Georgetown and
Pawleys Island SC
Fishing Reports
Hurricane Debby Update
Hey Taylor Bridges with a quick update after Hurricane Debby.
Georgetown wasn’t very affected by Debby. There was some flooding, but nothing Georgetown hasn’t seen in the last year. Winds never reached over 40mph in the town of Georgetown either. It’s safe to say we were very lucky!
The only downside is the major salinity drop that has occurred since the storm. We’ve since caught a few baby Largemouth Bass where we were catching Menhaden before Debby. The Santee and Pee Dee were up slightly in preparation for heavy rainfall, and boy did it rain. Since August 6th the Santee river has stayed consistently at its minor flood stage. The Pee Dee river climbed into its minor flood stage on the 9th and into its moderate flood stage on the 12th.
This influx of freshwater has chased a lot of the menhaden and larger mullet out into the ocean in search of saltwater. While there are finger and larger mullet in the bays, the numbers have seriously declined.
The fishing has been negatively affected as well with very few keeper trout and flounder around. Tarpon don’t seem to be as active up the rivers either. The only thing that doesn’t seem to mind (other than the Longnose Gar) are the Redfish. Slot and over slot Reds seem to be loving the opportunity to dominate points, oyster beds, and sandbars.
It is hard to tell when fishing will get back to normal August patterns, but the good news is the river levels are all slowly falling. By the end of the month we should see big schools of trout and flounder returning to Frazier’s Point and even further up the Bay.
If you’re looking for specifics about fishing in South Carolina’s Low Country, check out The Captain. It’s a new chatbot on the home page designed to answer any questions y’all might have.
For more information on fishing in Georgetown, please check out our seasonal fishing blogs here. For even more information let’s go fishing!
Georgetown’s July 2024 Fishing Report
Hey, Captain Taylor Bridges here with the Georgetown July Fishing Report.
July was an incredible month! Tarpon, Redfish, Flounder, Trout, Tripletail and more were all biting despite water surface temperatures in the high 80s early in the mornings. The Mullet and Menhaden that hatched earlier this spring are growing into the perfect size for targeting Flounder, slot Redfish, and Trout. Larger Mullet and Menhaden are still around as well providing plenty of food for Tarpon and large sharks to eat. A few large Redfish also known as Channel Bass or Bull Redfish are around, but the hot water seems to have chased the majority of those schools back out into the ocean. Hotter water means less oxygen. That doesn’t seem to have hurt other fish, but it has made catching Channel Bass tough.
Storms didn’t kick up rough surf mixing tons of silt into the water like it did in June. Clearer water was easier to find and when that combined with strong current pushing bait, a lot of fish were caught. Heavy rains in the midlands this month helped to push schools of bait back towards the coastline as well.
Overall July was a great month for anglers who wanted to catch trophy tarpon or fry up fresh seafood for dinner!
Reminder for practicing catch and release. If the fish is no longer dripping wet it has been out of the water too long!
Fishing Forecast
August’s temperature outlook is projected to be likely above normal. It is hard to know exactly how this will impact fishing, but it is safe to say that getting out early in the morning or late in the evening will probably improve your catch. The precipitation outlook is leaning above normal which could help keep the bait near the coastline.
If you’re looking for specifics about fishing in South Carolina’s Low Country, check out The Captain. It’s a new chatbot on the home page designed to answer any questions y’all might have.
For more information on fishing in Georgetown, please check out our seasonal fishing blogs here. For even more information let’s go fishing!
Georgetown’s June 2024 Fishing Report
Hey y’all, Captain Taylor Bridges here with Georgetown April Fishing Report.
June was a mixed month. After an incredible start with slowly rising water temperatures and tons of bait, Georgetown was hit with two fronts in the middle of the month, and ended with strong warm winds. These winds seriously slowed the movement of bait and fish into the estuaries and inlets. Weather fronts can affect fishing for many different reasons, but dirty/silty water seemed to be the biggest issue this month. Strong winds over several days causing constant rough surf kicked up a lot of decomposing material on the ocean floor and tons of sand making the water incredibly cloudy. Searching for clearer water seemed to be the biggest key this month.
Luckily the bait migration was well underway when these fronts hit so the bays and inlets were stocked with plenty of food. Beautiful flounder, large trout, and Georgetown’s special- redfish were caught in large numbers this June. When consistent weather patterns were found, even strong east winds, the fish seemed to fall into normal summer patterns. Thousands of immature mullet 3” long or less and menhaden are all around Georgetown’s waters signaling great hatches and hinting towards a great fall as this bait continues to grow.
An important note for this summer- Be extra careful when catching and releasing bull redfish or channel bass which are under a lot of stress this time of year. Any redfish over 30” is under threat from large sharks when being caught and they are here to lay eggs. The incredibly hot water temperatures don’t help them either. Improper releases of these incredible fish have been a significant factor in the quickly declining redfish populations. Respect Georgetown’s fisheries and allow those fish their best shot at a good recovery when released.
When practicing catch and release remember- If the fish is no longer dripping wet, it has been out of the water too long!
Fishing Forecast
July’s temperature outlook is projected to be above normal so early mornings and late evenings will be the times to get out there. The precipitation outlook is projected to lean above average as well which, unlike Georgetown’s winter and spring fishing, could really help push bait and fish back down towards the coastline from up our 5 rivers improving the bite!
If you’re looking for specifics about fishing in South Carolina’s Low Country, check out The Captain. It’s a new chatbot on the home page designed to answer any questions y’all might have.
For more information on fishing in Georgetown, please check out our seasonal fishing blogs here. For even more information let’s go fishing!
You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
May 2024 Fishing Report
Hey, Captain Taylor Bridges here with Georgetown’s May Fishing Report
May was a great month for the Georgetown Inshore Grand Slam- Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, and Flounder. Winyah Bay, North Inlet, and the Santee Delta were flooded with menhaden and mullet moving inshore for the summer. This influx of bait quickly caught Georgetown up to the surrounding areas with large schools Flounder and Trout moving in as well. With the Redfish bite holding on strong from April, anglers didn’t know if they’d hook into an overslot Redfish, Doormat Flounder, or Gator Trout. Black drum and Bull whiting were plentiful too.
The icing on the cake is Bull Redfish or Channel Bass, Georgetown’s Specialty, also moved inshore allowing anglers to experience the tug of war match of a lifetime without having to run to areas susceptible to high winds.
One last observation from May- the large movement of fish and bait drew some huge critters inshore as well. While May is a little too early to target some of Georgetown’s Monsters, Tarpon and Bull Sharks were seen at the mouths of Georgetown’s bays and inlets moving in for the summer as well.
Fishing Forecast
In short, cast your line and hold on!
June’s temperature outlook is leaning above average, continuing to warm the waters, but hopefully at a slow consistent pace allowing for the best possible bite. The precipitation outlook for the Santee and Pee Dee river basins, Georgetown’s two main freshwater feeder rivers, are leaning above normal. However, Georgetown County and surrounding counties are predicted to be near normal, hinting that we might be out of the freshwater influence issues that have negatively affected fishing this spring.
The fishing should be good all day long the first part of June, but as we get closer to July and August earlier liftoffs will become more important.
If you’re looking for specifics about fishing in South Carolina’s Low Country, check out The Captain. It’s a new chatbot on the home page designed to answer any questions y’all might have.
For more information on fishing in Georgetown, please check out our seasonal fishing blogs here. For even more information let’s go fishing!
April 2024 Fishing Report
Hey y’all, Captain Taylor Bridges here with Georgetown April Fishing Report.
April was a great month for Redfish. While we were able to net plenty of smaller Spotted Seatrout and Flounder, signaling a great May to come, Redfish were the biggest and best fighters. Most of the redfish caught were in the middle to upper end of the slot limit, but over slot Reds weren’t uncommon when following mullet, glass minnows, and menhaden. These fish were perfect for anglers wanting to get into light tackle fishing. They are a true test and require patience in order to land. Redfish 18” and smaller, also known as Puppy Drum, were plentiful too, but they seemed to be found on the lower ends of the tides. The larger Redfish were caught at all times of the tide, but the best bites were found in moving water.
Spotted Seatrout 18” and up were caught this April, but Georgetown hasn’t quite gotten into the full swing of Trout Season. These larger fish were caught in slower currents and there weren’t more than 2 caught at a time.
The small Flounder caught this month signaled the species becoming more active, but Georgetown’s flounder season is usually a month or more behind Pawleys and Murrells Inlet. While there are reports of doormats being caught in SC, Georgetown is a little behind.
Fishing Forecast
Large schools of small menhaden and mixed sizes of mullet are starting to show up at the mouths of bays and inlets as the water temperature continues to rise. These bait schools will stay in the area for the year meaning that Georgetown will soon catch up to Murrells and Pawleys Inlets with Flounder following the bait into the area. Large schools of Spotted Seatrout will also begin moving in to stay as well as Bull Redfish, Tripletail, and Bull Whiting. As this bait begins to settle in certain areas, the fish will too, allowing an angler to be able to predict where the bite will be a little easier than in the previous colder months.
May’s temperature outlook is predicted to be warmer than normal, continuing to raise the water temperature allowing Flounder and Trout to be more active. Even though the rain predictions are leaning above average, the Santee, Pee Dee, and Waccamaw Rivers have all fallen out of their flood stages.
Right now May is shaping up to be a great month for fishing in Georgetown!
If you’re looking for specifics about fishing in South Carolina’s Low Country, check out The Captain. It’s a new chatbot on the home page designed to answer any questions y’all might have.
For more information on fishing in Georgetown, please check out our seasonal fishing blogs here. For even more information let’s go fishing!
March 2024 Fishing Report
Hey y’all, Captain Taylor Bridges here with your Santee Coastal Monthly Fishing Report.
March is always a tricky month with plenty of freshwater and wind in Georgetown. As stated in previous emails, when the salinity is low, Redfish are the best species to target inshore and they were biting this month! While we caught plenty of undersized flounder and black drum, Redfish were the main catch with 20+ inch fish being caught on light tackle. The nearshore action was productive too. Weather permitting, a run out to nearshore reefs would produce dozens of big Weakfish and occasionally a giant Black Drum, but those calm days were few and far between this March. Georgetown’s jetties held smaller Weakfish and some Sheepshead along with the usual Reds and Speckled Trout. The warmer weather towards the end of the month seemed to make the mullet and other bait fish more active near the surface improving the shallow water Redfish bite.
One of the main changes seen in March is the bite wasn’t so dependent on the falling tide. Trout, Reds, and other species were caught at the tops of the incoming tide when there was still enough current to flow into the bays and inlets.
Fishing Forecast
When the salinity begins to stabilize, we should see the flood of Speckled Trout, Bull Redfish, and Flounder begin moving into the bays to stay. However those salinity levels might not stabilize until the end of April with rain projections likely above average.
The best news for April is that Croaker are starting to be caught in the marshes signaling the official start of Spring migration. The good inshore Redfish bite should continue through the month of April and only improve as bait continues to migrate back into Georgetown’s inshore waters!
If you’re looking for specifics about fishing in South Carolina’s Low Country, check out The Captain. It’s a new chatbot on the home page designed to answer any questions y’all might have.
For more information on winter and spring fishing along the South Carolina coast, please check out our seasonal fishing blogs here.
For even more information let’s go fishing!
February 2024 Fishing Report
Written By Taylor Bridges
Hey y’all, Captain Taylor Bridges here with your Santee Coastal Monthly Fishing Report.
I’m happy to report that we had a great February in Georgetown! This month was similar to January, where anglers who didn't mind fighting through the wind and cold were able to find some great fishing. Speckled trout were thick in marsh’s channels with large schools of redfish found on the lower tides on oyster flats. When the winds were cooperative, plenty of sheepshead and black drum were found nearshore too. With the migration of shad into the coastal rivers, we were even able to find rockfish or striper schooled up in some of our more narrow rivers in Georgetown County.
As is usually the case with winter fishing, we typically found the best bite when the falling tide coincided with the warmest parts of the day. But there are no blanket statements in fishing. We had plenty of good days when the skies were cloudy and the wind was howling.
Fishing Forecast
We’re coming up to the end of winter which means fish are going to start transitioning out of their Winter patterns soon. You can learn more about that here. March is one of Georgetown’s windier months making nearshore fishing tough, but there are still plenty of redfish in the creeks and marshes. We are also projected to see above normal temperature projections for the month which could lead to an early influx of menhaden and croaker to our coastal waters bringing in bull redfish and larger speckled trout back into the area earlier than normal.
For more information on winter and spring fishing along the South Carolina coast, please check out our seasonal fishing blogs here.
For even more information let’s go fishing!
January 2024 Fishing Report
Written By Taylor Bridges
Unfortunately the weather in Georgetown was everything but consistent in January 2024. Wind speeds were observed at 30 mph out of the N, S, E, and W and with gusts over 60 mph. Air temperatures ranged from highs of 79 to lows of 21. The water surface temperature fluctuated from 45-64.
This made for some tough days of fishing.
Luckily the bait in the backs of creeks and marshes helped the Reds and Trout fight through the month. There was excellent fishing to be found when there was some consistency in the weather. A few days of similar temperatures, warm or cold, and winds under 25 mph made for an exciting January day in Georgetown. The warmest part of the day seemed to be when the best bite was found, and when that coincided with lower tides, the bite was on fire. During those times an angler was able to catch fish on hard and soft plastic lures, live mud minnows, and dead shrimp. When the fish were found, they were hungry!
With temperatures for February projected to be near normal and above normal precipitation projections for the state, we’re looking forward to similar fishing trends with a few warmer days!
For more information on winter weather fishing along the South Carolina coast, please check out our winter fishing blog here.
For even more information let’s go fishing!