Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are hooking some fat speckled trout (a few to 6+ lbs.) on live mud minnows while fishing grass and shell banks near Little River and Sunset Beach.
Black drum have been feeding around Tubbs Inlet near oysters and other structure like docks.
Anglers are fooling the drum with shrimp fished on Carolina rigs.
The area’s red drum are looking for meals in marshy holes and along oyster bars and points in the backwaters off the ICW. Anglers can tempt the reds to bite live shrimp or mud minnows, chunks of crab, cut baits, or scented artificials like Gulps.
Anglers fishing live shrimp under floats at the Little River jetties are reporting action with more speckled trout and red drum along with some sheepshead.
Caroline and Brayden McMullan with a pair of spadefish they hooked on pieces of cannonball jellyfish at some bottom structure off Ocean Isle Beach while they were fishing with their parents out of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center.
Larry, of Voyager Fishing Charters, reports that anglers on Gulf Stream bottom fishing trips are connecting with some big beeliners, grunts, triggerfish, porgies, amberjacks, and gag and scamp grouper. Most are falling for squid, cigar minnows, and cut baits.
Light-lines fished on the same trips are attracting attention from some king mackerel and dolphin.
Closer to the beaches, bottom fishing is producing plenty of action with sea bass, porgies, bluefish, gray trout, and more.
Alex Wood (age 9), of Raleigh, with speckled trout and flounder he hooked while fishing near Ocean Isle with Capt. Jacob Frick of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center.
Anglers trolling just off the beachfront are connecting with spanish mackerel while pulling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures.
King mackerel are feeding a bit further offshore and biting live and dead baits that boats are trolling.
Gulf Stream trolling trips are seeing plenty of dolphin action at present, along with a few wahoo and blackfin tuna. Most of both are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Michael, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with a few spanish mackerel and some bluefish while working artificial lures like Gotcha plugs and gold hook rigs from the pier.
Bottom fishermen are hooking sea mullet, croaker, and some small flounder, primarily on shrimp.
The water is 73 degrees.