Grand Strand grand slam

Catch redfish, speckled trout, flounder and sheepshead

May is known as grand slam month for anglers along South Carolina’s Grand Strand region, according to Capt. Nick Brown of North Island Fishing Charters. It all depends on the tides and the weather, and according to Brown, it is not unusual to catch redfish, speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead, and an occasional shark for an all-in-one outing.

Brown’s favorite Grand Strand haunt to fish in May is Winyah Bay. This coastal estuary is a convergence of the Waccamaw River, the Pee Dee River, the Black River, and the Sampit River in Georgetown County.

Starting out at first light and after catching menhaden or pogies with a cast net, Brown fills the bait tank with dozens of these baits. 

“Size doesn’t matter, but having fresh bait is absolutely important,” said Brown (843-325-1547).

Big reds

Everything he fishes for depends on the tides and on how the tides are running that day. Brown likes to start off fishing for big bull redfish or channel bass that he likes to call “big reds.” If Brown is fishing on the right spot, the reds will hit within a few minutes. And it is not unusual to catch a few nice, big reds within an hour. 

Using his Minn Kota trolling motor with Spot Lock, Brown sets up along a bottom of deep cuts and ledges between 15 to 30 feet deep in the bay. Fishing at mid-tide, rising pods of bait like menhaden will come over the ledge. 

“The big reds will hang out there just waiting for the bait to swim by,” he said.

When fishing the ledges, Brown uses three rods, with one on either side of the boat, and one down the middle. He uses 7-foot, heavy Star rods paired with Shimano 8000 spinning reels. The reels are spooled with 40-pound braided line with a 60-pound fluorocarbon leader. A 6-ounce teardrop lead weight and an 8/0 circle hook complete the setup.

After catching these big redfish, Brown doesn’t just throw them back. Instead, he gently puts the fish in the water, then, holding on to the tail, he moves the fish in a back-and-forth motion to flush water through the gills. When the fish is ready, it will kick off.

“These are our breeding fish, males and females, and it is not unusual to catch these big fish all day long,” he said.

The average size is between 42 and 45 inches long, and it can take 10 to 15 minutes to get the fish in the boat. South Carolina fishing regulations state the fish must be in the 15- to 23-inch slot before they can legally be kept. 

Speckled trout

After catching and releasing several reds, he has plenty of time left to catch some speckled trout, which he said can be hit or miss. Riding around in the bay, Brown looks for birds working, which means they are diving for bait schooling on the surface. This is where the trout are feeding. He said the best time to catch trout is at the top of a falling tide, and admits that the best fishing is in late fall, but it’s plenty good in May. 

If Brown can’t find the trout on top, then he will fish the breaks. This is where two drifting speeds of current cause a rip or break. He fishes down current of the shallow water, or behind oyster beds. The bait gets caught in the current, and the trout are waiting to ambush them. He casts into the current and starts reeling in with a slow and steady retrieve, always keeping the rod tip up. 

When fishing for speckled trout, Brown switches to using lighter rigs. He uses 7-foot, medium light rods with Penn 2500 spinning reels or Penn Battle combos spooled with 17-pound braided line and a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. When fishing artificial lures, he uses a ¼-ounce jighead with a paddletail swimbait in colors of chartreuse, electric chicken, or opening night. 

Another way to catch trout is using a slip cork rig with a live mud minnow and a 2/0 circle hook. Brown casts the bait out and lets the current take it. Trout will be waiting for the bait to come off the shallow water. Baits include shrimp, and small menhaden fished on a jig or a slip cork rig.

Flounder

Brown also uses a slip cork rig when fishing for flounder around old piers and other structure. He targets depths of 4 to 6 feet, and catches these flounder at the top of a rising tide. He said the best time is between high and low tide.

Using a run-and-gun pattern for flounder, Brown only fishes a spot for 15 minutes, and if he doesn’t get any bites, he moves on to find hungry fish. Once the tide goes slack, the flounder usually stop hitting. Brown can catch between two or 30 flounder, depending on the day. 

“Generally the flounder will run small, but you never know,” Brown said. 

On an average flounder trip, it is not unusual to catch 30 or more, with a few of those longer than 20 inches. He catches a lot of “shorts” which are flounder that run between 13 and 15 inches. South Carolina’s minimum size to harvest flounder is 16 inches.

Sheepshead

When it comes to fishing for sheepshead, Brown said the best bite is three-quarters of a rising tide, or on top of the high tide. He fishes for sheepshead at the jetties of Winyah Bay, plus North and South Santee Bay, North Inlet, Cape Romaine, and nearshore reefs. The key is knowing where along the jetties to fish. 

He targets sheepshead with the same setup he uses for flounder and trout, using a slip cork and fiddler crabs for bait. He throws the bait out and lets it drift with the current along the jetty rocks.

Weather plays the biggest part in catching sheepshead. A calm day is always the best fishing because these fish have a very soft bite. Brown doesn’t fish on rough days when the waves are too big because they will beat him to death. The only times that he doesn’t fish for sheepshead is on a new moon or full moon, which means big tides and big currents.

On most days in May, fishing starts at first light, and Brown will be back at the dock by lunch time. It is not unusual to catch several big bull redfish, slot-sized redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and sheepshead. Anglers can also always count on some sharks to hit the bait. That’s what a Grand Strand grand slam is all about.