Headed down to Surfside Beach SC on Wednesday 5/20 for a few days with the family, relaxing and fishing out of Murrell's Inlet. Did not get to launch the boat or fish on Thursday 5/21 due to thunder boomers and showers lingering around the area. It was strictly a drinking and planning day - ok, we'll go with that.
Friday 5/22
Blessed with nice weather we headed off with oldest daughter(22) and her fiance, my younger daughter (20), and my wife (ageless) and myself - but not before grabbing some mud minnows and fiddler crabs. Plan was to fish for weakfish & flounder at the nearshore reef then hit the jetty rocks on the outgoing tide for sheepshead and black/red drum. Got out to the 3 mile reef around dead high tide ~10 am. A little crowded. Drifted my homemade double rigs with mud minnow on the bottom and gulp on top. Did nothing out there and wasted a little too much time trying. So headed back in to try the rocks. Of course there was a boat sitting in the spot I wanted, so we got set up a little further down and started fishing. Weren't getting any bites but man was the boat sitting in my spot tearing them up! Just a man and a woman in an 18' cc. We moved once and only caught 3 small sheeps that didn't make the mark. Oh well, it was fun though!
Saturday 5/23
Hit the water around the same time, dead high around 10 am. Determined, we went straight to the rocks. Low and behold the couple from the day before was already there, BUT they were set up a bit away from the "spot" they were in the day before. Soooo we slide in and set up in "MY" spot lol. Not long after we started picking at them. Ended up with 5 sheeps from 2 to 6 lbs. & couple of 4 - 5 lbers. My youngest daughter nailed the 6 lber. Got it to the boat, then back to the rocks twice before we got a net under it. What a fight!
Sunday 5/24
Got in a little earlier this day. Loaded up some mudders and fiddlers and off we went. This time my youngest daughter and wife stayed behind and my nephew and his buddy went with us. The 5 of us headed straight for 3 mile to try again with the trout and flounder before the tide slacked up. Had some luck this time. Caught 2 short flounder, two whiting - one was fat and took a boat ride - and a small keeper trout. You'll never guess where we went next - back to "my" spot. Three tries to get anchored up and nailed the positioning perfectly. Stayed in the same spot all day until low tide. It was on within 15 min, they started coming over the rail. Nice fish! This day we ended with 10 in the box - average around 4 lbs with at least 3 or 4 over 4 lbs. and fish as long as 19 or 20 inches. High fives and smiles all around. Headed back to clean fish and fried up a nice fish dinner that evening.
All in all it was a wonderful trip with the family. We had a lot of fun and created some lasting memories - that's what it is all about!
I've got pics but haven't posted pics in so long I'm not sure I remember how. Will try to get some posted.
Friday 5/22
Blessed with nice weather we headed off with oldest daughter(22) and her fiance, my younger daughter (20), and my wife (ageless) and myself - but not before grabbing some mud minnows and fiddler crabs. Plan was to fish for weakfish & flounder at the nearshore reef then hit the jetty rocks on the outgoing tide for sheepshead and black/red drum. Got out to the 3 mile reef around dead high tide ~10 am. A little crowded. Drifted my homemade double rigs with mud minnow on the bottom and gulp on top. Did nothing out there and wasted a little too much time trying. So headed back in to try the rocks. Of course there was a boat sitting in the spot I wanted, so we got set up a little further down and started fishing. Weren't getting any bites but man was the boat sitting in my spot tearing them up! Just a man and a woman in an 18' cc. We moved once and only caught 3 small sheeps that didn't make the mark. Oh well, it was fun though!
Saturday 5/23
Hit the water around the same time, dead high around 10 am. Determined, we went straight to the rocks. Low and behold the couple from the day before was already there, BUT they were set up a bit away from the "spot" they were in the day before. Soooo we slide in and set up in "MY" spot lol. Not long after we started picking at them. Ended up with 5 sheeps from 2 to 6 lbs. & couple of 4 - 5 lbers. My youngest daughter nailed the 6 lber. Got it to the boat, then back to the rocks twice before we got a net under it. What a fight!
Sunday 5/24
Got in a little earlier this day. Loaded up some mudders and fiddlers and off we went. This time my youngest daughter and wife stayed behind and my nephew and his buddy went with us. The 5 of us headed straight for 3 mile to try again with the trout and flounder before the tide slacked up. Had some luck this time. Caught 2 short flounder, two whiting - one was fat and took a boat ride - and a small keeper trout. You'll never guess where we went next - back to "my" spot. Three tries to get anchored up and nailed the positioning perfectly. Stayed in the same spot all day until low tide. It was on within 15 min, they started coming over the rail. Nice fish! This day we ended with 10 in the box - average around 4 lbs with at least 3 or 4 over 4 lbs. and fish as long as 19 or 20 inches. High fives and smiles all around. Headed back to clean fish and fried up a nice fish dinner that evening.
All in all it was a wonderful trip with the family. We had a lot of fun and created some lasting memories - that's what it is all about!
I've got pics but haven't posted pics in so long I'm not sure I remember how. Will try to get some posted.
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