Southport July 22, 2004
Dave, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports flounder to 3.2 lbs. hitting live finger mullet. Black drum to 5 lbs. 8 oz. are being caught on peeled sand fleas, which will also land some nice pompano. The pompano are also hitting fresh shrimp and are running up to 3 lbs. A 9 lb. 5 oz. sheepshead was landed this week, and fiddler crabs or sand fleas are the preferred baits. Speckled trout from .5 to 5 lbs. are hitting live mullet and live shrimp. A few spanish mackerel are hitting gotcha plugs. Bottom fishing is also nabbing a few whiting and spots.
Capt. Flick, at Blue Water Point Marina, reports a very good spanish bite along the beach, while fishing 15 to 20 miles out is producing kings and dolphin. One party this week landed a 34 lb. and a 25 lb. king on their charter. Bottom fishing from 20 to 40+ miles is getting a better grouper bite with blacks, grunts, and triggerfish dominating the catch. The head boats are also getting a few dolphin and king mackerel by light lining while they are bottom fishing.
Tommy, at Long Beach Pier, reports that the flounder action has been very good with several citation fish over 5 lbs. caught. Mullet minnows are working the best. No mackerel this week, but a 3.8 lb. speckled trout was weighed in. They are still catching a few specks on live shrimp. A couple of red drum were also landed this week.
Billie, at Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports kings and dolphin off the beaches hitting live baits. Spadefish, along with speckled trout on tide changes, are hitting cut jelly balls off the piers. Pompano, spot, and whiting are in the surf hitting cut baits. Flounder are eating mullet minnows everywhere with area piers landing good numbers of them. Small kings are also around.
Linda, at Southport/Oak Island Sportfishing Charters, reports that the 15 Mile Rock has been producing some big kings and amberjacks. Inshore still has spanish running. Yaupon Reef has seemed to slow a little, and not producing like what it was in the last few weeks. However, the last few weeks have been on fire, so a little slowing still means there are fish on the reef. The backwater/creeks are still producing flounder, and the reds are starting to bite again.
