Southport August 30, 2007
Butch, of Yeah Right Charters, reports that the recent rains out over the ocean have improved the nearshore fishing. Spanish mackerel are finally around and feeding in decent numbers, and boats are hooking up with them by trolling #00 Clarkspoons behind planers, trolling weights, and bird rigs. Good numbers of bluefish are also falling for the spoons.
Look for breaking fish to locate the action, or look for small white terns feeding on the glass minnows the spanish drive to the surface.
Sharks are also plentiful nearshore, and they will be attracted to anything that smells like fish. Drifting near the beaches with cut baits fished on large circle hooks and wire leaders should draw interest from the sharks.
Offshore, the bottom fishing is still hot. Black sea bass, almaco jacks, amberjacks, grunts, triggerfish, beeliners, jolthead porgies, and grouper are all filling coolers for anglers who can make it out to the deep water.
King mackerel and dolphin fishing has been on the slow side, but the solid bottom fishing is making up for it.
Dave, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are landing good numbers of 1+ lb. whiting and pompano. Shrimp will attract attention from both.
A few speckled trout are still feeding near the pier. The trout bite is best around sunrise, quickly ending as the days heat up.
Anglers are landing good number of flounder (up to 4 lbs.). Live finger mullet are the top baits for the flounder and trout right now.
Bluefish and a few spanish mackerel are falling for Gotcha plugs.
The water is 89.5 degrees.
Jimmy, of Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that the inshore flounder bite remains good. Anglers are hooking up with the flatfish on Carolina-rigged live baits and bucktails tipped with soft plastic baits. The fish are feeding around the Southport Waterfront, the Bald Head harbor entrance, Oak Island Bridge, and the Quarantine Station.
The flounder bite is still on at the Yaupon and McGlammery Reefs as well. Live baits on Carolina rigs are key to hooking up with the flatties out at the reefs.
Gray trout have begun to move onto the reefs, and they’ll only become more numerous and larger as the water cools off and the fall season begins. Most of the gray trout that anglers are catching now are in the 1-3 lb. class. Target them by vertically jigging Fish Jigs or Haw River Stingsilvers over the structure.
Speckled trout are feeding heavily throughout the bays and marshes of the lower Cape Fear River and other area waters. They’ll fall for a variety of soft plastic baits fished on jigheads, and topwater plugs have been especially effective, particularly on the larger fish this week. Look for the specks around grass islands in the river bays, the Elizabeth River, and the Oak Island Bridge.
Dutchman’s Creek is holding schools of small puppy drum, and they’ll fall for a variety of live baits or lures.
The big black drum have finally shown up at the ADM dock, and anglers weighed in 57 and 75 lb. drum over the week. Target these brutes and smaller black drum by baiting up with sand fleas, crabs, or cut mullet and fishing near the big bumpers at the end of the dock.
Sheepshead are feeding tight to the pilings at the ADM dock, and they will fall for fiddler crabs or sand fleas fished next to the structure.
Spanish and king mackerel fishing has been slow close to the beach, but boats are finding good numbers of kings out at the Lighthouse Rocks and the Horseshoe.
Jon, of Haag and Sons Seafood, reports the grouper bite is finally picking up. Red grouper are making up most of the catch, and they’re feeding heavily, as most are packed full of baitfish. Ledges and structure offshore of Frying Pan Tower have been very productive grouper areas over the past week.
Hogfish are holding on structure close to the tower itself.
The beeliner bite has been slower than in recent weeks.
King mackerel have been scarce for most of the past month.
Inshore, the flounder fishing has been slow, probably due to the lack of rain reducing the river’s flow and increasing the salinity.
Billie, of Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that the backwaters are giving up some drum and flounder.
In the ocean, the grouper bite has been good, but not much is happening close to the beach.
