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August 28, 2006

Saltwater Fishing Trends:

Cherry Grove Pier: Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. A few spots and whiting caught with shrimp. Flounder caught using mud minnows. Spanish mackerel caught on gold hook jigs.

Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach North): Pier and bait Shop open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Flounder biting mud minnows. Spanish mackerel caught on gold hook jigs. Black drum whiting are biting cut and live shrimp.

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. Spots caught on bloodworms. Pinfish are also being caught.

Myrtle Beach State Park Pier (Myrtle Beach South): Open 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., 7 days a week. Pompano hitting sand fleas and flounder are hitting mud minnows. Spanish mackerel biting finger mullet.

Surfside Pier: Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Whiting caught with shrimp. Gotcha plugs are being used to catch Spanish mackerel. King mackerel caught on menhaden. Flounder biting mud minnows. Sheepshead hitting on fiddler crabs.

The Pier at Garden City: Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Whiting and croaker are biting shrimp. Spanish mackerel biting gold hook jigs. Flounder caught on mud minnows. Bluefish hitting on Gotcha plugs and cut or live bait.

Murrells Inlet: The 33rd Annual Coastal Carolina Invitational, still the only and certainly the oldest college fishing match in the United States, will be held October 27th out of Murrells Inlet.

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. Black drum caught with cut and live shrimp. Sheepshead caught on fiddler crabs. Whiting caught with cut shrimp.

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. Whiting, small sharks, and a few spadefish are being caught using squid and frozen shrimp.

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