Ocean Isle – September 24, 2015
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that anglers are seeing plenty of schools of menhaden working the ocean just off Brunswick County’s beaches, and the predators are right behind them.
Large red drum (some 40”+) are following the schools of menhaden and feeding on them. Anglers can cast-net or snag the baits and allow them to sink beneath the surface schools to connect with the big reds. Bucktail jigs and other large artificials can also be effective when anglers can distract the fish from the buffet in front of them.
Menhaden schools a bit further offshore are being shadowed by groups of spanish mackerel. Anglers can fool the spaniards by trolling Clarkspoons and other shiny lures past the activity or by working metal casting lures like diamond jigs around the schools to connect.
Fall has begun, and with all the bait on the beach, it should only be a short time before big numbers of king mackerel move inshore and begin feeding hard. The nearshore bite is one of the best opportunities at trophy-class kings of the year. Slow-trolling with live menhaden or bluefish is anglers’ best bet of hooking up with the kings, and fishing around tidelines, concentrations of bait, and working birds is the way to find the fish.
Tommy Furr, of Charlotte, NC, with an 8 lb., 3 oz. flounder that attacked a Gulp Mantis Shrimp in Lockwood Folly Inlet.
Kyle, of Speculator Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that the area’s fall big red drum bite is cranking up, and anglers have been hooking solid numbers on many recent days (with most fish in the 30” range but some to 40”+). Drifting through Little River Inlet has been the go-to strategy recently, with live and cut mullet and menhaden producing most of the action.
Increasing numbers of menhaden schools are showing up along the beachfront as well, and anglers may be able to find the reds in open water shadowing and eating the baitfish. Fishing live baits around and underneath the schools is the way to hook up if the fish are following the bait.
Huge numbers of mullet are pouring out Little River Inlet, and anglers are seeing some large spanish mackerel feeding on the bait. Free-lining a mullet on a light wire leader or casting topwater and suspending plugs to fish that anglers spot chasing bait will tempt bites from the big spaniards.
Inshore, the speckled trout bite is picking up from Little River to Sunset Beach. Grass and shell edges with some current flow are holding most of the fish, and anglers can connect with the specks while drifting live shrimp underneath floats along the banks.
Flounder fishing has been decent lately (with big numbers of fish but many undersized). The flatfish are feeding in Tubbs Inlet and around docks and other structure along the ICW. Live mud minnows and finger mullet fished on the bottom are the ways to fool the flounder.
Jim, of Ocean Isle Pier, reports that anglers saw some decent spot fishing last week and are waiting for another group of the fish to move through. Shrimp and bloodworms are fooling the spot and some croaker.
Anglers bottom fishing with cut baits and finger mullet are hooking some red drum.
Flounder are feeding under the pier and biting live baits fished close to the pilings.
