North Myrtle Beach April 15, 2010
Gregg Jackson, Ron Humber, John High, Montgomery, Sr., Montgomery, Jr., and Preston, from New York City, with a limit of large black sea bass along with some beeliners, grunts, porgies, and other bottomfish (and a 125 lb. lemon shark) they landed while bottom fishing southwest of Frying Pan Tower. They were fishing out of Southport with Capts. Butch and Chris Foster of Yeah Right Charters.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that area speckled trout fishing is coming around. The big trout haven’t started feeding at the Little River jetties en masse yet, but they should be there any day now.
Most of the trout that anglers have caught in the past few weeks have been around inshore structure like the Sunset Beach Bridge or mixed in with red drum at docks and other structure. April is typically one of the best big trout months of the year in the area, and anglers have already landed specks to 5 lbs. Live shrimp are the best trout baits, but are somewhat difficult to find this time of year. Billy Bay Halo shrimp are a good substitute, and the chartreuse and pink/gold models have been the most effective lately.
Anglers should try fishing the shrimp both with and without a popping cork to see which presentation the specks prefer on a given day.
Red drum are feeding at a variety of spots in the area. Anglers are catching big numbers of smaller (16-20”) puppy drum in the creeks and smaller numbers of larger reds in the ICW and near Little River Inlet. Live mud minnows on light Mission Fishin’ jigheads or chunks of crab on Carolina rigs are the way to go for the reds, large or small.
The flounder bite has improved as well. Anglers are picking up a few of the flounder most days while trout and drum fishing, with some keepers in the mix. Big numbers of flatties are coming from the Cherry Grove area, but only a small number are keepers. Live mud minnows on Carolina rigs or jigheads will tempt bites from the flounder.
Jacob Frick with a healthy black drum he hooked on a curlytail grub inshore at Ocean Isle.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that there are still some red drum feeding in the shallow water of area creeks and marshes. Good numbers of reds are looking for meals around Little River Inlet as well.
The speckled trout bite around the Little River jetties is just getting started. Anglers’ best odds with the trout will come from drifting live shrimp or mud minnows beneath floats with the tide around the rocks. Higher tides that allow the rigs to get further into the structure tend to produce the best action.
Inshore, anglers are catching trout, reds, black drum, and a few flounder around Sunset Beach Bridge. Live shrimp or D.O.A. and Gulp shrimp imitations are producing most of the fish.
As usual for spring, anglers are catching big numbers of small flounder in the creek systems around Cherry Grove. Live mud minnows or Gulp baits will tempt bites from the flatties, but anglers will likely have to weed through numerous short fish in order to put one in the cooler.
Bryan, of Fish On Outfitters, reports that anglers are catching decent numbers of small flounder around Cherry Grove on live mud minnows.
Trolling between the poles in the ICW has been producing some action with speckled trout and a few reds. Pulling suspending Rapala Husky Jerks in 4-8’ of water has been the best tactic lately.
Ronnie, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of whiting (some exceeding 1 lb.) on bottom rigs baited with shrimp.
Casters caught bluefish and the first spanish mackerel of the year last week on Gotcha plugs and mackerel tree rigs.
Some small flounder are also coming over the rails.
The water temperature is 62 degrees.
