We ( dad son and me)will be coming down from spartanburg to the beaufort area on sept 20th to give this shrimp baiting a try we are new at this and would appreciate some info on areas to shrimp down there or any help. we’ve been reading on here but there’s not much info on the beaufort area shrimping any help would be great thanks and good luck this season
Probably the easiest area to get to (in the river) is Whale Branch. Maps list this as “Corning Landing”, but locals just call it Whale Branch landing. Often you can find a spot within sight of the landing, especially if you get there early. See Clarendon road on Google maps, or buy a TopSpot map (and bait) at Beaufort Boat & Dock Supply. Clarendon Road is West off Hwy 21 (Trask Parkway) North of the Airbase. The landing is sometimes crowded, but the shrimping is good early in the season. Go downriver (left, South) from the landing. You will see a long “fenceline” of shrimp poles. Find a gap, use a pole to check for/avoid oysters, and join them. This area has protected waterrs, and a lot of johnboats shrimp there.
Another popular/productive area that comes to mind is the mouth of Colleton River. Follow hwy 170 across Broad River Bridge and put in at Edgar Glenn boat landing, known locally at Lemon Island landing. This is on Chechessee River. You need a good map or a good GPS here, especially after dark. Follow Chechessee river South until you come into big water at the mouth of Colleton River. Turn right at Spring point (#25 on the TopSpot map). You will see lots of poles on the right bank. Set up there. This is big water and can be unsafe for smaller boats in windy/stormy weather. Navigation back to the landing after dark is more difficult, but is OK if you go slow and have a GPS.
There are many other popular areas such as Land’s End and Pigeon Point on Beaufort River, and Coosaw River out of Sam’s Point landing. The Dock Supply folks can help you find an area near where you are staying, or ask on this site. Good Luck! It looks like a good year.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
spec thanks for the info we really appreciate it
whats the rule of thumb for baiting during the day and will these areas be good for daylight? are there oyster beds in all these areas and how deep is it in these areas? thanks
We will be in a 21’ carolina skiff
2012 Carolina skiff 21dlv 140hp suzuki
Race Ready Fishing
I don’t bait during the day, but I think you can do OK as long as you avoid clear water. The areas I mentioned should be OK on mid-outgoing tide - IF the water is muddy. I believe that shrimp know that darkness or muddy water makes them “invisible” to preditors, or at least less visible. Search for muddy water. The incoming tide usually brings in clear water. That’s good for trout fishing, but bad for dayshrimping. So, plan for outgoing tide. Creeks usually have muddy water on outgoing tides. Banks with wind blowing onto them usually have muddy water. Soooo, ideally you should set up on the bank just inside of a good size creekmouth that has wind blowing onto it on outgoing tide. Sometimes the main riverbank for 50 yards or so below a big creek is good too. As shrimp are flushed out of the creek, they go to the bank to hide. Creeks usually have smaller shrimp, so the main riverbank near deep water is best - IF you can find muddy water there.
Spend some time in map study before you come. I find Google Earth to be a great map study tool. Some, but not all oyster beds are visible if you zoom in. Move the “time slider” until you find a low tide view of your target area. I use GPS coordinates to pinpoint spots I want to try. Then, plan a “scouting trip” near low tide for the areas you have selected. Try some freecasting without bait in different areas to locate the shrimp. A cheap, Walmart net is good for this, in case you get hung on an oyster bed. Look for areas with no oysters at low tide. If you are forced to set up in an unfamiliar area, use a shrimp pole to rake across the area where you will set each pole. If you feel oysters, move a little and find clear bottom nearby. Remember our tides often have a 9 foot or better range between low and high tide. I use 15 ft. poles. I set them as shallow as the boat will run at low tide, and as deep as possible on high tide. That way I am shrimping in roughly 5 to 6 ft of water at mid tide. I like to be shrimping on a good “pulling tide” meaning mid-incoming or mid-outgo
Where are you staying in Beaufort? From the intercoastal waterway up past Hwy21 bridge (Whale branch) is good shrimping during the day. As spec said, water clarity is the key! Also if depending on where you are staying, St. Helena sound between Ash & Otter island and where the Combahee & Chehaw rivers come together is good during the day.
War Eagle 115 yamaha 4 stroke
Thanks spec again for the info I’m going to need all I can get and Blackhawk we are staying at the hampton inn in beaufort.
So when baiting at night you want to bait the low tide as it comes in right and during the day bait the mid outgoing bc you need muddy water?
Thanks again
2012 Carolina skiff 21dlv 140hp suzuki
Race Ready Fishing
Basically correct. I used to dayshrimp without bait (called freecasting) and did really well on mid-outgoing tide down to low. This was mainly in/near creeks. At night, it does not matter to me if it is mid-incoming or mid-outgoing. For you, a low tide about an hour and a half before sunset would allow you to set your poles in an area clear of oysters. Then, you would have time to make bait and drop the balls right at sunset. The shrimp sometime come in right as the sun sets, and sometime it has to be black dark. The main thing is just go and learn, even if the tide, etc. is not perfect. I caught a limit of nice size shrimp in broad daylight a few years ago on dead high tide in 3 passes of the poles. I got there and got set up and baited way early, and did not expect anything until dark. We threw a few “test casts” and were amazed at the “jelly roll” of huge shrimp in the net. Sometimes the shrimp don’t “follow the rules”. Just go. You’ll learn quickly.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
Key is to find churning muddy water.even slightly clear you won’t catch a thing during the day. Good luck,
thanks again everyone for all the help and replies
2012 Carolina skiff 21dlv 140hp suzuki
Race Ready Fishing
Don’t try going out in the dark unless you have scouted the area during the day! Please be polite to other boaters, not getting up to close to them or drownding them with your wake! Go the sciences part of this forum and print off the tides for the time you are here, it will help with where you go ant what time to start.
Key is to find churning muddy water.even slightly clear you won’t catch a thing during the day. Good luck,