[Maine Caster]

I am headed to Hilton Head the last week of April and am looking for info on surf casting spots and tactics. I had some action on the Outer Banks in late May a couple of years ago fishing shrimp on double hook rigs floated off the bottom (flounder, schooly blues), but do not even know "what shows up when" down there. Any advice or insight would be appreciated. Heads ups on bait and tackle shops as well. Thanks.

ps. What's the temperature down now? We're still up to our butts in snow.

 

[SmoothLures]

I can't give you specific info about HH but for general info, fish 2 hook bottom rigs with #2 or so hooks, fresh shrimp from a seafood place is best, then cut finger mullet (fillet them with your knife like a bigger fish, fish with the fillets, if blues are around, fish the head too) from a bait shop or net your own. Blues and Spanish should be around by then, pick up some metal lures, like Kastmasters, Stingsilvers, Strata spoons, ect, in 3/4-2 oz or so, depending on your gear. For Stingsilvers I like pink/white and chrome, for jigging spoons I like silver, or silver and red. Cast and reel fast and if they're around they should hit. If there's a pier you can jig tree rigs and throw Gotchas for the Spanish and blues.

You can also try a nice chunk of cut bait like mullet, pinfish, spot, menhaden, ect for drum, blues, smaller sharks, ect.

If you like artificals, get some 1/4-1/2 oz bucktails and cast them in the surf, tip with a piece of shrimp and you'll have a good chance to catch anything that will hit your shrimp on bottom rigs, as well as stuff that might pass it by but wants the bucktail.

The weather lately here has been stormy but it's still in the 60s-70s. It'll probably be steady 80s by late April.

Good luck, and if you have any more questions feel free to ask.

 

[MDubious]

As a fellow northerner here temporarily (Grad studies at CCU) I can attest to utilizing the same tactics that you would when stiper fishing and fluke fishing. That will give you a good base to get started. I'm on the way north-end of the coast in SC though and don't know what HH is like. Metals and bucktails are essential for artificials but, don't forget your wood either as redfish are very similar to stripers in terms of lures and fishing techniques. If you pier fish you will find jigging for Spanish very very interesting but, it works and it's real fun...you got to see it to believe it as you have never seen a rig like that!

 

[MDubious]

SmoothLures basically broke it down straight up, just to add.

 

[Maine Caster]

Thanks for the help!

 

[psunmd]

Just spent a week at HH and have been a visitor for the last 15 years or so, although typically in the fall. The water temp is still pretty cold- I would guess under 60 degrees. Fished a couple different places and even into the city park at Beaufort. I caught Whiting and some small spots on fishbites all in the sound areas. One fella form the Beaufort city park park showed me pictures of some nice flounder that he caught a few days prior. I saw no signs of surf activity, the wind was gusty for several days. By the end of April, the waters should be warm enough for some surf action if you can find a nice stretch of beach. But don't overlook the sound areas as most of of the boat ramps have a small pier to fish from. Right now it looks like mostly whiting. Good luck.