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!