Fish guide

Fish Guide

The FishOS guide covers the saltwater fish you are most likely to meet from the surf, piers, jetties and nearshore waters, starting with the Carolina coast. Each one has its own page with season, where to find it, what to look for, the best lures, bait, leader, common mistakes, how to land it, handling, and the current South Carolina size and bag limits, with a link to the official rules.

The fish of Southwest Florida, Naples to Charlotte Harbor

Showing the fish for Southwest Florida, Naples to Charlotte Harbor.

Spanish Mackerel

Scomberomorus maculatus

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Pompano

Trachinotus carolinus

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Black Drum

Pogonias cromis

Oct: Few around

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Season, lures and limits

Speckled Trout

Cynoscion nebulosus

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

Oct: Few around

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Season, lures and limits

King Mackerel

Scomberomorus cavalla

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Cobia

Rachycentron canadum

Oct: Few around

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Season, lures and limits

Gulf Flounder

Paralichthys albigutta

Season data not yet verified

Season, lures and limits

Gulf Kingfish

Menticirrhus littoralis

Season data not yet verified

Season, lures and limits

Crevalle Jack

Caranx hippos

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

False Albacore

Euthynnus alletteratus

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Common Snook

Centropomus undecimalis

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Gray Snapper

Lutjanus griseus

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Great Barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda

Oct: Rare

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Season, lures and limits

Gafftopsail Catfish

Bagre marinus

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Sharks and other fish that are not a target

You may hook these from the beach or a pier. They are here so you can identify them, and each page says why it is not a target.

Other Sharks (release)

Sand tiger, sandbar, dusky, hammerheads and other sharks FishOS does not profile

Not a target here

Season, lures and limits

Sea Catfish (hazard)

Hardhead and gafftopsail catfish

Not a target here

Season, lures and limits

Season bars: dark blue peak, light blue in season, gray few or rare. They are our inference from state wildlife agency and NOAA species profiles, water temperatures and local reports; each fish's page lists its sources.

What each fish page covers

Every fish page gives you the season month by month, where to find it, what to look for, the best lures, bait, leader, common mistakes, how to land it, handling for teeth and spines, and whether to keep or release. The page also shows the current South Carolina size and bag limits, the date they were last checked, and a link to the official rules.

Regulations and handling

FishOS is not legal advice. The official rules win, and each fish page shows when the limits were last checked. Sharks, stingrays and sea catfish are listed so you can identify them. Sharks are not shown as a target where land-based shark fishing is banned, as it is in Horry County, Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach (North Myrtle Beach bans it within a mile of the beach).

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