Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that there’s still a good flounder bite in Dunn Sound and Tubbs Inlet, and anglers are running across a few flatfish just about everywhere they’re fishing right now. Live mud minnows, finger mullet, and Gulp baits have been producing the majority of the action with the flounder.
Paul Arvidson with 24 and 18″ speckled trout he hooked on live menhaden in the Lockwood Folly River.
Red drum are feeding in Tubbs Inlet as well, and anglers are also finding decent numbers in the Calabash River and around the Little River crossroads. The reds are falling for the same baits as the flounder, and popping cork rigs have been particularly effective for them when the fish are feeding in relatively shallow water.
Some black drum are mixed in with a few more reds around the Sunset Beach Bridge. Anglers are fooling both on fresh and live shrimp.
Anglers are also seeing some action with larger speckled trout and red drum while fishing at the Little River jetties. Anglers are hooking most of both fish on live shrimp drifted on float rigs.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with plenty of 3-4’ sharks while fishing the ocean outside Little River Inlet at present. The sharks are shadowing menhaden pods up and down the beach, and the menhaden are making the best baits. Pinning the baits to heavy Carolina rigs with circle hooks on wire traces is the best bet, and anglers shouldn’t have to wait long for a bite when casting around the schools.
Plenty of flounder are feeding around nearshore spots off Little River, but most are undersized. Anglers can tempt the flatfish to bite smaller live baits.
Anglers continue to catch some flounder in the marshes around Cherry Grove as well, but the bite’s been hit-or-miss lately. Live mud minnows and Gulp baits will fool the fish inshore.
Some red drum are feeding around the Little River jetties (most 25-30”). The best bet for anglers looking to connect with the reds is drifting through the inlet with live and cut baits on the bottom.
Steve, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that the pier saw its first king mackerel of the year over the weekend, a 16 lb. fish that took a live bait off the end of the structure.
Anglers bottom fishing are connecting with some spadefish, sea mullet, black drum, and some spot. Shrimp and bloodworms are producing most of the action with the bottom feeders.