Andrews, SC Fishing: Easy Access to South Carolina’s Hammock Coast

Andrews is a small inland community straddling the counties of Georgetown and Williamsburg in eastern South Carolina. It started as two tiny separate settling areas called Rosemary and Harpers Crossroads. At the beginning of the 1900s, Colonel Walter H. Andrews of the Atlantic Coast Lumber Co. lobbied to connect the two spots on the Western Railroad. This railway connection linked the two communities, urging voters to incorporate them into a single locale. Because of his big role in the area’s development, Andrews was voted mayor well into the 1920s. 

The community was one of the fastest-growing in its time, but its growth was interrupted when the Great Depression hit in the 1930s. The Seaboard Air Line Railroad scaled back, and Atlantic Coast Lumber closed its plant in the area. These two urged many of the community’s residents to leave for greener pastures. 

While Andrews never entirely fulfilled its promise as the tiny community that could, it remains a nice little getaway in South Carolina, thanks to its proximity to the Hammock Coast. Touted as South Carolina’s premier fishing destination, this region offers excellent access to the state’s best fishing opportunities, whether it’s in one of its fertile rivers or out on the Atlantic Ocean.

Andrews Fishing

South Carolina’s Hammock Coast is a 90-mile stretch of pristine marshes and coastline along the Atlantic Seaboard. It is composed of six communities, the first of which is Andrews. This makes the spot a great introduction and gateway to the rest of the fishing destination. The area promises a range of fishing opportunities, ideal for the angler who wants to try a little bit of everything.

For starters, you can head to Murrells Inlet for some surf-fishing and pier-fishing at Veterans Pier at the Marshwalk and South Jetty at Huntington Beach State Park. Here you can target many saltwater fish, including redfish, summer flounder, southern flounder, bluefish, pompano, whiting, spotted sea trout, and sheepshead. The inlet is home to several fishing charters that can take you fishing nearshore and even offshore into the Atlantic, where you can target cobia, Spanish mackerel, sharpnose, tiger, blacktip, and spinner shark.

Myrtle Beach is most popularly known as a resort city, but its fishing piers should also be noted as some of the best in the state. Cherry Grove Fishing Pier and Myrtle Beach State Park Pier stand out as two of the most serene fishing piers in the otherwise crowded tourist destination. Cherry Grove is in North Myrtle Beach and is famous for its trophy catches. Anglers can hope to catch whiting, croaker, flounder, Spanish mackerel, and king mackerel on this pier. On the other hand, Myrtle Beach State Park Pier is a very pristine oceanfront park and yields flounder, spotted sea trout, bluefish, and whiting. 

Anglers keen to target freshwater fish don’t need to leave Myrtle Beach as it has access to rivers in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. This unique waterway is a series of different sheltered bodies of water — both freshwater and saltwater — that are connected by man-made canals and empty into the ocean. These rivers are the Waccamaw and the Great Pee Dee. Their backwaters yield fish such as largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and bluegill.

Pawleys Island is another fishing spot on the Hammock Coast with loads of potential. It is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and rivers and marshes on the other, offering you diverse fishing opportunities all in one tiny locale. Here you can target redfish, flounder, sea trout in the creeks and inlets, and shark, tarpon, and tripletail on a short boat ride to Santee Delta. 

Head to the coast of McClellanville, where you'll find Bulls Bay and Cape Romain for some fly fishing and light tackle fishing. You can access these from the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. The area is famous for its bull redfish, tarpon, and sea trout. Anglers can also head offshore here and target sheepshead and wahoo.

The Black Scenic River is a section of the blackwater river that flows through several counties before merging with the Great Pee Dee in Georgetown County. Apart from its State Scenic River designation, it is quite a nice fishing spot. It has several access points across South Carolina. It typically receives stockings of redbreast sunfish as this species prefers the slow-moving blackwater rivers of SC.

As a favorite fishing destination in this country, the Hammock Coast hosts several professional fishing tournaments. One of its most prestigious is the Bassmaster Elite, which receives coverage from ESPN. The Blue Marlin Tournament, a part of the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series, happens annually at the Georgetown Marina; other huge tournaments held in the area are the Georgetown Wahoo Challenge and the Redfish Tour of the International Fishing Association.

Top 10 Fish Species in Andrews, SC

The top 10 fish species in Andrews and Hammock Coast are redfish, black drum, southern flounder, summer flounder, sea trout, cobia, sheepshead, redbreast sunfish, crappie, and tarpon.

Seasonal Fishing

The best seasons to fish in South Carolina are summer and fall, but the other seasons are not far behind their catch. During summer, Pawleys Island and Georgetown areas are pretty productive, attracting redfish, trout, tarpon, black drum, sheepshead, and shark. If you’re planning fly fishing, it would be best to fish early morning and late evening. Bull redfish and sea trout gather in schools during fall when they can be found following the shrimp in shallows. The best way to spot them is to look out for the birds who are most likely hunting them as well. If you want a more challenging fishing experience, fish during the winter. Sight fishing for redfish in schools can be pretty exciting during this year. However, they can be quite spooky, so fishing for them requires a tremendous amount of patience.

Find the Best Kept Secrets of the Hammock Coast at Andrews

Andrews and the rest of the Hammock Coast is a favorite destination for many South Carolina natives for a reason. The region offers many excellent facilities and amenities for tourists of all kinds while allowing them to enjoy the pristine beauty of the coastline.

1. Book a Fishing Charter

The waters of the Hammock Coast can be pretty daunting for the first-timer. To maximize your time in the area, book a fishing charter along Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, or Georgetown that can take you to nearshore fishing holes or offshore towards the Atlantic Ocean. 

2. Enjoy an Educational Day

The Sandy Island Tour offers a unique perspective into the region’s history and the Gullah people who still reside on the island. Tours de Sandy Island offers two-and-a-half-hour tours to the island by reservation only.

For a purely land-based educational tour, head to the Old Town Hall Museum on Andrews’ Main Street, where you can learn more about life in Andrews during the turn of the century.

3. Gorge on South Carolina’s Favorite Seafood

Murrells Inlet is considered the state’s seafood capital. Discover what everyone is talking about by strolling down the Marshwalk and dining at any of the area's seafood restaurants.