North Myrtle Beach – May 29, 2014
Jason Surratt, of W.V., with a red drum that bit a live mud minnow near Sunset Beach bridge while he was fishing with Capt. Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are catching some large red drum and plenty of sharks while fishing around menhaden schools along the beach in 8-12’ of water. Live menhaden or bucktail jigs and other artificials will fool the sharks and drum.
Inshore, anglers are seeing solid flounder action in Tubbs Inlet and Cherry Grove, but many of the fish are still undersized. Live mud minnows and soft baits like Gulps are the way to fool the flatfish.
Red drum are still feeding in the backwater creeks, where anglers can tempt them to bite live mud minnows, crab chunks, and artificial lures like Gulp baits.
Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and ladyfish are all chasing bait in and around Little River Inlet, with the best action on rising tides. Small live baits fished on the surface or casting lures like Deadly Dicks will fool all of the nearshore pelagics.
Ash Cook, of Ft. Mill, SC, with a 50 lb. wahoo that bit a skirted horse ballyhoo near the Steeples while he was fishing out of Holden Beach aboard the “Pokey.”
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some improved fishing in the area, with good action all over the inshore waters.
Speckled trout are feeding at many of their summer haunts in the ICW, and anglers have been connecting with some keepers recently. Shrimp imitations like D.O.A. baits under popping corks are attracting most of the attention from the specks.
Flounder are feeding well in Tubbs Inlet, but many are just shy of the 15” legal limit. Gulp swimming mullet have been producing most of the action with the flounder, but anglers can also bait up with live mud minnows or peanut menhaden with success.
Joseph Aughtry with a 23″ flounder that bit a live mud minnow at the point at Oak Island.
Red drum are also feeding in Tubbs, as well as Little River Inlet, Dunn Sound, and Bonaparte Creek. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite Gulps, too, or live mud minnows, chunks of crab, and shrimp.
Steve, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are still catching solid numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish while jigging gold hook rigs from the pier.
Bottom fishermen are being rewarded with good catches of sea mullet while baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms.
Not much has been happening for anglers fishing king rigs from the end of the pier, but there’s a large amount of bait in the area and it shouldn’t be long before live-baiters see some king mackerel or cobia action.
The water is 71 degrees.
