North Myrtle – May 8, 2014
Capt. Mark Dickson, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, with a 28 lb. cobia he landed on trout tackle after it struck a bucktail jig near the Jim Caudle Reef off Little River Inlet.
Mark, of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers landed several cobia at the Jim Caudle Reef after they showed up to check out the boat this week and fell for bucktail jigs with soft plastic trailers. Most were just undersized, but one legal fish weighed 28 lbs.
Inshore, the flounder bite continues to get better, and anglers hooked good numbers of flatfish in Cherry Grove and Tubbs Inlet last week. Live mud minnows or Gulp baits on jigheads and Carolina rigs will get attention from the flatfish. Most are still undersized, but anglers have been landing a few legal fish. The keeper ratio will improve as the season wears on.
Red drum are feeding in the creeks at lower tidal stages, but the area hasn’t had very low tides lately which has made hooking them a bit tricky. Chunks of crab fished on Carolina rigs or live mud minnows on jigheads are the way to tempt bites from the reds when anglers can find them.
Elaine Bennett, of Fayetteville, NC, with a 19″ pompano that bit shrimp in the Holden Beach surf.
Patrick, of Capt. Smiley’s Fishing Charters, reports that fluctuating water temperatures from day to day and spot to spot have made fishing around Little River a bit tough recently, but there’s still some action to be had for persistent anglers.
There’s a decent flounder bite in Tubbs Inlet right now, but dirty water slowed it down several days last week. Anglers are seeing better action and more legal fish while fishing Hog Inlet and the Cherry Grove marshes. Live mud minnows on jigheads or Carolina rigs are tough to beat for the flatfish, but anglers can also hook up on Gulp baits.
Some black and red drum are also feeding in Tubbs Inlet, where anglers soaking chunks of crab and fresh shrimp are hooking both. Docks and other structure in the area are the places to target the drum.
Sea mullet, sharks, and a variety of other bottom feeders are looking for meals in Little River Inlet and biting fresh shrimp.
Ronnie, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs and mackerel tree rigs from the pier.
Anglers soaking cut baits landed several large red drum last week.
Bottom fishermen are also hooking some pompano, sea mullet, and small croaker on shrimp.
