Saltwater Fishing Trends:

[Fishhound]

[url "http://www.cherrygrovepier.com/tour.htm"]Cherry Grove Pier[/url]: Reopens April 1, 2007

[url "http://www.campingfriend.com/ApacheFamilyCampground/"]Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach)[/url]: Pier and bait Shop open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. An occasional black drum taking cut bait.

Springmaid Pier (Myrtle Beach): Pier is open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, year-round. Tackle shop open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Slow fishing. View the [url "http://www.springmaidbeach.com/live-cam.html"]pier cam>>>

[/url]Myrtle Beach State Park Pier (Myrtle Beach South): Pier open 6 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 7 days a week. Tackle shop open 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Slow fishing.

Surfside Pier: Closed Dec - Feb.

[url "http://www.pieratgardencity.com/"]The Pier at Garden City[/url]: Closed Dec. 31 – March

Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier (Georgetown): Open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with free parking and fishing. Visitors also enjoy great bird watching. A Freshwater Fishing License is required due to brackish water. A second fishing pier is open on Winyah Bay called Hobcaw Point Observation and Fishing Pier. Slow activity reported.

Folly Beach Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. [Note: Dec to Feb - 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.] Slow fishing.

[url "http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1019.aspx"]Hunting Island State Park[/url] Fishing Pier: Pier is open 24 hours a day. The Nature Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Slow activity reported.

Reporters: The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Marine Resource Division thanks the following participants for their cooperation in compiling this week's report: Cherry Grove Pier, Apache Pier, Springmaid Pier, Myrtle Beach State Park, Surfside Pier, The Pier at Garden City, Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Hunting Island State Park and Dr. Donald Millus.

For South Carolina marine recreational fishing regulations: [url "http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/regs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf"]

http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/regs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf[/url]

Visit the Saltwater Fishing License Web site at [url "http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/"]http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov[/url]
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[gdn443]

I'd forgotten what a big deal Peir fishing is down south. Florida they all had bathrooms at the beginning. No bait shops that I remember. And you actually caught fish from them.[]
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[Tarpon4me]

Yes sir, pier fishing is big business, especially in SC. You can catch a large variety of fish off the piers. Even tuben2 over on the west coast have great pier fishing.

You can get king mackerel off the piers, tarpon, cobia, etc.... Actually, fishing the pier is fun every now and then. Getting away from the boat for a change, no responsibility or anything. Just you, the fish, and a six pack. [angelic] (of mountain dew)
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[Fishhound]

[black][size 3]I am a real fan of shore fishing. Piers are way cool. So are jettys - if you like walking on rocks and lots of surf spray.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Mountain Dew ? ... Ugh. Make mine a Mountain BREW ![/size][/black]
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[Dryrod]

[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3][cool]Hey there T4M - most of my fishing when I lived in Florida was from a pier. I could go for an hour two and not have to worry about getting caught in one of those storms that sneaks up on you. The variety of fish that could be caught on cut herring, squid or what ever was almost unlimited. My favorite were the Blues. Taste pretty good if cooked right.[/size][/green][/font]
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[Tarpon4me]

I use to do alot of pier fishing back in the day as well Dryrod. I still like to hit a pier from time to time, even though i've got a boat. There is something about a pier that is peaceful. It's like a break from the constant awareness factor that is needed when on the water in a boat. It's like you said, you can avoid the storms that sneak up on you from time to time. No watching out for other boats, no safety issues, just fishing. Hell, you can even have a few beers without risk of running into problems.

I like catching those blues too. They are hard fighters and like you said, if prepared correctly, make pretty decent table fair. If i'm going to keep a blue to eat, I like to fillet and skin it while it's still flopping. That usually is the best policy with those guys. If I don't have time to clean them then, then i'll cut thier gills to bleed them out and stick them in the cooler. I will make sure and cook them within a couple days though. I really like a blue for bait, rather it be alive on a float or for cut bait. They seem to work very well. It's a shame we don't have the bigger blues that the guys up north have. The biggest i've seen around here is in the 8-10 pound range. They've got those cow's in the 20 pound range further up north. [cool] That would be a battle on 12 pound line.[]
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