Lowcountry Saltwater Fishing Report - 5/28/2013

Fishing Report for the Coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina:

Surging Mahi caught in May

Charleston Inshore Report: Scott Hammond at Haddrell's Point West tells me Man, you got to love the month of May. Air temps in the low to mid 80's and water temps in the low 70's makes for an inshore bite that is off the charts. Flounder have been showing up in good numbers and good sizes, with the better reports coming from rock piles and heavy structure in 4 to 10-feet of water. Live minnows or a live mullet is the old standby method of targeting some flatties but don't overlook a Z-Man jerkshad or a Gulp 3-inch shrimp. Trout have been around in good numbers, with many fish exceeding 22-inches. Live shrimp fished around shell rakes in 4 to 8-feet of water is always productive, but if you want to go for a gator trout over 24-inches, try fishing a little deeper with live mullet or a paddle tail grub in 10 to 15-feet of water. Keep in mind the majority of the large trout right now are females and full of roe, and every fish that you can release like that equals more trout in the future. Redfish continue to be found all over from smaller 'wolf packs' of 3 to 6-fish per school. Live minnows and cut mullet are the natural baits of choice for this, but a wide variety of artificials can also be used to target these fish. Spanish and bluefish have also begun to school around the jetties and castle pinckney early in the mornings, and a 3/4-ounce casting jig in silver is all it takes for some fast-paces action with he Spaniards. For the latest seminar information visit the Internet at Haddrells Point.

Bart Manley at the downtown location of Charleston Angler reports that the big tides of May have anglers stalking tailing reds on the flats. Fly anglers are having success throwing crab or toad patterns. Those who prefer spinning tackle are having success with the Z-man 3-inch minnowz in bad shad color with a 1/8-ounce jig hook. Live bait options include mud minnows under a popping cork, and cracked crab fished on the bottom. The trout bite is steady using live shrimp. For the latest seminar information visit the Internet at Charleston Angler.

Offshore Report: Bart dishes that the mahi and wahoo bite is good, along with several blue marlin releases. Some sailfish are showing up, but the tuna bite has slowed. Traveling to the Broad River on Saturday, Bart found the cobia bite to be good using live eels and menhaden for bait, whether fished on top or on the bottom. There are good reports of cobia at the nearshore reefs too.

Scott shares that any avid offshore fisherman will say that May is the best bite, especially for dolphin. This year offers more proof of that with very strong numbers of mahi in the 5 to 25-pound range, with the fish showing up from 90-feet to 1800-feet. A decent wahoo bite remains as well in 130 to 250-feet, and the rate of encounters with blue marlin is on the rise.

To view past Lowcountry saltwater fishing reports click here.