Southport April 24, 2014
Cooper Ellis, of Columbus, OH, with a red drum that bit a live bait near Oak Island while he was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing the sea mullet bite around the mouth of the Cape Fear River get into full swing. The fish are getting larger and more numerous, and anglers are putting together solid catches on bottom rigs baited with cut shrimp.
Red and black drum are still feeding in the creeks and marshes off the ICW and Cape Fear River. Anglers can target the reds with a variety of soft and hard artificials or live mud minnows. Fresh shrimp and chunks of crab will get attention from both drum species, especially around structures like docks and bridges.
There’s still some speckled trout action in the creeks locally, but it’s catch-and-release only until June 15. Anglers are fooling the specks with MirrOlures and a variety of soft plastic baits.
Flounder are growing more active inshore, and anglers landed some of the first keeper flatfish of the year on live mud minnows and soft plastic baits last week.
Bluefish have shown up along the beachfront and around the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and anglers are hooking them on baits and casting lures (like Gotcha plugs). Anglers have also landed the first spanish mackerel of the year on the local piers. The spaniard may have been a straggler, but the main body of fish should show up over the next month.
Kathie Brown, of Oak Island, with a 3 lb. black drum she hooked while bottom fishing from Ocean Crest Pier.
Annette, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are catching more and larger sea mullet from the piers and around the river mouth than they were a few weeks back. Most are falling for shrimp on bottom rigs.
Small bluefish have shown up in the same areas and are biting baits and lures.
In the backwaters, anglers are connecting with red drum in the creeks and marshes on a variety of baits and lures.
Some spike speckled trout are feeding in the creeks and falling for soft plastic baits.
Increasing numbers of flounder are feeding in the same areas as the specks and reds, but not many are above the 15” legal limit yet. They’ll be getting larger and more numerous as the season goes on.
Tommy Dale, of Horseheads, NY, with a 19″ red drum that bit cut shrimp off Kure Beach Pier.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that warming water temperatures are turning the spring bite on. Spanish mackerel have shown up along the Oak Island beachfront, and the action will only improve as the water continues to warm. Trolling Clarkspoons behind torpedo weights and planers is the way to connect with the spaniards and bluefish feeding in the same areas.
Black sea bass are still feeding on bottom structure within sight of land, and anglers were able to put together a limit 6 miles out last week. The further offshore anglers go, the larger the bass get, and there have been some fat ones put on ice around the Horseshoe recently. Bottom rigs baited with squid and cut baits are the way to go for the sea bass.
King mackerel are feeding east of Frying Pan Tower and offshore of the Navy Wreck, and the fish will be making a move towards the beach in the coming weeks. Trolling Drone spoons or dead cigar minnows is the way to connect with the kings offshore. When they arrive inshore, live baits like menhaden and bluefish are better choices.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that there’s still some solid wahoo action in the Gulf Stream for boats making the run to blue water.
King mackerel have shown up around Frying Pan Tower, where anglers can tempt them to bite trolled cigar minnows or Drone spoons. False albacore and a few blackfin tuna are mixed in and attacking the same baits.
Inshore, there’s been a good red drum bite around docks and in the marshes. Most of the reds are falling for live mud minnows pinned to jigheads.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking sea mullet and some pompano while bottom fishing with shrimp. Some small flounder and bluefish are mixed in.
