Southport – July 10, 2014
Noah Houston, of Concord, NC with a stout speckled trout that bit a live bait near Southport while he was fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes of Cool Runnings Charters.
Jimmy, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that the flounder bite just keeps getting better, and anglers weighed in big numbers of fish approaching and exceeding the 5 lb. citation mark last week. Most are falling for live mullet, mud minnows, and menhaden on Carolina rigs, but anglers are also hooking up while working soft plastic baits on jigheads.
The speckled trout action remains hot as well, with anglers finding the fish in the creeks and around structure like docks and oysters in the Cape Fear River and ICW. Anglers are fooling the specks on live baits as well, but soft plastics, suspending plugs like MirrOlures, and topwaters are all effective as well.
Red drum are feeding in many of the same areas as the flounder and specks, and they will bite all the same baits and lures.
The flounder bite has been hot in the ocean around structure like Yaupon Reef as well, and anglers are also hooking up with some large spanish mackerel on free-lined live baits at the nearshore spots.
Smaller spaniards are biting Clarkspoons that boaters are trolling along the beachfront.
Some over-slot red drum are also looking for meals around structure in the ocean, and they’ll pounce on live baits as well.
Annette, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers have been hooking some spot from the ocean piers, with bloodworms producing most of the action.
Red and black drum have also been biting off the piers, primarily on shrimp and live baits.
Speckled trout are on the feed around the piers as well, and they are taking an interest in live shrimp in the early morning hours.
The trout and drum bite has been good inshore, too, where anglers are finding the fish in the creeks and around ICW structure like docks.
Matthew Slaughter, of Southport, NC, with a slot red drum that bit a live mud minnow near Bald Head Island while he was fishing with family on his ninth birthday.
Anglers are also reporting plenty of flounder action both inshore and from the piers, with live mud minnows and finger mullet producing most of the flatfish.
Wally, of Oak Island Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are still seeing some excellent red drum and flounder action in the backwaters around Southport and Oak Island. Live baits are fooling most of both species.
Hurricane Arthur stirred up the water and slowed the nearshore and offshore fishing temporarily last week, but anglers should see the spanish mackerel bite turn back on along the beaches as soon as clean water returns to the area. Trolled Clarkspoons are the way to go for the spaniards.
The shark bite will be turning back on soon as well, and anglers are hooking blacktips, hammerheads, and others in the same areas where they’re targeting spanish. Large live, dead, and cut baits will all attract attention from the sharks.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that the hurricane passing by the area slowed things down offshore, but anglers can expect the action to heat back up soon as the ocean settles down.
King mackerel have been feeding from the beaches to offshore spots like the Horseshoe, and they should be back as soon as the water cleans up.
Anglers were also seeing some dolphin around the Horseshoe and offshore, and they’ll likely return soon as well.
Grouper shouldn’t have moved from the bottom structure in the 100’+ depths where they were feeding before the storm.
Tommy, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some sea mullet, spadefish, and more while bottom fishing with shrimp.
Zachary Shilen, of Raleigh, NC, with a citation 6.2 lb. spanish mackerel that struck a pink Yo-Zuri Deep Diver off Oak Island while fishing with his girlfriend and family.
Soaking live finger mullet on the bottom is producing some action with flounder and red drum.
Plug casters are hooking some spanish mackerel and bluefish on Gotchas.
Live baiters continue to see some cobia off the end of the pier.
