Ocean Isle – August 3, 2017
Jeff, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that black drum fishing has been the main target for anglers inshore. Tossing a live or fresh shrimp in deeper holes with hard bottom has been the key to landing good numbers of keeper fish, and the bottom part of the tide has been producing best.
Flounder fishing has slowed down a bit, but a few under-sized and keeper fish are still in the mix. Tossing a small menhaden pinned to a Carolina rig has provided some action with redfish. Although the reds have been scattered, those covering lots of water and focusing on marsh edges have been successful.
A handful of speckled trout have been landed while drum fishing.
Davis Atwell, of Raleigh, NC, was fishing under the Ocean Isle Bridge when this flounder took a piece of cut shrimp fished on a bottom rig.
Derek, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that nearshore spanish fishing has produced good numbers of fish. Trolling Clarkspoons on planers between 6-8 knots has been the most effective method to hookup with spanish, and slowing down the troll to under 6 knots has produced nice bluefish.
Shark fishing near the Ocean Crest Pier has been productive for those using plenty of chum. Large chunk and cut baits have been the key to hooking up.
Offshore in the 5-15 mile range, kings have been feeding well, especially around the Shark Hole. Trolling dead cigar minnows has accounted for the best numbers of fish, but pogies have landed the larger fish.
In the 20-40 mile range, dolphin have been scattered and hard to locate.
Out in the 30-60 mile range, bottom fishing has produced beeliners, black sea bass, and grouper on live pinfish and dead cigar minnows. Trolling in this range has produced kings in the 20-30 lb. class, as well as plenty of amberjacks.
Shane, of Fin-Fisher Charter Service, reports that the nearshore flounder bite has heated up. Anglers dropping bucktails and live bait around the nearshore wrecks and reefs are finding plenty of keeper flatfish.
The inshore flounder bite has remained steady, but there is a mix of short and keeper fish. Live finger mullet on Carolina rigs works best, and marsh points and docks in the waterway have held the most fish.
Redfish are still hanging around docks in the waterway. The majority of the fish have been landed on cut bait (pogies) on a Carolina rig, and the deeper water docks are holding more fish.
Speckled trout are still holding in the deep pockets of the marshes and waterway. Live finger mullet and pogies fished on the bottom have been the key to landing limits of fish. Most have been in the 14-18” range, but a few specks have pushed the 4-5 lb. mark.
Calley Steelman landed this 28″, 6 lb. speckled trout while fishing with cut shrimp near Tubbs Inlet.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that nearshore spanish fishing has produced high numbers of fish. Trolling Clarkspoons on #1 planers has worked best. When trolling live bait nearshore, some cobia and kings have also been landed.
Out to the 20-40 mile range, kings have been holding on live bottom. Trolling naked cigar minnows has been the ticket to landing good numbers of fish. The kings have been mixed in size, with more smaller 5-10 lb. fish but some 15-25 lb. fish.
In the 40-50 mile range, dropping live pinfish to the bottom has produced a great grouper and bottom fish bite.
Jacob, of J&J Charters, reports that anglers targeting flounder have found decent numbers of keeper fish. Casting live finger mullet on Carolina rigs near docks and creek mouths has been the top method.
Black drum are still in the area creeks and docks and are feeding well. Fresh or live shrimp fished on the bottom is best at producing some action during these hot temperatures. A few redfish have been mixed in the same areas.
Speckled trout have scattered with the higher temperatures. Live shrimp is the best way to target the summer specks.
Cecil, of Rod and Reel Shop, reports that those hitting the surf have landed plenty of whiting and some quality croaker (in the 12-14” range). Fresh shrimp fished on the bottom has been the key.
Red drum are feeding in the area creeks and flats, and most fish have been a mix of under-slot and mid-slot fish. Fishing with live mullet on a Carolina rig has been the best way to land the reds.
Flounder have been mixed in with the reds. The flounder have been mostly short, with just a few keepers being landed.
Speckled trout have been feeding well around area marshes. Targeting marsh banks and points with live shrimp has worked best.
Just off the beach to the 10 mile mark, spanish and kings have been mixed together. Trolling Drone spoons and slow trolling smaller live baits has been the ticket to finding the bite.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout are still holding in the waterway and near the jetty. Most fish have been in the 2-3 lb. range and have fallen for a live shrimp under a float rig.
Tossing live finger mullet and shrimp around waterway docks has produced some solid redfish action. Most fish have been in the 18-22” range. On the higher flood tides, anglers have had success sight fishing to reds on the grass flats. Out at the jetty, those drifting larger live baits have hooked into a few reds in the 30-33” range.
The Tubbs Inlet area has been holding some nice flounder in the 3-4 lb. range, as well as some short fish. Most flounder have been holding on the docks and will take a live mullet.
David, of Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, reports that anglers hitting the pier early have been rewarded with keeper speckled trout when using live shrimp.
Whiting and croaker have been feeding well, falling for cut shrimp on the bottom. A few sharks have also been landed.
