Ocean Isle – March 5, 2015
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that anglers heading out over the month of March have a variety of potential targets both inshore and offshore.
Out in the ocean, anglers dropping their offerings to structure from a few miles off the beachfront out the 100’ depths should be able to find fast action with black sea bass (with the fish getting larger as anglers work further offshore). They’ll bite a host of different baits and lures, but leadhead jigs tipped with natural baits and small vertical jigs like the 2 oz. Blue Water Candy Roscoe are some of the best bets. Both can be fished on light spinning tackle instead of heavier bottom fishing gear.
Capt. Barrett McMullan, of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, with a golden tilefish he landed while deep-dropping in 500′ of water 80 miles off Shallotte Inlet.
Out around Frying Pan Tower, king mackerel should be feeding heavily when the water reaches the upper-60 degree mark or better. March and April can produce some of the best king action of the year when the fish are near the tower, and dead cigar minnows on live bait rigs or Drone spoons and skirted strip baits trolled behind planers are tough for them to turn down.
Wahoo and blackfin tuna will be feeding further offshore over the month, with the best action where anglers can find a 72-75 degree temperature break near a ledge or other structure. Trolling skirted ballyhoo will fool both fish, and a bait carried deep behind a planer is often particularly effective on the wahoo.
Inshore, anglers can find red drum feeding around docks and on shallow flats during calm, sunny days. Live mud minnows on jigheads, Carolina rigs, or under popping corks are tough to beat for the reds this time of year, but anglers may also be able to hook up on Gulp baits or other soft plastics.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers have been finding some red and black drum feeding well up the local creeks for much of the winter. As the water warms up over the coming month, both will begin moving out of the creeks and into more open water along the ICW, where it’s easier for anglers without specialized skinny-water boats to get to them.
Structure like docks, oyster bars, and the Sunset Beach Bridge are some of the best places to look for the drum after they’ve moved out of their winter haunts. Fresh shrimp fished on Carolina rigs or jigheads are the best bet for both fish in the early season, with chunks of crab taking over the top spot when the crustaceans become readily available. Anglers may also be able to tempt the reds to take Gulp baits fished motionless on the bottom.
Speckled trout fishing should begin to improve over the month, and the fish will likely be feeding in the same places where anglers last found them before the weather got cold. The canals at Holden Beach and Ocean Isle are some of the best places to begin the hunt, and soft plastic shrimp imitations like Storm and Vudu baits are the way to go for lures.
There’s also generally a decent (sometimes excellent) red drum bite around the Little River jetties this time of year. Anglers can tempt the reds (most upper to over-slot) to bite live mud minnows drifted along the rocks on float rigs, and they shouldn’t be surprised if a fat speckled trout joins in on the action. Some of the largest specks of the year are caught around the inlet from March through May.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that that the water along the break is cool and green at present, not boding well for anglers’ Gulf Stream odds. West winds forecast for the next week will likely keep the water there, but anglers will hopefully see a change over the next few weeks. When warmer water pushes in, wahoo and blackfin tuna should be right behind it and hungry.
Bottom fishing in the 80-100’ depths is producing plenty of action with black sea bass, but the keeper ratio seems to be down compared to recent years.
Further out, anglers are connecting with some golden tilefish and other bottom dwellers while dropping baits to the seafloor in the 500’ depths.
