Added on Thursday, May 29, 2008  Gary Hurley

Southport May 29, 2008

Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that the recent winds stirred up the water and slowed down the nearshore bite for a few days last week. The good news is that as soon as the water clears, anglers should be finding spanish and king mackerel feeding along the beaches and at nearshore structure.

Menhaden are now arriving on the beaches, and this should further encourage the kings to make a strong showing nearshore. The menhaden are the best baits for the kings, but anglers may also be able to hook up while trolling cigar minnows when live baits are scarce.

Offshore, grouper should be stationing themselves at structure in the 70-80′ depths, and they will be accompanied by the usual cast of bottom dwellers including triggerfish, sea bass, porgies, beeliners, and amberjacks. Cigar minnows, squid, and cut baits will all attract attention from the bottomfish.

Dolphin are moving inshore of the Gulf Stream, and anglers should begin looking for them around the Frying Pan Tower and Horseshoe over the next weeks as they follow flying fish closer to the shore.

Cobia should be around in good numbers as well, and anglers should keep an eye out for the curious fish to be checking out the boat while bottom fishing or trolling. A bucktail jig tipped with a whole squid will usually tempt them to strike.

Boats making the run to the Gulf Stream are still catching good numbers of larger dolphin, wahoo, and blackfin tuna. Ballyhoo trolled under skirted lures will fool all of the blue water predators.

 

Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that the speckled trout bite has been phenomenal from the pier over the past week. Many anglers were catching their 10 fish limits while fishing live shrimp and Billy Bay Halo shrimp from slip float rigs.

Bottom fishermen are landing some nice pompano on cut shrimp, and some of the big pomps are also falling for the live shrimp anglers are fishing for trout.

Plug casters are still catching a few bluefish and spanish mackerel.

 

John, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish on Clarkspoons while trolling along the beach front.

Surf and pier anglers have been catching a lot of speckled trout, with anglers landing limits from the beach and the planks. Live shrimp and Gulp shrimp in the molting color have produced most of the action.

 

Richard, of Get Reel Charters, reports that dolphin fishing is on fire when boats can make it out to the Stream. Most of the fish are gaffers (up to 30 lbs.), and good numbers have been landed recently. There are also still decent numbers of blackfins and some wahoo out in the Stream. Ballyhoo beneath skirted lures are fooling the vast majority of the dolphin, and color has seemed to make little difference lately.

Some dolphin are also pushing inshore of the Stream, and they are mixed in with king mackerel at spots 35-40 miles off the beaches. Dead cigar minnows should attract attention from the kings and inshore dolphin.

Bottom fishermen landed some big black sea bass and a few grouper over the last week.

 

Jon, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports that bottom fishermen decked some nice catches of red grouper recently. The beeliner bite has also been good, and the bottom structure is surrendering some triggerfish as well.

African pompano have begun to feed at structure around the Frying Pan Tower.

The best dolphin fishing still seems to be far to the south of the area, so anglers can look forward to continued dolphin action as the main body of fish pushes north.

Cobia are feeding well in shallow water off GA and SC, so they should soon be arriving in full force as well.

 

Tommy, of Southport Angler Outfitters, reports that the spanish mackerel made a serious appearance last weekend, with boats landing big numbers of fish between the river mouth and Lockwood Folly Inlet. Most boats are hooking up while trolling Clarkspoons. The fish have also been concentrated enough to cast lures to, and anglers are even hooking up on the fly rod.

A 40 lb. king was caught near the Lockwood Folly sea buoy last week, so kings should be feeding along the beaches in big numbers soon.

Flounder fishing is improving back in the creeks. The flatfish bite hasn’t materialized at the nearshore reefs yet, but it should only be a few weeks.

Speckled trout are still feeding well around structure and creeks in the river.