August Fishing Report: What’s Biting Around Folly Beach

August on Folly Beach means hot days, warm water, and plenty of activity beneath the surface.

From the tidal creeks and oyster-lined marshes to the sandy shoals near our inlets, there is no shortage of life in the water this time of year. For a firsthand look at what anglers are seeing right now, we checked in with Capt. Gates Roll of Tall Tide Fishing Adventures for his August Fishing Report.

Here’s what he’s seeing out there:

August Fishing Report from Capt. Gates

It’s August, and our inshore waterways are a rich seafood soup. This soup is served hot, with water temps in the shallow marsh often hovering around 90°F, and the surface of the backwaters vibrates and boils with life.

Skipping shrimp, jumping mullet, flicking menhaden, swirling killifish, and an array of predators seeking them out push wakes in the salty gumbo. One throw of the cast net in the morning is often all it takes to fill a livewell with creek shrimp and finger mullet. These baits, presented under corks around oyster reefs, are producing a lot of action with the staple favorites: reds, trout, and flounder.

Many anglers will notice this month an amazing abundance of smaller red drum in the 10 to 14-inch range. These “rat reds” are the next generation of redfish coming into the fishery. In midsummer, they are getting big enough to eat what we are offering, and it’s not uncommon to stop at a hole and catch a couple dozen “rats” between the bigger redfish.

They keep the action steady and are fun on light tackle, but they should be handled with care. These young fish will be next year’s 21-inch fish and the following year’s 25 to 30-inch fish. They will spend the first 3 to 5-plus years in our estuaries before they leave and head to deeper nearshore waters, where they can spend decades as large, breeding adults.

It’s important to remember that the 14-inch redfish in your hand can live to be 50, even 60 years old and contribute to repopulating the fishery for decades.

We are careful not to handle them directly. They are small and fragile. I remove the hook with a standard de-hooker over the water. If a fish must be handled, be sure to have wet hands to avoid removing the protective slime barrier, which is their immune system’s first line of defense.

In general, this is best practice when handling any of our gamefish, but especially these younger fish that are less resilient to direct handling.

This is also a great time of year to target big reds, sharks, and tarpon between the sandy shoals at our inlets. On hot, calm days, we’ll find ourselves anchored in the surf zone, seeking hard-pulling action from these larger, hard-fighting species.

Live baits, cut baits, and large jigs will all produce, and some of the year’s most memorable catches will happen on these dog-day trips.

It’s hot, but getting out on the water is a great way to beat the heat and still be outside. And it’s a great time of year to do some “catching.”

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to get out on the water. We’d love the opportunity to get your group out for some memory-making fun.

Capt. Gates Roll
Tall Tide Fishing Adventures
Charleston, SC

Make Your Own Folly Fishing Memories

August may bring some of the hottest days of the year, but as Capt. Gates’ report shows, the waters around Folly Beach are anything but quiet.

Whether you’re casting around oyster reefs for redfish and trout or heading toward the inlets in search of something that will really test your tackle, a day on the water offers a different way to experience the Lowcountry. And with so much activity happening across our creeks, marshes, and coastal waters, you never quite know what might be on the other end of the line.

Ready to get out there? Book a Folly Beach fishing trip with Capt. Gates and Tall Tide Fishing Adventures and see what’s biting for yourself.