Ocean Isle – July 3, 2014
Andy Duskie with a bull dolphin that struck a ballyhoo near the 100/400 while he was fishing with Bob Chinn on the “Dirty Dog.”
Kyle, of Speckulator Charters, reports that fishing’s been solid overall from Ocean Isle to Little River in the past week.
The speckled trout bite has slowed down a bit, but anglers are still seeing good numbers of specks along ICW grass banks and at the Little River jetties. The grass bite is best at higher tides. Live shrimp under slip floats are producing most of the action with the specks. The fish continue to be schooled up in mixed sizes, with undersized trout and 4+ lb. fish coming off the same spots.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same areas as the specks, with most of the fish inshore slot-sized. Some larger (30”+) fish are feeding around the Little River jetties, but anglers have to be there when they’re biting which has been hit-or-miss recently. Drifting live menhaden along the bottom in the inlet is the way to connect with the big reds when they’re feeding.
Sheepshead are looking for meals around the jetties and bridge and dock pilings inshore. The sheeps will bite live shrimp or fiddler crabs.
Brayden McMullan and Katelyn Kincer, of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, with a pair of king mackerel they hooked while slow-trolling live menhaden at the Shark Hole.
Flounder fishing has also been solid lately, with Tubbs Inlet, the Shallotte River, and inshore spots along the waterway all giving up good numbers of flatfish. There are still plenty of undersized fish in the area, but solid numbers of keepers are mixed in. Live mud minnows, finger mullet, and peanut menhaden are all tempting bites from the flounder.
Spanish mackerel fishing remains excellent along the Brunswick County beachfront when the water’s clean, which has been a bit of an issue for much of the past week. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers and torpedo weights or casting metal lures to schools of fish chasing bait on the surface is the way to hook up with the spaniards.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that anglers are seeing some solid action with dolphin and cobia around spots in the 60-80’ depths off Ocean Isle. Anglers are hooking most on live baits while trolling for king mackerel. Dead baits like ballyhoo and cigar minnows on skirted rigs are also getting attention from the dolphin.
Some kings are mixed in, but the king bite’s been best a bit closer in in the 50-70’ range. Live baits are the best bet for the kings, although they’ll attack a dead bait when on the feed as well. Menhaden have been a bit tough to come by lately, but cigar minnows and other baits that anglers can jig up on sabiki rigs are just as effective on the kings.
Bob, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some spot on bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
Some flounder and speckled trout are falling for live baits fished under the pier (with shrimp the best bet for the specks). The flatfish bite has been early in the mornings most days, with trout feeding once the sun’s higher.
