Ocean Isle – July 30, 2015
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that that offshore anglers are seeing typical summertime action while fishing out of Brunswick County, with scattered action at many of the familiar spots but no hot bite anywhere.
King mackerel are feeding at spots in everywhere from 50-100’+ of water. Anglers are fooling them on both live baits like menhaden and dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo. Live baits tend to produce the largest fish, but anglers can troll the dead baits faster to cover ground in search of the feeding activity.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beachfront, but the action’s been hit-or-miss recently. Searching for working birds, bait schools, or surface activity in the cleanest water anglers can find is the best way to locate the feeding spanish. Once anglers find them, Clarkspoons trolled behind planers or inline sinkers will tempt the spanish to bite.
Large sharks are feeding along the beachfront. Anglers who want to battle one of the predators should have little trouble hooking up while drifting dead and cut baits behind the boat.
Brian, Tony, and Adam Green, of Sophia, NC, with flounder they landed while fishing inshore at Ocean Isle Beach with live finger mullet.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite along the local beachfront has slowed down quite a bit in recent days.
There’s still plenty of action with large sharks in 25-30’ of water for anglers baiting up with live and dead menhaden.
King mackerel, cobia, and amberjacks are feeding around structure 20-30 miles off the beaches. Anglers are hooking all three on live and dead baits trolled around the structure.
Lela and Liz Newell with a pair of flounder (the larger 4.8 lbs.) they hooked while fishing some nearshore structure off Ocean Isle with Brandon Sauls.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are connecting with good numbers of trout for the summertime. They’ve been feeding on the typical grass and shell banks along the ICW, in Tubbs Inlet, and around the Little River Jetties. Live shrimp under floats are the best bets for the specks, but they’ve been biting finger mullet on bottom lately as well, surprising many anglers who are fishing docks and other structure for flounder and drum.
Anglers are still seeing some decent flounder action in Tubbs Inlet and some larger fish around ICW docks in the area. There’s also been a less predictable bite around nearshore structure in the ocean. Live finger mullet are tough to beat for the flatfish.
The red drum bite has been a bit hit-or-miss lately, but anglers are hooking them around inshore docks and other structure and in the backwaters around Sunset Beach and Bonaparte Creek. Live shrimp and mullet will get attention from the reds.
Live shrimp fished around the same structure are also fooling some black drum.
Bob, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are connecting with some sea mullet, croaker, black drum, and a few spot while soaking shrimp and other baits.
Some flounder are falling for small live baits fished under the pier.
Anglers working Gotcha plugs from the pier also landed some spanish mackerel last week.
