Ocean Isle September 16, 2004
Rhett, at Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that offshore action continues to be slow. This is due in large part to water visibility. Dive boats are reporting that in 40 to 75 feet of water they are only getting about 2 to 6 foot of visibility. Fish are out there, but they’re unable to spot bait or feed aggressively. A few private boats made it out to the gulf stream and found some wahoo and released a couple of sails.
Inshore, the main catch has been puppy drum. In the ICW, they’re averaging 20 to 24 inches. The bigger ones are around the Little River jetties. Inshore anglers have also been picking up a few flounder and both speckled and gray trout.
Will, at Ocean Isle Beach Pier, reports that drum are biting minnows, spots are biting bloodworms, and flounder and whiting are biting live shrimp early in the mornings. He predicts an influx of spots in the coming weeks. There’s usually good fishing following a storm, but that hasn’t been the case this time.
