07/14/2018
Offshore
Look For: Dolphin, blackfin tuna, wahoo, blue marlin, sailfish, vermilion snapper, black sea bass, triggerfish, grunts, porgy, amberjack, grouper.
Comments: Inshore of the break, trolling has produced scattered catches of king mackerel, barracuda, dolphin, wahoo, blackfin tuna and even the occasional sailfish. Near the break (the Continental Shelf) and further offshore, dolphin, wahoo, blackfin tuna, sailfish and blue marlin are in the trolling mix. Yellowfin tuna have been extremely rare offshore of the South Carolina coast for the last decade and longer. But the species has been showing up more frequently for boats from North Carolina’s Outer Banks in 2018 and alas one was caught out of Murrells Inlet on a recent trip. Capt. Buddy Love and the crew aboard Underdog landed a 45-pound yellowfin tuna on a July 7 trip. Bottom fishing is producing vermilion snapper, black sea bass, triggerfish, porgy, grunts, grouper and amberjack, with best action in depths over 100 feet. Red snapper are plentiful on many spots in 80 feet of water and deeper. However, red snapper still cannot be harvested and must be released in the South Atlantic region.
