North Myrtle Beach March 31, 2011
Bryan Coggeshall with a healthy red drum he hooked on a Gulp bait in a backwater creek near Little River while he was fishing with Capt. Patrick Smiley of Capt. Smiley's Fishing Charters.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the shifting weather recently (highs in the 80’s one week, lows in the 30’s the next) has the area’s red drum trapped between winter and springtime patterns. There are still decent numbers of reds feeding in the super-shallow water back in the area creeks at lower tides, and some fish are beginning to hold on the docks and other structure in the ICW, but the bite isn’t as predictable as it has been.
It’s been too windy lately to sight-fish for the reds in the shallows, so dead-sticking a chunk of crab or other smelly bait in areas where anglers know the fish are likely to be has been the most effective strategy lately. Anglers who want to cast and retrieve baits can connect with the fish on Gulp jerk shads fished on weighted worm hooks.
In the waterway, crab chunks or live mud minnows fished around the docks will attract the reds’ attention.
Flounder are just beginning to turn on, and the best area for early season flatfish action is in the Cherry Grove marshes. Anglers casting live mud minnows on light Carolina rigs are already catching decent numbers of flounder, but most are on the small side. They’ll become more numerous and aggressive over the coming weeks as the water temperatures continue to warm up. Good numbers of small red drum are feeding in the same area and providing additional action.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still catching some red drum in many of the shallow areas where they spent the winter. The fish are starting to move towards their springtime haunts at docks and other structure along the ICW, so anglers may well find them there, too.
Reports of speckled trout and flounder are also beginning to come in, so it seems spring fishing is just getting started in the area.
Mike, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are catching some small sea mullet on shrimp-baited bottom rigs. Plenty of skates and small sharks are also providing action from the planks.
The water is 60 degrees, and as it continues to warm up, anglers can expect to see some red and black drum begin feeding in the area. One red has already been landed in the surf at the foot of the pier.
