Ocean Isle – December 10, 2015
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that anglers are finding some excellent fall king mackerel action off Brunswick County’s beaches. The best bite has been in 80-90’ of water lately, and the kings will follow the upper-60 degree water temperatures offshore as fall fades to winter. Anglers who can find the warm water and some bait can usually find some king action throughout the cold season, often in the vicinity of Frying Pan Tower. Live baits can be tough to come by once it gets cold, but the offshore kings aren’t picky and dead cigar minnows frequently work just as well.
There have been big numbers of cigar minnows around bottom structure where the kings are feeding now, however, and anglers who jig some live minnows up only make their chances better.
Gag and scamp grouper, black sea bass, and a variety of other tasty bottom dwellers are feeding around the same structure, and anglers can often put together some of the best catches of the year in the fall and early winter (keeping in mind that grouper close Jan 1). Live baits are some of the best bets for the grouper, but dead and cut fish and squid are also effective and excellent choices for the smaller fish.
Further offshore, wahoo are still feeding around the Winyah Scarp, where anglers are hooking them on ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures. The wahoo action can be good over the winter as well, but anglers need warm, Gulf Stream water pushing over the local blue water hotspots to turn the bite on.
Brandon Sauls and Clay Morphis with a pair of slot red drum weighing 13.1 lbs. that earned them first place in the Cy’s World Tournament, held out of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center on November 28.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers saw some excellent speckled trout action over the month of November, and December should present some excellent opportunities for action as well. The specks are beginning to move from their fall haunts to places they aggregate for the winter, so anglers who find the fish in the coming months should be able to connect with decent numbers. Deeper holes in the backs of local creeks and the canals behind the local islands are particularly good places to hunt for trout in the cooler months.
There’s been some good trout fishing at the Little River jetties over the past month as well, and anglers can expect a chance at some larger fish there over December.
Live shrimp are the best bets for the specks, but they become hard to find when it’s cold. Live mud minnows and shrimp-imitating lures like Vudu shrimp are solid choices when anglers can find the live ones.
David Langley with a red drum that bit a menhaden just off the beach at Oak Island while he was fishing with Wayne Newkirk.
Good numbers of black drum, some fat gray trout, and red drum have been feeding alongside the trout and are all fans of the same offerings.
The drum are starting to move to their wintering holes as well, and they prefer shallower water than the trout. They’ll be holding along skinny-water flats in the local creeks and marshes over the winter, and anglers with shallow-draft boats can often find some exciting sight-fishing opportunities with the schooling drum.
Bella Faircloth (age 7), of Holden Beach, with a pair of king mackerel that she hooked 10 miles off Oak Island while fishing with her father, Capt. Cane Faircloth of Ollie Raja Charters.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that anglers are hooking a lot of speckled trout at present near the inlets and in the creeks. Live and Gulp shrimp are tough for the trout to turn down.
Michael Watts, of Whiteville, NC, with a red drum he hooked near Sunset Beach while fishing with his wife Tracey.
