Overall 2013 was a great year for inshore fishing along the Grand Strand and I would personally like to thank everyone who had a part in making this past year so enjoyable. I met a lot of wonderful people over the last year and being able to share special moments on the boat are memories that I hope will last them a lifetime.
Lots of memorable trips in the books from this past year; a 75 year old gentleman who had never been on a boat before and caught his first redfish; my new friend Bill Arnold from Arkansas who caught his first tailing redfish, and immediately preceded to ask his future father in law for his daughters hand in marriage; Jason McKinney, Barry Bynum, Byrce Pate, Derrick Close, Blair Googer, Ross Carr, Casey Maier, all caught their first South Carolina Tarpon; Richard Sherman from Chicago spent two straight days chasing tarpon and witnessed some of the most action packed tarpon feeding I've seen in years, but left heartbroken when a potential state recorded tarpon(150lbs+) parted with the line(2014 is your year Richard!); watching my hero and father, Tommy Pate stick a 15lb redfish with the flyrod in only 6 inches of water(thanks for the lesson dad!). The list goes on but perhaps the most memorable trips were with my 3 year old son, Rostan who is now at the age where he can handle the long hours on the boat with his old man, just as long as I have a livewell full of swimming critters to occupy him.
Late winter early spring, we had an excellent crop of flounder and an abundance of large trout as well. Late spring thru mid summer, above average rainfall really made fishing a challenge as the rivers swelled and often freshwater pushed 10 miles offshore of Winyah Bay. I spent the majority of time chasing redfish, trout, and flounder in the shallow creeks and bays south of Myrtle Beach away from the primary river systems with great success. With the exception of a few action packed tailing tides, I was somewhat let down by the tailing tides this year as the conditions never seemed to cooperate during the ideal tides. By late June, the tarpon migration was in full swing and like many fellow tarpon junkies, thats where most of my attention shifted until the mullet migration ended in mid October. The fall fishing was fantastic as it always is... bulls reds at the jetties and in the surf, big flounder in the creeks, redfish frenzies in shallow water, and numerous trout could be found just about everywhere. I hope that 2014 picks up where we left off!
Here are a few photos from the year past... I hope you decide to join me on a fishing adventure if you are visiting the Myrtle Beach area in 2014.
