Southport – September 25, 2014
Will Harrrington, of Albermarle, NC, with a fat sheepshead he hooked on a live fiddler crab at some structure in the Cape Fear River near Southport.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder bite has been good inshore around Southport recently (with fish to 12 lbs. weighed in last week). Live baits are fooling most of the fish, but anglers are also hooking some flatties on Gulp baits and other soft plastics bumped along the bottom.
Speckled trout action has been strong recently as well, with the fish feeding in the creeks and around structure like docks and oyster bars. Good numbers of smaller specks are falling for curlytail grubs and other soft plastic baits, and anglers are hooking fewer but larger fish while working topwater plugs in the same areas in the early morning hours.
Red drum are feeding in most of the same areas as the specks and flounder, as well as on the marshy flats around Southport and Bald Head Island. Anglers are hooking the reds on live and cut baits, topwater plugs, soft plastics, and other lures.
Solid numbers of large (to 40”+) reds are feeding at nearshore structure in the ocean (like Yaupon Reef), and anglers dropping live mullet and menhaden to the bottom around the structure are enjoying some hard battles before releasing the big fish.
Large (to 6+ lbs.) spanish mackerel are looking for meals in the same areas and biting light-lined finger mullet on scaled-down king mackerel rigs.
Scattered king mackerel (many 20-30+ lbs.) are feeding between the beaches and the nearshore reefs as well, and cool weather coming up should push more bait out into the ocean and turn the king bite on in earnest. Live menhaden and bluefish are the best bets for anglers looking to connect with one of the nearshore kings.
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are hooking some red drum inshore in the creeks and marshes. Live baits, Gulps, topwater plugs, and a vareity of other offerings will fool the reds.
Brayden Linebarger (age 12), of Raleigh, NC, with a citation 6.58 lb. spanish mackerel that he hooked on a live menhaden at Lighthouse Rocks while fishing with his grandparents on the “Whatever.”
Flounder are looking for meals around docks, bridges, and other inshore structure. Live baits like mullet and mud minnows are producing most of the flatfish action.
Anglers are also hooking good numbers of flounder from the ocean piers.
Surf and pier bottom fishermen are landing sea mullet, croaker, spot, and other panfish on bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms. More spot have been showing up by the day lately, so anglers may see some big fall runs just around the corner.
Spanish mackerel are feeding just off the beachfront, and anglers are hooking them while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs from the piers. Boaters can get in on the action while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and torpedo weights.
King mackerel are looking for meals within a short distance of land, too. Live baits are the way to go for the kings, and bluefish and menhaden are some of the best.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that king mackerel have shown up within a few miles of the beachfront, and the action should only improve as fall sets in and water temperatures drop. Anglers can fool the kings while slow-trolling live menhaden along tidelines, nearshore structure, and around bait they spot on the surface or sonar.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with some fat spanish mackerel around nearshore structure like Yaupon Reef. Anglers can target the larger spaniards with scaled down wire rigs and live baits from their king spreads.
Trolling Clarkspoons will fool large numbers of smaller spaniards closer to the beachfront.
King mackerel have been skying on baits just off the beach as well, so it may pay to have a larger live bait on a stouter rig in the spread while chasing the big spanish.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking bluefish and some spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs and other casting lures from the pier.
Live-baiters fishing from the end of the pier have had some king mackerel action in recent weeks.
Good numbers of flounder are taking an interest in small live baits fished under the pier (with some anglers taking home limits).
Bottom fishermen are seeing some sea mullet, croaker, and spot while baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms.
