Ocean Isle – June 4, 2015
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that there’s been a good flounder bite inshore recently, with peanut menhaden producing the best action and largest fish.
Red and black drum are feeding around the inlets and river mouths toward the tail end of falling tides. Anglers can hook both on live shrimp or tempt the reds to bite live and cut menhaden.
Spanish mackerel action has been inconsistent, with a good bite on the beach one day and fish nonexistent the next. Clarkspoons and Gotcha plugs are fooling the fish when they’re around.
Some large spanish are feeding alongside king mackerel and cobia around 20 miles out, and all three will pounce on live baits like menhaden.
The blue water trolling bite hasn’t been incredible over the past week, but red-hot bottom fishing in the 40-60 mile range is making up for it. Anglers are connecting with some massive beeliners (to 5 lbs.) along with triggerfish, grouper, and other bottom dwellers. Squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits will fool the bottomfish.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that anglers are connecting with cobia and king mackerel while slow-trolling live baits around local spots in the 65’ depths. Menhaden are fooling most of the fish.
Trolling further offshore is producing some solid dolphin action, with most of the fish falling for ballyhoo and skirted lures like sea witches. A few wahoo and blackfin tuna are mixed in as well.
Georgia Murphy, of Apex, NC, with a black drum she landed in an Ocean Isle Beach canal.
Bottom fishing along the break is producing plenty of action with beeliners, groupers, and more. Anglers can drop baited bottom rigs or vertical jigs to connect with the bottom feeders.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that there’s been a good speckled trout bite for anglers fishing the Little River jetties and the typical summertime spots like grass and shell banks inshore. Most are falling for live shrimp, and anglers fishing shrimp beneath floats at the jetties are also connecting with some red drum and a few large sheepshead (to 8+ lbs.).
Targeting the sheeps with fiddler crabs or other baits near the rock jetties should be productive as well.
Red drum are still feeding in the creeks (many upper and over-slot fish). They’ll bite live shrimp, mud minnows, or menhaden.
Flounder fishing has been up-and-down, but most days have been producing a decent bite, and anglers are finding a solid keeper ratio with the fish they’re catching. Drifting through Tubbs Inlet and fishing ICW docks is producing most of the flatfish action, and anglers are fooling the majority of the fish with live mud minnows and menhaden.
Spadefish have shown up on nearshore reefs in 40-60’ of water. Anglers can chum the spades up with whole and chopped cannonball jellyfish, and then use pieces of the jellies as hook baits.
Spanish mackerel continue to be a bit further off the beach than typical, but anglers who push out a few miles are connecting with a decent number.
An occasional cobia is also cruising within a few miles of shore. Anglers who spot one may be able to tempt it to bite a live bait, bucktail jig, or large soft plastic.
Tommy, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers working Gotcha plugs from the pier are hooking a few bluefish.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with some sea mullet and croaker on shrimp.
