Southport – August 6, 2015
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers saw a bit slower fishing in the area last week but there’s still been some action, particularly for inshore anglers.
Flounder are feeding around the Southport waterfront and other structure inshore and in the creeks. Anglers can fool the flatfish with live finger mullet, menhaden, and other baits or cast artificials like Gulps and curlytail grubs with success.
Red drum are in many of the same areas and looking for meals in the shallow bays and marshes. The reds will pounce on live baits and soft plastics as well, and anglers can also cover water with lures like topwater plugs and spinnerbaits to find the feeding fish.
Speckled trout are looking for meals in the creeks and around inshore structure as well. Anglers can hook some of the larger specks while working topwater plugs early and late in the day or fish soft plastics, suspending plugs like MirrOlures, or live baits to connect when the sun’s high.
Anglers who’ve made it out into the ocean in recent days have been connecting with some spanish mackerel and bluefish while trolling Clarkspoons off the inlets and along the beachfront.
Matt Hinson and Dustin Wiles with a 46 lb. cobia they hooked on a green-skirted menhaden while trolling near the Raritan.
Teresa, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that offshore trollers are reporting some king mackerel and dolphin action around spots like Frying Pan Tower. Live baits or dead cigar minnows and ballyhoo will fool both fish.
Those trolling closer to shore are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Clarkspoons.
Pier anglers are also getting in on the spanish and bluefish action while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs.
There’s also been some flounder and speckled trout action in the early mornings for anglers fishing on Oak Island’s Piers. Live baits are fooling both fish.
Ben Shifflett, of Winston-Salem, NC, with a 6 lb. red drum he hooked off an Oak Island dock.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel bite along the Brunswick County beaches has been slower than usual recently, but boats are still hooking a few while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures behind planers and inline sinkers.
Plenty of sharks are feeding within a few miles of the beachfront and biting live, dead, and cut baits.
Like the spanish, the king mackerel bite has slowed down significantly offshore.
Bottom fishermen are seeing some solid action around structure 20-35 miles from land. Sea bass, triggerfish, beeliners, porgies, grunts, and more are falling for squid and cut baits pinned to smaller hooks around the structure. Larger fish like grouper, cobia, and amberjacks are taking an interest in live menhaden fished on grouper rigs with heavier leaders and bigger hooks.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that anglers are seeing plenty of action with large sharks within a few miles of the beachfront along Brunswick County’s shores. Anglers are hooking the sharks on live baits like menhaden and a variety of dead and cut baits.
Plenty of wind recently has led to rough rides for those making it offshore, but anglers can still expect some good trolling and bottomfish action when they can get out.
King mackerel, dolphin, and African pompano are feeding around high-relief structure offshore and biting live baits and cigar minnows.
Dropping baits to ledges, wrecks, and other bottom structure in the same range will produce action with grouper, jacks, sea bass, grunts, snappers, and more. Squid and cut baits are tops for the smaller fish with larger cut, whole, and live baits the way to go for the grouper.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are connecting with some sea mullet, black drum, spadefish, and plenty of sharks and skates while bottom fishing from the pier with shrimp and squid.
A few speckled trout are still biting, primarily in the early morning hours, for anglers baiting up with live shrimp.
Anglers soaking live finger mullet and mud minnows near the pilings are hooking decent numbers of flounder.
Spanish mackerel and some bluefish are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs anglers are working from the pier.
