Southport – August 13, 2015
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing a bit of an August slump in the fishing action, but there are still plenty of fish coming by the shop to get weighed.
Flounder are feeding along the Southport waterfront, in the marshes, and around inshore structure in the Cape Fear River and Intracoastal Waterway (a few 5-6 lb. citations but many 2-4 lb. fish). Most of the flatfish are falling for live mud minnows, menhaden, and finger mullet, but anglers are also hooking up on Gulps and other soft baits.
Red drum are looking for meals at many of the same areas and feeding on shallow flats in the marshes. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite topwater plugs, soft plastics, or a variety of live and cut baits.
There’s been some good speckled trout fishing in the local creeks, Elizabeth River, and the Thoroughfare. Anglers are hooking the specks on topwater plugs, soft plastic baits, and live finger mullet and shrimp.
Tarpon are feeding in the lower Cape Fear River, and anglers have hooked several over the past week. Dead and cut bluefish, menhaden, and other baits are attracting attention from the tarpon.
Boaters trolling off Oak Island and the Cape Fear mouth are connecting with a few spanish mackerel, but wind and dirty water have made the fishing tough lately. Clarkspoons paired with trolling weights and planers are fooling the spaniards.
Teresa, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with some speckled trout and flounder from the Oak Island piers. Live mud minnows have been fooling both recently.
Anglers are also connecting with some spanish mackerel while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs from the end of the pier. Boaters can get in on the spanish action by trolling Clarkspoons or other flashy lures just off the beaches.
Chris Whitesides (age 14), of Charlotte, with a 5 lb., 3 oz. spanish mackerel that bit a live menhaden off the end of Oak Island Pier.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that the area’s spanish mackerel bite has gone up and down with the weather over the past week (with calm winds and clear water producing some good fishing). Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and inline sinkers is the way to connect with the spaniards when they’re in a feeding mood.
Some larger spanish are showing up along the beach as well. The bigger fish are more apt to bite live baits like finger mullet and menhaden than the spoons.
Large sharks are feeding behind shrimp boats just off the beaches. Anglers can drift live, dead, and cut baits behind the shrimpers in order to hook up.
Anglers bottom fishing at nearshore structure like Yaupon Reef are hooking increasing numbers of flounder. Some large red drum are also showing up, and both fish are biting live finger mullet and menhaden.
Offshore, king mackerel and dolphin have become somewhat scattered and more difficult to find than last month. Anglers looking for the fish can troll dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo under skirts to try and seek out the feeding activity.
Bottom fishermen are hooking solid numbers of gag and scamp grouper while dropping live, dead, and cut baits to structure 30-40 miles offshore.
Bryan and Kris Gurley with a 37.4 lb. wahoo that struck a dead cigar minnow near the Horseshoe Reef off Southport while they were fishing with Scott Gurley and Reid Goodman on the “No Slack.”
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking up with black drum, pompano, spadefish, sea mullet, and more while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Good numbers of flounder are biting live mud minnows and finger mullet under the pier.
Anglers working Gotcha plugs and straw rigs from the pier are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Harvey Suerken with an 8 lb. flounder he hooked while fishing the Southport waterfront.
