North Myrtle/Little River – June 2025
John, of Dave’s Outpost, reports that inshore anglers are seeing catches of red drum and black drum around structure.
Anglers fishing tight to the bridges and docks with live crabs are catching sheepshead.
Surf and pier anglers casting metals are seeing decent numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel. The spanish mackerel action specifically, though, has been better from the piers.
Bottom fishing in the surf zone with shrimp or artificial bait strips is producing whiting, croakers, and spot.
Chris, of Fine Catch Fishing Charters, reports that red drum action is strong around docks near the Lighthouse and further north up the waterway. Live mud minnows, mullet, and shrimp work well when rigged on jig heads and tossed under docks that are around creek mouths or oyster beds.
Speckled trout and red drum are staged on deeper channel ledges in the main creeks where oysters cover the shoreline. Some black drum or sheepshead can also be found by floating a live shrimp down these areas.
The jetties are housing over-slot red drum on the bottom end of the falling tide. Focus efforts on the tips of the jetty with either bottom-rigged live or dead mullet and shrimp.
Drifting live shrimp down the rocks can produce speckled trout and black drum, and when targeting sheepshead, live shrimp or fiddler crab setups will produce bites.
Outside the inlet, the Three Mile Reef has started to hold flounder which can be hooked using bigger mullet on Carolina rigs.
Spanish mackerel are around the nearshore reefs as well, and the spanish are being caught by trolling spoons and casting at surface feeding schools.
Anglers are running out to the 60-80’ range to target gag grouper and snapper with live menhaden or pinfish. Dead cigar minnows will typically get some bites if live bait isn’t available.
Deeper bottom areas should be holding spadefish and some cobia.
Seth Odum, of Sunset Beach, caught this cobia offshore of Sunset Beach in 110′ of water on a slow pitch jig.
Buddy, of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that there’s a healthy red drum bite in the shallows of creeks, with live mud minnows or mullet on the low to rising tide.
Black drum are being caught with cut shrimp on the bottom around docks, bridges, and the jetties.
The jetties are producing red drum when using cut bait on the bottom.
Spanish mackerel are stacking up around the Three Mile Reef.
The bait is just starting to arrive off the beach, so anglers should keep a rod set up for cobia if heading out.
Bob, of Strange Magic Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are being caught up on the shorelines on higher tides, and then these fish are dropping down into deeper holes during the lower tides. The reds are biting live mud minnows or shrimp under a popping cork. If using artificials, a Gulp or Z-Man bait under a popping cork has also had success.
Flounder can be caught in these same areas and with the same baits anglers are using to target reds.
Speckled trout are around. They are in their spring spawn, so the big female fish are being enticed by live shrimp under a cork or on the bottom.
Black drum are biting well on fresh shrimp fished around docks and oyster shell areas.
Off the beach, the spanish mackerel bite is heating up while trolling Clarkspoons or sight-casting to surface feeding frenzies with weighted spoons.
Jessey, of Shallow Minded Fishing Charters, reports that the offshore trolling bite has been red-hot, with large schools of mahi (to 40-50 lbs.) showing up in deeper water (800-1000’), particularly where the current sets up nice weed lines.
Plenty of blackfin tuna action is being found out around the Blackjack and Georgetown Hole. For both the mahi and blackfin tuna, smaller baits on sea witches or little chugger heads are producing the most strikes.
For wahoo, larger baits such as Ilanders rigged with horse ballyhoo have been the top bait. The color patterns of blue/white and pink/white are great choices.
Offshore bottom fishing has seen large gag grouper being caught all along the break (in 140-200’ of water).
Plenty of black sea bass action is in the 80-100’ range.
Nearshore fishing has been picking up, with impressive numbers of king mackerel and cobia being caught over live bottoms. Live bait has been best, and anglers should specifically target bottoms that are holding baitfish.
Inshore, limits of flounder are being caught in areas such as Cherry Grove, Pawleys Island, and Murrells Inlet.
Red drum and speckled trout fishing remain steady, with both species striking live shrimp and artificials.
Sheepshead are moving in and stacking up around the inlets. A bunch of smaller fish are around, and they are feeding on live fiddler crabs.
Bevan, of Chilly Water Fishing, reports that grouper has been one of the main targets. Live pinfish or cigar minnows have been the preferred bait when targeting structure in the 100-140’ range.
Anglers are finding vermilion snapper and triggerfish in these same areas. For both species, just scale down the tackle and fish cut squid.
Multiple schools of mahi are showing up around the boat while bottom fishing, so keep a drift line out back and have a pitch rod on hand.
Anglers looking to target mahi are trolling ballyhoo along current rips and weed lines anywhere from 120-1000’.
Josh, of Little River Fishing Fleet, reports that anglers are finding plenty of strawberry grouper, gags, and scamps mixed in the 100-200’ range.
This same structure holds loads of vermilion snapper and large amberjacks.
Anglers are seeing mahi being caught nearshore (<50 miles) on a drift line while bottom fishing. Anglers strictly targeting mahi are doing well trolling for them out in deeper waters.
King mackerel have started to show up everywhere, with some being caught close (<15 miles).
Melissa, of Apache Pier, reports that bottom fishing catches include whiting, croakers, and smaller bluefish.
Ed, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers have been catching flounder, smaller whiting, and a few black drum.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are being caught by anglers casting Gotcha plugs.
