Southport – August 7, 2014
Kyle Underwood, of Tar Heel, NC, with a 24″ red drum he hooked in the ICW near Southport.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that the wet weather last week kept may anglers off the water, but the local fishing action should be back on track once the water cleans up from all the rain.
Flounder have been feeding around inshore structure like the Southport waterfront, Oak Island Bridge, and Bald Head Marina, along with nearshore structure like Yaupon Reef out in the ocean. Most of the flatfish anglers are hooking are falling for live finger mullet, menhaden, and mud minnows on Carolina rigs, but soft plastics on jigheads will fool them as well.
Speckled trout are looking for meals in the creeks and marshes and around inshore structure in the area. Anglers can tempt the specks to bite live baits like shrimp and mullet, topwater plugs, soft plastics, and suspending baits like MirrOlures.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same areas as the specks and on the shallow flats in the marshes and bays. They’ll bite all the same offerings as the specks and flatfish.
Anglers are finding sheepshead feeding around the Pfizer dock, Southport waterfront, and other inshore structure. Sand fleas, fiddler crabs, and barnacles are tough for the sheeps to turn down.
The spanish mackerel bite is likely to have slowed with the dirty water in the area, but anglers who can find some pretty water within a few miles of the beach stand chances at connecting with the spaniards. Clarkspoons trolled behind planers and torpedo weights are the best bets for success.
Jeff Sudbury, of Jasper, IN, with a 7.74 lb. flounder that struck a live finger mullet under the Southport City Pier.
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers landed king mackerel and a few dolphin and wahoo while trolling at spots in the 40 mile range last week. Ballyhoo and cigar minnows on dead bait rigs or live baits will fool the pelagic predators.
Bottom fishermen are reporting plenty of action while dropping baits to structure in the same range. Grouper, sea bass, porgies, and more are all falling for squid, cut baits, and cigar minnows in those areas.
Anglers bottom fishing around Yaupon Reef found excellent flounder action while soaking live baits last week.
Inshore, the speckled trout bite has slowed down a bit, but anglers are still connecting with good numbers of flounder and red drum.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that the recent rains have slowed things down inshore, but fishing should be back on track as soon as the fresh water flushes out of the system.
The spanish mackerel bite was just heating up before the weather, and should turn back on when anglers see clean water along the beachfront. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers is the way to hook up with the spanish.
Sharks have been feeding just off the beaches as well, where anglers drifting live, dead, and cut baits are hooking solid numbers.
Lindsey Woods, of Stillwater, OK, with a flounder that inhaled a live bait near Southport while she was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Bottom fishing around offshore structure in the 100’+ range has been good all year and should remain that way when anglers get the weather to make the run. Dropping live baits to the structure is producing plenty of action with amberjacks and grouper. Black sea bass, snappers, and other bottomfish are biting squid and cut baits in the same areas.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet and spadefish while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Flounder and red drum are falling for live baits that anglers are fishing on the bottom.
Speckled trout are biting live shrimp in the early morning hours.
