Hilton Head Fishing - Luring Everyone to the Sea

While many people come to Hilton Head each year to bathe in the sun or to take advantage of the island's tennis and golf courses, many others may be attracted to the extensive Hilton Head fishing scene which provides more options than the average fishing trip.  The island enjoys the best of all worlds, with fishing opportunities ranging from the deep ocean to estuaries, lagoons, and even freshwater lakes.  The majority of the available fishing is saltwater, with options of fishing from the land or going out to sea for more exotic deep sea fishing.  You can also collect oysters, go crabbing, or try to catch shrimp-provided you follow regulations and go to the right areas.  The Hilton Head fishing scene offers a large enough variety of fishing venues and opportunities to satisfy any fishing enthusiast. 

Before going fishing on Hilton Head Island, the first thing you need if you're over 16 is a South Carolina state fishing license.  Without this, almost all fishing is illegal at any location.  There are several locations on the island where you can obtain them, including True Value and Wal-Mart.  If you are not a permanent resident of South Carolina, you can often obtain a short-term license for less money so that you can fish to your heart's content while in Hilton Head. 

The primary fishing locations include the Calibogue Sound, estuaries, tidal lagoons, freshwater lagoons, brackish lagoons, and the Atlantic Ocean.  There are also some manmade freshwater lakes, most of them primarily holding rainwater as part of the island's drainage system.  Any lagoons or lakes located in the private gated communities may be fished without a license if community policy allows it-check ahead of time to be sure.  If the freshwater lagoon or lake is located outside of a private community, you must have a state license to fish it. 

The majority of the Hilton Head fishing scene, however, consists of the saltwater fishing.  Those who prefer to fish onshore from a dock, pier, the beach, or the bank of an estuary may do so as long as they do not catch sharks (they must be released if caught) and do not decide to fish in an area set aside for swimming.  There are also many charter fishing boats available from various Hilton Head fishing companies, some of which only go a short ways out and some of which emphasize shark fishing opportunities.  Deep sea fishing enthusiasts will head out to the Gulf Stream, about 70 miles from the island shore, for great fishing and a beautiful round trip on the boat of their choice. 

The Hilton Head fishing scene has a wide variety of fishing locales for casual fishers and angling enthusiasts alike.  The island offers fishing from freshwater lakes and lagoons as well as tidal lagoons, estuaries, Calibogue Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean itself.  You can fish from a pier or a dock or go all the way out to the Gulf Stream to enjoy deep sea fishing at its best.  No matter what your fishing preference is, the Hilton Head fishing scene has something to offer everyone.