Ocean Isle March 31, 2011
Terry Helms with an over-slot red drum that fell for a Gulp bait on an 1/8th oz. Blue Water Candy Aftershock jighead. He was fishing a shallow creek near Little River Inlet with Capt. Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Inshore Fishing Charters.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that Gulf Stream trollers have been catching a few wahoo and blackfin tuna at Gulf Stream hotspots like the Steeples lately. Ballyhoo rigged under skirted trolling lures are the way to go for the ‘hoos and tuna.
Jigging in the Stream has been producing fast action with blackfins, amberjacks, false albacore, and a variety of other fish. When anglers are marking fish in the mid-water while trolling but not getting bites, dropping a jig will often pay off for the blackfins.
Sea bass and other bottomfish are feeding on structure closer to the beaches and providing plenty of action (but bass are closed to harvest and must be released until June). Bottom rigs baited with squid or cut baits will attract attention from the bottomfish.
Jacob, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the red drum action is still solid inshore, where anglers are finding the fish feeding in the shallow creeks and at docks and other structure along the ICW (some fish to over 10 lbs.). The action in the creeks has been best during the last few hours of the outgoing tide as the falling water pushes the drum and baitfish out of the marsh grass.
Bass Assassin Sea Shads in chartreuse-diamond and live mud minnows have been the most effective offerings for the reds lately.
Some speckled trout are feeding in the canals and the creeks, and they’re falling for shrimp imitations.
Flounder are beginning to turn on as well, and anglers are picking up a few while casting for the reds and trout.
Black drum should be feeding around pilings, oyster bars, and other hard structure inshore, and they’ll take an interest in fresh shrimp on bottom rigs.
Mark, of OceanIsleFishingCharters.com, reports that red drum fishing is still solid, and anglers are finding the fish feeding in the creeks, along docks and other structure in the ICW, and on flooded grass flats. The reds will fall for a variety of lures, but live mud minnows and chunks of crab have been even more effective offerings lately.
Anglers are connecting with some speckled trout while working artificial shrimp under popping corks in the residential canals behind Ocean Isle and the other beaches.
The flounder bite is just getting started. Anglers are picking up a few incidental to drum fishing, but fishing live mud minnows on Carolina rigs near the inlets is an even more effective way to target them. Most of these early season fish are on the small side, but they’ll be getting larger and more aggressive over the coming weeks as the spring wears on.
Patrick, of Twister Charters, reports that Gulf Stream trollers have been hooking some wahoo and blackfin tuna while trolling skirted ballyhoo along the break. The blue water bite should only get better as the water warms up over next few weeks.
Inshore, anglers are picking up decent numbers of red drum and speckled trout while casting Gulp baits around structure in the rivers and canals.
