Ocean Isle/Holden Beach – September 2024
Jeff, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that red drum action has really started to pick up. The finger mullet in the area have almost doubled in size, and the improved bait presence has the bite fired up, including plenty of upper-slot reds around.
Flounder are mixed in the action, with some days featuring well into double digit numbers of flatfish.
Nearshore action remains fairly quiet as anglers look forward to September bringing in slightly cooler water temperatures and larger spanish mackerel.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that offshore trolling for wahoo and sailfish will be picking up and should be good while working along the 30-50 fathom edge.
Inside of the break, king mackerel are holding in the 80-120’ range as they stage up before the fall push.
Bottom fishing for vermilion snapper and triggerfish has been really good in the 100-150’ range.
Nearshore, king mackerel will also be hanging around the 50-70’ depths, and spanish mackerel will be along the beachfronts (in the 20-30’ range).
Tim, of Tideline Charters, reports that the key in finding red drum has been to focus on areas where the mullet are hanging out. The size and overall numbers for mullet have improved, and the reds are really homed in on them. Look around channels and drains moving out of the marshes, as these areas help funnel the bait. Anglers can also focus on deeper pockets up against the grass lines.
Flounder are being caught all over the place, and they’re hitting the same bottom-rigged live baits.
Anglers have been catching speckled trout while targeting redfish. The bite for these visual feeders has been better in areas around the inlet than further back up the waterway.
Anglers have also been having a lot of success catching sheepshead around docks in the ICW.
Off the beach, the bigger spanish mackerel aren’t quite starting up yet, but when they do, they will be feeding on live baits.
Shawn and Hunter Simpson, of Ocean Isle, caught (and released) this flounder near Tubbs Inlet using a live mullet.
Tripp, of Capt’n Hook Outdoors, reports that the menhaden seemed to have been pushed out with all that fresh water. In their place, the mullet moved in, and the mullet moved in thick.
Red drum action has been really good, with a simple Carolina-rigged mullet being the top producing setup. Targeting structure has been key, especially focusing efforts around docks, oyster beds, and the jetties.
Speckled trout action slowed a little bit, in part because the shrimp have been hard to find. Moving into September, more stable conditions and slowly dropping water temperatures should only help the trout bite.
Anglers fishing crabs around docks and jetties have been catching sheepshead.
Todd, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that inshore anglers are finding a lot of flounder while fishing both soft plastic paddle tails and live bait.
The red drum action has been good, with live or cut bait on a Carolina rig doing the trick.
Off the beach, anglers look forward to some better spanish mackerel fishing as these water temperatures drop ever so slightly and move more fish in.
Heading into September, the king mackerel should start to move back onto the beaches.
Offshore anglers will be focused on targeting wahoo, with some larger fish showing up in the spreads. Trolling black/purple Ilanders or Sea Witches rigged with ballyhoo is a tried and true tactic, and running a cedar plug or smaller trolling baits in the spread will add to the possibility of landing a blackfin tuna.
Anthony, of Salt Fever Guide Service, reports that trolling action out on the break is starting to pick up as water temperatures cool from their mid-summer peak. Good-sized wahoo (to 30 lbs.) and blackfin tuna (10-12 lb. class) make up a majority of the action.
The deep-water bottom fishing out in this same area has been excellent. Catches of yelloweye snapper, scamp grouper, and a bunch of mutton snapper have all been a welcome surprise. Bottom structures closer to the beach (100’ range) are holding amberjack, triggerfish, and good numbers of bigger vermilion snapper.
Nearshore fishing has been downright awful since the storm pushed through. Anglers are seeing dirty water out to the 10-mile range, and this has all but shut down the spanish mackerel and king mackerel bite. The action should be turning around quickly as we move into September, though, and the king mackerel start to move onto the beachfronts.
Craig Poston, of Mooresville, NC, found this 24.5″ trout in the Lockwood Folly River using live shrimp.
Anthony, of Rod and Reel Shop, reports that anglers fishing docks and oyster structure along the ICW have caught black drum and red drum.
With these cooler temperatures, a handful of speckled trout are cooperating for local anglers.
A ton of flounder are around seemingly everywhere on the inside.
Surf anglers have been catching croakers, spot, and a nice class of bluefish (to 5+ lbs.).
Anglers looking just off the beach are starting to find some spanish mackerel out in the 1-2 mile areas.
There hasn’t been much talk of king mackerel yet, but that bite will steadily improve in September.
Scott, of Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, reports that croakers and whiting have made up a majority of the action for anglers with bottom-rigged baits.
Some speckled trout are being caught, mostly in the evening or low-light morning hours.
Bluefish round out the action, and they’re hitting both bottom-rigged baits and casting jigs.
