Went out with some friends yesterday that bought a boat a while back, and have not been having much luck. They’ve been catching sharks & rays, but not much else, and they really wanted to catch something that they could actually keep and cook. Can’t say that I gave them any game changing tips, but we ended up having a great day on the water.
We met in the parking lot at Cabelas up near Charlotte, NC at 4am, and started the drive down to Charleston. Arrived at Haddrell’s right at 7am when they opened, picked up some bait and headed over to Shem Creek. We fished a bunch of spots in and around the harbor area - some were duds, but others kept us busy. I’ve never fished in that general area, and was pleased with the diversity. You’ve got to love saltwater fishing.
Here’s a list of the species:
- Reds – a few under, one slot, and one in the upper 30’s
- Black Drum – a bunch of under sized and one keeper
- BSB – all under, and way too many to count
- Flounder – one caught and it was a keeper
- Whiting, bluefish, sharpnose, & a huge ray
- Oyster toads, lizardfish & pinfish
- Octopus – that was the highlight of the trip for me. Very cool to check it out.
Lines in at 5pm, headed back to the ramp, loaded the boat and drove back up to Charlotte in the rain. Back in the Cabelas lot at 9pm. Long day but worth every minute. 
