Carolina Guide Service

There is no better way to enjoy the pristine saltwater estuaries of South Carolina that with an inshore fishing trip. These fishing charters take place in the calmer waters of shallow bays, creeks and inlets. We are typically targeting Redfish, Sea Trout, Black Drum, Sheepshead and Flounder using light spinning tackle with live or artificial baits. Depending on the size of the crew, the 18ft flats boat or the 23ft bay boat will suffice for the inshore trips. When is the best time for inshore fishing? Inshore fishing offers year around fishing opportunities with redfish being the primary target. Perhaps the best time of year inshore fishing is in the Fall when all of our inshore gamefish are actively feeding. During the coldest months of the year, redfish will school up in shallow bays and creeks where we are often able to sight fish for them in water less than a foot deep. As the water warms and life returns to the marsh, more species become available like flounder, sharks, speckled trout, tripletail and black drum. How many people can you carry on the inshore fishing charter? Since inshore fishing often requires a lot of casting, it is recommended that you keep your group size at a 3 or 4 passengers for safety. When fishing from the 18ft flats boat, our capacity is limited to 2 passengers. If you have a group with more than 4 passengers, it is recommend that you opt for two boats which we can arrange for you. Will I be able to take fish home? If loading up the freezer with fish is your goal, then you are in the wrong place. While we dont mind keeping enough fish for our clients to enjoy a meal or two, we encourage catch and release, particularly with redfish. If you intend to keep fish, please notify your captain before the trip and bring a small cooler to carry fish home. Fish cleaning services are included. What type of day can I expect? Our days typically start around 7am, sometimes earlier or later depending on the tides and weather. Most of the inshore trips are about 5-6hrs hours long which gives us the chance to put forth a good effort to locate fish for our clients. The average commute time to the fishing grounds is about 20mins, sometimes longer if the captain feels the need to access remote fishing areas.

The Nearshore Coastal waters of South Carolina offer a variety of options for adventurous anglers. Numerous artificial reefs blanket the South Carolina coast with the closest reefs only 3 miles and some as far as 25 miles off the beach which gives clients a true deep sea fishing experience. King Mackerel, Cobia, Amberjack, Mahi, Snapper, Grouper and numerous other bottom fish are regular suspects on these nearshore trips. All of our nearshore fishing charters depart from the Georgetown Landing Marina on the 25ft Center Console. The Nearshore Coastal waters of South Carolina offer a variety of options for adventurous anglers. Numerous artificial reefs blanket the South Carolina coast with the closest reefs only 3 miles and some as far as 25 miles off the beach which gives clients a true deep sea fishing experience. King Mackerel, Cobia, Amberjack, Mahi, Snapper, Grouper and numerous other bottom fish are regular suspects on these nearshore trips. All of our nearshore fishing charters depart from the Georgetown Landing Marina on the 25ft Center Console. Length of trip? Nearshore trips start at 6hrs which gives us enough time to fish up to 10 miles offshore. The 8hr trip allows us to access deeper water areas and target species like grouper, mahi, snapper, triggerfish. What are the rates? Rates for nearshore trips start at $700(6hrs) and go up from there based on time on the water and number of passengers. Please visit our rates page for more details and pricing options. What type of day can I expect? These trips are weather dependent and the captain will monitor the weather closely to determine if the ocean will be safe enough to fish that day. We generally depart at daylight and the average run time to the closest fishing grounds are 1 hour from the marina. If live bait is needed, your captain will net fresh bait on the way to the nearshore fishing grounds. When is the best time for Nearshore Fishing? Late Spring, Summer and Early Fall are great times of year for nearshore fishing and the type of fish we target depends on time of year. Ask your Captain about what is running during your visit and what would be the best option on that particular day. How many people can you carry on the Nearshore Fishing Charters? The 25ft Hoog can carry a Maximum of 6 passengers however 4 is a more comfortable number. Will I be able to take fish home? The captain will clean and bag any fish you decide to keep. Please remember to bring your cooler to transport fish home with you at the end of the day. What if I get motion sickness? Sea sickness is a possibility anytime we are fishing in the ocean, therefore we recommend taking motion sickness medicine at bedtime the night before the trip. While our goal is to catch fish and make everyone happy, we also want everyone to be comfortable and enjoy themselves. Our policy is we will certainly come back to the dock if instructed by the clients however there will be no refunds or pro-rated trips offered if we are forced to return early.

This is a fish that needs no introduction, the mighty Tarpon (aka “Silver King”) is the apex predator of all inshore gamefish. The average size of Tarpon that frequent South Carolina average 80-100lbs and their dramatic acrobatics are sure to leave anglers with memories that will last a lifetime. Tarpon are a migratory species of fish that will begin to show up along the South Carolina coast in late May and they have been known to stick around thru the end of October, before migrating back to South Florida for the Winter. Do you fly fish for tarpon in South Carolina? Yes! While we don’t always have clear water to sightfish to cruising fish, we are often casting to rolling or feeding tarpon. 11wt and 12wt outfits are preferred for tarpon and we use a combination of custom flies tied by Captain Jordan Pate and other local fly fishing guides. Where do you tarpon fish in South Carolina? Captain Jordan Pate focuses his tarpon fishing efforts around Winyah Bay, Santee Delta, and Cape Romain. While we occasionally target tarpon in the ocean, Tarpon will often move into the estuaries and rivers so even on the windy days we are still able to get our clients shots at tarpon. Most of our tarpon fishing charters depart from the Georgetown Landing Marina however there are several other boat ramps in the area that we can launch from. What type of experience is needed? Our fishing guides cater to anglers of all skill levels so no experience is needed to hook and land a tarpon. What is the best time of year to fish for Tarpon in South Carolina? Tarpon are a migratory fish that begin to show up in good numbers along our coast in June and the tarpon run will continue until October. July, August and September are perhaps the best months to catch tarpon in South Carolina with the peak of the tarpon migration occurring during the mullet run in September. Length of Tarpon Charters? We recommend at least 6 hours with the tarpon charters, this gives us enough time to locate fish and put in a good effort to get the bites. This is my first time tarpon fishing, what can I expect? The first piece of advice is to bring a good sense of humor and some luck because tarpon fishing can really test your nerves and patience. Catching fresh bait is key to having successful days on the water so we will often spend 30 or 45 mins locating and catching live bait for the day. On a good day we can get ten bites, on a slow day we can get 0 bites, that’s how fishing goes sometimes. Our guarantee is that our guides will go the extra mile to get our clients the best shot at catching a tarpon. If things get really slow, our fishing guides will often set up in areas that allow anglers to catch bull redfish, sharks or other species to keep busy.

Our shark fishing charters are very popular for the kids and family trips and we are fortunate to have a very healthy fishery for sharks. The size of our sharks average 15-25 lbs but we also target some of the larger species that exceed 200 lbs. When is the best time of year for shark fishing? Sharks begin showing up in the coastal waters of South Carolina starting in May and we continue catching sharks until the water begins to cool off in late October. The Summer months are perhaps the best time of year for shark charters. What type of sharks can I expect to catch? During the peak of the Summer, we are primarily catching black tip sharks and sandbar sharks that average 30-40lbs. Smaller species of sharks like Bonnetheads(15lbs) are also plentiful that time of year and they are a lot of fun on light tackle. Larger species like spinner sharks, lemon sharks, and bull sharks are also available to catch during the Summer. Where do you shark fish? We always prefer to stay in the calmer waters inside the jetties and inlets however if conditions allow, we will venture out in the ocean to locate shark feeding frenzies that occur in and around the big school of menhaden(baitfish) that migrate along the South Carolina coast. How long are the shark trips and how much to they cost? The recommended time for shark fishing is 5hours and the cost is $600 for three anglers($50 for each additional angler). We also will run a 4hr afternoon shark fishing trip for $500.

If stalking redfish in shallow water sounds like your idea of fun, then you are in the right place. We offer year around guided fly fishing trips for several saltwater species that inhabit the South Carolina waters. Redfish are the most popular fish to target on fly but we also target seasonal species like tarpon, false albacore, cobia, triple tail, and black tip sharks. Saltwater Fly Fishing in South Carolina has become very popular over the last 20 years and Captain Jordan Pate has been at the forefront of the fly fishing revolution in our state. We use only top quality gear from G-Loomis, Orvis, and TFO and the majority of our flies are tied by our network of local fly fishing guides. While we do provide the gear needed, we always encourage our clients to bring a rod of their choice. What can I expect if I book a Fly Fishing charter? It is recommended that you keep your group size to one or two anglers when fly fishing. We’ll be fishing from one of the several skiffs we have in the fleet and the depth of the water we are fishing in is often less than a foot deep. Keeping weight to a minimum is critical to access some of the best fishing grounds for redfish, therefore only two anglers are recommended for fly fishing trips. Knowing the tides and the best window for fishing is what we do best so we will coordinate with you on the best times to fish that particular day. When is the best time of year for fly fishing for redfish? There is no bad time of year to fly fish for redfish. Spring and Summer can be productive as we are focusing on high tide grass flats in search of Tailing Redfish. Fall and Winter months will give fly fishing anglers the most shots as redfish will begin to school up and forage on the abundance of shrimp and crabs. Late Winter and early Spring can be the most challenging season due to the weather. When is the best time of year to book a tarpon fly fishing charter? We begin to target tarpon in June and the bite is usually best in July, August and Sept. October can also be a very good month as long we avoid any major hurricanes or cold fronts. I’m a novice fly fishing angler with no saltwater experience, what can I expect? Your guide will offer instruction when needed however we encourage our clients to practice as much as possible before your trip. While double haul casting is not critical, it will certainly increase your odds of success. Strip setting is another crucial piece to being successful and landing the redfish of your dreams. If there is a local fly shop in your area, it may be worthwhile to get some casting lessons. How much is a fly fishing carter and how long do they last? The recommended time for a fly fishing charter is a minimum of 5hrs and the rate is $600 which includes everything you’ll need for fishing that day. Tailing tide trips offered in the afternoons during the summer months.