Southport July 7, 2005
Jimmy Price, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that flounder fishing in the area has again picked up this week. Numbers of fish are coming from Yaupon Reef and the Southport waterfront. They also had good results drifting in the Lockwood Folly Inlet.
The speckled trout and red drum bite has also been good this week, with areas such as Cedar Creek, Cape Creek, and behind Battery and Striker’s Islands. There was also a really good number of reds in Buzzard Bay.
Sheepshead were hot in the river. Fish weighing up to 10 lbs. were caught at the ADM dock, and many boats caught multiple sheepshead. Guys fishing the end of the ADM dock were catching black drum in the 30 to 50 lb. range. They were using oysters and clams hooked through the muscle, and they’d also cut a crab in half and throw it down to the bottom.
Finally, boats trolling the beach found good numbers of spanish and blues.
John, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reported a slow week of fishing. Not many dolphin and very few kings were caught in the area. The amberjacks were the main fish they could get to bite this week.
Billie, at Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports a great variety of catches along the beach at Oak Island with pompano, speckled trout, bluefish, sharks, spots, whiting, and croakers all biting. Flounder have moved in to the nearshore reefs like Yaupon. Spanish and blues are still just off the beach and the king mackerel are scattered as well but very few reports of bigger kings. Gulf stream boats are getting mostly dolphin.
Bobby, at Long Beach Pier, reports a few king mackerel landed this week with the biggest going 27 pounds and a bigger one lost. Speckled trout are biting live shrimp early in the morning. Spots, whiting, and pompano are being caught on the bottom as well as plenty of flounder but very few big fish. Sheepshead are biting crabs along the pier pilings and there have been some black drum caught as well. Bluefish and spanish mackerel have been hit or miss by those plugging.
Dave, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports a few king hookups as well as cobia still hanging around with the water around 79 degrees. Spanish and blues are being caught by pluggers but live mullet will offer a shot at bigger spanish like the 7 lb. 2 oz. fish caught this week. Flounder up to 4 lbs. are being caught but they are preferring the live shrimp instead of minnows. Pompano and whiting are hitting the shrimp as well with some nice whiting over 2 lbs. caught. Spadefish to 3 lbs. are hitting cut shrimp or pieces of jellyballs.
