Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Reports (December 2025)

Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 2 years ago

Nearshore 5-15 miles there’s been a good push of keeper size sea bass. Many of the 50-70ft ledges and live bottom have been holding better size fish. Any kind of cut bait squid or fish on a double drop rig should produce. If your not looking to make a mess...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 2 years ago

Nearshore 5-15 miles there’s been a good push of keeper size sea bass. Many of the 50-70ft ledges and live bottom have been holding better size fish. Any kind of cut bait squid or fish on a double drop rig should produce. If your not looking to make a mess with cut bait, large artificials like gulp and fish bite grubs and curly tails on a 2 oz jig work well. Theres also some good sheepshead and black drum around the 3 mile reefs as well. Typically using fiddler crabs or cut shrimp on a 3/4-1oz jig head or Carolina rig will produce.
On the jetties there’s some trout black drum sheepshead and redfish around the rocks. Floating some fresh dead or live shrimp on a slip cork should produce. If the small sheep heads keep stealing your bait try throwing some artificial shrimp or z man swim baits for the reds and trout. Clears, purples, and red flake work the best.
In The back water creeks there’s still been some red fish, black drum, and trout. These fish right now are extremely spooky, and any kind of bait you throw needs to be presented slowly, but if you take your time, you may be rewarded with a monster fish. Mudminnows and shrimp on a jig head or throwing light artificial shrimp have had the best results.
In the ICW there’s been a few smaller keeper size trout scattered around the shell banks, and creek mouths. A lot of these fish have pushed up the river and the best way to find them is to use your electronics if you slowly cruise up and down the waterway and you have a side scan unit, you can normally mark the schools by the dozens. mark the school, then start in fish

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Dave Wood
Wilmington, North Carolina
Reported: 2 years ago

Weather's been fair and when we can get out the sea bass fishing has been outstanding. Limit out in an hour. All bigger than average fish.

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Dave Wood Wilmington, North Carolina Reported: 2 years ago

Weather's been fair and when we can get out the sea bass fishing has been outstanding. Limit out in an hour. All bigger than average fish.

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 2 years ago

The report in the last couple weeks is about the same. Once all the fish get in their winter time pattern it normally lasts until about March depending on the weather.

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 2 years ago

The report in the last couple weeks is about the same. Once all the fish get in their winter time pattern it normally lasts until about March depending on the weather.

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still some grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. There’s still plenty of red snapper around as well. On the jetties Tight to the rocks there have been a few trout...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still some grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. There’s still plenty of red snapper around as well.
On the jetties Tight to the rocks there have been a few trout and smaller redfish on your typical slip corks using live shrimp. Also if you can find some fiddler crabs there’s a few sheepshead around as well.
In The back water creeks there has still been some small red fish, flounder and trout back up in some of the potholes typically we’ve been using finger mullet live shrimp or artificial baits like voodoo and gulp on a jig head. In some of the deeper channels leading up to some of these holes there has been a good push of trout ranging from 13 inches to 22 inches using slip corks with live shrimp and fishing them down towards the bottom. Don’t be surprised if you hook some flounder and black drum as well while doing this. This trout bite should continue to get better.
In the ICW there’s been Some black drum in the channels around structure. They’ve been biting dead or live shrimp on the Carolina rig on the bottom. Along the creek mouths and shell banks There is a good number of trout right now that are focusing on that scattered shell bottom and tight to the grass on the higher tides. Use your slip cork with a live shrimp and drift it down along these banks. This pattern should continue to get better as we get later into the fall as the trout start to migrate to our area.

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still a good number of grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. Don’t be surprised if you end up catching a bunch of red snapper as well and always have a...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still a good number of grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. Don’t be surprised if you end up catching a bunch of red snapper as well and always have a pitch rod ready just in case a Cobia shows up.
On the nearshore reefs is been a little slow with a Flounder bite. It seems to be we are on an inshore transition on the flounder at the moment but that should change in the next couple weeks as another push a fish should go back out to the reef.
On the jetties There is still a little bit of a bull red fish Bite going on, typically Two hours before or after high or low tide. The best bait has been live pogies if you can find them but they will eat small croakers and fresh dead pogies as well. Tight to the rocks there have been a few trout and smaller redfish on your typical slip corks using live shrimp.
In The back water creeks there have been some small red fish back up in some of the potholes typically we’ve been using finger mullet live shrimp or artificial baits like voodoo and gulp on a jig head. In some of the deeper channels leading up to some of these holes there has been a good push of trout ranging from 13 inches to 22 inches using slip corks with live shrimp and fishing them down towards the bottom. Don’t be surprised if you hook some flounder and black drum as well while doing this.
In the ICW there’s been Some bigger red drum in the channels around structure. They’ve been biting finger mullet or pogies on the Carolina rig on the bottom. Also in some of the sam

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

On the nearshore reefs there’s been a good push of larger flounder with most ranging from 18”-25”. The flounder have been biting mullet, pogies, and baby croakers in the 3-7”range using a Carolina rig 1oz -3oz depending on the tide. Best bites have been around the barges and APCs. If...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

On the nearshore reefs there’s been a good push of larger flounder with most ranging from 18”-25”. The flounder have been biting mullet, pogies, and baby croakers in the 3-7”range using a Carolina rig 1oz -3oz depending on the tide. Best bites have been around the barges and APCs. If you get a pretty day there’s been a good push of grouper as shallow as 50-60ft on the ledges. The best baits have been pin fish and live pogies.
Around the jetties there has been some trout redfish flounder and Spanish . Most of the trout have been caught on live shrimp floating down along the rocks anywhere from 5 to 10 foot down. You can catch some of the redfish using the slip corks with live shrimp or Just off the rocks on the outside and around the channel there’s been some bigger (over slot)redfish you can use cut bait (blue fish, pogies, mullet) or live pogies on a Carolina rig (2-3oz weight with 12”-16” 40lb fluorocarbon leader with a 8/0 circle hook. These bigger reds aren’t the main bull run which should start very soon but are more of our local fish pushing to the jetties with all the bait in the ocean. While fishing for these reds there is a good amount of flounder have been tight to the rocks and hanging around any bottom structure don’t be surprised if you catch them in the channel too. If you just fishing for flounder the outside of the jetties when the water is cleanest with a 1/4 ounce jig head with a finger mullet has been the best. If you start seeing an area with Spanish jumping and chasing mullet try anchoring in that area and start throwing live mullet around the boat on

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

The grouper are starting to moving in about 60 to 70 foot of water. We're catching a good mix of keepers and a few shorts on live pin fish and pogies. As for inshore most of the flounder are moving in from the reefs and there's a good amount of...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

The grouper are starting to moving in about 60 to 70 foot of water. We're catching a good mix of keepers and a few shorts on live pin fish and pogies. As for inshore most of the flounder are moving in from the reefs and there's a good amount of fish around the creek mouths and deeper channels. The best baits have been finger mullet or smaller pogies. Theres been a good push of redfish around the jetty rocks, grass flats and backwater creeks. We've been catching them on live shrimp, pogies, and finger mullet. As for trout it's been slim pickins the few we've been catching have been around the jetties and shell banks on live shrimp.

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

On the nearshore reefs there’s been a good flounder and Spanish bite. Which should continue into September. The flounder have been biting mullet, pogies, and baby croakers in the 3-7”range using a Carolina rig around the barges and APCs. the Spanish have been biting Spoons and mackerel trees either trolling...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

On the nearshore reefs there’s been a good flounder and Spanish bite. Which should continue into September. The flounder have been biting mullet, pogies, and baby croakers in the 3-7”range using a Carolina rig around the barges and APCs. the Spanish have been biting Spoons and mackerel trees either trolling the mackerel tree with a number one planer or casting gold or silver spoons. You can also chum with live mullet to get the Spanish fired up then live line a mullet on a number 4 treble with 3-4” of wire.
Around the jetties there has been some trout redfish flounder and Spanish . Most of the trout have been caught on live shrimp floating down along the rocks anywhere from 5 to 10 foot down. You can catch some of the redfish using the slip corks with live shrimp or Just off the rocks and around the channel there’s been some bull redfish you can use cut bait (blue fish, pogies, mullet) or live pogies on a Carolina rig (2-3oz weight with 12”-16” 40lb fluorocarbon leader with a 8/0 circle hook. This bull redfish bite should only get better moving into September/October. The flounder have been tight to the rocks and hanging around any bottom structure. Fishing the outside of the jetties when the water is cleanest with a 1/4 ounce jig head with a finger mullet has been the best. If you start seeing an area with Spanish jumping and chasing mullet try anchoring in that area and start throwing live mullet around the boat once you start seeing the Spanish around the boat pitch a mullet on a number 4 treble with 2-3” of wire or any top water bait and they should hammer it!

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