Ocean Isle July 23, 2009
Tony Tew, Gary Sanders, and Tim Godfrey with a sailfish they hooked and released at the Horseshoe on a ballyhoo beneath a pink/white sea witch.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the king mackerel bite’s been excellent in 50-70’ of water recently (with many fish in the high teens-low 20’s and a few bigger) Live pogies are producing the action with the kings. There are incredible numbers of pogies just along the beaches, so it shouldn’t be hard for anglers to score a well full of king mackerel baits.
The dolphin bite has improved over the last week, and boats caught good numbers in 65-70’ of water recently. Live pogies or dead ballyhoo and cigar minnows will both fool the dolphin.
A lot of sailfish have been sighted, hooked, and released by boats king mackerel fishing in 50-70’ lately. Some cobia have been in the same range.
Spanish mackerel (including some large ones) have been feeding around the pogy schools working the beaches, and anglers can hook them on trolled Clarkspoons or on live baits if they turn up their noses at the spoons.
Sue Pedrazzani with a 30+ lb. king mackerel that ate a live pogy south of the Dredge Wreck while she was fishing with Kevin Sills.
Kyle, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that there’s been a decent speckled trout and red drum bite around the Little River jetties recently. Most of the reds are over-slot sized (up to 30”+), and anglers are hooking them on pogies or finger mullet on Carolina rigs.
The trout are falling for live shrimp fished beneath floats.
Some sheepshead are still at the jetties, too, and anglers can target them with fiddler crab baits. Anglers have also been hooking up with the sheeps around the Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Bridges and larger docks in the area.
Fishing around flooded grass in the backwaters has been producing action with speckled trout and red and black drum lately. Higher tides have been producing better action, and most of the fish are falling for live shrimp under floats.
Flounder fishing’s been good recently, too, and anglers are hooking the flounders in typical spots like Tubbs and Little River Inlets and the Lockwood Folly and Shallotte Rivers. There have also been some decent numbers of flatfish caught around the Sunset Beach Bridge. Live finger mullet have been producing more action with the flatties than any other bait, and the majority of the finger mullet in the area have now grown to bait-worthy sizes.
David, of Capt. Hook Outdoors, reports that the spanish mackerel bite is still good along the beaches. Trolling Clarkspoons will fool the spaniards.
Further offshore, king mackerel and cobia are feeding around bottom structure in the 50-70’ depths. Live pogies are the baits to use for the kings and cobia, and anglers should have little trouble catching them along the beach.
Flounder, speckled trout, and red drum are feeding inshore, and anglers are hooking up with them on live finger mullet and shrimp.
Justin, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers are catching some whiting while bottomfishing with shrimp.
Live shrimp are attracting attention from some speckled trout.
