Advice on summertime strategy/artificials

Saltwater Inshore Discussion
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Howdy folks, hope everyone is having a great summer so far!

Just got back from a vacation in North Myrtle/Little River area. Been coming down with the Wife and Dog for the past few years to celebrate the 4th and my birthday, and usually drag the boat down with us. We were down there for a whole week and I got to spend some quality time on the water.

Almost everyday for a week, I was fishing from sunrise till about noon, with the afternoon and evenings reserved for family and friends. I was mostly fishing the first few hours of the outgoing and the first few hours of the incoming. I was fishing slowly and methodically, but also trying to cover as much water as I could. I was only throwing artificials (I know everyone thinks I’m crazy), and a very wide range of them at that. Topwater, Paddle tails from 3-6 inches, jerk shads from 4-6 inches, EZ shrimps under a popping cork, the kicker crab, trout tricks, Ned rigs, I even tied on a fuzzy urchin style bait and tried to find some sheep at the jetties and some bridge pickings to see if it would work.

I basically covered everything from Cherry Grove, Dunn Sound, Bonaparte Creek, Sunset Beach, and all the way up to Jinks Creek and Tubbs Inlet in Ocean Isle, just trying to find some productive water. I caught a couple 16-17’ flounder on a big paddle tail at the mouth of Dunn on the first day, and was about to get stoked, but literally everyday after that nothing produced. Tried at different points to run a similar patter/time/tide/color, but nothing happened.

A few things that I’ve noticed from fishing this area in the summer the past few years is that I haven’t seen many birds, crabs, dolphins, or shrimp. Tons of mullet back in the creeks, finger and big ones, but all the bait was swimming calm and isn’t skittish at all, which seems to tell me that there isn’t many predatory fish around. I tried to use this to help me locate productive water, but couldn’t really find any at all.

I try to be as stealthy as possibly when I fish. Slow rpm on the trolling motor, no loud noises or hatches closing, a myriad of baits to throw along with different colors and sizes (this stems from my bass fishing background). Sun in front of me, fishing with the current flow to make my bait look natural, fishing around oyster bars and sand bars and creek mouths, trying to find deeper fish holding water in the creeks at low tide and into the grass at high tide. Nothing to show. Yes, I caught a couple flounder, but not a single spottail or a trout. No bites at the jetties or bridges. I couldn’t even catch a croaker on a ned rig. All after a week of nose to the grind fishing.

This forum has been a gem to me for research and trying to develop my saltwater fishing senses and skills. I guess I’m simply asking for a little bit of guidance and insight into some things that I could improve on, or think about differently. I live inland, and have to trailer a couple hours to get to the salt, so I’m always trying to make the most of my time when I do come. Everyone at the ramp said I was crazy for not using live bait, but I know there is a way to catch them in the summer on the arts. Is it the time of year? The location? The Estuary in general? A combination of it all? Just trying to grow my skills without having to bust out the cast net when things get tough.

Really appreciate yall, as for always!

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Just saw this. Sounds like you’re doing most things right. In my experience - in summer - I’m often the first to the landing. I’m there in the dark. Usually throwing topwater in good looking areas. If you’re a bass fisherman - you could probably educate me on what those are but I’m sure you know how to identify them. Difference in the salt is that our structure often involves current and rips - good ambush spots in other words. Usually when the sun gets about a fingers width over the tree line - its over. I’m putting the boat on the trailer by 930am often while others are launching. Dock lights at night are a great option. I’m pretty convinced that most of our inshore fish are feeding at night during the summer and laying low in the day.

One last thing but you already know as a bass fisherman. With artificials, technique is imperative. Gotta keep contact with the lure on a semi slack line or you wont feel what is often a super subtle bite.

Hope this helps. BTW I fish arties year-round.

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Thank you, sensei Optiker! I’ve read some of your other reports and post, and have a great amount of respect for you!

Someone once told me that inshore fishing is like bass fishing, but with tides, haha. I’m starting to see the many similarities! I think the “good looking” spots are probably very similar, in that of points, humps, ditches, creek mouths, shade, docks, and what have you. I think a freshwater flat isn’t quite the same thing as a saltwater mudflat, but I think the fishing concept is similar, along with other areas and topography. The big trick for me has been, as you can imagine, tides and currents.

I know we’re about to blink and it’s gonna be fall, with some whole new patterns, but hopefully I can make my way down to Chas a few times in the coming months and see if I can figure them out. Thanks so much for the tips!

P.S. happy to know you have a 13 whaler as well!

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Thanks for the kind words. If you dig through the archives of this site, you will see how clueless I started out - and still feel often :slight_smile: You’ll figure out the puzzle in no time I’m sure!

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Oh it’s about to be on son!! Another few weeks and the reds will be on fire.

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I can’t wait! Def tryna sneak down there for a few trips this fall!

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Wouldn’t say “Nothing to show”, time on the water even when skunked is what will make you successful going forward. Definitely sounds like you’re on the right track based on all your observations, keep paying attention to all the variables/patterns and good things will come.

There is a learning curve to artificials but well worth it and even in summer where it’s generally toughest (given all the bait around) you will still be able to produce. Keep in mind what profiles/colors/retrieves work can all vary day to day and will be largely dependent on conditions. The more you do it the easier it becomes to figure out that day.

Haven’t fished up where you were much but some general thoughts. Any clues you were on fish that just weren’t biting or more likely nothing was there? What was water clarity/salinity if near river? As you mentioned boat positioning is important, how were you presenting the lure given wind/tide relative to the structure? Casting accuracy is also crucial, literally a few feet can mean the difference between catching and not.

Lastly knowing fishing spots is great but equally as important to know when/what conditions to be at them. Typically the bite window is limited (especially in summer), spots are seasonal and change year to year.

Hope this helps, apologies if this is all stuff you already knew.

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No apologies necessary at all Awendaw! Even if I think I’m familiar with a topic or technique, I can always learn more from other’s perspectives and experiences (I’m a big believer in Master and Apprentice methods of learning things)!

I would say some clues that I observed at the time were that I saw lots of baitfish back in the creeks and tributaries, but most of them were swimming very slowly and calm. Not skittish and anxious, like when predators were around. Of course I tried some stealthy cast around them, deeper and shallow, just to see, but never found anything. Perhaps they were there but weren’t feeding, or perhaps not at all. I spooked some rat spottails back in the creeks based on some muds I saw, but even those were sparse. I didn’t see many birds, crustaceans, or dolphins either for that matter, which seemed strange to me. Granted this was 2 months ago at this point, during 4th of July weekend, so maybe it was just a weird week!

As far as the positioning went, I always try to position myself facing the sun, or at least be mindful of my shadow and try to be quiet and stealthy. Regardless of wind, I’m trying to always cast lures to present them swimming with the current instead of against it, so they look as natural as possible. Perhaps this isn’t always the case? I know I definitely don’t always do that in fresh water, but then again we generally don’t have much, if any, currents on the lake, unless it’s generated by the dam incrementally throughout the year. Whole nother ball game haha.

I’m not tooting my horn, but I consider myself a pretty fair caster when it comes to accuracy and presentation. I grew up, and currently live, on Lake Murray and have been fishing for Largemouth and Stripers since I was a kid. Some of those skills have seemingly transferred nicely to the salt, especially with the way that Murray fish behave these days. I’m not a total strangers to the salt tho. Use to trailer the boat down to Charleston with my Dad when I was younger and fish the harbor and inshore areas with Carolina rigs and a bucket of mud minnows. Good times!

What should I be looking for when it comes to salinity? I know that varies depending on season, and obviously fall is approaching very soon. I feel like I’m naturally just trying to look for areas that have a good flow: big creeks/bodies of water that spider web out into smaller creeks and tributaries, that then maybe filter out into a marsh or backwater, and then narrow down some structure and points in between all of that: oysters, rocks, docks, sandbars, anything that looks good or makes sense. Trying to find “the spots within the spot” if you will. Generally, if the water is clear, I’m throwing natural colors/ transparent baits and working them faster (maybe) depending on what I can figure out. If water is dirty I’m throwing darker colors and something thats giving off more vibration and working it slower. I say all this, but if I’m able to discover a pattern/color/retrieve that’s working,
I’m gonna stick with that. That’s also a very big “if” haha!

Sorry for the long winded response. I really appreciate all y’all on here. I guess it’s like you say, there really isn’t any substitute for time on the water!