Ocean Isle March 27, 2014
Brayden (age 4) and Capt. Brant McMullan, of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, with a 35 lb. golden tilefish they hooked while bottom fishing 90 miles off Ocean Isle Beach.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that anglers saw west winds push cool, dirty water into the area last week, hampering much of the local fishing action. Temperatures along the break have been especially low lately, dashing anglers’ shots at wahoo. Once the warm water returns, anglers should be able to target wahoo at the local blue water spots while trolling skirted ballyhoo and baitless high-speed lures.
Even the sea bass fishing has been affected by the cool water, with temperatures under 50 degrees out to 20 miles. The larger bass seem to prefer 55-60 degree water, so anglers looking for limits of the tasty bottom feeders may have to push further offshore than normal for this time of year. The water has also been cleaner, and there have been less of the annoying dogfish at spots to the west of Cape Fear (rather than to the east). Bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits are the way to go for the bass.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the area’s inshore fishing prospects improve with each warm day that passes. Red drum are moving out of the shallows in the backs of area creeks. They’re feeding in deeper water in the main creeks and staging up around inshore docks in the ICW and elsewhere. Anglers are hooking them on shrimp and mud minnows pinned to jigheads and Carolina rigs along with Gulp baits.
Warren Knowles, of Wilmington, with a red drum that bit a white soft plastic bait near Bald Head Island.
Some black drum are in the same areas and will also fall for shrimp.
Once the area’s crabs molt in the next few weeks, anglers will see the bait of choice for both drum shift to crab chunks, and they should adjust accordingly.
Speckled trout action is also improving, although the fish seem to still be holding in their winter patterns. Anglers are finding the specks (mixed in size from 12” to 3+ lbs.) in the Shallotte River, residential canals, and at a few spots along the ICW. Soft plastic shrimp imitations are fooling the majority of the specks right now. As the water temperatures climb in early April, anglers typically get their best shot of the year at large spring specks.
Some flounder should also be joining the inshore action in the coming weeks.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that there should be excellent action with black sea bass around bottom structure in the 20 mile range at present. Dropping double-hook rigs with squid or cut baits to the bottom in that range is the way to connect with the bass.
Lee Koch with a 25″ red drum that strucka live mud minnow on a float rig near Ocean Isle Beach while he was fishing with Capt. Jacob Firck of J&J Inshore Charters.
Commercial fishermen have found some decent king mackerel action around Frying Pan Tower recently, and recreational anglers willing to make the run should be able to target them in that area as long as water temperatures are in the upper-60’s. Trolling dead cigar minnows or Drone spoons will fool the springtime kings.
Not many boats have been to the blue water lately, but there should be some wahoo and blackfin tuna action at local spots like the Steeples and Blackjack Hole (as long as warmer Gulf Stream water is flowing along the break). Ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures will fool both the pelagic predators.
Inshore, there’s been some excellent red drum action in the shallows over recent weeks. Targeting flooded mud flats on the high tides has been producing some sight-fishing opportunities for the reds, and anglers are hooking them around inshore docks when the tides are lower. Live and cut baits or a variety of soft plastic lures can tempt bites from the reds.
