Ocean Isle – July 31, 2014
Frank Orrell, of Advance, NC, with a black drum that bit a live fiddler crab under an Ocean Isle dock.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that anglers are hooking some stout spanish mackerel (to 7+ lbs.) while slow-trolling live finger mullet on scaled-down king rigs just off the beachfront. Some kings have been in the same areas and biting skirted ballyhoo while boats are trolling for the spanish.
Large sharks are also looking for meals along the beachfront and biting dead and cut baits.
Inshore, red drum are feeding in deeper holes in the marshes and around docks. They’ve been biting best on lower tides when anglers are hooking the reds on live finger mullet.
Flounder are also feeding around inshore structure like docks, and finger mullet pinned to bucktail jigs are fooling the flatfish.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that cobia have shown back up around spots in 40-65’ of water off the Brunswick County beaches. The cobes will bite live baits like menhaden or bucktail jigs with large soft plastic trailers.
Tilden and Camden (age 3) Barlow with Camden’s first fish, a 20″ flounder he caught in the ICW at Oak Island.
King mackerel are scattered from the beach to offshore spots in the 80-90’ depths. Boats are hooking them primarily on slow-trolled live baits like menhaden.
Spanish mackerel are still feeding along the beachfront and biting trolled Clarkspoons and other flashy lures.
Anglers are finding plenty of action with bottomfish like sea bass and beeliners while dropping baits to structure in 90’ of water and deeper. Squid and cut baits are producing most of the action.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still seeing some solid inshore action despite the hot weather and water. Flounder are feeding in the inlets and around ICW structure like docks. The flounder bite also remains strong at nearshore wrecks and reefs in the ocean (with some fish to 5+ lbs.). Carolina-rigged live finger mullet are producing most of the flounder bites.
Red drum are feeding alongside the flatfish at the docks, and anglers are also finding the reds in some of the local creeks and around the Little River jetties. Live shrimp, finger mullet, and menhaden are attracting attention from the reds.
Capt. Kevin Sneed, of Rigged and Ready Charters, and Will Wright, of Washington, NC, with a 9 lb. spanish mackerel that bit a live finger mullet just off Holden Beach.
Some black drum are feeding in the creeks as well, and they have a tough time turning down a live shrimp.
The inshore speckled trout bite has slowed with the heat, but anglers are still seeing a solid bite around the Little River jetties when it’s calm and the water’s clean. Live shrimp drifted along the rocks is the best bet for hooking up with the specks.
Bob, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet, spot, and black drum while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Speckled trout are biting live shrimp in the morning hours.
Anglers are hooking a few flounder on live mud minnows.
