Ocean Isle October 25, 2012
Taylor Miller, Drew Whitlock, and Casey Miller with a king mackerel and a pair of cobia they hooked 20 miles off Shallotte Inlet in 65′. Live menhaden fooled all three fish.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that there are still plenty of menhaden along the beachfront. Most are tight to the shoreline in 10’ of water or so. They’re starting to scatter a bit, so netting them has been somewhat tricky. However, anglers should be able to catch bait without too much trouble.
There’s been a king mackerel bite along the beaches in 20-25’ of water lately, but the fish are finicky and tough to coax to eat on some days. There’s also been good king action (though again, hit-or-miss some days) at nearshore areas like the old Cape Fear sea buoy and Lighthouse Rocks, as well as fish feeding a bit further offshore at the Shark Hole and other spots. Live menhaden are the best bets for the kingfish, but anglers at the offshore spots can also hook up while trolling dead baits.
Cobia (many 40-60 lbs.) and large spanish mackerel (some to 9 lbs.) are feeding in the same areas as the kings and will bite live or dead baits as well.
Bill Hess, of Durham, NC, with a 25″ flounder that bit a white Gulp shrimp in the lower Cape Fear River while he was fishing on his kayak.
Further offshore, Gulf Stream trollers are still seeing some wahoo action, but the bite isn’t as hot as it often is this time of year. Both skirted ballyhoo and baitless high-speed lures will tempt bites from the wahoo when anglers find them.
Blackfin tuna are feeding in the Gulf Stream as well, with particularly good numbers around the Steeples. They’ll bite ballyhoo or smaller trolling lures, and anglers can also hook up on vertical jigs or topwater poppers when the fish are thick.
Mark, of OceanIsleFishingCharters.com, reports that there’s been solid red drum action in the creeks around Ocean Isle. Anglers are also picking up some black drum in the same spots. The action’s been best near oyster rocks on the lower parts of the tide, either rising or falling. Live shrimp and finger mullet on jigheads or light Carolina rigs are the way to go for both fish.
Flounder are feeding throughout the inshore waters. Anglers are stumbling across them just about everywhere, but Tubbs Inlet and ICW spots like docks have been the most consistent lately. Finger mullet on jigheads and Carolina rigs are tempting the bites from the flatfish.
Marisa Smith, of Browns Summit, NC, with a citation 24.5 lb. red grouper that bit a live menhaden 50 miles off Southport while she was fishing on the “Beer Run.”
Speckled trout are starting to show up in the area, and anglers are beginning to connect with them around ICW structure like docks. Live shrimp are tough to beat for the specks, but anglers can also cast a variety of soft plastic baits with success.
There are still some bruiser red drum feeding in Little River Inlet, and plenty more over-slot fish (8-12 lbs.). Live finger mullet and menhaden on Carolina rigs are fooling both.
David, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are hooking some spot, sea mullet, and pompano on double-hook rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
Some flounder are falling for small live baits under the pier.
