Ocean Isle July 29, 2010
Daniel Alewine, of Rock Hill, SC, with a 24" trout he hooked on a popping cork rig while fishing from a docked boat in a Holden Beach canal.
Patrick, of Twister Charters, reports that anglers are finally able to get offshore, and there’s been some decent king mackerel and amberjack fishing around the Horseshoe and other structure areas in 70-80’of water. Live pogies and dead cigar minnows are fooling the fish.
Bottom fishing in the same areas with squid and cut baits is producing action with black sea bass and other bottomfish.
The water’s remained a little dirty after last week’s winds, and the spanish mackerel fishing hasn’t recovered yet.
Inshore, fishing live finger mullet around Lockwood Folly has been producing a few red drum, speckled trout, and plenty of ribbonfish.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the king mackerel bite has slowed in the 55-65’ areas, but large (3-6 lbs.) spanish mackerel seem to have taken the kings’ place and are falling for both live and dead baits.
The king bite has been much more consistent in 80-100’ of water, where the fish are falling for live pogies and dead cigar minnows.
Some dolphin, cobia, and sailfish are in the mix with the spanish and kings, and anglers are also catching a few African pompano in the deeper water toward Frying Pan Tower.
Finding bait has been a little tricky lately, but fortunately the fish seem to be willing to bite dead baits almost as well as live.
Courtney Waddell and Amber Simmons, of Ocean Isle Beach, cradle a sailfish that Courtney fought to a successful release after it bit a live pogy under a balloon 15 miles off Ocean Isle. They were fishing with Daniel Simmons on the "Reel McKoy."
Kyle, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that mid-80’s inshore water temperatures have slowed down the flounder bite a bit, but anglers are still catching decent numbers while fishing deeper structure like ICW docks. Carolina-rigged finger mullet are drawing most of the bites from the flatfish.
The red drum don’t seem to mind the heat, as anglers are catching good numbers in the creeks and around many of the same docks where they’re flounder fishing. Finger mullet and cut pogies (as most of the pogies in the area are a little large) are fooling the reds.
Josh, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers are hooking up with some red drum (20-22”) on live shrimp.
Bottom fishing with cut shrimp has been producing some action with whiting, spot, and small sharks.
