Ocean Isle August 6, 2009
John Rhodes, from TX, caught and released this sailfish at the Shark Hole while fishing out of Southport with Capt. Eugene and mate Stan on the "Bullfighter"
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that after the hard southwest winds last week that kept most boats off the water, anglers are finally seeing some fishable weather and decent fishing.
The king mackerel bite is decent in around 65’ of water (with fish to 35 lbs. landed early this week). The water clarity has improved markedly since the blow, but there hasn’t been much bait in the area yet.
Live pogies are fooling the kingfish. The pogies are stacked up in the ocean just off Ocean Isle, so boats shouldn’t have much trouble scoring a well full of king mackerel baits.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches, and boats are hooking them while trolling Clarkspoons up and down the shoreline and around the pogy schools moving down the beach.
Mitchell "Capt. Big Fish Mitch" Cartee, from Holden Beach, with a sailfish that took a live pogy at 15 Mile Rock while he was fishing with Todd Schad on the "Diggin It."
Kyle, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that anglers are hooking decent numbers of red drum in the backwater creeks, along with a few flounder and speckled trout. Live finger mullet and shrimp on Carolina rigs and float rigs are fooling the fish.
Anglers are also catching a scattering of flounder, trout, and drum around the ICW docks in the area and other similar structure like the Sunset Beach Bridge.
The most consistent flounder fishing lately has been in the typical spots like Tubbs Inlet and the Shallotte River, where anglers are putting together decent catches on Carolina-rigged finger mullet.
David, of Capt. Hook Outdoors, reports that the flounder and red drum bite has been good inshore lately. Anglers found action with both in Tubbs Inlet and around the new Sunset Beach Bridge construction over the past week. Live finger mullet on Carolina rigs are fooling most of the fish.
Paul, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers are still picking up a few speckled trout in the mornings on live shrimp.
Bottom fishermen are finding action with a few whiting and spot.
