Author Archives: Patrick Kelly

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that in October fish will eat more and more, storing up reserves since they are about to lose their bait supply as shrimp and most baitfish eventually leave and crabs go into hibernation. Redfish should bite better and better on low and moving tides, and on very high tides they will continue to tail throughout October. Mud minnows, finger mullet, cut mullet, and shrimp are all good bait choices. Trout will be caught around the mouths of creeks in moving water, and shrimp under a popping cork should be hard to beat. Artificial lures like DOA shrimp can also be very effective. Flounder fishing should be good around structure on mud minnows and finger mullet, and there should also be some tripletail around well into the month. Black drum will also feed up more and more this month on shrimp and crabs, and the bull red drum will eventually show up in area inlets and off the beaches.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that in September the tailing pattern for redfish should continue to be strong, but the low tide bite should also get better and better. It was already good at the end of August once the water began to clear, and fish were feeding on everything from shrimp to mud minnows to mullet to Gulp! baits around pretty much any structure including docks, oyster beds, and creek mouths. As a bonus, very soon the fish that are starting out the month just under the slot will be 15 inches. The black drum fishing should also continue to improve on shrimp, and more large trout will be caught as temperatures cool. Numbers were already strong at times during August. More keeper flounder should be caught on mud minnows and finger mullet, and migratory species like tripletail, bluefish and ladyfish should be around until temperatures cool. And the silver king, tarpon, will likely continue to prey on schools of mullet and menhaden all month. Overall, by the end of August the fishing was getting really good, and for the next two months it should be flat-out excellent.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that in late July young-of-the-year redfish showed up in droves, which provide a ton of action for anglers and also indicate that it should be a really good fall for fishing. Anglers can still pick up some bigger fish in the creeks, particularly around creek mouths with oyster beds, but in August targeting tailing fish on the flats may continue to be one of the best ways to find a bigger grade of fish. July also saw good catches of trout on live shrimp, and the trout should only get bigger this month as we approach the fall. Expect the early August full moon to see some really nice trout caught over oyster bars and around grass lines. While legal fish are still relatively uncommon there have been more flounder caught this year than usual, particularly around structure. At the rocks they expect to continue to catch lots of black drum this month, while with fiddler crabs you can catch sheepshead. Later in the month more big ones should be landed if there is a little cooling. Migratory species like jacks, tripletail and tarpon should be around until the fall and, finally, don’t overlook sharks which can provide a ton of action for anglers.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that in July tailing redfish can be found on good flood tides when they are in the short grass eating fiddler crabs, and on moving tides fishing live or cut bait in areas where they ambush prey is a good bet. There should also continue to be a good bite on lower tides around docks and other structure. The trout bite was very good in June and should continue into July, and fish will be caught on both live bait and imitation shrimp drifted around grass lines and in front of shell beds in clean, moving water. Rock close to the ocean has also been a trout magnet recently. There should also continue to be a good topwater bite for multiple species early, and jacks and tarpon showed up in late June and should be around until the fall. Flounder fishing can be good with live finger mullet, mud minnows, or soft plastics, especially close to the ocean. Sheepshead are also around inshore, but generally they are on the small to medium side. Finally, keep your eyes open for tripletail in the rivers – especially closer to the ocean.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that June is an excellent month in Beaufort for a number of species, and even as air temperatures get hotter the fish typically still bite very well. A good year for cobia means the fishing is likely to extend into June in the Broad River, and fish should continue to be caught sight-casting with flies, lures, and live bait. Redfish can be found tailing at high tide on the main river grass flats where they are eating fiddler crabs, and at lower stages of the tide you can find them in deep holes surrounded by shallow water in the smaller creeks or around docks. Redfish will eat a wide variety of baits and lures. Trout can be caught this month fishing along grass lines at higher stages of the tide with live shrimp or mud minnows under a popping cork, and you will also pick up other species this way including bluefish, aerially exciting ladyfish, and more. Also, don’t overlook an early topwater bite for trout, reds, and sometimes other species. On the bottom around structure and creek mouths you can catch flounder with mud minnows, finger mullet, or artificial baits, while fishing fiddler crabs around docks and downed trees is a great way to pick up sheepshead and sometimes black drum. Finally, the inlets have delicious whiting that will take small pieces of shrimp and abundant sharks that will take cut bait.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that in April redfish will be almost completely broken out of their tight winter schools on the flats, although there will continue to be docks that hold good numbers of fish. Although they can be a little finicky, cut mullet will be a good bait for reds this month as will live shrimp. As temperatures continue to rise they will feed more and more on fiddler crabs, and tailing activity should get better and better on high water. Trout fishing will also improve in April in moving water, with small live shrimp, mud minnows, and grubs all working. By the end of March big trout were already showing up and biting well. Topwater activity for trout and reds should also start this month during low light periods. This month many of the larger sheepshead that have moved offshore will return inshore, where they can be caught around docks and other structure on fiddler crabs. By the latter part of the month some cobia should arrive and perhaps other migratory species such as bluefish, ladyfish and more.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that March fishing will depend on weather conditions, and at some point river flats redfish will start to break out of their tight winter schools. There were some early signs this was happening at the end of February. Early in the month sight-fishing should be productive, and both live bait and artificials can catch fish. Later in the month fish should start to spread out more and forage for fiddler crabs. At the same time, structure like docks that hold fish virtually year-round should fish well throughout the month. Trout should continue to get more active in March, particularly in clean, moving water, and they will take live shrimp fished on a jighead or under a cork. Finally, this month many of the larger sheepshead that have moved offshore will return inshore, but there are also plenty of small and medium-sized fish that never left. They can be caught around docks and other structure on fiddler crabs.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that February should look a lot like January, and redfish will stay in tight schools. On the river flats they will sometimes be focused on avoiding dolphins, but in the clear conditions you should be able to sight fish for them and get some reaction strikes. Both live bait and artificials can catch fish. There should also continue to be a good bite around creek docks, as the population of redfish in the Beaufort area is clearly strong and structure seems to hold fish 12 months a year. Captain Pat has seen but not yet caught trout after the snow, and this month some fish should be caught in moving water on soft plastics fished on ¼ ounce jigheads. If you can get live shrimp they will often work even better. There are also tons of juvenile sheepshead that can be caught inshore this month, while the bigger ones usually head out to the reefs or the deepest inshore structure to spawn.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that in January redfish will get in even tighter schools. In January sight-fishing is an excellent way to target fish on the flats with natural baits or artificial lures in the clear conditions, but if it gets very cold at some point they may get more lethargic. There can also be reliable fishing around docks, particularly those with some oyster beds nearby. Trout should continue to be caught in deeper holes in the creeks on soft plastics fished on ¼ ounce jigheads as long as it does not get super cold, and they will also take mud minnows – or live shrimp if you can get them. There are still black drum around inshore that will eat cut shrimp, and until the bulk of the better sheepshead move offshore next month they can still be caught on deeper structure with fiddler crabs.

Inshore: Captain Patrick Kelly (843-962-3503) reports that as the water clears in December sight-fishing will become a better and better pattern, particularly on low tide but also when the water is first getting in the grass. Look for fish to be aggressive since water temperatures have not yet bottomed out. Scented soft plastics as well as natural baits will all work. Additionally, there should continue to be large numbers of fish found around docks and other cover as Beaufort has an abundant population of redfish. The trout bite has been strong in November and could get even better December. Look for fish in current seams where they will eat soft plastics on ¼ ounce jigheads, and they will also feed on mud minnows – or live shrimp if you can get them. Finally, expect sheepshead and black drum to be found around inshore structure until temperatures force them to move deeper.