2024 December Saltwater Fishing Forecast

Freezing temperatures arrived on the coast the first week of December, signaling changes ahead for inshore anglers. Clearer and cooler waters will be the hallmark of local estuaries and any three-day warming trend will tend to make the gamefish bite. Making the switch from fishing in t-shirts and flip flops to fishing in winter coats, will be as automatic as switching from live bait to fishing with plastic baits. 

Thor Rhodin with Toadfish and skinny water redfish

Ian Rubin with Toadfish shares that while the biggest bull reds have moved offshore now, the creeks are alive with slot-limit reds for winter, and those fish can sometimes be found in massive schools. “These smaller redfish tend to seek out warmer waters such as sun-soaked mud flats and trips during low tide can offer regular sight fishing opportunities,” said Rubin. “Thanks to the water clarity, December is one of the best months for throwing artificial lures and some excellent options are the Zman Minnowz, Scented Padlerz and Swimmin’ Trout Trickz. When it comes to color selection, aim for natural hues like silver to mimic a fish and gold or brown to mimic a shrimp.”

To view the entire fishing report for December in the Post and Courier click on Tideline.

To view past fishing reports for 2024 in Tideline click on October -  July - June - May - April

To view past blog entries from Tideline click on Fall Hunting Seasons -  2024 Red Trout tourney -  Sullivan's Island Bird Banding Station -  Beidler BioBlitz -  October Conservation Calendar -  October Saltwater Forecast -  Birds of a Feather Toast-  Photography Tips - Riton Optics - Lighthouse Inlet Preserve -  Coosawhatchie WMA -  Holy City Tarpon Tourney - Int'l Fly Fishing Film Festival - Carolina Kingfish Classic -  Fishing For Mountain Trout -  Hooked On Miracles -  HMY Lowcountry Cup - Turkeys For Tomorrow-  Carolina Ladies Billfish Classic - Paddling For Pups Photos - 2024 Atlantic Cup - Silvopasture Forestry- Beidler Forest 50th Anniversary - Charleston Race Week Photos - Southeast Shorebird Festival - ACE Basin Day Photos - Santee Big Cat Brawl - Carolina Marsh Tacky Association - SEWE Photos - Five Birding Hotspots