Ocean Isle- October 23, 2014
Jeanette Carter with her first red drum, a 44″ fish that she hooked while fishing just off Shallotte Inlet on the “First Strike.”
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that anglers are still seeing some solid king mackerel action off the Brunswick County coast. There have been plenty of menhaden schooled up along the beachfront for anglers looking for baits, and a few kings in the same areas feeding on them.
There’s been an even better bite at local spots in the 65’ depths, and both live and dead baits are attracting attention from the fish feeding deeper.
Plenty of spanish mackerel are also working the beachfront, and anglers are hooking big numbers while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures just offshore.
Bottom fishermen are reporting plenty of action with gag grouper around structure in the 80-90’ depths. Live baits are tough to beat for the grouper, but cut and dead baits can be effective as well. Plenty of smaller bottom feeders like black sea bass are in the same areas and providing action between the grouper bites.
Kyle, of Speckulator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still connecting with some large red drum around Little River Inlet at present. They’re not trailing menhaden pods offshore as much as they were a few weeks ago, but some big (40-45”) fish are feeding around the mouth of the inlet and biting live menhaden that anglers are fishing on the bottom.
Drifting live finger mullet though the inlet is producing plenty of action with smaller (25-35”) reds.
Robert Morgan, of Matthews, NC, with an 8.69 lb. flounder he hooked near Ocean Isle Beach. Weighed in at Sheffields.
Flounder are still feeding at the usual spots inshore (not many large fish but plenty of keepers), and anglers have been hooking good numbers of the flatfish in Tubbs Inlet and around inshore structure like ICW docks and bridges. Finger mullet are top choices for flounder baits.
Some larger flounder should be feeding around nearshore structure in the ocean, but rough weather has kept many anglers from getting to them in the past week.
The speckled trout bite hasn’t kicked off for fall yet (likely due to the still-warm water temperatures), but anglers are connecting with decent numbers of specks while fishing shell banks and other structure between Little River and Calabash. Live shrimp fished under floats are the best bets for anglers looking to connect with the specks.
The warm water temperatures should keep spanish mackerel in the area for a bit longer this fall, but turbid water in the past week has slowed the bite down. Once it cleans up, anglers may well find some large spanish feeding on mullet outside Little River Inlet during the falling tides and be able to hook them on topwater plugs and metal casting lures.
Bob, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers have seen some solid spot runs from the pier in recent days. Most of the fish are falling for natural and artificial bloodworms, but cut shrimp can also be effective. Black drum are also feeding around the pier and falling for anglers’ bottom rigs.
Those soaking live baits near the pilings are connecting with some solid flounder.
