Ocean Isle – August 4, 2016
Brody, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the inshore bite has slowed in the backwaters, with flounder and speckled trout being caught with less frequency. A few flounder have been found near inshore AR’s. Doormat founder are being caught in Tubbs Inlet, with a 10.4 lb. fish reported. Live bait is the key to landing the flatfish, and several of the fish have been found with shrimp in their bellies (although finger mullet or mud minnows are mainstays).
The black drum bite has picked up and remains steady, and the fish are falling for shrimp on a Carolina rig. A few of the fish have been quite large, with a 50” fish recently landed from under Sunset Beach Bridge.
Off the beach, anglers are connecting with spanish mackerel. A few blues will be mixed in, and both fish will fall for Clarkspoons.
Areas such as the “Yorke Hole” and the Jungle are holding kings and mahi, and those fish can be targeted with dead cigar minnows. Juvenile kings are in the waters about 20 miles out, with an average size of 15-22”, although there are a few larger 24-28” fish mixed in. Spanish will also be around those smaller kings, and slow trolling live baits or cigar minnows has worked for landing these fish.
A few late season cobia are in similar depths in the 15-30 mile range, over live bottom and wrecks, and they can be landed on dead ballyhoo as well as live bait.
Offshore fishing has picked up, with boats bringing in amberjack, vermillion snapper, triggerfish, and grouper. They’re targeting places like the southwest Tower bottom area.
Wahoo are in the waters around the Blackjack, and high speed trolling is the way to connect with these pelagic fish.
Several swordfish have been landed in the area, ranging from 200-400 lbs. The swords are taking trolled bonito belly and squid, and they are being found in waters ranging from 1200-1350’, about 100 miles out.
Zach Gossage, of Greensboro, with a 19 speckled trout caught on a live mud minnow on the Ocean Isle side of Tubbs Inlet.
Phillip, of Rod and Reel Shop, reports that inshore the larger flounder are beginning to bite, as flatfish up to 8 lbs. have been weighed in. Any type of live minnow or mullet will work to fool the flatfish.
The speckled trout bite is good in the morning. Using live bait under a float or popping cork will connect anglers with the specks.
Anglers in the surf are catching whiting, pompano, and blues. Shrimp and cut bait is working to fool the summer panfish.
The ocean has been rough, but boats that have made it out are catching a few spanish off the beach on Clarkspoons.
Capt. Cory Swink and Kathryn McClure with a 66 lb. king mackerel caught on a skirted ballyhoo. They were fishing in 80 of water out of Holden Beach.
Kyle, of Speckulater Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that fishing is proving challenging with the heat. Trout fishing has slowed down, but there are fish to be caught off a few spots in the inlets, and the jetty is still holding scattered trout. Live shrimp under a float, during the early morning hours, is the best way to target the fish.
The flounder bite has been pretty consistent, both inshore and offshore, near ARs and wrecks. Inshore anglers should look for sandy bottoms around Tubb’s Inlet, Little River, and Shallotte. With the mullet thick in area waters, rigging one up on a Carolina rig will do the trick to fool the flatfish.
There are precious few reds around in the creeks, and they are mostly smaller fish (16-25”). The numbers aren’t big, but there seems to be a few schools still around. Anglers can also find some bigger fish holding along the jetty and target them with mullet on the bottom.
Black drum are hanging around bridges and docks in the area, and although there are a lot of small fish, they can provide some action with live shrimp soaked on the bottom.
The spanish mackerel are thick off the beach, and trolling Clarkspoons is the best way to connect with them. When the wind dies down and the waters become slick, the fish will group up and anglers can cast plugs to them to hook up.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports the shark bite has picked up. Anglers are connecting with sharks up to 150 lbs. within one mile of the beach.
Inshore, anglers are catching flounder, speckled trout, sheepshead, and black and red drum. Target the flounder with jigheads or bucktails tipped with Gulp soft plastics.
Offshore anglers are connecting with mahi, grouper, and triggerfish.
Tyson, of Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with whiting, blues, and a few flounder. Shrimp on bottom rigs is the go-to bait of choice for anglers on the pier.
