Ocean Isle July 17, 2008

Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that live baiters are finding hot fishing at spots like the 65′ Hole, 70′ Hole, Shark Hole, and Jungle in 60-80′ of water. The king bite has been solid in those areas, and anglers are also landing plenty of sharks and amberjacks.

The big news, however, is that there are also cobia, dolphin, and sailfish feeding in the same spots, and it’s entirely possible to land all three along with king mackerel in the same day.

Live pogies are producing most of the action, and there have been plenty along the beaches at Ocean Isle and Holden.

The Gulf Stream has been slow with an unusual absence of dolphin, but there are a decent number of sails feeding out in the deep water, too.

Dirty water from last week’s winds has the spanish mackerel bite off, but the fish should return when the water clears up.

Kyle, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that speckled trout fishing has been very good over the past week. Anglers have been catching good numbers of specks on float-rigged live shrimp while fishing near the Little River jetties, the Sunset Beach Bridge, and in deep holes in the Shallotte River.

Red drum are still feeding in the same places they have been all summer, and anglers can look for them in the creeks and around docks and other structure in the ICW.

Flounder fishing is still hot in Shallotte Inlet, the Shallotte River, and Tubbs Inlet. Carolina-rigged finger mullet or other live baits will draw bites from the flounder.

Some flounder are also beginning to feed at nearshore structure like the Jim Caudle Reef, where they’ll be holding for much of the summer.

David, of Capt. Hook Outdoors, reports that king mackerel fishing has been excellent all over the area lately, with anglers landing good numbers of kings (and some large 30+ lb. fish) at spots from a few miles off the beach out to more than 100′ of water. Live baits have been fooling most of the big kings, and there have been plenty of pogies just off Holden Beach and Ocean Isle lately.

Wrecks and high relief structure in the 25-30 mile range are holding plenty of amberjacks, and anglers are hooking the hard battlers on live baits.

Flounder fishing has been excellent in Tubbs Inlet, Shallotte Inlet, and the Shallotte River lately. Carolina-rigged live baits like finger mullet are fooling the majority of the flatfish.

Corey, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers are catching speckled trout and flounder on live shrimp and mud minnows.

by Gary Hurley