North Myrtle Beach April 9, 2009

Kelly Williamson, Joe Seegers, and Chris Burrows with a 55 lb. wahoo that was caught off Ocean Isle aboard the "Marilyn Jean." The big 'hoo fell for a Black Bart San Sal Candy lure.

Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing, reports that spring fishing is finally getting into gear, and anglers landed an inshore slam (trout, flounder, and red drum) in under an hour last week.

The reds have been feeding in deeper pools (4′ or so) back in the creeks. With bay boats, anglers may have to run into a creek on plane and stay there until they reach a deep hole in order to get back to where the fish are feeding. Once the boat gets to a deep pool, it takes the fish around 15 minutes to relax and begin feeding again. Then when they are feeding, a live mud minnow or Gulp bait on a light Mission Fishin’ jighead seems to be the most productive bait.

There are also a few red drum feeding along some of the docks of the ICW, and anglers must hopscotch a few in order to find productive docks. The red bite hasn’t really turned on in the creek mouths yet, though.

Speckled trout are holding at some of the same docks where the reds are feeding and around larger ICW structure like the Sunset Beach Bridge. Billy Bay Halo shrimp have been the top bait for the trout lately.

Flounder have been mixed in with the trout and reds, and, surprisingly, anglers are already landing a decent number of keepers.

Father/son duo Jim and Tyler Chandler with a jimmy-sized bluefish and an unusually early April pompano they hooked while bottom fishing from Ocean Crest Pier with shrimp.

Patrick, of Capt. Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that the inshore water temperature has risen into the 60’s, and anglers are seeing the fishing get better as a result. Red drum are feeding at a variety of spots along the ICW like the Sunset Beach Bridge, docks, and other structure. A split-shot rig seems to be outproducing a jighead or Carolina rig lately, and cut shrimp and Gulp baits have been the preferred baits.

Some black drum are mixed in with the reds around Sunset Beach Bridge, and they’ll fall for the same baits.

Speckled trout are also feeding around Sunset Beach, and shrimp imitations from D.O.A. and Billy Bay are fooling the specks.

Bryan Worsley, of Mocksville, NC, and Greg Rufenacht, of Harkers Island, NC, with a white marlin they hooked in 180' just north of the Blackjack Hole. The white bit a ballyhoo under a blue/crystal witch while they were fishing aboard the "Fish Tank" with Terry Logan of Oak Island.

Cameron, of Little River Fishing Fleet, reports that bottom fishing in the 35-40 mile range has been producing lots of action with large sea bass, triggerfish, beeliners, rudderfish, and an occasional American red snapper. The grouper bite, however, has been a little bit off. Squid and cigar minnows fished on bottom rigs are producing the lion’s share of the action with the assorted bottom feeders.

Inshore bottom fishing trips are scoring lots of sea bass action, but many of the fish are short. One angler did land a thresher shark while inshore bottom fishing last week.

Mike, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of black drum, but most are on the small side. Some whiting are coming over the rails as well, and skates and sharks are still providing plenty of action. Most anglers are fishing with shrimp.

by Fish Post