Last Updated on February 4, 2022 by

Just a short boat ride from Georgetown awaits an awesome fishing adventure on the nearshore reefs and wrecks. Over many years, a large number of reefs containing a range of habitat-creating structures have been deployed across this section of the South Carolina coast. Since most of this coastline is sandy and soft, these reefs are deployed to provide hard surfaces for coral to attach to, such as metal and concrete structures from sunken ships (i.e. Vermillion and City of Richmond), bridge material, military vehicles, rail cars, pipes, and reef balls.

Many of these nearshore reef sites are within sight of land and in 30-50 feet of water. All of these structures are cleaned and determined to be environmentally friendly before being sunk.

One purpose of these reefs is to serve as a home to marine life, starting with coral, barnacles, and algae and ultimately creating spawning and nursing grounds for a huge variety of fish and other marine creatures. This supports the area’s biodiversity and in turn, offers a great opportunity for anglers to catch the large predatory fish that visit the reefs.

a fisherman with a kingfish

While reef fishing, we can expect to catch many species of fish including:

  • King Mackerel
  • Cobia
  • Sharks
  • Black Sea Bass
  • Barracuda
  • Flounder
  • Spanish Mackerel
  • Several Snapper Species

Anglers can expect impressive fights from the numerous game fish that are attracted to these areas. Many of these species are also excellent to eat as well. The reefs are most productive in spring and fall, but fish can be caught on them throughout the year.

To target the reef fish, bait (live or dead) is the best overall option for success. Options include cigar minnows, sardines, menhaden, cut squid, or other cut baitfish. These baits are normally dropped down to just above the reef or nearby seafloor. When pelagic fish are active in the area, such as kingfish or cobia, free lining live bait will result in some impressive strikes and drag screaming fights. Some species are also successfully targeted using artificial lures such as bucktail jigs, diving plugs, spoons, or even topwater lures.

Having grown up locally, Captain R.C. is a Georgetown nearshore fishing veteran and knows these wrecks and reefs like few others. When you are ready to experience what offshore fishing has to offer, book your reef fishing trip with Captain R.C.  Peak season dates book far in advance, so make your reservations soon!