Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that June is an excellent month in Beaufort for a number of species, and even as air temperatures get hot the fish are still biting very well. An above-average year for cobia means the fishing is likely to extend into June in the Broad River, and fish should continue to be caught sight-casting with flies, lures and live bait. Redfish can be found tailing at high tide on the main river grass flats where they are eating fiddler crabs, and at lower stages of the tide you can find them in deep holes surrounded by shallow water in the smaller creeks or around docks. Redfish will eat a wide variety of baits and lures. Trout can be caught this month fishing along grass lines at higher stages of the tide with live shrimp or mud minnows under a popping cork, and you will also pick up other species this way including bluefish, aerially exciting ladyfish and more. Also, don’t overlook an early topwater bite for trout, reds and more. On the bottom around structure and creek mouths you can catch flounder with mud minnows, finger mullet or artificial baits, while fishing fiddler crabs around docks and downed trees is a great way to pick up sheepshead and occasional black drum. Finally, the inlets have delicious whiting that will take small pieces of shrimp and abundant sharks that will take cut bait.
Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that as temperatures rise and even more bait starts to return in May the redfish should feed more regularly. The tailing activity at high tide should pick up as reds devour consistently available fiddler crabs, and fish should also eat better at low tides and moving tides in the creeks. Docks will continue to hold fish. If you can get live shrimp they are hard to beat, but finger mullet, small menhaden, mud minnows and more will catch fish. Trout fishing should also pick up in moving water over shell bars, and both jigs and shrimp will catch fish. Big roe trout will be in the main rivers to spawn. Topwater activity for both trout and reds should also improve this month during low light periods, but the most exciting development in May usually comes when the cobia should return in numbers to the Broad River. A few had already been caught by late April, and people will catch them both sight-fishing and anchoring baits on the bottom. Tripletail, bluefish, ladyfish and other migratory species will also be around in ever-greater numbers, and the bigger flounder should continue to show up after starting to trickle back inshore during April. Finally, don’t overlook the sheepshead bite around docks and other structure on fiddler crabs – especially before it gets very hot and patterns change.
Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that in April redfish will be almost completely broken out of their tight winter schools on the flats, although there could continue to be some docks that hold good numbers of fish. Although they can be a little finicky, cut mullet will be a good bait for reds this month as will live shrimp. As temperatures continue to rise they will feed more and more on fiddler crabs, and tailing activity should get better and better on high. Trout fishing will also improve in April in moving water, with small live shrimp, mud minnows and grubs all working. Topwater activity for trout and reds should also start this month during low light period. This month many of the larger sheepshead that have moved offshore will return inshore, where they can be caught around docks and other structure on fiddler crabs. By the latter part of the month some cobia should arrive and perhaps other migratory species such as bluefish, ladyfish and more.
Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that March fishing will depend on weather conditions, and at some point river flats redfish will start to break out of their tight winter schools. There were some early signs this was happening at the end of February. Early in the month sight-fishing should be productive, and both live bait and artificials can catch fish. Later in the month fish should start to spread out more and forage for fiddler crabs. At the same time, structure like docks that hold fish virtually year-round should fish well throughout the month – as it did in February. Trout should continue to get more active in March, particularly in clean, moving water, and they will take live shrimp fished on a jighead. Finally, this month many of the larger sheepshead that have moved offshore will return inshore, but there are also plenty of small and medium-sized fish that never left. They can be caught around docks and other structure on fiddler crabs.
Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) report that February should look a lot like January, and redfish will stay in tight schools. On the river flats they will be focused on avoiding dolphins, but in the clear conditions you should be able to sight fish for them and get some reaction strikes. Both live bait and artificials can catch fish. There should also continue to be a good bite around creek docks, as the population of redfish in the Beaufort area is clearly strong and structure seems to hold fish 12 months a year. As long as temperatures do not get super cold trout should continue to be caught in moving water on soft plastics fished on ¼ ounce jigheads, and if you can get live shrimp they will often work even better. There are also tons of juvenile sheepshead that can be caught inshore this month, while the bigger ones usually head out to the reefs or the deepest inshore structure to spawn.
Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) report that in January redfish will get in even tighter schools. In January sight-fishing is an excellent way to target fish with natural baits or artificial lures in the clear conditions, but if it gets very cold at some point they may get more lethargic. There can also be reliable fishing around docks, particularly those with some oyster beds nearby. Trout should continue to be caught in deeper holes in the creeks on soft plastics fished on ¼ ounce jigheads as long as it does not get super cold, and they will also take mud minnows. There are still black drum around inshore that will eat cut shrimp, and until the bulk of the better sheepshead move offshore next month they can still be caught on deeper structure with fiddler crabs.
There are still redfish tailing and eating fiddler crabs on high tide around Beaufort, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports that overall he can tell that feeding pattern is starting to fade. In the Harbor River it’s pretty far off, and in the Broad River it has also slowed down but not as much. While there are still plenty of fish getting up on the flats and trying to feed, perhaps in a sign that fiddler crabs are less abundant in the cooler conditions they aren’t putting their tails up to eat fiddler crabs as frequently.
The upside to that is that because they aren’t gorging as much on high tide they will feed more around the rest of the tide cycle, and he is seeing lots of fish chasing shrimp around oyster mounds both inside the small creeks and on the bigger water outside of high tide. Consistent with that, Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters (843-962-3503) reports that he is finding a really solid bite for a number of species, but particularly redfish. They are ranging from 13 to 30 plus inches, and it seems like fish of similar sizes are grouped up together in different areas. Certain docks might hold a lot of smaller fish, while another spot might be holding mostly 23-30 inch fish. As far as bait they aren’t picky at all right now, and Captain Pat is catching them on everything from Gulp! to cut bait to live shrimp.
It's also been a really good trout bite, and his boat is catching fish drifting live shrimp along grass lines at higher tides. On lower water they are catching them off drops in around 6 feet of water. The best bite requires tides and areas with some current.
They are also picking up black drum and even sheepshead around docks.
It’s still an exciting time at the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier (843-838-7437), and they continue to catch tons of over-slot red drum out towards deeper water. It can’t last forever but this has been a good bite for several weeks now.
Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) report that in August redfish are often a little lethargic, but there should still be some good tailing action on high tide. July had some excellent tailing activity. Additionally, they fed surprisingly well on finger mullet and mud minnows in deeper sections of small creeks on the outgoing, and that may continue this month. After an unusually good late July for trout they are optimistic for August, fishing live bait or even soft plastics off deeper drops in the creeks. Flounder fishing can be good with live finger mullet or minnows, even though a lot of fish are likely to be short, and the rising tide often offers the best opportunities. Sheepshead fishing will probably continue to get tougher as July was worse than June, but expect to still find a mix of sizes including some nice keepers. Fishing fiddler crabs around docks or oyster beds is the best pattern. Migratory species like jacks, tripletail and tarpon should be around until the fall. Finally, don’t overlook sharks which can provide a ton of action for anglers.
