Southport May 24, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that king mackerel action is getting hot. Live pogies are the best baits, but anglers unable to catch pogies can troll up spanish mackerel and bluefish, which make excellent substitutes. Kings are actively feeding on nearshore structure, and anglers can expect to catch some cobia incidental to the kings. Keep a sharp eye out around the boat, as cobia may swim up to check it out. Pitch a live bait to these curious fish and they will rarely turn it down.
The kings are still feeding in the Frying Pan Tower area, and will hit live baits, dead cigar minnows, and Drone spoons. Some dolphin are appearing in the Tower vicinity, and amberjacks are around and hungry.
Bottom fishing has been excellent near the Tower as well. Live cigar minnows are producing plenty of grouper, some large black sea bass, and monster beeliners up to 5 lbs. Squid and cut baits are tempting porgies, triggerfish, and grunts.
Gulf Stream trolling has been excellent lately. Lots of dolphin are in the area, and there are still some yellowfins and wahoo in the mix as well. It’s the right time of year for billfish, although reports of them are scarce. Cape Lookout C-25’s and Bluewater Candy Blings and Scooters rigged with ballyhoo have been hot. The 100/400, Blackjack Hole, and Steeples have been holding plenty of fish lately, but keep an eye out for weed lines and rips on the way in/out, as these host lots of fish too.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that king mackerel fishing is still hot. Bo Crump landed his first king of the year last week, a 26 lb. 2 oz. fish that is currently OCP’s largest this year so far. Anglers have caught several other kings nearing 20 lbs. recently. Most of the kings have hit live bluefish, but pier fishermen are starting to catch some greenbacks and threadfin herring for baits as well.
Bluefish (from 1-3 lbs.) and spanish mackerel are keeping plug casters busy.
In the mornings, anglers are catching speckled trout up to 3 lbs. by fishing live shrimp on float rigs.
Keeper flounder are feeding around the pier pilings, and they’re striking Carolina-rigged mud minnows.
Bottom fishermen are filling their coolers with whiting approaching 2 lbs. Cut shrimp is tempting most of the whiting to bite.
The water temperature is 69.5 degrees.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that trout fishing is on fire. The Oak Island Bridge, Cape and Cedar Creeks, Elizabeth River, and Southport waterfront have all been trout hotspots lately. The fish are not only biting in great numbers, they are big as well, averaging around 3 lbs. with some up to 5 lbs. thrown in.
Soft plastic baits like curly tail grubs, Trout Killers, DOA Shrimp, and Halo Shrimp are the most effective artificials, and anglers must experiment with colors to find out what the trout are in the mood for.
Smoke/metal flake and chartreuse/metal flake are good places to start.
Flounder fishing is really picking up, with big flatties coming from the Southport waterfront and the Quarantine Station. Peanut pogies and mud minnows will produce strikes from the flounder, which are running up to 7 lbs., but anglers can cover more water by bouncing a bucktail tipped with a soft plastic bait off the bottom.
In the river, plenty of sheepshead (up to 6 lbs.) are holding on the pilings at the Pfizer dock. Fiddler crabs are the ticket to get bites from sheepshead.
Spanish mackerel (from 2-3 lbs.) are running the beaches and feeding on Jaybird Shoals early and late in the day. Trolled Clark spoons will generate action with the spanish.
John, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports that the hottest action offshore lately has been with cobia. Many boats fishing around the Frying Pan Tower are reporting multiple cobia days while fishing for other species. The cobia are running 40 lbs. and larger. They will swim up to investigate the boat, giving anglers a chance to present a bait to them.
Also around the Tower, 5-8 lb. kings are schooled tightly and will make up for their small size with big numbers.
Most of the good grouper catches lately have come from way out at the break in 240+’ of water.
In closer, the beeliners have been off the feed due to the new moon, but they will be biting well again very soon.
In the Gulf Stream, wahoo and dolphin are the dominating catches. In general, the wahoo are biting to the north and the dolphin are further south, but this could change with water movements. The largest dolphin are farthest offshore.
Billie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that a few flounder are coming from the river and the piers. Carolina-rigged mud minnows seem to be the best baits.
Surf and pier fishermen are finding some croaker and pompano mixed in with sharks and skates. A bottom rig baited with shrimp will produce all the bottom fish, but some pompano catches last week came on cut squid.
Spanish mackerel have taken up feeding on the beach, but the action can be hit or miss. The bluefish bite has slowed significantly.
King mackerel are still schooled up around the Frying Pan Tower, with a few reports of fish closer in.
Last week at the Blackjack Hole, several boats experienced good catches of wahoo, dolphin, and yellowfin tuna by trolling ballyhoo.
