Southport August 12, 2004
Bobby, at Long Beach Pier, reports a very good speckled trout showing with fish running up to 4 lbs. this week. They are biting better early in the morning and are still preferring live shrimp. Some nice spots are being caught on the bottom with shrimp or worms. Spanish mackerel are around for the pluggers while flounder fishermen using mullet or menhaden are pulling up flounder in the 3 to 4 lb. range. Lots of bait is around the pier, and that may be why Robert Grainger was able to hook and land a 29 lb. king mackerel this week.
Dave, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports that flounder up to 4 lbs., as well as some nice speckled trout up to 3 lbs., are biting live baits. Bottom fishing is producing some black drum up to 2 lbs., as well as some very nice whiting in the 1 lb. class. Pompano are also around eating sand fleas in the surf. Out on the end, there are some nice spanish mackerel around (up to 4 lbs. 7 oz.), but no kings to write home about this week.
Linda, at Southport/Oak Island Sportfishing Charters, reports that the storm last week through off the fishing. Captains have been struggling a bit. Chuck Gambino, of Fish Buster Charters, said some nice size flounder and drum have been caught around Lockwood Folly. The water is still dirty from the storm, so bigger fish are being caught offshore in the clearer water. There have been a bunch of sharks being caught. Their presence has been making it a little harder to bottom fish. Guys are able to mark fish, but all they can get on the hook are sharks. Capt. Jerry Gray, of Fireball Charters, found a nice catch of gray trout, with the bigger ones measuring around 19″. He caught the grays on the oceanside of Bald Head Island.
Capt. Flick, at Blue Water Point Marina, reports a slowdown in king mackerel and dolphin fishing, and the same for the spanish mackerels, due to the passing tropical storm. The weather change has been good for bottom fishing, as charters are picking up nice groupers, blacks, and beeliners on bottom fishing trips anywhere from 15 to 40 miles off the beach. Amberjacks are also still chewing well on area reefs.
Billie, at Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that it’s been a little slow since the storm, but spanish are still right on the beach. Flounder have dominated the inshore catch, with fish coming from piers, docks, and nearshore reefs. A few trout have been mixed in on the piers and in the river. There are also reports of some red drum from the Southport area. The Phizer docks are producing black drum and sheepshead, but action is a little slow.
