier, The Pier at Garden City, Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Hunting Island State Park and Dr. Donald Millus.

For South Carolina marine recreational fishing regulations:

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf

Visit the Saltwater Fishing License Web site at http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov