Little River jetties has been home to some great action

Reds, flounder, sheepshead and trout biting around rocks on rising water

Undoubtedly, record rainfall has given inshore anglers a new set of challenges, but luckily, the bite remains steady along the jetties at Little River Inlet, with flounder, redfish, sheepshead and even speckled trout smashing live bait along the rocks.

Capt. Mark Stacy of Ocean Isle Fishing Charters (843-279-0119) is bypassing all of his normal hotspots in the ICW, Dunn Sound and Tubbs Inlet to head straight to the ocean.

“There has been so much freshwater around, the best places have been at the jetties,” he says. “During an incoming tide, the water is clear at the jetties, and there are a lot of fish being caught.”

Even though a slug of freshwater may disrupt inshore fishing, the flooding waters are bringing in nutrient-rich organisms that are fueling the entire marine food chain. From the smallest baitfish and shrimp to the large, top-end predators, the freshwater input brings good news to the marine world. And the jetties are the front line where the consumers are lining up at the buffet.

“Floating live shrimp is the ticket right now, up next to the rocks,” Stacy said. “Everything will eat a live shrimp, but live mullet or chunks of crab and mullet are working real well too.”

The incoming tide is producing the best results on both sides of the jetties when the water is the clearest. But the falling tide is not a time to stay at home either.

As long as the summer monsoons continue, anglers can continue to hit the jetties for some good success with a wide variety of fishes when other inshore areas remain challenging.