Southport April 1, 2010
Capt. Jeff Wolfe, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, with a winter red he hooked in a creek off the lower Cape Fear River on a Saltwater Assassin paddletail grub.
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that April traditionally marks the height of the local Gulf Stream season. Though yellowfin tuna haven’t made a strong showing off the area for the past few years, anglers are anxiously awaiting to see whether 2010 will be the year of their return to local hotspots like the Steeples, Blackjack Hole, and 100/400.
Whether or not the yellowfins show, wahoo and blackfin tuna will be making an appearance in the same areas. Anglers can hook up with the wahoo while trolling ballyhoo under dark-colored Blue Water Candy skirts. The smaller blackfins are more apt to take an interest in cedar plugs and South Chatham Tackle Pirate Plugs rigged with ballyhoo or cigar minnows.
The Stream also often swings in a little closer to land in April than it’s been in the winter months, so anglers may not have to run as far as earlier in the season. Watching the temperature gauge as anglers near the break will clue them in to the edge of the warm water. Even a jump in temperature of a few tenths of a degree with some bait on it could be a productive spot. In addition to wahoo and tunas, anglers also stand a decent shot at a billfish (like a blue marlin) this time of year.
Jigging the break in 150-250’ of water will produce intense action with amberjack, grouper, and other hard-fighting bottom dwellers. Blue Water Candy Roscoe jigs are some of the most productive.
Bottom fishermen will find the sea bass and other bottom feeders moving a bit further offshore in April, and they should be able to find action with the bass and other tasty species at nearly any rock, ledge reef, or wreck in 80’ of water or deeper.
April also usually means the beginning of the hot king mackerel bite around Frying Pan Tower. Anglers should search for 68-70 degree water near the tower to find the mackerel, and the presence of bait further ups the odds. Live or frozen cigar minnows should be too much for the hungry spring kings to resist when anglers find them.
A bit further inshore, anglers can expect to find false albacore feeding around structure like the Raritan and the Horseshoe. These hard fighters generally have a tough time resisting a topwater plug or a variety of patterns cast on the fly rod.
Atlantic bonito should make a brief appearance at nearshore structure sometime in April. The run doesn’t last long, so anglers must take advantage while they can. Casting metal jigs or trolling Clarkspoons and diving plugs will fool the bonito.
Bill Bray, of Lancaster, PA, with a black drum he hooked on a live shrimp in the Kure Beach surf.
Jon, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports that the weather and species closures have kept many boats at the dock lately, but the commercial fleet is finding a few king mackerel to the northeast of the area.
Bottom fishermen are finding some action with triggerfish and grunts, and sea bass and beeliners provide a few more targets for the recreational angler. Fishing near bottom structure in 100’+ with squid and cut baits will produce action from the bottom feeders.
John, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are finding some drum in the area’s backwater marshes and creeks. Most anglers are fooling the fish with Gulp ghost shrimp or electric chicken and salt-and-pepper grubs.
Some trout are feeding in the creeks and around inshore structure. They’re falling for Gulp baits and other soft plastics as well.
Surf and pier fishermen found some action with pufferfish and a few whiting on cut shrimp. The whiting bite should get better as the water warms up.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some whiting, bluefish, hake, and smaller speckled trout on bottom rigs baited with shrimp. The whiting and bluefish bite should improve over the coming days as the water warms up.
