I’m headed to the area for a family vacation the last weekend in August, and I’m bringing my boat down. It’s a War Eagle Blackhawk 2170 with a 10’ power pole and Ulterra trolling motor with gps guidance. I have zero saltwater experience, but a good bit with bass, striper and catfish in freshwater. I’ll be fishing with my wife and 4 year old son. My goal is catch and release of anything just to keep them interested, regardless of size. I would like to catch some small sharks, but other than that I have no preference. What species should I try to target (so I can start researching techniques and equipment needed)? I would love to power pole down in shallow water and cast multiple carolina rigs with live bait and wait for a bite, but is there much chance of catching anything like that inshore? I would like to try the jetties too, but I’d probably have to go solo on that because I’m sure the waves and wake would be terrible. Can I anchor (or use the trolling motor to keep the boat stationary) around the jetties and bottom fish there? Also, I noticed several sandy areas around the jetties. Is it legal/possible to beach there and let the family swim for a while? Thanks in advance.
welcome to the site. you might consider posting this in the grand strand forum for a better response.
I’ve [mis]spent many fall weekends at MI. i know nothing about August. watch what the locals do. well some of them. in the fall, there’s a fleet of small boats drifting mud minnows on a carolina rig for flounder in the main inlet, simple & effective. it’s a great flounder area
the canal behind wacamaw drive holds bass trout & flounder
your equipment will work fine. rinse daily or you’ll take some rust & corrosion home with you.
your rig will get to those jetties fine - generally. you’ll know if it’s too rough - if the current, wind, and waves are opposing. i ran a jon boat there quite a bit with no probs.
there can be some yahoos when its crowded - pontoon boats, parasailers, tubers,etc. but you can get that anywhere.
we rented houses on that inlet and caught plenty off the dock never getting in the boat.
there’s a viral video of a shark eating a hooked redfish back in there. so i suppose there are sharks. i never targeted them.
“Enough hijacking, this is a major thread”
Good bonnetheads at the jetties. Fish very early, drink beer the rest of the time. Bring an abundance of patience. The Point is a great area to beach your boat, and swim and hang out.
Thanks for the replies. What sort of rods and lines should I bring? Most videos I see are half spinning reels and half of the beefier stuff. Will I need steel leaders for most of what I catch? And are most fish safe to grab if I stay away from the teeth (besides stingrays)?
Murrells Inlet can
The rods that you use for striper fishing will be fine for shark fishing (use steel leader). You won’t need anything that big for flounder or trout. If MI fishing is anything like Folly Beach fishing, go at low tide, fish around the mouths of creeks flowing into the river, get some blue crab and cut in half, throw it out and hold on. Bonnet Heads love blue crab.
As for flounder and trout, live shrimp on a flounder rig work well.
Good luck. I’ll be in Folly next week doing the same thing.
I grew up fishing Murrells and still get there a few times a year. Bottom fishing CRigs in Murrells Inlet is a popular method. Late August should be good for Flounder, Red Drum, Black Drum, & Speckled Trout using finger mullet, mud minnows or shrimp. Never targeted sharks but have accidented into some big ones just off the jetties. You should be able to fish the jetties fine with your boat just fine depending on the wind and tide. The channel is fairly narrow at one point for larger boats so be considerate of those trying to pass.
Biggest thing different from your lake fishing is that there is about a 5’ tidal change every 6 hours.
Pay attention to that both for navigation and for finding fish that ambush bait that is swept through creek mouths or over bottom depressions. Do your exploring at low tide and take note of oyster heads and sand bars that will be covered and a hazard at higher tides. It’s a fairly small inlet with a few major creek channels and a warren or smaller creeks emptying the flats. Suggest sticking to the larger creeks and channels as it’s easy to find yourself sitting in pfluff mud when the tide falls out.
Yes, you can anchor off either beach near jetties for family outings. The South side bar has a much shallower drop and much more likely to be left dry on lower tides. The North side beach has a steeper drop but the current really rips around that point so careful with the kids.
Feel free to PM if more detail needed.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120