Little River is the quiet end of the Strand. Head boats and king mackerel fleets sail from Calabash and Cherry Grove, the pier fishing is genuinely good, and lodging is cheaper than the middle of the beach.
Fishing · Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · No fee to you
The Grand Strand Fishing
Sixty miles of coast, four towns, every kind of boat.
Head boats out of Murrells Inlet, redfish in the Georgetown marshes, king mackerel off North Myrtle, and a Gulf Stream run when the crew wants mahi.
Overview
Why The Grand Strand.
The Grand Strand is the easiest fishing trip on the Carolina coast, because you can scale it to whoever is coming. Sixty miles of beach runs from Little River down to Georgetown, and each town gives you a different trip. Murrells Inlet and Little River run half-day head boats that cost less than a round of golf and put kids on black sea bass and porgies. Step up to a private inshore charter and you are throwing at redfish, flounder and trout in the creeks, around the jetties and back in the Winyah Bay marshes below Georgetown. Step up again and it is a 50 to 60 mile run to the Gulf Stream for mahi, wahoo and blackfin tuna. King mackerel show up nearshore from late spring through fall, and the fall run is the one locals plan around. It is also the rare fishing destination where the non-anglers have a beach, 90 golf courses and a boardwalk waiting, which is why we book a lot of split trips here: two boats one morning, tee times the next.
Highlights
What The Grand Strand does best.
01Inshore
02Head boats
03Offshore
04Drive-to
Where to base
Four towns, four different trips.
The Grand Strand is a stretch of coast, not one dock. Tell us who is coming and we will put you in the right one.
The base most groups pick, because everyone who is not fishing has a beach, a boardwalk and 90 golf courses. Boats run out of the state park and Withers Swash, and the airport is ten minutes from the water.
The working end: a real fishing village with the Marshwalk, the biggest charter fleet on the Strand, and half-day head boats that cost less than a round of golf and put kids on sea bass and porgies.
Where the Strand turns into Lowcountry. Winyah Bay and the Santee delta hold tailing redfish, trout and flounder in water almost nobody else is fishing. This is the one we push for serious inshore anglers.
When to go
Best: April – November
Shoulder seasons often mean better value and fewer people. Tell us your dates and we'll be honest about what to expect.
Traveler reviews
What travelers said about The Grand Strand.
Things to do
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Half-day head boat
Out of Murrells Inlet or Little River, cheaper than a round of golf, and kids catch sea bass and porgies.
Inshore creeks & jetties
Private skiff for redfish, flounder and trout in the marsh and around the rocks.
Gulf Stream run
Fifty to sixty miles out for mahi, wahoo and blackfin tuna. Long day, worth it.
Pier fishing morning
Cherry Grove or Apache Pier, rod rental included. No boat, no seasickness, no fuss.
Round of golf
Ninety courses within an hour, and tee times are the easy part here.
Dinner on the Marshwalk
Murrells Inlet seafood row, on the water. Some places will cook your catch.
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