Swansboro August 2, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that offshore bottom fishing is as good as he’s ever seen it. Anglers are landing big numbers of grouper and other bottomfish while baiting up with live baits or frozen cigar minnows. Squid is also producing good results on the smaller bottom species. The best fishing right now is taking place from 80-100’ of water.
African pompano are starting to make their annual appearance in our waters, and they will readily strike live pogies or cigar minnows.
Offshore anglers are hooking up with lots of big sharks. Many are over 200 lbs. with a few over 300 lbs., making for serious battles no matter what tackle anglers use.
The area offshore of the Horseshoe is surrendering good numbers of wahoo to local anglers, and dark-colored skirted ballyhoo should produce good results on the striped predators.
The king mackerel bite is hot one day and cold the next, but anglers looking for kings are releasing some sailfish.
Flounder fishing is excellent on the nearshore reefs right now. Anglers are also catching good numbers of spadefish on the offshore sides of the structure.
The spanish and king bite has been very slow on the beaches, but tarpon have shown up on the shoals.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that anglers are landing good numbers of flounder (up to 5 lbs.) from the pier. Live finger mullet and shrimp are the top baits for these fat flatfish.
Speckled trout are also feeding beneath the pier, particularly in the early morning and evening hours. Anglers targeting the trout should fish live shrimp on the bottom.
Bottom fishing has been solid, with anglers decking big whiting (up to 2 lbs.), black drum, pompano, and spot. Cut shrimp should attract attention from all these bottom feeders.
Bluefish are biting a variety of baits.
No kings were landed over the past week, but live baiters have caught some big spanish mackerel (up to 7 lbs.) and hooked a tarpon.
The water is around 90 degrees.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that flounder are still feeding well in the inshore waters. Anglers have weighed fish up to 9 lbs. over the past week. The flounder are feeding especially well at the Southport Waterfront and around Fort Caswell, the Bald Head harbor entrance, and the Oak Island Bridge.
Carolina-rigged finger mullet or peanut pogies should produce plenty of bites from the flounder, and anglers who want to cast artificials can tempt strikes by fishing with bucktails tipped with curly tail grubs, Trout Killers, or strip baits.
Flounder are also feeding on the nearshore reefs. The fish are smaller than the biggest inshore flounder, but boats are landing good numbers of flatfish weighing up to 5 lbs.
Light-lining a live bait while flounder fishing will produce some spanish mackerel, and most are solid fish (3-4 lbs.). Trolling spoons for the smaller spanish has been slow this week.
Spadefish are holding on the reef, and anglers are hooking them by baiting up with strips of jelly balls.
Anglers jigging Stingsilvers and Fish Jigs are pulling plenty of gray trout off Yaupon Reef, along with an occasional big red drum.
Trout are still feeding around the grass islands and in the bays of the river. Soft plastic baits such as curlytail grubs, Trout Killers, and DOA or Halo shrimp will draw plenty of trout bites, but the best action lately has been for anglers casting topwater plugs. The Top Dog and Zara Spook series are some of the best. Most of the specks are running 2-3 lbs., with an occasional 5-7 lb. fish mixed in.
Black drum (most 5-15 lbs.) are feeding around the ADM dock, and they will strike fiddler crabs or sand fleas fished on the bottom.
Sheepshead are holding around the dock’s pilings. They’re mostly 2-6 lbs. with a few up to 10 lbs. Try dangling fiddlers and sand fleas next to the pilings for best sheepshead results.
Jaybird Shoals is covered with 1-2 lb. bluefish and a few spanish mackerel. Trolled Clarkspoons will fool the blues and any spanish that are around.
