Ocean Isle – May 28, 2015
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the king mackerel bite has recovered in the 55-65’ depths off Ocean Isle, where anglers are finding plenty of action with school and teenage fish. Both dead cigar minnows and live baits like menhaden are effective on the smaller kings.
Anglers trolling the Gulf Stream continue to connect with plenty of dolphin along with a few blackfin tuna and wahoo (some 50+ lbs.). Skirted ballyhoo are fooling all the fish, although many anglers are pulling baitless high-speed lures for the wahoo with success as well.
Some cobia have shown up along the beachfront, where they’re shadowing schools of menhaden swimming in 20-35’ of water. Anglers can fish live menhaden around the schools or cast bucktail jigs and large soft plastic baits to try and tempt bites from the cobes.
Spanish mackerel are also feeding along the beachfront, and anglers are hooking plenty of them while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures behind planers and torpedo sinkers.
Capt. Kevin Sneed, of Rigged and Ready Charters, and Phill Henn, of Polkton, NC, with a bull dolphin that bit a rigged ballyhoo while they were trolling the Gulf Stream off Holden Beach.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some solid speckled trout action around the Little River jetties at present. Live shrimp and live peanut menhaden drifted along the rocks under floats are producing most of the trout action.
Anglers fishing the live shrimp are also connecting with red and black drum and some large sheepshead (a few 8+ lbs.).
More specks are feeding around grass banks and other spots inshore, and they’re biting live baits and soft plastics.
Brandon Fearnside with a 26″ red drum that struck a live finger mullet near Southport.
Flounder fishing remains consistent inshore. Tubbs Inlet and docks along the waterway continue to produce decent numbers of fish, and there’s been a good bite in the Shallote and Lockwood Folly rivers recently as well (with a better keeper ratio). Live mud minnows or peanut menhaden are tempting the bites from the flatfish.
Red drum are moving into their summer spots in the creeks and along docks and other structure in the ICW. Most are falling for live baits.
Bluefish are plentiful along the beachfront, and anglers are seeing the spanish mackerel turn back on in 35-40’ of water out in the ocean. Both will fall for trolled Clarkspoons or metal casting jigs.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that there’s been a good flounder bite recently for anglers trolling live peanut menhaden in the Lockwood Folly River and inlet.
There’s been some good red drum action inshore as well, with the reds also taking an interest in menhaden or cut baits.
Some large spanish mackerel are feeding around menhaden schools along the beachfront. Anglers are hooking them while working Gotcha plugs near the schools or trolling traditional Clarkspoon rigs.
Anglers trolling live baits in the 25 mile range offshore are hooking king mackerel, cobia, dolphin, and amberjacks.
Bottom fishing around the same spots is producing plenty of black sea bass action along with other bottom feeders like grunts and porgies. Squid and cut baits on two-hook rigs are producing fast action with the bottomfish.
Jim, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some bluefish, black drum, and sharks while bottom fishing from the pier.
Some blues are also falling for Gotcha plugs.
