# Murrells area early august



## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

I'm heading down to Murrells Inlet in early august, driving down from Long Island with car full of people so I can't bring my surf rod, the only rod I'm bringing is a 6 ft ugly stick for the pier. I'm going to be staying 2 miles south of The Pier at Garden City, so I I'm right on the ocean.

Does anyone know of a place that would let me rent a surf rod for the week? I only need the rod, I'm bringing my reel. Is this not realistic? Or would my best bet be to mail my surf rod down there in advance perhaps? I rather not buy a surf rod down ther but maybe there is a relatively decent and cheap one down there sumwhere/. Any recommendations appreciated. I also have a couple questions about the fishing down there but I need a rod plan first


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## aardvarkgraphix (Sep 30, 2005)

check cabelas, they have telescopic 10',12' and 14' surf rods on sale for $23 and some change and rated heavy. They collapse to I think like 40". Better than nothing and could always be a good back up. Just info. hope it helps


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

thanks aardvark, that might be my best option at this point. 

I've done all my fishing in Long Island and gulf coast of florida, so this my first time fihsing this area of the atlantic. Could someone paint of a picture of the fishing scene down there this time of year? If I use fresh chunks of whatever fresh baitfish at night off the surf what kind of sharks am I likely to encounter? Are Black Drums common this time of year? I read somewhere people catch ribbonfish at night off piers, those things are crazy looking I want to catch one of those. Thanks in advance for any info


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

Hot as hell.

Black drum can be caught at almost any time of year, fresh shrimp or sand fleas close in the suds can get you one or two or three.
Black tips, spinners, sharpnose sharks are the usual suspects.
You might be in walking distance of the north jetty. A 6 ft rod, Carolina rig and live mullet can produce trout, spot tails, and flounder near the rocks. 

Ribbonfish are dumb fish. Shiny ratltrap or gotcha plug slowly jigged will catch them all day and night.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

Rj- thanks for the great info, so I would fish for the black drum basically like I would fish for whiting? If I use to use a shiny kastmaster lure off the pier at GC I should have a decent chance at a ribbonfish even in the daytime? The other fish I wanted to catch is atlantic croaker because I never get them in new york or in the gulf, are they common now ?


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

Yep just use hooks a few sizes bigger, yep best time for ribbons is mornings and evenings and night.... Croakers in SC rarely get over 8 inches but are common off the ends of the piers on most baits.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

I just got the green light from wifey that I can bring my rods down after all...so I will have the full arsenal available. I got my penn battle combo rod and my mojo surf rod, ready for all forms of action. 

So it sounds like these finger mullet are the ticket to success...cast net is really the only way to get these right? I dont have a cast net and I'm not good with one anyway so I may be out of luck on mullet. Any decent substitute for the mullet? I'll definitely buy some live shrimp but I'm assuming they'll get torn to shreds by pinfish/grunts quite often


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## madmax (Jun 13, 2012)

In my experience, the best bait is salted shrimp with a small piece of FishBites bloodworm. It's very productive because it stays on the hook and almost anything will bite it. Get a bag of raw frozen shrimp and a box of canning salt. Thaw the shrimp and layer it in a container with the salt. Let it set in the fridge over night and its ready to go the next morning. Use half a shrimp on your hook with a small piece of the FishBites and you've got bait that will produce fish all week for around $15. It's what I used to catch this guy back in June...........


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

You can buy live mullet... But a cast net can get you bait for years.

Make a minnow trap out of some 2 liter bottles and use some cat food for bait in the Inlet. Mud minnows, shrimp and pinfish are bait you can get in those


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## ObiJohn Kenobi (May 11, 2014)

Fishing's been tough out there lately. I swear by salted shrimp but lately that hasn't been performing well except for feeding the pinfish. You might want to have a variety of bait- if you can't catch mullet, I would at least pick some up, even frozen. Maybe carry some gulp too. If you're not fishing a pier you may have to hunt for the fish.

My luck has been terrible the last few weeks in the surf and on the south jetty, but from a lot of the recent reports it seems like going very early in the morning or at night is key right now.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

thanks for the great info guys.

Obi- that is a little disheartening to hear, nothing worse than feeding the pins. I do plan on fishing early and late tho so hopefully that helps. I want to target sharks at night, and in the day my goal is to catch some fish I never caught before, mainly southern flounder, black drum, ribbonfish, and atlantic croaker. Seems achievable hopefully. 

How is the surf generally in that area? Does it get relatively rough often requiring a big surf rod like it is on Long Island? I was on magicseaweed.com and it seemed like the majority of surf forecasts were 1 or 2 ft surf, in which case I could maybe get away with using my 7 foot rod in the surf and leaving my big surf rod home?


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## ObiJohn Kenobi (May 11, 2014)

Others can chime in and correct me if I'm wrong, but 1 to 2 ft sounds about right. I normally throw 2 to 4 oz pyramids and the 3 and 4 oz hold fine in the waves on a typical day. There are of coarse plenty of occasions where the waves conditions aren't so favorable.

I'm not very experienced in the surf so I won't advise you in whether or not to bring the big rod, but the general consensus is that our beaches are pretty flat, so most focus on fishing close to shore. I also like to have a line out as far as I can as sometimes you can find some fish holding on top of some random beach floor structure further out, or the mullet train might be running 100yds out. I also just like seeing how far I can cast


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

If 4 ain't holding go home. Its usually right around 1 to 3 ft waves and can be very very flat.








I'd go ahead and bring the big setup. Better to have it and not need it.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

thanks for the help guys , good to know it's not essential to bring the big rod, will come down to how cramped the car is I guess. I have 2 7'0 penn battle combo rods, so sounds like I could get away with using the 3000 combo with the smaller hooks and the 4000 combo for sharks. Now just need the weather to cooperate

I'll probably have another quwestion or 2 before I get down there but if not I'll post a report on how it went


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

Where will you fishing? 
I wish to watch your 4000 battle get smoked by a spinner that picks up a chunk of mullet in the wash.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

RjTheMetalhead said:


> Where will you fishing?
> I wish to watch your 4000 battle get smoked by a spinner that picks up a chunk of mullet in the wash.


haha hopefully the battle could handle a beastly spinner, the spinner would be no match for my baitrunner 8000. I really should probably bring the big rod...

I'm staying right by the gulf stream cafe, looks like great spot to be at on google maps, I'll probably be posted up wherever there's space on the beach there, but I'm going to explore as much as possible, or as much as my girl lets me....Wouldn't mind meeting up with a knowledgeable local fisherman for a surf session if you're going to be fishing around that area first week aug


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

got down here last nite, went and stocked up on some gear at the bait shop and got temp license. Disapointing first day and need to make some adjustments, I'm pretty confused haha. I went right on the beach in the backyard when the rain stopped early afternoon, I was using whiting rig with fishbites and couldnt get anything in like 45 minutes. I then went to check out the marsh walk/veterans pier. I left my gear in the car and walked down the pier to see what the scene was like...noone was catching anything, all I saw was a pinfish caught and people said they werent getting anything, so I didnt even bother fishing there. It did look like a good spot to fish, however, probably in the morning when less crowded. I know early morning/evening is key but I figured dumb fish like whiting would be relatively automatic. I'm wondering if this east wind is messing up the fishing down here, up north I always associate a strong east wind with miserable fishing. Going to probably check out the paid pier tomorrow or wednesday.


I'm also a little less optimistic about shark fishing at night here. The beach is extremely flat,I knew in advance it would be but at low tide it was still surprising. When I got back from vet pier the tide was quite low and it seems you really have to wade out there to get to deeper water. I also had multiple people warning me about getting fines for shark fishing. I wanted to check out the big jetty down the rode from hwere I'm staying but there was no trespassing private community when I tried to drive down there. Do I have to make the long beach walk to get to the jetty?


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## madmax (Jun 13, 2012)

I'm up at North Myrtle. Fished two and a half hours last night for one decent sized whiting. I think it's gonna be slow fishing until the water clears up. Although, I do find a great deal of pleasure in beating the odds by catching that one fish in poor conditions. Did you see RJ's last post? He said live mullet were the ticket right now. And if RJ says it you can take it to the bank. As for the jetty, I've never fished the side you're talking about. I have fished the one on the other side of the inlet by paying 5 bucks to enter the state park. But even if you do that, It's still about a mile and a half walk. I'll probably try the beach up here again once the beachgoers start heading inside. Good Luck!


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

I fished two miles south of HBSP(about 3 miles south of Murrells Inlet) last week and caught all the whiting, pompano, spots, and blues I wanted. Caught them all on fresh creek shrimp and Fishbites bloodworm. Never caught a fish on a cast over 20 yards long. All fish caught were in the first slough behind the suds, 2' deep tops. used my version of the River Rig with the only difference being I use a triple surgeons for the sinker and an improved clinch to a 30# barrel swivel for the top hook, #2 Owner Mutu light circles.


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

To the bank!

Sharks come in extremely close. Just use fresh bait and you are good to go... If you are staying by Gulfstream cafe you are well within Georgetown county and cab do what you damn well please with sharks if the swimmers are not thick. Just don't go north of the rock piles between you and the pier. Horry County would be there waiting.

Live mullet work very well in the surf, piee or inlet. Live shrimp or freshly dead can work extremely well. You can find them plentiful in the inlet just about everywhere. Just chunk a cast net a couple of times in a hole at low tide. The marsh walk near Sara Js (on the road that crossed over the inlet to the GC pier) is a great spot to get bait or even fish 

As for the jetty... The long walk is it. You have to park a street before the gate and walk towards the gate, public beach access is right in front if the guard shack. I have not been this year so I have no idea how the beach looks. Last year you could only enter and exit if you brought a cart and a bunch of gear for 4 5 hours around low tide


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## madmax (Jun 13, 2012)

I thought you'd like that RJ. Funny story.... I'd never seen a pic of you until you posted the one of your King and I had a totally different image of you in my head. A while back you had mentioned that you'd be at HBSP while I was there with my buddies. So we see this guy walking to the jetty with fishing gear and he has long blonde hair, covered in tattoos, and a cut off Slayer shirt with jean shorts. We just knew that had to be RJ The Metal Head. Glad we didn't chase him down hollering RJ!


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

I did notice that mullet are all over the place, I'm probably going to buy them though because I'm no good with cast net. This east wind goes away by tuesday so hopefully things pop off after that. Good to know that I should be able to have good shark action where I'm at. I bought a bunch of random rigs at baitshop today hah I gotta get my gameplan straight


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## arich_5 (Jul 1, 2011)

As much as he talks about fishing, I was picturing one of those wrinkly old men with skin like leather that I always see on the piers.


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

Fishing gear? Tons.
Long blond hair? Nope.
Tattoos? Not one.
Cut off Slayer shirt? On occasions.
Jorts? All. The. Time.


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## ntizda (Sep 5, 2012)

You will be happy with yourself if you purchase a cheap $30 cast net and learn. When the fishing was horrible one vacation we had awesome fun seeing who could catch the most mullet on one cast lol. I have a small 10ft diameter and it was easy to learn with and it does well catching plenty of mullet for me.

My biggest success was going to a pier around 11pm, where the lights were shining in the water and I came home with bags and bags of bait for the next day


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

ntizda- you are right I need to just learn already.

So I fished the surf monday morning for like hour and half with the whiting setup, only managed 2 pinfish. I then went to veterans pier with live mullet, expecting at least some flounder, got nothing on that. I also brought my rod with the small hooks and did get some action with atlantic croaker, which I had wanted to catch down here, but that was it. Then last night I fished the surf for 2 hours for sharks using chunks of the pinfish and croakers I caught. Wasnt getting any action aside from one brief sequence of nibbles. But I did out of nowhere get one massive runoff, had to be a huge shark. It was ripping line like crazy then suddenly broke off. I was using 50 lb braid and 90 lb wire leader, I must have tied a weak knot unfortunately. At least now I know they are out there.

This morning went with my girl out on the gulf stream head boat, hlaf day sea bass trip. Man was it terrible haha I cant see how they could possibly get any return customers. Nothing like fishing for tiny sea bass with a tuna rod. I didnt notice any keeper sea bass tho I assume some were caught. The short to keeper ratio had to be like 100 to 1. We also both got sea sick to top it off, but I could have fished through it if the fishing wasnt lame. 

So basically wednesday and thursday are looking like beautiful days. I know I can get shark action at night, but I need to get some quality morning action. The bait shop guy was hyping up veteran's pier over the ocean piers, but I was not feeling it at all at veterans pier, just wasnt anything going on, so I think I;m going to go to springmaid or garden city pier tomorrow morning with live mullet or mud minnow. I'll be wearing knicks hat if anyone sees me out there.


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## madmax (Jun 13, 2012)

How long was your wire leader? You probably got tail whipped. I use 4-6 feet of cable or weed eater line on shark setups.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

madmax said:


> How long was your wire leader? You probably got tail whipped. I use 4-6 feet of cable or weed eater line on shark setups.


You might be right, my leader was shorter than I usually use, like 1 foot. The leader I'm using tonight is 18 inches long, I don't go longer because I want to cast it far, but sounds like tail whip is the risk I'm running.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

well boys, I did all I could, blood sweat and tears, fishing thru injury too, I dropped laptop on my foot yesterday , plus my back hurting. I'm running on fumes and now I have to go parasailing haha. I wasnt able to shark fish last night til like 11ish and meant to just put a quick 45 minutes into fishing the beach but ended up out there til like 115 am. Then woke up 545 to go to springmaid pier. The shark fishing experience was much different this time, I kept getting tons of nibbles and couldnt hook them, til I eventually switched to small hooks and caught a small sharpnose shark. These things were all over the bait, looks like it may be hard to get a big runoff again with all these little sharks around.

At the pier, I got there pretty early but it was packed, I dont know how you locals deal with all the tourists. I didnt see many fish caught at all up and down the pier. I set up with the sabiki rig with shrimp and caught tons of pinfish, a bluefish, a thread herring and a remora. I had live mud minnows on my other rod but it wasnt getting any action at all, and with all the people on pier I couldnt explore around trying to get a flounder. A dude by me caught a ribbonfish on a gotcha lure, I had one in my bag so I tried it but no luck. The guy was using the ribobnfish for bait and he gave me a few little chunks of it to use because they like to eat their own, but no luck on that. I also had a some dead mullet chunks. There were 2 huge sharks wreaking havoc trying to take everyone's fish. 

So tomorrow morning is my last chance to make something happen here, I just want to catch a flounder and a ribbonfish and I'll be content. 

Does anyone have a recommendation for the last hurrah? Perhaps I need to hit a ocean pier for a quick ribbonfish, then get down to the inlet pier for a flounder? It didnt seem like springmaid was holding alot of ribbons. If any of you come to long island I will hook yall up with some action


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## ntizda (Sep 5, 2012)

Never had much luck at veterans pier I have caught a baby cobia, flounder, ribbon fish and some other stuff. Definitely nothing to brag about but veterans pier is my crabbing spot.

Lol but it seems I catch ribbon fish everytime I go out and im irritated by them lol, I would finally like to have a variety of species in one trip


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## arich_5 (Jul 1, 2011)

Your fishing experience so far is pretty typical of the average Myrtle Beach visitor who comes down with high hopes. Myrtle Beach is not a great place to fish especially during the dead of summer. Don't get me wrong...fish can be caught, there are plenty of guys and gals on here who do well but the average tourist comes in with expectations that are too high. 

All I'm saying is, don't get discouraged...your experience is typical of most people. As long as you like it keep trying cause you never know when that big Red or flounder may bite.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

ntizda said:


> Never had much luck at veterans pier I have caught a baby cobia, flounder, ribbon fish and some other stuff. Definitely nothing to brag about but veterans pier is my crabbing spot.
> 
> Lol but it seems I catch ribbon fish everytime I go out and im irritated by them lol, I would finally like to have a variety of species in one trip


Haha this is exactly why I dont want to leave without catching one those ribbons, it seems they are extremely common. I;m sure I would get annoyed with them real quick but theyre real cool looking so to just catch one would be sick.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

arich_5 said:


> Your fishing experience so far is pretty typical of the average Myrtle Beach visitor who comes down with high hopes. Myrtle Beach is not a great place to fish especially during the dead of summer. Don't get me wrong...fish can be caught, there are plenty of guys and gals on here who do well but the average tourist comes in with expectations that are too high.
> 
> All I'm saying is, don't get discouraged...your experience is typical of most people. As long as you like it keep trying cause you never know when that big Red or flounder may bite.


Yea I kinda figure that I had too high hopes, I'm just really not asking for too much of the fishing gods at this point to be satisfied tho. One southern flounder, one ribbonfish and I'm good to go.


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

On my last day, I got up early and got to springmaid pier before it was crowded, walked up and down and casted both sides of pier with the gotcha lure, eventually got into some ribbonfish. Next I casted out the high-lo rig with some shrimp and pulled in a nice healthy black drum. Set up with the sabiki dropping under the pier and got a good variety on that whenever I used it. A few pinfish, croakers, a sea robin, lizardfish, and few other species. I also had a few live mullets too and eventually landed a keeper flounder. I stopped at the inlet pier on the way back and caught a few more flounder on the live mullet. A little later at the surf I found a spot away from the swimmers and got into a mess of whiting. That night I set up for sharks and caught a nice 6 foot spinner shark, also caught a decent sized ray and a couple of skates. Great day out there


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

and then I woke up......and remembered I only caught pinfish, and the only fish observed caught were pinfish.


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## madmax (Jun 13, 2012)

Come back in October. It's a whole different ballgame. Not exactly worth the drive from Long Island though. How's the summer fishing up there?


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## Fishy Jackson (May 12, 2014)

Summer fishing aint too great up here either, that's why I was excited to get a chance to fish some florida-ish waters in myrtle. Clearly this being the dog days of summer had a ton to do with this myrtle failure. I don't doubt it would be better in october, but this was so exceptionally bad as a whole haha I still can't believe it


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