Pit Fishing Thread

Just booked a last minute house for the 4th on a creek just off the Intercoastal in McClellanville, SC. Most of my salt water fishing has been in the surf or from a boat. What are my best bets for fishing from a deep water dock? I assume I'm looking at drum, flounder, and maybe some trout? Best baits and presentation for dock fishing? I'm going to take the crab net as well. Hoping to give the kids a chance to catch dinner.

As for equipment, I've got shorter surf fishing rods and then some bait casting and spin casting setups normally used for freshwater fishing.

The water is too hot for flounder unless you go out early or late during high tide (end of incoming or start of outgoing is best). The huge flounder are lazy and they set up shop right under the docks during these tides. I've tried fishing for flounder with Gulp plastics but smaller fish (pinfish) bite off the tails after a few minutes and they need to be replaced so that gets old fast. Drum trout whiting and bluefish are probably your best bet. I'd imagine you will need to weed through the pinfish from an inland dock especially at low tide. Shrimp (fresh not frozen) and fishbites combo is my best bait recommendation for lots of action on smaller fish and live mullet is my best bait recommendation for big fish. I'd do a 3 rod combo of Fishbites on a Sabiki rig (pinfish love this), shrimp on a two hook bottom rig (whiting bluefish trout and puppy drum love this), and live mullet on a one hook bottom rig (hope for something big to take this). If you want rigs you are more than welcome to stop by my place in CLT. It looks like there is a Santee Coastal Reserve fishing pier near your place, that might be worth checking out. Also surf fishing the sloughs at the nearest beach is always fun especially at low tide when the sloughs are easier to spot. Your gear is good just make sure to clean it as saltwater (and sand) does way more damage than freshwater.

RacerDeac said:

Just booked a last minute house for the 4th on a creek just off the Intercoastal in McClellanville, SC. Most of my salt water fishing has been in the surf or from a boat. What are my best bets for fishing from a deep water dock? I assume I'm looking at drum, flounder, and maybe some trout? Best baits and presentation for dock fishing? I'm going to take the crab net as well. Hoping to give the kids a chance to catch dinner.

As for equipment, I've got shorter surf fishing rods and then some bait casting and spin casting setups normally used for freshwater fishing.

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Bring lots of insect repellent.

BiffTannen said:

Bring lots of insect repellent.

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I'll just keep my wife around. They flock to her.

freakadeac said:

I'd do a 3 rod combo of Fishbites on a Sabiki rig (pinfish love this), shrimp on a two hook bottom rig (whiting bluefish trout and puppy drum love this), and live mullet on a one hook bottom rig (hope for something big to take this). If you want rigs you are more than welcome to stop by my place in CLT. It looks like there is a Santee Coastal Reserve fishing pier near your place, that might be worth checking out. Also surf fishing the sloughs at the nearest beach is always fun especially at low tide when the sloughs are easier to spot. Your gear is good just make sure to clean it as saltwater (and sand) does way more damage than freshwater.

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Thanks! The more I look around via Google maps, the more I'm thinking I may rent a kayak for some early morning fishing. Lots of backwater to explore within a 2-3 mile paddle. Guess I need to start checking tide charts to see if that would be worthwhile.

Freelining some kind of sardine is good down here in Florida. Probably would have to know where to net them as I doubt a bait shop would stock...However, pinfish might be available...


Also, live shrimp under a cork is a tried and true method as well.



Scrape off barnacles and use crab for sheepshead is always fun too.

RacerDeac said:

Thanks! The more I look around via Google maps, the more I'm thinking I may rent a kayak for some early morning fishing. Lots of backwater to explore within a 2-3 mile paddle. Guess I need to start checking tide charts to see if that would be worthwhile.

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Yeah there are a lot of creeks and rivers in that area. Also tides are exacerbated on full moon (July 2) so something to keep in mind. Good luck!

And in the live bait department, don't forget the lowly mud minnow...great for redfish. In the artificial department, I have had good luck with what the locals call the Electric Chicken (twister tail grub type). Cut and split squid can work well as a 'tail' attached to a gold or silver spoon.

Heading to Buxton on Friday for a few days of surf fishing. By any chance has anybody been out there recently and care to give a fishing report?

My dad is heading down Saturday to Atlantic beach. Don't have a report though

Dad's been at Emerald Isle since the first of September. Spanish and toads started hitting last week, spanish offshore trolling and toads from the surf. Puppy drum have been hit or miss.

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

TripleDeacon said:

Heading to Buxton on Friday for a few days of surf fishing. By any chance has anybody been out there recently and care to give a fishing report?

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THey are catching drum from the surf on Ocracoke. Check Tradewinds tackle shop website for reports and pics. I'm sure the point at the lighthouse is producing right now but expect a big crowd this time of year.

Wuffey said:

THey are catching drum from the surf on Ocracoke. Check Tradewinds tackle shop website for reports and pics. I'm sure the point at the lighthouse is producing right now but expect a big crowd this time of year.

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Yeah, we go around this time every year. I'm very familiar with the crowds at the point - you couldn't make me fish out there under those conditions, I don't care how good the bite is.

Been having good luck fly fishing in Roanoke, VA. I've been hitting the delayed harvest section of the Roanoke River near Salem. This is the largest fish I've caught on a fly rod. Caught this nice 20 inch brook trout on a size 12 olive crystal woolly bugger. Been having good results with soft hackles, hare's ear nymphs, and egg patterns this spring.

Couple from the start to 2016:

I"m not an expert on Red Drum, but that sure looks like them. By my understanding, those are undersize and over the limit for NC and SC.

Like I said, not an expert.

not sure any of the fish in those pictures are legal - probably would be a good idea to check the regulations to avoid substantial fines

The dog on the other hand, is 100% legal.

PhysDeac said:

Couple from the start to 2016:

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Why would anyone kill a school of rat reds like that? That would be a huge fine in Florida.

Snook bite is insane down here in FL but they are out of season so just sportfishing. You can catch them out of the surf or off the mangroves.

A few kingfish around. Redfish bite is ok in the morning on moving water. Trout are easy to catch on the flats and nothing cooks up much better than spotted seatrout.