Southport August 2, 2012
Samantha Loggins (age 10), of Pelam, NC, caught and released this 29" red drum on a live menahden in a creek near Bald Head Island while fishing with her father and grandfather.
Scott, of The Tackle Box, reports that the inshore fishing’s been excellent around Southport lately, with particularly hot flounder action (and 5-10 lb. fish weighed in over the past week). Live finger mullet and menhaden are producing most of the flatfish bites, and anglers are hooking them all over the area. Some of the largest fish are coming from the Southport waterfront. The creeks and other structure are holding fish inshore, and there’s action taking place out on the nearshore reefs as well.
Red drum are feeding in the marshes and around structure on both sides of the lower Cape Fear River. They’ll bite topwater plugs, Gulps and other soft plastics, and live baits like shrimp and mud minnows.
The speckled trout action has slowed down a bit, but anglers are still finding some specks willing to bite in the creeks and around deeper structure with decent amounts of current. Live shrimp are the best bets for the specks, but anglers can also tempt them to bite a variety of soft plastics and suspending lures.
Offshore, bottom fishermen should be able to find plenty of action with gag and scamp grouper around structure in the 100’ depths. Live baits like menhaden and cigar minnows are the top choices for the grouper, but they’ll bite dead cigar minnows, cut baits, and other offerings as well. Black sea bass, beeliners, and other smaller bottom dwellers are feeding in the same areas and will take an interest in cut baits or squid.
Angie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still catching plenty of sea bass at bottom structure out in the ocean. The fish nearshore are getting smaller, though, so anglers looking for the bigger bass should be headed offshore to spots like Frying Pan Tower. Squid and cut baits are tough to beat for the tasty sea bass.
Spanish mackerel fishing was excellent off of the Bald Head beaches at last report, with anglers trolling Clarkspoons and other small flashy lures putting together some solid catches.
Connor Copeland, of Wrightsville Beach, with a 21" flounder he hooked on a Gulp shrimp in Bald Head Marina.
Some big sharks are prowling for meals along the beachfront as well, and it shouldn’t take them long to find a large cut bait.
Flounder have been feeding at the nearshore reefs out in the ocean, around the piers, and in the backwaters. Anglers are connecting with the flounder on live mud minnows and finger mullet as well as Gulp baits.
Sea mullet are looking for food along the shoreline, and anglers have been hooking them from the Oak Island surf and piers. Shrimp and bloodworms will tempt bites from the tasty mullet.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been decking some healthy sea mullet (to 1.5+ lbs.) and pompano (to 2+ lbs.) on sand fleas and cut shrimp pinned to double-hook rigs.
Some flounder are falling for live finger mullet fished under the pier.
And a few speckled trout are still biting in the early morning hours, predominantly on live shrimp.
