Southport/Oak Island – April 2022
John, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers are catching some good-sized whiting and scattered pufferfish.
Bluefish are starting to show up in the surf as they migrate into the area, and the action should pick up a lot by the end of the month.
Anglers fishing the river mouth are finding a pretty good whiting bite.
Bottom fishing off the beach is producing keeper black sea bass out to the tower area.
Darrick Webster, of Sanford, with Darrin and Owen Webster, caught this 30 lb. cobia on a live pogy off Oak Island near Lighthouse Rocks.
Josh, of Oak Island Sporting Goods, reports that large whiting are starting to spread out down the beaches as they push out from the river.
A mixed bag of pufferfish, smaller gray trout, and black drum are all in the mix. Bottom-rigged shrimp always tend to produce action at this early point in the season, with anglers also having success fishing with sand worms.
Inshore anglers are catching black drum around structures throughout the waterways with live and dead shrimp.
Some speckled trout and red drum are mixed in, though the action is sporadic with these fish moving around a lot as they transition into spring patterns.
Speckled trout will also start pushing out onto the beaches for anglers targeting them in the surf, and the bigger bluefish could arrive any day now.
Mark, of The Tackle Box, reports that inshore anglers are finding that speckled trout, red drum, and black drum are all in transition now and moving around the waterways and creeks in search of bait pushing into the area.
Anglers fishing around the inlet have landed some big Virginia mullet, and bluefish should be arriving nearshore anytime now.
Nearshore trips continue to find good bottom fishing action on both black sea bass and vermilion snapper.
A few kings are starting to move a bit closer in with the upper 60s water temperature break.
Gulf Stream trips are producing a lot of blackfin tuna and a few schoolie-sized yellowfin (to 20 lbs.), and wahoo fishing has remained steady over the past month.
Hunter, of Dockside Fishing Charters, reports that redfish have been biting very well in the Oak Island area. Most of these fish have been staged up in deeper holes and under docks from bigger creeks and out into the ICW. Anglers have found recent action to be better on the falling tide cycles. Live baits, both shrimp and mud minnows rigged on both jig heads and Carolina rigs have produced the most strikes. Lighter (15 lb. test) leader line has helped bring up the success rate as well. With these reds still in winter schooling patterns, when you find one fish, there is generally a lot more around.
Speckled trout action has been getting better each day with water temperatures on the rise. There has been quite a few 16-20” fish hitting live shrimp fished under a cork.
Black drum fishing remains solid for anglers targeting docks in the ICW and back up in the creeks. Most of these drum are in the 14-20” range and feeding on Carolina-rigged cut shrimp.
Robert, of Reelin’ Pelican Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are finding action on a mix of red drum, black drum, and some large sheepshead around rock structures and docks throughout the waterways.
Speckled trout are starting to break out of their winter patterns as water temperatures warm. They aren’t all as tightly schooled up and now move a lot with the bait, and fishing efforts require plenty of movement from anglers as well.
Off the beach, anglers have found king mackerel still holding out in the 30-mile range waiting for nearshore water temperatures to come up.
Wahoo fishing has been strong, as well as the blackfin tuna action, and look for the first few mahi of the season to be arriving sometime during the month.
Bottom fishing has been producing triggerfish out in the 150’ range.
Elliot, of Angry Pelican Charters, reports that schools of whiting have begun to move into the river and are staging up in deeper holes.
Black drum are starting to transition back to the inshore waters. Anglers are finding action anywhere from the nearshore reefs to structure along the inshore waterways and back up mainland creeks.
The offshore bottom fishing bite has been a good one this season, with a mixed bag of black sea bass and vermilion snapper. This action has mostly been out in the 80-120’ range.
For anglers finding a window to make the run offshore, there have been wahoo and blackfin tuna.
Deep-dropping trips are also finding some good-sized swordfish.
Tracy Withers with the red drum he hooked on a swimbait while fishing out of Southport.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that schools of nice-sized whiting have moved into the deeper holes and channels around the river mouth.
Nearshore anglers are catching plenty of black sea bass over structure from the beach out to the break. Most of the larger, keeper fish have been holding in the 10+ mile range.
Anglers anticipate the arrival of the nearshore surface action, with Atlantic bonito likely showing anytime now. The first wave of spanish mackerel will be right behind them, usually showing around bait balls by the end of the month.
Brian, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that as anglers wait for spring to kick off, they’ve still seen a lot of clear water conditions keeping the bottom fishing bite hit-or-miss. Most of the action has been found by anglers fishing around dusk and catching some good-sized whiting.
Going into the next few weeks, look for mixed bags of pufferfish, bluefish, and croakers included in the fish counts.
During this early transition period, stretches of southwest winds are best to kick off the bite.
Cindy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that quite a few good-sized whiting have started to show up.
Mixed in with the bottom fishing action are plenty of pufferfish and some bluefish.
