Southport September 28, 2006
Butch, at Yeah Right Charters, reports that the fall winds are starting up and making it tougher to get offshore. However, when you can get offshore the bottom fish are out there just waiting for you. Recent catches include grouper, hog nose snappers, and various other bottom species.
The bait is beginning to get more present on the beach. If there is going to be a fall king mackerel run, it should happen real soon. Getting rid of the east wind would help.
The spots are starting to run some on the beach, as are the gray trout. Gray trout and bluefish have been on the beach and out to about 4 miles. The spanish have been scattered at best, but there have been reports of some still around a few miles out in the cleaner water.
In the gulf stream, if you can get there, you should now have a good wahoo, dolphin, blackfin tuna, and billfish bite. Look for the yellowfins to show up any time in the near future. When the bait gets stacked up along the wall of the stream, the yellowfins will be there to take advantage of it.
Jimmy, at Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that there’s excellent fishing inshore, although the east winds have made the fishing tough.
The flounder bite inside the inlets has been very good. Carolina-rigged finger mullet and bucktails are getting strikes from nice flounder around the Southport waterfront, behind Bald Head Island, around the ADM dock, and in the Caswell area. While there are still a few flounder on the nearshore reefs, most of the fish are being caught inshore.
Although the AR flounder bite has slowed, there is sill plenty of action to be had on the reefs. Gray trout and some big red drum are around, and vertically jigging Fish Jigs will draw strikes from both. Trolling small spoons with #1 or #2 planers will get bites from spanish mackerel, but the larger fish are coming on free-lined live baits. Both finger mullet and peanut pogies will get bites from the big spanish.
Speckled trout are still biting well inshore. Cedar Creek, Buzzards Bay, and the Elizabeth River are all holding their share of trout. Soft plastic baits are still getting bites from the trout, and a lot of fish are coming on Mirrolures.
Puppy drum fishing in the creeks has slowed a bit due to dirty water, but the fish are still around. Walden’s and Dutchman’s Creeks are good places to begin looking for the drum. A Carolina-rigged finger mullet is a good bait, but in the dirty water the drum can smell a piece of cut mullet from further away.
Dave, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports that fall fishing is underway with the arrival of the spots.
Whiting and pompano are also hitting the cut baits recently.
Speckled trout (averaging 2 pounds) and spanish mackerel (weighing up to 4 pounds) are eating up the mullet running the beach, so try light lining for them.
Flounder (up to 5 pounds) are being caught on mullet fished on the bottom.
Bluefish in the 1 to 3 pound range are in good numbers hitting plugs and live mullets.
No king mackerel this week, but there is plenty of bait around. The king bite should reappear any day now.
John, at Yaupon Pier, reports that spots and whiting are around, and cut shrimp or bloodworm-flavored Fishbites are the top baits for them.
Anglers are catching plenty of flounder (weighing up to 5 lbs.) on live finger mullet.
Live shrimp fished near the pilings are producing some speckled trout and sheepshead.
Both spanish mackerel and bluefish are biting cut baits on the bottom
No kings have been caught lately.
