Southport July 13, 2006
John, at Dutchman’s Creek Bait and Tackle, reports trout from 16″ up to 5 lbs. biting live shrimp off the Oak Island piers. Big whiting are also eating the shrimp.
Flounder from 17″ up to 3 lbs. are biting well in the waterway and off the piers. Live mud minnows and pogies are the best baits, as finger mullet are very hard to find.
Anglers are catching mixed size dolphin from the Horseshoe out to the Tower. As usual, finding weed lines is key to finding the fish. Trolling a pink-skirted cigar minnow is a good way to hook up with fish ranging from peanuts to 20 pounders. A few school-sized king mackerel are in the same areas as the dolphin.
Spanish mackerel are few and far between.
Butch, at Yeah Right Charters, reports excellent bottom fishing this week. Red and scamp grouper, gray snapper, triggerfish, black sea bass, and hogfish are all biting well at the offshore reefs. Live cigar minnows are the prime baits, and catching them is the way to start a great day of bottom fishing. The traditional king mackerel trolling areas are great places to search for productive bottom.
Dolphin will eat frozen or live cigar minnows fished on a light-line over the bottom fishing spots as long as there is clean blue water.
The king mackerel are biting well for those who can find them, but packs of fish are scattered.
Not many boats are making the trip to the gulf stream.
Jimmy, at Wreck Hunter Guide Service, reports that the trout fishing has continued to be strong. Try any of the regular areas: Dutchman’s Creek, Walden’s Creek, Elizabeth River, and the mouth of Molasses Creek.
Flounder fishing has also been doing well, with fish on the outside (Yaupon and McGlammery Reefs) and the inside (Southport waterfront, the old quarantine station, and the Oak Island Bridge).
The ADM pier is producing sheepshead during the day (5-10 lb. range) and plenty of ladyfish at night.
Pompano have picked up inside, with catches coming from the ADM pier towards the thoroughfare and also around Striker’s Island. Many are small, but several fish in the 2-3 lb. range are mixed in.
And you can go to Dutchman’s Creek and catch all the red drum you want. Work the boat docks and the sea wall.
Dave, at Ocean Crest Pier, reports speckled trout up to 4 lbs. biting live shrimp. Flounder fishing is picking up, and fish up to 4 lbs. have been caught on live shrimp and mullet.
Pompano and spadefish up to 1.5 lbs. are biting cut shrimp on the bottom.
Fishing barnacles near the pilings has produced 2-5 lb. sheepshead.
Plug casting is producing both spanish and bluefish.
No kings, cobia, or tarpon were caught this week, but the menhaden have moved onto the beach, so the big fish should not be far behind.
The water temperature is 83 degrees.
Jim, at Yaupon Pier, reports that croakers and large whiting are biting artificial bloodworms on the bottom. The whiting are running up to 15 inches.
Speckled trout from 2-6 lbs. are biting live shrimp fished near the pier.
Plug casters are catching bluefish.
No kings were caught this week, but a live pogy produced a 97 lb. tarpon for one lucky angler. Jack crevalle up to 22 lbs. and large bluefish are also biting live baits.
The water temperature is around 80 degrees.
