Southport June 21, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that offshore bottom fishing continues to be hot. All the wrecks, reefs, and ledges in the vicinity of the Frying Pan Tower are holding bottom fish like gag, scamp, and red groupers, sea bass, triggerfish, hogfish, and beeliners. Bait up with squid, cut bait, live pogies, or cigar minnows to tap in to the bottom bite.
The Horseshoe and nearby areas are holding plenty of king mackerel and dolphin. The best way to hook up with these pelagic predators is to troll live pogies and live or frozen cigar minnows under weightless, flashy skirts.
Spanish mackerel fishing on the beach has slowed down somewhat. Some boats are still finding a few spanish, but filling out limits has been rare over the past week. Troll gold and silver #00 Clasrkspoons behind #1 and #2 planers for the best chances with the spanish.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that speckled trout are on the feed in the early mornings. Live shrimp under floats are accounting for most of the trout.
Anglers are hooking up with good numbers of flounder by fishing mud minnows on Carolina rigs.
Bottom fishermen are catching pompano, whiting, and 4-5 lb. black drum. Cut shrimp are getting attention from the bottom feeders.
Live baiters caught around 20 kings last week, bringing the pier’s total to over 50 for the year. There are lots of pogies around the pier, and anglers are getting king bites on pogies, bluefish, and ladyfish baits.
The water temperature is 79 degrees.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that speckled trout fishing has been excellent in the river over the past week. Anglers are hooking up with most of the specks around marsh grass islands in the bays.
The fish have been active enough to hit topwater plugs all day long, and soft plastic baits such as curly tail grubs and Trout Killers are also getting bites. The topwater fish are averaging a little larger than the others (from 2-4 lbs.). Zara Spooks and Mirrolure Top Dog Juniors have been the hottest plugs to cast.
The flounder bite has been good all over the area, but most of the fish are a little small. Anglers are weighing in a few nice 4-7 lb. flounder, but the average fish are between 1-2.5 lbs.
Bouncing a chartreuse or white bucktail tipped with a soft plastic bait, mud minnow, or strip bait off the bottom is the way to hook up with the flounder, and good numbers of fish are coming from the Southport waterfront, as well as drop-offs, grass points, sandbars, and tide rips in the Cape Fear River.
There are plenty of red drum holding in Dutchman’s Creek near the sea wall, but most are small (15-19”). Bigger reds (from 8-15 lbs.) and some black drum are feeding at the Quarantine Station in the river. A crushed whole or half blue crab will bring in the drum. Anglers are finding a few flounder around the Quarantine Station, too.
Sheepshead are feeding around the ADM Dock, and they will fall for sand flea or fiddler crab baits. A few black drum are hanging around the bumpers at the end of the dock.
Big spanish mackerel (from 4-6 lbs.) and some kings are at the Yaupon Reef, and both will hungrily strike small live baits.
John, at Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that surf and pier anglers are catching bluefish and speckled trout. Pier anglers are also catching good numbers of king mackerel, and the kings are feeding out on Yaupon Reef as well. The kings will hit dead cigar minnows or live menhaden.
Boats are finding plentiful dolphin around the Horseshoe, and they’re hooking up with them by trolling cigar minnows and ballyhoo.
Trout fishing has been excellent around the Pfizer Dock, and most of the trout are running 2-4 lbs.
Anglers are catching plenty of flounder and a few red drum in the ICW.
