Ocean Isle July 5, 2007
Brant, of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that Gulf Stream fishing has been hit or miss, with some boats finding nice catches of wahoo and dolphin. Quite a few sailfish have been reported out in the blue water, too. Skirted ballyhoo will tempt any dolphin, wahoo, and sails that boats do find into striking.
Inshore of the Gulf Stream, dolphin and king fishing has been hot from 5-40 miles offshore, with some kings feeding on the beach as well. The front that just passed slowed the fishing down a bit; however the dolphin and kings are still there, and they should begin feeding heavily again when the weather stabilizes.
Boats have also caught some cobia over the past week mixed with the dolphin and kings. The 390/390, just five miles from shore, is holding 10+ lb. dolphin, kings, and the occasional cobia.
Live pogies are drawing plenty of strikes from all of these species, but dead cigar minnows have also been effective baits. A frozen cigar minnow fooled a 37 lb. king last week.
Spanish mackerel are hanging around the inlets, but they haven’t been feeding heavily.
Kyle, of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that with the water heating up, the best flounder bite has been at the artificial reefs just off the beach. Both the Yaupon Reef and the Caudle Reef have produced good flatfish catches recently.
Carolina-rigged mud minnows and finger mullet will attract strikes from the offshore flounder, but they will also get attention from bait stealers like pinfish and sea bass. Fishing with a Gulp-tipped bucktail will help anglers weed out many of the nuisance fish.
Though the inshore flounder bite has slowed somewhat, many of the fish still feeding inshore are larger ones.
Red drum are holding underneath ICW docks around Ocean Isle. Many are small puppies, but there are also some larger drum above slot size around. All sizes of the drum will respond well to Carolina-rigged finger mullet and peanut pogies.
Some trout are feeding in Tubbs Inlet and in the surf. Anglers can target the trout with live baits or by casting Mirrolures and X-Raps.
The nearshore reefs are holding good numbers of spadefish, and they should hang around until fall.
Josh, of the Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers fishing with live shrimp and mud minnows are catching speckled trout and flounder in the mornings.
A few bluefish are falling for Gotcha plugs.
Bottom fishermen are hooking up with whiting and sharks by fishing with cut shrimp at night.
Several kings were caught on live bluefish over the past week, and the largest weighed 25 lbs.
The water temperature is 78 degrees.
