Fresh Fripp Island Fishing Reports

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly **hidden content**) reports that in November fish will only continue to ramp up their feeding, storing up reserves since they are about to lose their bait supply. They know that most shrimp and baitfish will eventually leave and crabs will go into hibernation. Redfish should bite better and better on low tide even as they start to group up a bit more, and on very high tides they will continue to tail for the first part of November. Mud minnows, finger mullet, cut mullet and shrimp are all good bait choices. The trout bite will accelerate this month as temperatures drop and fish will be caught around the mouths of creeks in moving water. Shrimp under a popping cork are usually hard to beat, but as shrimp become more rare a variety of artificials will work. Flounder will be caught on mud minnows and finger mullet until water temperatures drop in the lower 60s, and black drum will also feed up more and more this month on shrimp and crabs.

October 26 Morning surface water temperatures are around 68 degrees inshore around Beaufort. There are still redfish tailing and eating fiddler crabs on high tide around Beaufort, but Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters **hidden content**) 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 **hidden content**) 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 **hidden content**), 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 **hidden content**) reports that in September the tailing pattern for redfish should continue to be strong, but as the reds’ metabolism speeds up the low tide bite should get better and better. It was already getting very good at the beginning of the month, and fish were feeding on everything from shrimp to mud minnows to mullet to Gulp! baits around pretty much any structure including docks and creek mouths. As a bonus, very soon the fish that are starting out the month just under the slot will be keepers. The black drum fishing should also continue to improve on shrimp, and more trout will be caught as temperatures cool. More keeper flounder should be caught on mud minnows and finger mullet, and migratory species like tripletail, bluefish and ladyfish should be around until temperatures cool. And the silver king, tarpon, will likely continue to prey on schools of mullet and menhaden all month. Overall, by the end of August and beginning of September the fishing was getting really good, and for the next two months it should be flat-out excellent.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly **hidden content**) report that in July tailing redfish can be found on good flood tides when they are in the short grass eating fiddler crabs, and on moving tides fishing live or cut bait in areas where they can stay just out of the current is a good bet. Even though it can be a slower month for trout, they are more likely to be in moving water where they will **hidden content** bait or trolled/ casted jigs. 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 may get a little tougher this month after a good 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 have arrived and should be around until the fall. Finally, don’t overlook sharks which can provide a ton of action for anglers.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters **hidden content**) reports that June is an excellent month in Beaufort for a number of species, and especially with milder temperatures to start off the month there are some really pleasant fishing conditions. 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. 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. 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 abundant sharks that will take cut bait and especially oily bonita as well as delicious whiting that will take small pieces of shrimp. Check out Tight Lines on Harbor Island for a wide selection of the baits you need.

May 25 Morning surface water temperatures around Beaufort are about 75 degrees and clarity varies. It’s a substantially better cobia bite this year than last, and Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters **hidden content**) reports that even with relatively tough conditions for sight-fishing they have already seen way more fish than last year. They have had opportunities to cast at a ton of fish and caught a decent percentage of those. When they aren’t casting a fly then a big walk-the-dog style bait like a Spook or Top Dog is often most effective, although a lot of people opt for big bucktails. The key to all these is to rip it past the fish so he doesn’t have time to think and just reacts. If you opt to sight-cast natural baits then an eel is usually impossible to beat. To read about anchored fishing for cobia check out the Hilton Head report. While the cobia bite has been good, the redfish action has been unusually tough. Fish are unusually finicky for the beginning of the summer, and some of the best bait fishermen in the area have had a lot of trouble hooking up. Overall, Tuck reports that the best time to fish seems to be at high tide as tailing activity has been good. Outside of that, the second-best time to fish has been on the high outgoing tide when water first starts to come out of the grass. Since the fish are feeding so heavily on fiddler crabs at high water up in the grass that makes sense. While his boat has picked up a random trout here-or-there when they cast out the occasional mud minnow, the sheepshead fishing has been so good this week that Captain Patrick Kelly with Boogieman Fishing Charters **hidden content**) reports they really haven’t focused on anything else. It seems that about every good dock with 5-6 feed of water holds sheepshead on lower stages of the tide, but when the tide starts to rise they are switching over to downed trees in the creeks and keeping the party going. Between a half and a third of the fish are keepers right now, and fiddler crabs fished vertically right against the structure are working very well.