Just moved to Charleston and would love to try to fish while I’m here for school! I have two Big Ugly surf poles and minimal tackle, waiting to buy until I know what I’m chasing. I don’t have a boat so what are the best spots to fish from the beach/which beaches are the best? What fish are running right now (mid winter)? Any bait & tackle shops y’all recommend? Thanks so much for the help 
Welcome to the site, Maggie!
Unfortunately, you’re getting started at one of the slower times for surf fishing.
I’d suggest heading over to Haddrell’s Point, for advice on your tackle, and bait.
Those guys will get you headed in the right direction.
Good luck!
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Likewise, welcome to the site, need some female fishing opinions too.
Maybe sharing your experiences with surf fishing would be a good start here, and of course all your fishing experiences. We do have some females on the site, the latest being a teen boat fisher, but she probably has some experience in the surf too.
Welcome!
Haddrell’s is the best place to start. For surf fishing, the end of Folly Beach is as good of a place to start as any. Are you in to sharks? Plenty of decent size to be caught from there.
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Awesome, I’ll definitely head over to Haddrell’s and see if they can help me out! My dad is a HUGE surf fisherman so most of my experience comes from tagging along with him. My skills and knowledge are minimal but I’ve got the casting/rigging/tying hooks/baiting basics down pretty well. Mostly want to catch some good fish to eat (flounder/trout/reds) but shark fishing sounds fun too! Looks like I’ll be heading over to Folly soon!
You’re likely to encounter Black Drum, Whiting, and Pompano, while surf fishing.
Don’t discount them as excellent table fare, too.
I have done a lot of surf fishing around Folly. Some tips that I’ve learned along the way:
There are holes, some are subtle and hard to find, others are more obvious.
Do not under estimate the tide
Fresh bait is by far superior to frozen, you can easily catch some with fish bites
Half a blue crab and croakers are my favorite bait. If you use cut bait, you will catch sting rays.
DO NOT fish where there are people in the water (duh, but it happens all the time)
The fishing is better when it warms up, but you have to get there early because the traffic is awful
The pier ain’t worth it
Hopefully that all wasn’t too obvious. Good luck and tight lines
Invest in a good surf cart if you don’t already have one. And strong surf rod stakes. It has been awhile for me but I always had luck at the East end of Folly, near the Lighthouse. You will need to walk a bit because parking at that end is sparse. You can get a good overview of the area using Google Earth.
Fish near the rock groins or in any gully you see. Incoming tide is good. You don’t need to cast out real far, just get your bait past the wave breaks. You will pass Crosby’s seafood on Folly Rd. They have a tackle and bait (live and frozen).
And take a little, indiscrete flask of your favorite beverage 
to enjoy while wait for the action.
j