Fishing in Myrtle Beach, SC: deep sea trips, piers, and what's biting

Yes, if you are 16 or older and fishing in salt water from the beach, a jetty, a bridge, or your own boat. You do not need your own license on a licensed public pier or on a licensed charter or headboat while it is under hire, because the pier or boat's license covers you. Nonresidents can buy a 1-day or 7-day license online through GoOutdoorsSC. See SC saltwater fishing license for fees and exemptions.

It depends on the trip. Nearshore and half-day trips usually fish reefs and live bottom within about 3 to 20 miles. Gulf Stream trips go much farther: Crazy Sister Marina describes its Gulf Stream trip as 40 to 60 miles out with roughly a 3-hour ride each way, and Little River Fleet lists 35 to 60-plus miles. Ask the fleet how long the ride is before you book. See deep sea and Gulf Stream fishing.

There is no single best month. April and May bring cobia, mahi, and the first king and Spanish mackerel; June through August are peak for Gulf Stream mahi, sharks, and Spanish mackerel off the piers; September through November is the best inshore season for red drum, flounder, and trout, and the fall king mackerel run. Winter is slower but bottom fishing for sea bass and offshore wahoo continue. See the month-by-month calendar.

Prices are set by each captain and change by season. Visit Myrtle Beach, the area's tourism bureau, has published typical ranges of about $300 to $500 for an inshore charter, $800 to $1,500 or more for an offshore charter, and $40 to $100 per person for a headboat ticket. Gulf Stream and overnight trips cost more. Ask what is included and whether the price is per boat or per person. See types of fishing trips.

A headboat sells individual tickets, supplies rod, reel, and bait, and carries dozens of anglers, so it is the cheapest way to fish offshore and fine for families. A private charter is your group only, usually up to six people, with a captain who targets the fish you want. Choose a headboat for value and bottom fishing; choose a charter for trolling, specific species, or small children who need attention. See the headboat guide.

Usually, within the size and bag limits. South Carolina sets limits in state waters (out to 3 miles) and NOAA Fisheries and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council set them in federal waters. Some fish, such as red drum in federal waters and saltwater catfish, cannot be kept at all, and red snapper are open only on announced days. Limits change, so we link the current rules instead of repeating them: see size and bag limits. On a charter, the mate will tell you what you can keep.

Pick a calm day, start with a shorter inshore or nearshore trip, sleep and eat lightly the night before, and take a motion-sickness medicine the way the label or your doctor directs, usually before you board. Stay on deck in fresh air, watch the horizon, and avoid the cabin and diesel fumes. Once you are offshore, the boat does not turn around for one person on most trips. See seasickness on fishing trips.

Yes. Mates are paid largely from tips. Visit Myrtle Beach suggests 15 to 20 percent of the trip price for a charter crew; on a headboat, tip the mates who baited your hooks and cleaned your fish. Tip in cash at the dock and give it to the mate or captain directly. See tipping and charter etiquette.

For most kids, start closer to shore. A 2-to-4-hour inshore charter, a half-day headboat, or a pier gives steady action without a long ride or rough seas. Ask the boat about minimum ages, shade, and a restroom, and bring sunscreen, snacks, and a life jacket that fits if the boat requires one. See family fishing in Myrtle Beach.

By SCDNR's state records, the heaviest is a 1,780-pound tiger shark caught at Cherry Grove in 1964. Other Grand Strand records include a 130-pound 5-ounce wahoo (Murrells Inlet, 1998), a 129-pound amberjack (Murrells Inlet, 2024), a 310-pound Warsaw grouper (Murrells Inlet, 1976), and a 500-pound swordfish (Georgetown, 1978). See Grand Strand big fish and state records.